Tasting Through Woodinville

Although vineyards are scarce, Woodinville is the closest piece of “wine country” we have, long anchored by Chateau Ste. Michelle, DeLille and a few others. But in just the past five years, the number of wineries and tasting rooms in this little town just 30 minutes from downtown Seattle has grown from a dozen or so to more than 50. More and more wineries from east of the mountains are bringing their wines to the Eastside—where many of the state’s wine lovers live. As a result, Woodinville is hopping, especially in summer, with the Chateau Ste. Michelle summer concert series, longer tasting-room hours, cooking and wine pairing classes and the August Auction of Washington Wines (this year, held August 19–21). Each area of Woodinville—the Schoolhouse District, the Showplaces, the Warehouse District and wineries off the beaten path—has its own cachet, but with so many options, it’s impossible to hit them all in one day—or even a weekend. Our guide to this burgeoning area will make your wine touring a manageable, enjoyable experience for a day or an overnight stay—and may just lure you farther east once you’ve had a taste of this little corner of wine country. 

The Schoolhouse District
Just a half-mile east of Chateau Ste. Michelle, the old Hollywood Schoolhouse and the surrounding area are becoming another focal point for wine tasting. In the past two years, a dozen wineries, most of which already have tasting rooms in eastern Washington, have built satellite tasting rooms that bring their wines closer to their fans.

The Warehouse District
There are no vineyard vistas to soak up, but this destination offers something other wineries around the state can only admire: a concentrated cluster of tasting rooms that invite exploration on foot. Home to more than 30 tasting rooms, many with production facilities on site, the Warehouse District’ features utilitarian spaces that have been transformed into rooms with attitude.

North Industrial Park
Just across the street from the main Warehouse District lies another small pocket of winery treasures worth exploring

The Showplaces
Tiny tasting rooms are the latest trend in Woodinville’s growing wine country, but, in the beginning, it was all about being grand.

Off the Beaten Path
The Woodinville area is webbed with roads winding through stands of trees and patches of farmland.

10 Up-and-coming Washington Wines
You may not have heard of some of these newcomers to the Washington wine scene, but their distinctive wines are gaining a following of wine lovers who know a good thing when they taste it.

The Must-stop
Woodinville Winery Tour Coordinates and Resources

Cuillin Hills
19495 144th Ave.NE, Suite A-110; 425.402.1907 
cuillinhills.com
Saturday noon–4 p.m.

Des Voigne Cellars
19501 144th Ave. NE, Suite B-500; 206.478.3231
desvoignecellars.com
Saturday 1–5 p.m.; most Sundays 1–4 p.m. or by appointment

Efesté
19730 144th Ave. NE
425.398.7200
efeste.com
Friday–Sunday noon–4 p.m.

Guardian Cellars
19501 144th Ave. NE, E-600
206.661.6733
guardiancellars.com
Saturday–Sunday
noon–4:30 p.m.

Sparkman Cellars
19501 144th Ave. NE, Suite E-400; 425.398.1045
sparkmancellars.com
Saturday–Sunday 1–5 p.m.
 
Covington Cellars
18580 142nd Ave. NE
425.806.8636 
covingtoncellars.com
Friday and Sunday 1–5 p.m.; Saturday noon–5 p.m.
 
Hestia Cellars
18572 142nd Ave. NE 
425.333.4270
hestiacellars.com
Saturday 11 a.m.– 4 p.m. or by appointment

Airfield estates
14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE, Suite 109
425.877.1006
airfieldwines.com
Monday–Thursday noon–5 p.m.; Friday–Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Alexandria Nicole Cellars
Hollywood Schoolhouse 14810 NE 145th St.
425.487.9463
alexandrianicolecellars.com
Thursday–Monday noon–5 p.m. or by appointment

Brian Carter Cellars
14419 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE; 425.806.9463
briancartercellars.com
Daily noon–5 p.m.

Cañon de Sol/Irlandés
14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE, Suite 107
425.489.9463
canondesol.com
Daily noon–6 p.m.

DeLille Cellars
14421 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE; 425.489.0544
delillecellars.com
Daily noon–4:30 p.m.

Dusted Valley Vintners tasting gallery
14465 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE; 425.488.7373
dustedvalley.com
Sunday–Thursday noon–5 p.m.; Friday–Saturday noon–8 p.m.

Gifford Hirlinger
14469 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE; 425.486.2626
giffordhirlinger.com
Thursday–Monday
noon–5 p.m.

Goose Ridge Estate Winery
14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE, Suite 108
425.488.0200
gooseridge.com
Daily 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Hollywood Hill Vineyards
14366 Woodinville-Redmond Road; 206.790.4223
hollywoodhillvineyards.com
Friday–Sunday noon–5 p.m.

J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio
14810 NE 145th St., Bldg. B,
425.488.1983
bookwalterwines.com
Sunday–Thursday noon–5 p.m.;
Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. or by appointment

Long Shadows Vintners
14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE;
509.526.0905 longshadows.com
By appointment

Mark Ryan Winery
14810 NE 145th St., Suite A-1
206.910.7967
markryanwinery.com
Daily noon–5 p.m. 

Pepper Bridge/Amavi Cellars
14810 NE 145th St., Suite A-3; 425.483.7026
pepperbridge.com
amavicellars.com
Daily 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Ross Andrew Winery
Hollywood Schoolhouse
14810 NE 145th St., Suite A-2; 425.485.2720
rossandrewwinery.com
Thursday–Sunday
noon–5 p.m.

Adams Bench
14360 160th Place NE
425.408.1969
adamsbench.com
Saturday by appointment

DiStefano Winery
12280 Woodinville Drive NE
425.487.1648
distefanowinery.com
Saturday–Sunday
noon–5 p.m.

JM Cellars
14404 137th Place NE
206.321.0052
jmcellars.com
Friday–Sunday noon–5 p.m.

Woodhouse family cellars
15500 Woodinville-Redmond Road, Suite C-600
425.527.0608
woodhousefamilycellars.com
Daily noon–5 p.m.

Woodinville Wine Cellars
17721 132nd Ave. NE
425.481.8860
woodinvillewinecellars.com
Friday by appointment; Saturday noon–5 p.m.
Daily noon–5 p.m.
 
Chateau Ste. Michelle
14111 NE 145th St.
425.415.3300
ste-michelle.com
Daily 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (May–September)

Columbia Winery
14030 NE 145th St.
425.482.7490
columbiawinery.com
Sunday–Tuesday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Wedneday–Saturday 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
 
Novelty Hill/Januik Winery
14710 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE; 425.481.5502
noveltyhill.com
januikwinery.com
Daily 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Originally published in August 2010