Woodinville is the Wine Mecca of Washington, consisting of over 130 wineries that span their four winemaking districts: Downtown, Hollywood, Warehouse, and West Valley. This concentration of tasting rooms is only 30 minutes outside of Seattle, and is the perfect place to get to know many of the amazing wines made across the state - in one place.
With so many sips to experience, I decided to create an ongoing list of Woodinville tasting rooms accompanied with mini overviews. As I continue to sip my way through Woodinville, I will add each tasting room to the list.
For all of these locations, be sure to make a reservation several days in advance. If you plan to visit multiple locations, budget an hour and a half to two hours for your tasting and transportation time. To easily make a reservation, I have linked their websites in the pink letters below.
Hollywood District
Atmosphere: This is most certainly a Chateau! The estate is massive and is equipped to host large events, experiences and plenty of sippers. I certainly suggest visiting the property with a purpose, whether it be to learn about the property or to have some wine and tacos!
Service: A group of fellow wine bloggers and myself had the pleasure of experiencing the Toast to Tacos food and wine pairing. The chef and the tasting room staff went over the flavors of the tacos and how they pair deliciously with each of the wines. The chef was passionate and excited about the pairings, making the experience all the better!
Wine: It was a unique and delicious experience. My favorite pairing was the poblano Portobello mushroom taco with kale and Chimichurri sauce. Chef's kiss! The tacos were paired with refreshing Eroica summer wines. They were dynamic and complimentary to each of the tasty tacos!
Atmosphere: The Delille Cellars tasting room is grand and inviting; a modern atmosphere that spans three stories. We had the privilege to sip on the third floor / rooftop space, which is typically reserved for club members only. Whether sipping on the main floor or on the roof top, this tasting room is breathtaking and a must visit for Woodinville.
Service: The space, the wine and the people were beyond any expectation. Don and Michelle were so friendly and knowledgeable, any tasting room would be lucky to have them. They made us feel right at home, while sharing their expertise of the Delille wines.
Wine: My favorite white wine was the Chaleur Blanc. It was dynamic and intriguing; a perfect white wine for the red wine drinker. As for my favorite red wine...can I choose them all?! They were bold, well balanced, with delightfully challenging aromas. They make well crafted wines for any occasion.
Atmosphere: If you are looking to stay away from the high volume foot traffic in the center of the Hollywood District, this cozy tasting room is a great option. They make it easy to social distance with their cozy covered outdoor space.
Service: The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable on their wines. The service is prompt and inviting.
Wine: Their wines are also quite enjoyable and unique. When I think of their wines, I think of spice, peppery and robust flavors.
Atmosphere: The Jaine Cottage is the cutest spot in Woodinville. This bright, beautiful tasting room is made for rosé and white wine lovers. There is a quaint indoor tasting space, coupled with a covered outdoor space to accommodate plenty of sippers.
Service: The staff is bubbly and excited to share their refreshing wines. They are friendly and happy to offer advice on how to get the perfect photo.
Wine: I love their Chardonnay! It's crisp and dynamic, perfect for summer sipping. The Jaine Cottage is a subsidiary of Matthews Winery, so if you prefer to sip on red wines - they also carry Matthews Wines for those red wine lovers to sip on.
Atmosphere: Matthews Winery Tasting Room + Farm has the most unique space in Woodinville. It is tucked off of the beaten path, but that is what gives this winery the opportunity to have such an amazing tasting room. The property is large and includes, beautiful spacious indoor seating, heated outdoor seating and a little farm that produces fruits, veggies, herbs, and the most beautiful flowers for you to take home.
Service: You can tell that the staff here enjoy their work. It is a very large tasting room and is surely hard work to keep all of the patrons happy. They do an amazing job and create such a relaxing environment that you will want to grab a bottle and stay awhile.
Wine: Their awe inspiring space is coupled with amazing wines. They have show stopping Bordeaux Blends and single varietal wines that will have you drooling. Their large selection of wines to choose from for tastings will have red wine lovers and white wine lovers equally satisfied.
Atmosphere: There is a ton of room to spread out and sip, while looking at super cool band screen-prints. This tasting room will have you wanting to buy chaps and a new Harley. If you are looking for a more intimate environment to hang out and get to know the wines, I recommend contacting the tasting room to plan on a low traffic time to visit the space.
Service: This tasting room is quite trendy and in my past visits, it has been incredibly busy. On my most recent visit to the Tasting Room, the traffic was slower and our server had time to discuss the wines in detail which is my preference, given my wine obsession.
Wine: My favorite wine was the Wild Eyed Syrah from Red Mountain. It had bold, concentrated flavors with the perfect amount of tannin!
Atmosphere: This tasting room is located in the Old Hollywood School House, it's such a cool space to sip wine and learn the history of the building. I bet those teachers could have used some of Maryhill's delicious wines and perfectly paired small bites.
Service: The staff members here are knowledgeable and excited to share their wines. You can tell they are passionate and they all work together to make sure their patrons are happy and sipping great wine.
Wine: They have delicious flights that showcase their bold and unique wines. They also have several unique varietals that are fun to explore.
Atmosphere: This tasting room is in a great location within the Hollywood District. It's somewhat on the border of the dense collection of tasting rooms, allowing for easy access and pleasant sipping. Without too much foot traffic, it's a lovely place to enjoy wine with the fresh air provided by the large roll-up doors.
Service: Becky was an amazing hostess. While singlehandedly tending to the entire tasting room, she was still able to educate us on the wines and make us feel welcome. She created the type of tasting room environment that you never want to leave!
Wine: The wine was so delicious, from bubbles to bold reds they have just about everything! The bubbly flight is certainly worth the sips, my favorite being the Blanc de Blancs made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. My favorite red wines were the Sangiovese and Syrah, both of which were dynamic and made an excellent pairing for pizza!
Atmosphere: This petit tasting room for both Pepper Bridge and Amavi Cellars, is relaxing and inviting. You can choose wine flights from one of the wineries, or mix it up.
Service: The Tasting Room Manager Lindsey is knowledgeable of the wines and a great source for information on the wineries. They certainly are at the top of my tasting room list.
Wine: Do not let the size of this tasting room fool you, it very well may contain the biggest wines in Woodinville. If you are looking for amazing, bold, and dynamic red wine - you MUST taste here.
Atmosphere: This tasting room and winery is a must visit! It's the type of environment that makes you want to get married again or throw yourself an extravagant party. It's massive, yet warm and inviting. -It's a whole vibe.
Service: Kristi and the tasting room staff were delightful. They were attentive and knowledgeable, while keeping things light and fun. It's always a good sign when the employees are excited about the winery.
Wine: The wines are incredibly delicious. I particularly love their wine tasting options - you can select from an all white, red or mixed tasting flight. I chose the mixed tasting flight and the Ruby Leigh Merlot Blend was a show stopper for me. The fruit forward qualities and well balance acidity, had me nearly chugging the wine.
Warehouse District
Atmosphere: Tinte Cellars has two locations in Woodinville, one in the Warehouse District and another in the Hollywood District. I have had the pleasure of visiting the Warehouse District location. Which has be made available to accommodate the COVID state mandates, with their bright red tent.
Service: We had an amazing time getting to know the staff while sipping through their wine flight. Their Tasting Room Manager, Monique is so lovely and so were the other staff members. They were all so pleasant and excited to be there. This is what can make or break a tasting room; the passion the employee's have for their wines make the tasting experience that much better for the patron.
Wine: The make phenomenal wines like their show stopping 2017 Malbec. I highly recommend checking them out. I got my first taste of their wines with their delicious Rosé of Counoise, featured in Philanthropic Pours blog post. The people and the wine are amazing.
If you plan on making a venture or two to Woodinville to sip on some wine, consider picking up a Passport to Taste Woodinville for $79.00. This passport gives you several free tasting flights as well as discounts on wine purchases. Considering tastings at many wineries can be $20.00 or more, you will save a ton of money with this pass. Especially if you plan on stopping at several tasting rooms or visiting Woodinville more than once. Another perk of this pass is it lives in your phone, so you will always have it with you!
You can taste award winning wines all year long! We all need something we can look forward to, make it wine-ing in Woodinville in 2021. They sell out every single year so make sure you hop on it sooner rather than later.
Below is a list of participating tasting rooms for the 2021 season:
Airfield Estates Winery
Alexandria Nicole Cellars
Ambassador Wines of WA
Ancestry Cellars
Auclair Winery
Brian Carter Cellars
Bunnell Family Cellar
Cascade Cliffs Vineyard
Callan Cellars
Cave B Estate Winery
Cedergreen Cellars
Celaeno Winery
Chateau Ste. Michelle
DeLille Cellars
Descendant Cellars
DiStefano Winery
Elevation Cellars
Eye of the Needle Winery
Gard Vintners
Genoa Cellars
Goose Ridge Estate Winery
Icon Cellars
J. Bookwalter Winery
JM Cellars
Lauren Ashton Cellars
Lobo Hills Wine Company
Long Cellars
Love That Red Winery
Martedi Winery
Michael Florentino Cellars
Novelty Hill-Januik
Otis Kenyon Wines
Panther Creek Cellars
Patterson Cellars
Pepper Bridge Winery/Amavi Cellars
Pomum Cellars
Quiddity Wines
Rocky Pond Winery
Simpatico Cellars
Sky River Mead
Synne Cellars
Three of Cups Winery
TruthTeller
Zerba Cellars
425 Cellars
If you have comments, questions or suggestions leave me a comment below, post on The Wine Tails Facebook page, or message me @the.wine.tails on Instagram. I appreciate you following along. Tag me on your next Woodinville adventure!
Cheers and Happy Sipping!