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Woodinville, a small town just a half hour from Seattle, has become a destination for wine enthusiasts. Over 90 wineries have tasting rooms located there as well as breweries and distilleries. It makes a great day trip from Seattle combined with Snoqualmie Falls.
Tasting Rooms
Tasting rooms are located in different districts of town. We visited three wineries in the Hollywood district. You can find the winery hours on the official website listed above. Some are open strictly on weekends, but plenty are open daily. The best part is that you don’t have to drive very far to find a tasting room. While some wineries are located quite far from one another, there are strip malls with several tasting rooms right next to each other.
Chateau Ste. Michelle
The first place we visited was Chateau Ste. Michelle, which is the biggest and oldest producer of wine in Washington. They set the bar for smaller winemakers in the state, and most wouldn’t exist without their influence.
The chateau is located on over 100 acres of wooded property. If you have extra time during your visit, you can walk around the grounds to take in the beautiful scenery.
The tasting room at Chateau Ste. Michelle is open weekdays from 11am to 5pm, and until 7pm Friday and Saturday. The staff is happy to help you find the type of wine you’re looking for.
In addition to the tasting room, several paid tours are offered, including tastings of premium wines, pairings, guided tours of the estate, and other experiences. Check the website for more details on winery experiences.
When we visited, there were free tours available lasting about 35 minutes. We signed up for a tour in the lobby and received a ticket. When it was time to start the tour, we were given a glass and taught how to properly taste wine.
During the tour, the guide explained the history of wine in Washington and why the state is a great place for winemaking. We also learned about several premium and award-winning wines produced by Chateau Ste. Michelle as well as partnerships with other winemakers throughout the world.
At the end of the tour, we were led to the tasting room to try a few different select wines. We then had the opportunity to pay for a premium tasting and to purchase bottles.
Sora Sushi
When we finished at Chateau Ste. Michelle, we were very hungry. We headed to a strip mall of tasting rooms and found Sora Sushi. We had a delicious lunch with great service, and it was the perfect complement to the wine we were tasting all afternoon.
Tinte Cellars
A few steps from the restaurant, we visited Tinte Cellars (formerly William Church Winery). The small but friendly tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday. We were able to share the tasting, and it was refunded after we bought a bottle. We enjoyed the William Church wines very much. Both of us agreed that four of the five were of better quality than what we tasted at Chateau Ste. Michelle, and we also had a great conversation with the bartender.
Airfield Estates
The third and final tasting room we visited was Airfield Estates, which is open daily. Tastings are US$15 (as of January 2024) for six different wines, refundable with the purchase of a bottle. We didn’t really like any of them until the sixth, but each glass was better than the last. Also, service was a bit strange. The woman behind the bar was friendly but would disappear for a few minutes at a time. We ended up spending much more time waiting than sampling.
