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| NWA WORLD TRAVELER |
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| Small Wineries are Big in Seattle |
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| Explore dozens of boutique tasting rooms within a half hour of downtown. |
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| From avant-garde artists to eccentric entrepreneurs, greater Seattle has always attracted an eclectic breed. It’s no surprise, then, that the area’s wine scene is as unique as the city itself. The region’s collection of boutique-style, artisan wineries has rapidly grown alongside the foodie movement in the last decade. Second only to California in U.S. wine production, most Washington wines—and the grapes used to make them—are produced in the hot, sunny farmland in eastern Washington, a three-hour drive from downtown Seattle. But the area immediately surrounding the city is becoming the new mecca for Washington wine tourism, with an explosion of top-quality wineries that don’t require a long drive. These New World garagistes (winemakers) bring grapes over from eastern Washington vineyards and make big wines in small quantities in their modest facilities in and around Seattle’s urban center. “I’m not sure if there is another premium wine region as close to a major metropolitan region in the [United States],” says Bob Betz, owner/winemaker of Betz Family Winery, one of the many wineries that have sprung up around Seattle. Quality-wise, Washington wines can go toe-to-toe with some of California’s finest. “Compared to [similar] California wines, they can be better values overall,” says Michael Teer, owner of the Pike & Western Wine Shop. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot are the three black grapes that put Washington wines on the map, while Riesling, Chardonnay and increasingly Sauvignon Blanc are the best examples of whites. “What we’ve discovered over the last 30 or 40 years,” says Betz, “is that Washington is really capable of this wide range of style, character and variety—from the crispest, driest, freshest Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs to the most full-bodied reds.” For his own wines, Betz sticks exclusively to big, bold reds, producing 3,000 cases of Bordeaux- and Rhone-style blends each year. Three thousand cases, especially with local demand being high, don’t go very far, and like many of the Seattle area wines, Betz’s hearty reds are not widely distributed throughout the country. The reality is, if you’re craving Washington wine, more often than not, you’ll have to travel to Washington. And here’s a look at some of the best places to get your fix of some of greater Seattle’s finest: Since a stop in Seattle all but guarantees a trip to Pike Place Market, Michael Teer’s Pike & Western Wine Shop (1934 Pike Place, pikeandwestern.com) is an excellent spot to start your wine adventure. Teer has long been a champion of local wines and stocks Seattle-area notables along with greater Washington wines and wines from around the world. He also hosts free tastings every Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. While you’re at the market, pay a visit to the Wines of Washington Tasting Room (1924 Post Alley, winesofwashington.com), where you can taste and buy wines from six notable central and eastern Washington wineries in a relaxed, comfortable setting. Just outside the city, area wineries offer small, intimate tasting rooms where wines are frequently poured by the very people who make them. Your best bet is to drive 30 minutes northeast of downtown to the former farming town, now transformed into wine country, of Woodinville. Chateau Ste. Michelle (14111 NE 145th Street, ste-michelle.com), the grand dame of Washington wines and the first winery to open a tasting room in Woodinville back in 1976, is a must-see for any Woodinville trip. The free tour of the winemaking facility (complete with tasting) offers a good overview of Washington wines and the development of the area’s wine country. Though many of the 20-plus tasting rooms in Woodinville are open only on weekends or by appointment, there are a handful of options for weekday visitors, including Januik’s chic, modern facility (14710 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE, januikwinery.com) and Woodhouse’s easy-to-miss warehouse space in an industrial business park (15500 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE, woodhousefamilycellars.com). Both are less than a mile from Chateau Ste. Michelle. For a complete list of Woodinville wineries, visit woodinvillewinecountry.com. And though you won’t see any vineyards in Woodinville, or near the warehouse spaces that house modest wine-making facilities in and around Seattle, the passion for crafting fine wine is nonetheless evident in the uniform quality of their product. All the more reason to seek out, and bring home, some of Washington’s amazing, small-production wines. Story by ADEM TEPEDELEN |