Last week Jen and I were compelled by a passing view from the road of these restful Adirondack chairs. We were originally headed elsewhere, but pulled over to explore Sky River Meadery here in Woodinville.
Don’t you want to rush over and settle into one of their Adirondack chairs, glass of mead or wine in hand, enjoying this amazing view of Woodinville? I can’t think of any other tasting rooms in the area that have a fabulous view like this.
We adore this charming property with its cozy home-like atmosphere and colorful landscaping.
The patios and landscaping here are so inviting! It feels like hanging out in a good friend’s well-designed backyard. Love that they’ve thoughtfully made provisions for shade, too.
Sky River Winery specializes in “organic and biodynamic estate wines.”
Inside, we were greeted by three friendly elderly dogs, and this impressive wine rack!
You can, of course, shop for cases of their mead here.
They won Double Gold for their NV Rose Honey Wine at the 2016 Tri-Cities Wine Festival!
A friendly and knowledgeable lady greeted us and encouraged us to pet the dogs. She was really laid back and we appreciated the things she taught us about mead and honey wines.
You can guess that we opted for the “Whole Hive” tasting experience – we wanted to try them all!
The tasting included samples of their Rose, Sweet Brocheti, Sweet, Semi-Sweet and Dry. Jen opted for the mead tasting, and I tried six pours of their WilRidge wines.
Jen and I don’t normally drink sweet wines, so we won’t attempt to review the mead and honey wines here. I did think a friend of mine who only drinks Moscato should come here and try these so he can branch out his palate a little!
I ended up bringing home a bottle of WilRidge viognier home, and served it at a party this weekend. I enjoyed my glass, but a viognier-loving guest said it seemed to sweet for his palate and didn’t pour himself a second serving. Oh well, more for me!
While you taste wine here at Sky River, you can shop for home decor and knick-knacks.
The curated selection of gifts has a folksy, Native American feel to it.
Sky River displays their awards proudly!
After our tasting, we wandered outside with our last glasses of wine in hand, checking out the yard and its amusements. We love the giant outdoor chess set!
Wonder how often it gets used… chess isn’t exactly a “quick” game.
I really wish this place (and other Woodinville wineries) was open on summer evenings for wine tasting while lounging, dancing to music, or perhaps sitting by a fire pit. These 5pm and 6pm winery closings really bum me out!
I didn’t see anything about them serving food at this tasting room – perhaps food and wine glass pours would provide enough time for people to linger on Sky River’s lovely grounds.
I paused for a couple minutes to enjoy the gorgeous view of the Woodinville valley.
I thought to pick up a bottle or two for my friend who enjoys sweeter wines, so headed back in. After I bought his gifts, I stocked up on a bottle of blackberry honey wine to serve at an upcoming summer party in my backyard.
I didn’t want to forget to mention that Sky River is one of Washington State’s few woman-owned wineries! It’s owned and run by Glenda Downs and Denice Ingalls.
Before we drove off, we indulged in one last long enjoyable look at the view.
-Carrie
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Redmond Reporter: Mead is King at Redmond’s Sky River
