What happens if your wine-savvy (perhaps wine-snobby?) aunt comes to town over the holidays and wants you to take her wine tasting in Woodinville? Where will you go? Which of the nearly 130 tasting rooms would you prioritize? Your aunt has tasted world-class wines before, and you want her to taste some of the best of what Washington and Woodinville have to offer. We don’t have any bad wines around here, anyway!
You might not take her to some of the bigger, more crowded wineries (Chateau Ste. Michelle is fabulous, but gets busy during the holidays, as does local favorite Novelty-Hill Januik; and the new DeLille and Maryhill tasting rooms will likely be packed full of everybody and their visiting relatives).
Your decision, of course, will be influenced by the types of wine she prefers (if she likes Italian style wines, just head straight to Martedi, Tsillan Cellars and Michael Florentino and call it a day!) If your aunt fancies meeting the actual winemakers, head out of the busy Hollywood District and make a beeline for the wineries at Artisan Hill instead.
Here’s our current list of 5 tasting rooms we’d choose to bring our savvy wine-loving aunts to!
Avennia
Your savvy aunt might find the modern, clean and white Avennia tasting room utterly beautiful, and she’ll enjoy the spectacular Bordeaux-style and Rhone-style wines from Chris Peterson. The Avennia tasting room is in the Gateway District across from the Hampton Inn & Suites.
Their Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon is a current favorite, and your aunt may enjoy sampling two Syrahs. In case she prefers white wine, Avennia’s “Oliane” is incredible, and there’s a Rose if it isn’t sold out. Avennia wins awards for their Bordeaux blends and Rhone blends.
Fidelitas
When I just need to blow someone away, I take them to Fidelitas in the Hollywood District. They specialize in wines from Red Mountain. Their tasting room staff are among the most knowledgeable we’ve found in our years of exploring Woodinville wineries.
You can try their fantastic Optu white wine, then move on to their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignons, and their Malbec. Their wine sells out fast, so be sure to buy a bottle or three if you’ve enjoyed your tasting.
http://www.fidelitaswines.com/
Five Star Cellars
Everyone I’ve gifted this Walla Walla wine to has complimented it so much and begged for more. (Buy your own refills, people, sheesh!)
This tasting room is the first one I head into if I happen to be tasting wine at The Junction in Woodinville. The tasting room manager gives a warm welcome and the wines are superb.
Their white wine, “Madi” is a Semillon – a bit unusual here in Woodinville. Prepare yourself mentally for how good the red wines are – the Malbec, Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah and a Super Tuscan red blend are all very delicious.
https://www.fivestarcellars.com/
Long Shadows
The Long Shadows tasting room is decorated beautifully and comfortably, they put up festive Christmas decorations, and their wines win tons of awards. The tasting room staff is professional and knowledgeable and incredibly passionate about wine. They’ll give you great recommendations for other local places to try wine, too.
For white wine, taste their Poet’s Leap Riesling, Cymbal Sauvignon Blanc or their Dance Chardonnay. Move onto the red wines – Pirouette and Saggi are standouts. “Sequel” Syrah is a local favorite, too. Lounge a while and visit with your aunt over a glass pour if you don’t have time for a full tasting.
Torii Mor
Perhaps your aunt would enjoy a tasting of Oregon Pinot Noir in the Apple Farm Village? Torii Mor’s cozy, intimate tasting room always provides a great experience. Your aunt might not realize you can taste Oregon wine in Washington wine country too!
You can do a vertical tasting of pinot noir wine from different vineyards, including Olson Estate Vineyard, pinot noir from the Willamette Valley, Alloro Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, and more.
Besides the pinots, Torii Mor makes white wine including Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Riesling. Not all will be available on the tasting menu at a given time; check with the winery before your visit.
https://www.toriimorwinery.com/
We apologize for leaving out many more of the wonderful wineries your aunt would likely appreciate visiting – with limited writing time tonight, we had to cap this list at five!
-Carrie
