White Heron Cellars at Pike Place Market in Seattle

Even though I have lived in Seattle all my life, I hardly go to Pike Place Market downtown. Typically, it is packed with tourists from outside Washington State. Quite frankly, I tend to avoid the area altogether. That is until I learned about White Heron Cellars inside Pike Place Market’s DownUnder.

You have to walk passed the primary market down the stairs into a more secluded area of Pike Place Market. There you will find a tasting room nestled away with a waterfront view. We were also able to see the Seattle Great Wheel out the window.

The room is comfy and quaint – it gets packed quickly! Jen and I couldn’t snag a window seat, but we did sit at the bar and chat with both of the owners, Cameron and Phyllis Fries.

Cameron is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly! He told us that they moved to Switzerland for five years to study winemaking. Most of their wines reflect Central European winemaking styles.

We decided to try their Rosé and three white flight. Jen and I were blown away by two unique whites – The Amigne and Arvigne. You can’t find these varietals in any other tasting room in Washington.

Cameron told us the very old history of both. Arvine is allegedly traced back to Roman origins. Cameron shared that the salinity reflects the sweat of the Roman soldiers who would go off to war. Amigne is a notable Swiss grape that grows in small batches. It’s a rare find!

They were generous and let us try their three reds as well!

If we hadn’t eaten beforehand, we would have tried some of the bites that they had to offer. They have cheese, meat, and smoked fish from local businesses in Washington! Try a few truffles from Schocolat with your wine tasting – yum!