The Lens
June 29, 2018

When planning a trip to taste Washington wine you don’t have to travel five hours east of Seattle. Woodinville is only 30 minutes from the city and has transformed over the past few decades into a hub for experiencing great wine varieties from across the state. Although many of the grapes are sourced from a few hours away, more than 100 winemakers make their home in Woodinville, and in the process bring in approximately 795,000 wine visitors each year.

The industry has seen some impressive growth over the years. In 1981, there were 19 wineries; now there are 950. In 2013, King County produced over 2.2 million cases of wine, with the majority coming from Woodinville, bringing in $357.6 million in revenue.

“I think it is probably the most unique industry there is in the world,” John Bigelow, Owner of JM Cellars, told Lens.

Bigelow originally worked in high tech but ended up starting a winery in Seattle with his wife in 1988 in the basement of their house. He quit his job and dedicated himself to learning how to make wine.>>>Read the entire article on The Lens