Travel & Style
August 30, 2019

Haven’t considered Washington as a wine destination yet? We discover why it needs to be on your wine bucket list.

Washington is not really famous for wine tourism like other west coast destinations such as Napa, Sonoma or even the Willamette. It is not for lack of wine production, as there are 58,000 acres of grape growing land and 970 wineries in the state. Although some tasting rooms are accessible from towns such as Walla Walla and Yakima, most of the grapes grown are trucked over from the east side of the Cascade mountains where they are grown in sandy soil and sunshine to production facilities closer to Seattle. Woodinville, just 20 miles away from downtown, has earned the well deserved moniker “where Washington pours”.

Entering town limits, the first winery encountered is Chateau Ste. Michelle (CSM), a sprawling Bordeaux style estate built in 1976 and pioneer of Woodinville. The other 120 wineries have respect for the visitor traffic heavy destination, as many in the industry have some previous connection to the property. Mutual respect and collaboration are a common theme in this town, with shared spaces and equipment visible evidence. The benefit to the wine tourist is efficient access to innumerable premium wines in approximately 15 square kilometres… Read the entire article featuring Novelty Hill-Januik, Patterson Cellars and Two Vintners on Travel & Style.

Photo: Morgan Lee at Two Vintners.