Explore Seattle Urban Wineries During #TryJanuary

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It’s here – the fun way to make wine discoveries and break out of a Cabernet Sauvignon rut! Take the #TryJanuary challenge and explore Seattle Urban Wineries. The idea is to try new-to-you grape varieties, wines, and wineries. With over 80  varieties grown in Washington State, and a proliferation of tasting rooms in Seattle there is a lot to investigate. Make it even more entertaining and turn wine tasting into an inspired scavenger hunt of sorts. The resources below make it easy.

Disclosure: I am an associate member of Seattle Urban Wineries and a volunteer board member. My idea for the challenge was devised as a way to help wine consumers experience some fun during what can often be a dreary month. At the same time, my hope is to aid the wineries and locals employed by them in the often painfully slow month of January. I am not paid for my work on this. Thank you for all you do to help the local wine industry thrive!

Explore Alternative Varieties

Use the graphic below for inspiration to try some new-to-you varieties. By the way, these unsung heroes are typically priced less than the ever prevalent Cabernet Sauvignon. So if you discover a new wine that you want to take home, it might actually save you money!

Geeky Grape Varieties

For a closer glance at some of these selections take a look at Twenty Fun Red Washington Wine Varieties You Need to Try.

Visit Different Tasting Rooms

With locations from the Ravenna/Roosevelt area down to South Park and in between, there are a number of destinations in which to find some new to you wines or wineries!

24 Seattle Wineries

Taste Different Wine Styles

While many wineries age their most prestigious bottlings in oak barrels or their crisp whites in stainless steel, some are using vessels such as clay amphorae or concrete tanks. Why not learn more about various winemaking practices and explore some different wine styles?

#TryJanuary Bingo Card

About Seattle Urban Wineries

When Paul Beveridge founded Wilridge Winery in 1988 his operation in the Madrona neighborhood was the first of its kind. Since 2000 an evolution in Washington state laws led to increased numbers of permissible satellite tasting rooms for wineries. The winning outcome is a proliferation of wine tasting venues in Seattle. That’s great news for us city slickers who want a closer to home option beyond the drive to Woodinville Wine Country in order to spend a day exploring the region’s wine scene.

Did you know???

  • Seattle Urban Wineries is a non-profit organization.
  • The collective membership is comprised of more than 20 wineries and tasting rooms.
  • Many recognize SODO Urban Works as a great place to experience multiple wineries in one day. However, it is by no means the sole wine destination in the city.
  • There is a full list of Seattle Urban Wineries on the website.

Plan Your Visit

An itinerary for “How to Spend a Day Wine Tasting in West Seattle” by yours truly is available via Explore Washington State.

“How to Spend a Day Wine Tasting in Pioneer Square” is due to be published soon.

Of course, more winery and tasting room visits can be found on my Instagram account.

Meanwhile, explore Seattle Urban Wineries on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter.

No matter which winery tasting rooms you visit, share your experience on social media and use the hashtag #SeattleUrbanWineries. That way others can also be introduced to your finds. I can’t wait to see what you discover!!

Washington Wineries Attain Slow Wine Awards

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The Slow Wine Guide USA 2022 is now available. This edition includes twelve Washington wineries. That’s nine more than the 2021 edition. Better still, two are recognized with Slow Wine’s top honors. Read on for some insights about the Washington wineries that attained Slow Wine awards.

Of the 36 wines published in the Washington chapter for this edition of the Guide, nine are named Top Wines. Of the wines sampled, these represent the finest bottles from a sensory point of view. From cool climate Madeleine Angevine to the state’s first commercial plantings of Sagrantino, the varieties represented showcase the diversity of grapes that can  successfully grow in Washington. Combined with styles ranging from carbonic maceration to well-made pet nats, the wines in this publication exhibit the exciting range of winemaking in the state. Continue reading “Washington Wineries Attain Slow Wine Awards”

How to Spend a Day in Woodinville Wine Country

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It’s easy to spend a day in Woodinville Wine Wine Country. Home to around 130 wineries, it’s just a thirty-minute drive from Seattle. That makes it a great destination for a staycation or weekend escape. Here’s an itinerary for a full day of tasting and dining from the perspective of a wine industry insider. Continue reading “How to Spend a Day in Woodinville Wine Country”

Open That Bottle Night Wine Picks by Winemakers and Wine Writers

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“When should I open this bottle of wine I’ve been saving for a special occasion?” That question was regularly posed to Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher in the days when they penned their renowned wine column for The Wall Street Journal. In response, the clever writers started “Open That Bottle Night.” The goal was to encourage the inquisitive to just go ahead and open that bottle. The event continues to take place on the last Saturday of every February. If you’ve ever wondered what wines are on the minds of winemakers and wine writers on Open That Bottle Night here’s a little insight.

Mari Womack, Damsel Cellars Winemaker and Proprietor

Winemaker Mari Womack Yearns for a Paso Wine

Mari Womack, winemaker and proprietor of Woodinville’s Damsel Cellars and a VinoSocial client, plans to open the Block B 100% Syrah from Epoch Wines in Paso Robles.

“I was lucky enough to try a tank sample of the Block B Syrah with winemaker Jordan Fiorentini when I visited last spring. I got my hands on a bottle and I can’t wait to open it – the Block B is a plush, layered mix of fruit, earth, and mineral.”

When it comes to her desired dish, “I can’t wait to pair it with grilled lamb meatballs with flavors of cumin, coriander, and allspice. Lamb and syrah always signal spring to me and are a classic pairing.”

Wine Writer Kathleen Willcox Soaks Up Paul Hobbs’ Finger Lake Project

Talented wine writer Kathleen Willcox is the co-founder of Thinking Outside the Bottle. Her captivating work frequently appears in Wine Industry Advisor, Wine Searcher, and Wine Enthusiast.

As an Open the Bottle option, “I would love to revisit Paul Hobbs’ Finger Lakes project, Hillick & Hobbs,” Kathleen says.

“It’s a tribute to his upbringing on his family’s farm in Upstate New York, and the traveling winemaker’s latest estate overlooking Seneca Lake in the FLX is producing some of the best Riesling I’ve ever had. Hobbs is known for running Sebastopol’s Paul Hobbs Winery, and Crossbarn, in addition to working with Mendoza’s Vina Cobos, Cahors’ Crocus, Armenia’s Yacoubin-Hobbs and Galicia’s Alvaredos-Hobbs. All delicious. His Seneca Lakes beauty more than lives up to his reputation for producing terroir-driven wines.”

As for pairing, “This one is delicate but powerful, tangerines, wildflowers, wet rocks, pears, lemons and limes. I love pairing it with chicken schnitzel—a family favorite—with buttered and salty egg noodles.”

Winemaker Jay Anderson Reminisces Over Vouvray

When it comes to memory wines, Jay Anderson of Foundry Vineyards in Walla Walla mentioned Vouvray during an interview for the Slow Wine Guide. The energetic Chenin Blanc comes from the region of the same name in France’s Loire Valley. It was the wine Jay’s father would always order with mussels when dining out. Therefore, it was especially meaningful to Jay when he got access to Chenin Blanc for Pet Project. Not yet familiar? It’s his exciting venture based on the ancestral method of winemaking. The grapes come from the 200-acre organic Arete Vineyard in the Columbia Valley. The result is a zippy effervescent wine with citrus up front and lemon-lime soda like character, contrasted by a rich finish.

Open That Bottle Night Wine Revives Travel Memories

Contemplating memory wines has me thirsty for a bottle over which the hubby and I may reminisce about our travels. A lone bottle from our visit to Castello Monte Vibiano in Italy’s Umbria region still resides in our cellar. I think it’s time to open that bottle.

What bottle are you inspired to open? Head on over to Instagram and #LetsTalkAboutWine using the hashtag #OTBN. You can also find the latest updates from Damsel Cellars, Kathleen Willcox, Foundry Vineyards, and Pet Project Wines.

 

Two Wine Soaked Days in Walla Walla

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Walla Walla Valley is a must visit for wine lovers! I’m not the only one who thinks so. It has been named America’s Best Wine Region in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards two years in a row. If you’re wondering where to eat and drink in Walla Walla and want the perspective of a wine industry insider, just use this personal itinerary from my trip last June as a guide. These wineries and restaurants are not to be missed during two days in Walla Walla.

Continue reading “Two Wine Soaked Days in Walla Walla”