If you drive half an hour outside of Seattle, you’ll find Woodinville, a small town with a large love of wine. Woodinville is a haven for anyone that values the appeal of Washington wines.
Most of the wine grapes are sourced from areas outside of the town, as the wet climate isn’t the best for cultivating wine grapes.
Despite this, a lot of wineries have built tasting rooms in the town, receiving their grapes from drier parts of Washington in the east.
Woodinville may be small, but each of its four zones has different things to offer visitors. You can visit wineries in each part of the town, but as there are so many to choose from, it can be difficult figuring out which one you should visit.
If this is the case, you’re in the right place! You’ll find a range of Woodinville’s best wineries in this post. Whether you’re in the Hollywood District, Downtown, or the West Valley, you’re bound to find a winery that suits your tastes below.
Known as the oldest and most famous winery in Washington, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery delivers an amazing experience to those that love wine. Whether you like red, white, or rosé, the winery will cater to your and your friends’ tastes!
Situated on a grand estate, the location exudes class and elegance, thanks to its impressive grounds and stately tasting room. The winery’s manor house, chateau lobby, and banquet room look incredible and are also available for rent throughout the year.
The winery is encircled by over a hundred acres of forest, which is perfect for a relaxing trip away from the hustle and bustle. Visitors can indulge in a wealth of tasting choices, like private library tastings, VIP experiences, and garden patio samplings.
There are many seating options available, though many visitors enjoy the scenic cocktail lounge and terrace. The patio terrace also has a tented area, allowing you to enjoy wine and beautiful scenery during wet conditions.
The winery is also known for its regular events, like watercolor painting and summertime concerts. You can also opt to join the winery’s premier wine club, which gives members access to exclusive wines and events.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of activities to enjoy on-site, so if you do visit the winery, plan out your stay so you can get the best experience possible.
If you’re after a magnificent establishment with tasting flight options, blending classes, and several winery events on offer, you can’t go wrong with Chateau Ste. Winery!
14465 Woodinville-Redmond Rd.NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Dusted Valley obtains their grapes from Walla Walla, in southeast Washington, but their Woodinville tasting room delivers a relaxed approach to those looking for a top wine experience.
Over 6,000 cases of single wines are created on-site each year, including Chardonnay, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. They also create Rhone-style and Bordeaux blends, so there’s something for everyone during your visit.
The Woodinville tasting room is open every day, though you’ll need to reserve a place if you’re in a group exceeding eight people.
Once you’re done with your visit, walking trails link the winery to other tasting rooms and restaurants within the area. This makes Dusted Valley a convenient stop if you plan on visiting the Hollywood District, especially if you’re staying for a while!
14450 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Darby English is a winemaker who is known for his traditional approach to making wines. He first started producing wine in 2002, creating his first commercial batch three years later.
Today, Darby’s Winery creates 4,000 cases each year. These mainly consist of Rhone style and Bordeaux blends.
Popular names like Le Deuce and Flipside are available, sourced from some incredible vineyards throughout Washington, like Dineen, Stillwater Creek, and Connor Lee.
Woodinville locals will often recommend Darby Winery to visitors, as it is known as a treasure spot within the town. The winery offers a simple, yet genuine experience for wine enthusiasts.
Each vintage wine is different from the others, which gives visitors a unique experience every year.
The winery has a room available to house a catered event for 60 people, along with an option for Darby English himself to deliver an educational demonstration about wine to visitors.
The tasting room is shut on Tuesday and Wednesday, so keep this in mind before you travel.
Known for their Rhone style and Bordeaux wines, DeLille Cellars offers an elegant, updated experience to those that visit. Around 700 of DeLille’s wines have received 90+ scores above 27 vintages, a custom that they have maintained since the 90s.
DeLille’s chic tasting room is open every day for wine tastings, with five of their Rhone style and Bordeaux wines on offer. They also offer cheese plates during the tasting which complement each wine you sample.
If you’re in the mood for food, you can take a visit to the winery’s restaurant. This has a range of elegant dishes that will soothe any hunger cravings, including steak frites, roasted mushroom toast, and fresh pasta.
If you have a Wine Club membership, you can receive discounts on wine and beer on offer, as well as extra wine serving during tastings.
The winery hosts several live events throughout the year, including date nights and live music at the lounge. Visitors can rent the space to host events, which is perfect for bridal showers, intimate wedding receptions, and birthdays.
Located just next door to DeLille Cellars, Sparkman Cellars is another winery worth a visit if you’re in the area. The winery has a wealth of flights and also offers wine by the glass, catering to everyone in your party’s tastes.
Sparkman Cellars is a family-owned winery that concentrates on creating bold, elegant, and well-balanced winners. Starting with 289 cases in 2004, the winery now produces over 12,00 cases.
You can also enjoy a range of tasty small plates along with your wine. Their menu changes throughout the year, but the dishes always taste amazing.
Examples include cheese plates with dried fruit, charcuterie with crackers, and flatbread with smoked duck and goat cheese. These all pair well with the wine on offer, enhancing your experience at the winery.
If you do plan on visiting, remember that the maximum number of guests is six, so keep this in mind before making a reservation.
14710 Woodinville – Redmond Road NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Januik and Novelty Hill are two separate wine establishments, but they share the same tasting room and winery in Woodinville. Each winery produces amazing wines with the help of Mike Januik, a skilled and well-known Washington winemaker.
The winery has a simple, yet classy appeal. Their tasting room looks incredible, giving visitors a relaxing space to enjoy a range of tasty wines. The winery offers several flights which all consist of four wines.
Visitors can opt for the traditional tasting experience, or the reserve and single vineyard tasting. These get busy fast, so to avoid disappointment, we’d recommend making a reservation.
Once you’re done with the tasting, you can wander through the winery’s stately gardens and immerse yourself in the scenery.
The winery also has delicious food on offer, from homemade classic pizzas to multi-course meals. These are all produced in the inner culinary town, giving visitors a taste of Woodinville’s water, vineyards, and farms.
If you’re looking for a breathtaking venue that helps you and your companions feel relaxed, Novelty Hill Januik Winery is a fantastic choice.
You can also rent the space for intimate gatherings, like corporate dinners, family gatherings, and small wedding receptions.
Columbia Winery is known for their vast range of wines. These include Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Pinot Gris, which were some of Washington’s first-ever varietals.
The winery’s traditional and rustic tasting room is available for bottle servings and tastings, but make sure you reserve a space, as these can get busy quickly.
When the weather is good, visitors can relax outside with the wine on the patio. This is dog friendly too, which is perfect for dog lovers!
Other than tastings, the winery has wine classes on offer. Led by wine specialist Shelly Fitzgerald, these sessions are ideal for anyone that wants to know more about wine and grapes.
Columbia Winery is also known for their summer concerts. Performed each Sunday in the summer months, visitors can soak up the warm weather and enjoy the live music in the afternoon. It’s the perfect way to end the weekend!
Patterson Cellars has many tasting rooms around Washington, but its Woodinville rooms in Hollywood Hill are known as one of the best.
John Patterson first created the winery in 2000 and has now created several delicious wines. Visitors can try sweet dessert wines, crisp whites, refreshing rosés, and bold reds.
Each flight contains a sample of five to six wines, so you can learn about each one and figure out which ones you like best.
Unless you’re a member, the Hollywood Hill tasting room operates on a walk-in basis only, so keep this in mind before you take the trip.
Matthews Winery offers tasty wines and farm-to-table food pairings for a well-rounded experience. The wines are produced from sustainably sourced, hand-harvested, grapes, giving each wine an incredible taste.
The winery is located on an impressive estate. Visitors can take in the green hills, spacious fields, and rustic vineyards. This creates a relaxed atmosphere which helps you forget about your troubles outside of the town.
The tasting room is open each day, though you will need to book ahead to secure a place. The room has a modern farmhouse interior landscape, with real wood furniture, a well-stocked bar, high ceilings, and an updated sound system.
Matthews has a terrace with both uncovered and tented areas, so you can enjoy the outside, whatever the weather. There are also bistro lights and heaters, so you can relax on the patio when the cold sets in.
Visitors can also visit the winery’s organic farm. This has an outdoor kitchen and spacious lawn, which is perfect for spending a couple of hours in the afternoon.
You can bring your food to enjoy a picnic on the lawn, or enjoy some of the delicious food from the kitchen.
With twinkling lights, picnic tables, and several sustainably produced wines on offer, consider visiting Matthews when you next visit Woodinville!
14467 Woodinville Redmond Rd NE Woodinville, WA 98072-9095
If you’re in Woodinville, you need to try wines made from Red Mountain AVA grapes. You can do this from a few places, but Fidélitas is one of the best wineries to try Red Mountain wine.
Charlie Hoppes first started Fidélitas, a winemaker who is known for his part in making Washinton Red wine a worldwide favorite.
Before Hopppes started the winery, he notably worked at Chateau Ste. Michelle and assisted with starting Walla Walla’s Three Rivers Winery.
Hoppes first decided he wanted to produce Red Mountain wine after trying a Kiona Cabernet from the barrel. He found that Red Mountain grapes can create bold, complex, and well-balanced red wines.
Many years later, all of Fidélitas’ wines are sourced from several vineyard partners around the area, or straight from the Fidélitas Estate in the Red Mountain.
They concentrate on creating single-varietal, single-vineyard wines, in addition to traditional Bordeaux-style blends.
Found on the southern border of Woodinville’s Hollywood District, JM Cellars is a great place to go wine tasting.
The winery was founded in 1998 by John and Ppeggy Bigelow. The two started by turning their basement into a small-scale wine production base.
Today, they create over 8,000 cases of hand-produced wine. Inspired by a range of different places over the globe, the Bigelows use their interest and skill to keep their wine unique and tasty.
JM’s first Woodinville estate, called the ‘Branmble Bump’, is a secret treasure found around 15 miles away from Seattle. The tasting room is often busy and attracts many visitors, so you’ll need to book your reservation a minimum of a week in advance.
If you visit the winery on a good day, have a little walk around the gorgeous landscape. A range of beautiful sights encircles the winery, including rare conifers, like the Himalayan Zebra Pine, one of the biggest cherry trees in the U.S.
You can also try your hand at the bocce courts, which are great to spend an afternoon with your guests after a wine tasting!
14450 Woodinville – Redmond Road NE#109 Woodinville, WA 98072
Airfield Estates Winery has several tasting rooms located around the United States, like this one in Woodinville. They first began planting grapes in the 60s, but now have around 830 acres of wine grapes, with 250 acres dedicated to Concord grapes.
The Woodinville tasting room has a simple, comfortable feel which helps you feel relaxed during your visit.
As you take part in a wine tasting, you can enjoy wine by the glass, allowing you to try a range of different bottles. Their winery’s friendly and helpful staff will help you get the most out of your visit.
You can choose to take part in a tasting indoors or outdoors at the large dog-friendly terrace. Visitors can also purchase several souvenirs and wine bottles at the gift shop after their visit.
The Woodinville tasting room is also worth checking out if you need a site for a private event. Its delightful interior furnishings and outside scenes are perfect for small-scale events, like family dinners and business meetings.
14208 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE Redmond WA 98052
Found outside of the Hollywood District, Chateau Lill’s tasting room is great for anyone looking to get away from the commotion of everyday life.
It’s hard to believe a place this attractive and serene is located a short distance from urban Downtown.
The winery used to be owned by DeLille Cellars, but it’s now owned by the Lills, as Greg Lill bought it some years ago.
He decided to make the Lill Family Label, but instead of producing wine in his basement, Lill contacted relationships created over several years in the winemaking industry.
The new label’s intention relates to connections, which displays the support and care the small town holds for one another. Each different wine is produced by a well-skilled winemaker from Woodinville.
Some of Chateau Lill’s partners are Chris Sparkman from Sparkman Cellars, Matthew Loso from Woodinville Custom Crush, and Chris Gorman from Gorman Winery.
14475 Woodinville – Redmond Road NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Mark Ryan Winery prides themselves on creating small batches of wines. This ensures each bottle is of the highest quality and tastes amazing.
The establishment started in 1999, creating wines with a small batch of grapes in a garage. Today, the winery has developed into a highly valued, critically acclaimed winery.
The tasting room in Woodinville has a modern interior that’s packed with interesting motorcycles, music artwork, and industrial decor.
Nineties rock music adds to the atmosphere, which sets the winery apart from typical ones you may have visited before.
Appearance aside, the tasting room has an informal, comfortable feel, which helps visitors relax as they try a range of different wines.
Most of the wines are Bordeaux varietals, though some are produced from Red Mountain AVA grapes, so there’s something for every taste.
If you’re after an unpretentious winery that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Mark Ryan’s winery is worth a visit.
Final Thoughts
Woodinville is home to some amazing wineries, though the ones on this list are certainly worth a visit.
Tasting rooms can fill up fast, so if you can, contact the establishment to secure a booking before you travel. We’d also advise checking if the winery has a maximum occupant policy, as some refuse groups over a certain number.
We hope you enjoy visiting Woodinville and try some of the wineries in this post!
My name is Jon, and I am the founder of this site, Nautivinewine.com.
I started this site to share my love of wine with everyone, from beginners to seasoned wine connoisseurs.
Perhaps you are looking to expand your knowledge on wine, or maybe you just want to know which wines to pair with chicken and fish. No matter the question, I can answer it for you here.
