Seattle’s burgeoning wine scene offers a variety of urban wineries and tasting rooms, showcasing the best of Washington State’s wine production. The blog details top wineries in the Seattle area, highlighting their unique offerings, from bold reds to crisp whites. These urban wineries provide an accessible way to experience local wines without leaving the city. Ideal for both novices and connoisseurs, the guide emphasizes the convenience and quality of Seattle’s wine experiences.
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How Many Wineries Are There In Seattle?
There are dozens of Seattle wineries within city limits. Also, there are 100-plus wineries and tasting rooms that are only a 30-minute drive away in nearby Woodinville Wine Country. Heading east of the Cascade Mountains, hundreds more wineries await in Washington Wine Country. Here you can sip the state’s more than 70 wines while surveying the vineyards.
The Yakima Valley, Walla Walla and Tri-Cities areas are Washington’s premier wine touring regions, together with up-and-coming grape-growing areas around the state from the Columbia Gorge to the Cascade Valley. Each region showcases locally grown grapes and the inventive winemakers perfecting their craft.
As one of the wineries near Seattle Kerloo Cellars is a winery in SODO Urbanworks. It is named after the crane’s call as an ode to winemaker Ryan Crane’s surname. It has a chic, lounge-like tasting room ambience with a deconstructed barrel art installation spread across the wall and serves exceptional wines.
The winery has a wide range of wines. They vary from Grenache Blanc to Cabernet Sauvignon. The staff here have a fiery passion for growing and altering drinkers’ palates with their wines. Kerloo offers superb quality as well as a second label, SoDo Cellars, which delivers even more value. An online reservation system allows visitors to book indoor or outdoor tables.
Another one of Seattle’s finest wineries is Lata Wines. It is one of the latest additions to SoDo’s wine scene. Its small-batch, Washington-grown wines are attracting much attention, including a spot on Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wines in the World list in 2015.
Andrew Latta, who owns the winery, got started in the restaurant industry prior to becoming a sommelier in Thailand. He works to make wines with extraordinary reds from bespoke, sustainable vineyards in Eastern Washington.
If available, get the Latta GSM. It’s young and bright. This wine has a rich, caramel-like aftertaste. Also, there’s a lot of berry flavour however it’s smooth, thanks to the long finish.
What Is The Largest Winery In Seattle?
K Vintners is the largest of Seattle wineries. It was opened by winemaker Charles Smith opened the doors to this winery in December 2001.
Smith’s first vintage was 330 cases of 1999 K Syrah, which he sold out of the back of his 1987 Chevy Astro van. The ’99 K Syrah instantly revealed that he could not only make extraordinary wine but he could make varietals in the wine industry which people would remember.
On the label was stamped a clean, giant, black on white letter “K,” which was big enough so that anyone could spot it across the room. It’s the same iconic and memorable black “K” that is utilised on their wine bottles today.
K Vintners is all about small lots of single-vineyard Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and field blends of those grapes. All of these varietals are hand-picked and fermented with naturally occurring yeasts and are basket pressed.
This prime example of Seattle wineries is open on Friday between 12pm and 5pm. Also, it is open on Saturday from 10am to 5pm. K Vintners is closed the rest of the week.
What Is The Oldest Winery In Seattle?
Chateau Ste Michelle is one of the very first wineries which was established in Washington state. It is one of the wineries which are located near Seattle.
This prime example of Seattle wineries was established as the American Wine Company, a 1954 merger of the National Wine Company (NAWICO), established in 1934, and the Pomerelle Wine Company. (For many years, there was a large neon sign advertising NAWICO in Seattle’s Wallingford neighbourhood.)
The French-style chateau is situated on 87 acres (35 ha) of land with mature trees that once belonged to lumber baron Frederick Stimson. He used it as a hunting retreat and rural working farm called the Hollywood Farm. The property was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Over the years, many Washington winemakers in the best wineries near Seattle have gotten their start in the industry working for Chateau Ste Michelle. These include Kay Simon of Chinook Wines, which she co-founded with her husband Clay Mackey who also was a vineyard manager for Chateau Ste Michelle.
The Chateau Ste Michelle tasting room is open every day from 11:00am to 5:00pm. It is open on Friday and Saturday evenings until 7:00pm. Both reservations and walk-in appointments are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis on select tasting experiences.
If you’d like something different, why not give their Concert Series a try. Starting in 1984, our Concert Series has provided a stage to some of the most legendary artists in jazz, rock, blues and contemporary music including James Taylor, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Sarah McLachlan.
What Wine Is Seattle Known For?
Grape production at Seattle wineries is dominated by the state’s “Big Five” — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Riesling — which make up more than 80% of Washington’s output.
However, more than 70 grape varieties are grown here, from Aglianico to Zinfandel. Owing to eastern Washington’s warm summer temperatures, the best wineries near Seattle are known for their lush fruit flavours. Cool overnight temperatures assist grapes with retaining natural acidity. It reveals both a New World sense of ripeness and an Old World character of ample acidity and tannic structure.
Some of the wines that wineries near Seattle are known for are:
- Jaine 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley,
- Kerloo 2018 Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay Columbia Gorge,
- Kevin White 2018 La Paysanne Mourvèdre Yakima Valley,
- L’Ecole 2018 Ferguson Walla Walla Valley, and
- Leonetti Cellar 2017 Loess Walla Walla Valley.
These are our topic picks of the best wineries near Seattle. So, if you’re a big fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay or Riesling your next holiday needs to be here!
Born amidst the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley, Chloe’s love for wine was instilled from a young age. This passion led her to the picturesque wine regions of France, where she immersed herself in the rich wine culture and traditions.
Chloe’s dedication to the craft culminated in her becoming a wine sommelier, a testament to her deep knowledge and appreciation for wines.