There are many things to do on a visit to Woodinville Wine Country in any season. A perfect day begins with Kevin checking the WoodinvilleWineCountry.com site to see what new release and live music events are happening. Finding a new release event is like finding a treasure that has yet to be discovered, I always find a new favorite wine to bring home. New release events are usually accompanied by small bites, which are paired with the wines. Last weekend, at Woodinville Wine Cellars release party their wines were paired with stuffed mushrooms, beef, cheeses and chocolates. We picked up a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
Off to The Warehouse Wineries and Patterson Cellars, where wine maker, John, greets us with a big smile. Tasting through his menu, we always take a moment to wander back to where all the magic happens. Towering silver tanks holding precious grapes, fermenting away for a future release. The aroma of the grapes, his wines and welcoming atmosphere are reasons we return to Patterson. Today, we pick up a bottle of his Bordeaux blend and Melange Blanc, a white blend of Chardonnay/Viognier.
Next stop, The Junction, home of a brewery, a winery, and Eastern WA tasting rooms. At Armstrong Family Winery, where Jen and Tim are working away producing fabulous wines in Woodinville, we pick up a bottle of Viognier and enjoy a glass with something tasty from the food truck. Then, we drop in at Dirty Bucket Brewery, chat with Steve, share a pint of his porter, and get an update on his expansion plans.
Next stop, Tourist District/Hollywood Schoolhouse area, tasting at Lauren Ashton, where Kit makes some fantastic Reds and his Roussanne is one of my favorites. Next door, Bottom of the Barrel (at the pink tractor); Jack and his son make furniture out of wine barrels. His workshop is open to peruse and we admire the wine bar he created out of two wine barrels.
The sun is going down, and we wind down at Gorman/Patterson for a glass of wine and some live music on their covered patio. Hungry, we end our evening at Village Wines, enjoying a flatbread and sweet potato fries. Kevin picks out a Dunham Cellars Red out of the shop, in honor of the late Eric Dunham, and with no corkage fee, because we are wine club members, it turns into an affordable date night.
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