![]() ![]() ![]() About 65% of that mix includes wineries making wine in Woodinville and the other 35% are specialty tasting rooms representing eastern Washington made wines. "My eyes were opened and I am ready to recommend that you visit Woodinville Wine Country."Įncapsulated in this small community are 110 examples of the best wineries in Washington. I mentioned in Part One that this is the weekend I began to understand Woodinville Wine Country. This place was buzzing with happy customers. No food photos this time, I was too busy tucking in. We enjoyed a hearty morning meal at the Commons Cafe. It was obvious our Woodinville guides were experienced and knew how much we could handle and absorb. It felt as if we were moving at our own pace. Our schedule was structured, but never did I feel rushed or frustrated. Our tour guides for the weekend arranged the itinerary for us: winery visits, meals and transportation. There were three other writers with me on this weekend of Woodinville wine. It was an unfolding, like a piece of origami, colorful, but fixed and closed, taken gently apart, the creases skilfully smoothed - renewed. I now recognize this as the day I began to accept Woodinville as an important component of the Washington wine milieu. Saturday morning, rested, showered and dressed, I went for a stroll on the Lodge grounds before breakfast. The previous post, Willows Lodge, Respite in Wine Country, I shared my experience staying at the Willows Lodge and Spa. #Woodinville wine maps fullIt was a full day of wine and wine-related conversations. This post is about the wineries, people and places visited on Saturday. *Read the Introduction, Woodinville a First Weekend, "No Longer Strangers" if you missed it. #Woodinville wine maps seriesIf you missed the first posts in this series I'm re-counting my first weekend spent visiting Woodinville Wine Country. What does that mean to you? For me it represented many Woodinville labels disconnected from faces and place. Part Four: Destination Woodinville Wine Country Before wine was planted in Walla Walla, WA the city was famous for sweet onions and apricots the size of your hand.Saturday Touring Woodinville Wine Country The climate on the eastern side is very different than you might imagine it’s dry and sunny! Very large glacial rivers, including the Columbia River, flow through Washington making it possible to support a large farming industry. Most of Washington’s vineyards are located east of the Cascade Mountains. It also costs less to maintain a cellar in the Puget Sound’s temperate zone. By selling directly to customers, wineries are able to make more money per bottle than if they sold to distributors. The system of large vineyards and small wineries works for winemakers because they are located close to their largest buying market around Seattle. How is this possible? Well, since vineyards didn’t start popping up in Washington until the late 1960’s, transporting grapes a very long way was not only possible, it was also a good idea. What makes Washington State different is that the vineyards are up to 200 miles away from where the wine is made. Washington wine country is unlike any other wine region in the world. ![]()
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