Woodinville Wine Country Dining: Two Recommendations

Here are a pair of Woodinville wine country restaurants you should be sure to visit during your next trip to Washington State.

Man Does Not Live On Wine Alone

During our visit to Woodinville, Washington, we had the chance to visit some outstanding wineries and tasting rooms. Tasting some of this country’s best fruit of the vine only stokes the hunger for delicious cuisine.

Our base of operations was the Country Inn Suites in Bothell, a small community about 10 minutes and three miles away from Woodinville. Woodinville was where we spent most of our time, enjoying the abundance of choosing between 108 different wineries and tasting rooms. But you need fuel for such a marathon.

Preservation Kitchen, Bothell

The first day of our wine exploration, I decided we needed a substantial lunch. When you plan to visit four or five tasting rooms, cheese and crackers just don’t cut it.

Preservation Kitchen was a convenient and fortuitous stop on our way to Woodinville. Preservation Kitchen is in a 1916 building that was originally home to the mayor of Bothell. The back dining room was once the garage for the estate. In the 1970’s the building was Paris Chef Gerald Parrat’s Releais de Lyon restaurant. Many elements of his 2,000-foot French kitchen still remain.

More importantly for today’s diners, Preservation Kitchen preserves the traditions of regional cuisine and drink. Their seasonal menu supports local producers, and uses sustainable, organic ingredients when possible.

The original woodwork and floors, a fireplace and huge windows make this a relaxing, inviting space. Indie alternative tunes wafted through the air as Green Dragon and I selected lunch.
I opted for the AleHouse Meat Loaf Sandwich, which is meatloaf topped with sweet chili ketchup, lettuce & ale “mustayo” on toasted Como bread. Green Dragon makes in

credible meatloaf, but I told her this was the first meatloaf to rival hers. Savory with just the right consistency, the zip from the chili ketchup made for a delightful treat. For $13, I felt I was dining like royalty.

Preservation Kitchen has an extensive vegetarian menu featuring Fall Papardelle as well as a Spinach and Berries dish with Praline pecans, chèvre, and pear basil vinaigrette. The AleHouse is a more casual pub and features everything from chicken wings to Wild Boar Ragu. The House Roasted Hazelnuts sounds appetizing.

Of note to wine lovers is the extensive list of Washington wines. Included in the stellar lineup are: Baer, Barrage, DeLille, Elevation Cellars and Force Major, to name just a few. Cocktails are prepared with goods from in-state artisan distilleries such as Softail Vodka, Halcyon Organic Gin and Woodinville Whiskey. An ample supply of the region’s microbrews are on hand as well.

The Barking Frog and Willows Lodge, Woodinville

The Barking Frog and The Willows is not the name of a classic children’s book. Willows Lodge is the top luxury accommodation in Woodinville and the the Barking Frog is its restaurant – a food lover’s dream.

We paid two visits to Willows. The first was for Experience Woodinville – a charity food and wine event. This was a mostly outdoor event with food and wine stations on the lovely grounds and a competition between local chefs assisted by area winemakers.

Willows Lodge is located on five acres bordering the Sammamish River. It’s Pacific Northwest style and luxurious accommodations have earned it a place on the Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List.  We enjoyed the harmonious blending of nature and architecture plus the picturesque gardens and grounds.

The lodge delivers on its aim of capturing the heritage and informality of the NW while providing the highest level of refinement in food, comfort, aesthetics and service. It uses Douglas fir timbers throughout the rustic lodge which also features a beautiful stone fireplace.

The Barking Frog is the ideal location to recharge the batteries during your wine country visit. Native Americans use the frog as a symbol of wealth or abundance, and the Barking Frog was had a bounty of exceptional food.

We had lunch on the Barking Frog patio, first passing an inspiring collection of large format bottles. The sun and temperature were perfect as was the gurgling fountain nearby.

For my lunch I opted for the Angus Flat Iron Steak with Béarnaise and house-cut fries while the Green Dragon selected the salmon special. The artful presentation of each dish had our mouths watering. My pairing was the Savage Grace 2015 Cabernet Franc while the Two Vintners 2014 Grenache Blanc accompanied the fish. This was a sensory-filled lunch we didn’t want to end.

The Barking Frog focuses on fresh local ingredients. Dinner entrees include Butter Poached Halibut with leeks, chanterelles, beluga lentils, artichoke puree and apple-celery vinaigrette. You can also order Iberico Lomo, a pork dish from southwestern Spain.

Barking Frog is an outstanding meal choice whether it be for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Lunch prices run from $10 to $24 and dinner entrees run from $36 to $60. The wine list cannot be surpassed in the depth of fine Washington State wines, which represent great value and quality.

So there you have it. Two reasons why no one should go hungry in Woodinville wine country!

Woodinville Wine Country: Exploring The Best of Washington State Wine – Part 3

Woodinville, located in a peaceful valley 30 minutes northeast of Seattle, is a crossroads where the fruit of Eastern Washington meet the vintners, chefs and flavors of the Pacific Northwest. Here’s the third installment from our recent visit.

Hollywood Winery District

Woodinville has two main winery areas, the Warehouse District and the Hollywood District. Each has 45 or so wineries or tasting rooms. As we wound down our visit to this area, our focus was on the Hollywood District.

The name doesn’t come from celebrities or a thriving movie industry, but rather holly trees. Although tasting rooms are packed wall to wall in much of the Hollywood District, there are certain locations that provide the full winery experience. The Novelty Hill Januik winery is a case in point.

Novelty Hill Januik

Novelty Hill Januik winery is a Mecca for wine lovers in Washington. Having tasted some superb Januik wines before, I certainly wasn’t going to pass up a chance to explore their first-class operation. The winery is sleek and modern with an airy, light-filled tasting room decorated with contemporary prints. Outside there is an expansive patio and also a fabulous bocce area.

Mike Januik is the winemaker for both the Novelty Hill and Januik labels. Each has superb wines, but Januik is the upper tier. We opened with some chilled whites and a rosé. The Januik 2013 Sagemont Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is a subtle wine without the grassy notes you might expect. The Novelty Hill 2014 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Viognier has a slightly floral tone and is fresh and juicy with a tart finish. The Spring Run 2015 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Rosé has a splash of residual sugar and was the most popular wine on this hot day.

The winery offers an amazing array of fantastic reds. The Januik 2013 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Petit Verdot is a light and beautiful wine with layers of dark berries and chocolate. There were two standouts. The Novelty Hill 2013 Columbia Valley Cascadia is an inaugural release. It is a 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 2% Malbec blend. It’s a true blast of Bordeaux elegance. The Januik 2013 Reserve Red Wine is intense with tart cherry and spice flavor notes and a coating finish.

This is a full sensory experience. Wonderful wines, helpful staff, stylish surroundings and some very good pizza. Green Dragon and I strolled off the bocce court and finished our visit with a match. I’ll let her tell you who won.

Amavi Cellars and Pepper Bridge Winery

Amavi is a longtime favorite with our tasting team. Amavi Cellars and Pepper Bridge share the same vineyards and winemaker, but have different styles of wine. Amavi focuses on (amazing) Syrah while Pepper Bridge creates wines with Merlot and Cabernet from older vines within estate vineyards. It is a Walla Walla winery with a Woodinville tasting room.

The tasting room is quaint and comfortable. On this day we had the tasting room to ourselves with Chris, who led us through a tasting. We started with the Amavi 2015 Sémillon which is blended with 12% Sauvignon Blanc. This is a solid hot weather choice with bright acidity. The Amavi 2013 Syrah features fruit from Les Collines Vineyard (and several others). It is incredibly smooth with raspberry, dark fruit and savory flavors. Bam!

Moving to the Pepper Bridge lineup, the Pepper Bridge 2013 Merlot was velvety with rich currant and chocolate flavors. This is a $50 Merlot and worth every penny. Winemaker Jean-Francois Pellet is a true artist, crafting elegant wines with solid values. The height of his work, based on our visit, is Pepper Bridge 2013 Trine, a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. I’d be content to sip this elegant wine for days on end. It is well balanced with earthy notes around ripe cherry and plum flavors.

In your local store and in their home state, seek out both Amavi and Pepper Bridge!

Brian Carter Cellars

Our final stop in our Woodinville adventure was Brian Carter Cellars. It wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t been chatting to other wine tasters and asking for recommendations. Brian Carter is the reigning Washington Winery of the Year and we wanted to find out why.

Brian has a love of Rhone, Italian and offbeat grapes. His focus is the blending of wines in the European tradition. He has also been important to the Washington State wine industry by being an advocate of planting different grape varieties.

We started with a unique white. The 2013 Oriana is a blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Riesling – an unconventional blend that has a fresh nose, quenching taste and off-dry finish.

The 2012 Corrida is a new release with a decidedly Spanish flair. It is a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a dash of Garnacha. This is an earthy wine with coffee threads. The 2011 Le Coursier is a “Right Bank” style Bordeaux blend driven by Merlot.

Our favorite wine was the 2011 Byzance, a southern Rhone blend with Grenache and Syrah plus lesser amounts of Mourvedre, Counoise and Cinsault. We bought a bottle of this, but sadly it didn’t make it home – we opened it that night and enjoyed it at the pool!

Woodinville is for lovers – wine lovers that is. For more information, check out the Woodinville Wine Country site.

Alexandria Nicole Cellars: Woodinville Tasting Room Visit

Alexandria Nicole Cellars tasting rooms are known for their secret door which leads to a private rock start tasting experience!

Going Hollywood

During our recent visit to Woodinville, Washington, Alexandria Nicole Cellars was top on our list. With more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms in this community about 30 miles northeast of Seattle, that’s saying a lot.

ANC made an impression on me several years ago when I visited their small tasting room in Prosser, Washington. As I watched, owner Jarrod Boyle walked to a bookshelf. I thought he was going to show us an interesting book. Instead the bookshelf swung away revealing the members-only tasting room. Inside we tasted wine like rock stars.

In the Hollywood Winery District ANC tasting room in Woodinville, the members-only tasting room is open when business is slower. The tasting room is located in the old Hollywood School, a stylish brick building with architectural touches and nice landscaping.

The lower level, has a laid back, funky wine cellar feel. We found a small outside patio with an interesting sculpture and some old auto memorabilia and settled in for a tasting.

ANC Elegance and Power!

The winery, which is based in Horse Heaven Hills overlooking the Columbia River, is owned by Jarrod and Ali (namesake of the winery) Boyle. Their vineyard, dubbed Destiny Ridge, has not only the production facility, but three “tiny houses” available for rent. One of the tiny houses, all the rage on HGTV, even features wine on tap. We like that sort of plumbing.

ANC features some of the best tasting wine in the Pacific Northwest, so we were anxious to get started. We led off with the 2014 vintage of Shepherd’s Mark, a blend of Roussane, Marsanne and Viognier. This is a quenching white Rhone blend. The 2015 Chardonnay is a refreshing Horse Heaven Hills wine aged in oak and on the lees.

It’s not often you get a chance to have a side-by-side tasting of two 2015 Viognier from the same winery. It was the 2015 Reserve Viognier versus the 2015 Crawford Vineyard Viognier. The reserve wine rocked with pear and honeysuckle flavors while the Crawford was more floral.

In memory of Prince, we sampled the 2014 Purple Reign Grenache. The wine was served with a slight chill – quite nice since it was heating up outside on the patio. This had traces of vanilla, caramel and candied berries. Light and lovely!

The ANC range is solid up and down the lineup, but I have two strong recommendations. For Syrah lovers, the 2014 Jet Black Syrah, is a sultry, big wine with strong tannins an an inky dark purple color. The 2013 Quarry Butte is a Cab dominated blend with Merlot and Cab Franc with lesser amounts of Malbec, Syrah and Petit Verdot. For $26, this is a solid red blend that showcases the rich flavors of Washington.

We finished with two wines from the reserve tasting list. The 2013 Destiny is the flagship Bordeaux blend that features 24 months in French Oak. The tannins are integrated in this luscious wine. It features complex flavors of blackberry, herbs and spice. the 2013 Little Big Man Petit Verdot is jammy with extracted blackberry flavors and a savory finish. 

The school bell didn’t ring, but we could see it on the side of the building and knew this round of tasting was at an end. Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls, it is merely a subtle reminder for you to seek out Alexandria Nicole Cellars wines, or better yet, visit their wonderful Woodinville tasting room.

Chateau Ste. Michelle: Woodinville Winery Visit

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery. It is also the world’s largest producer of Riesling. Its chateau in Woodinville should be on your “must visit” list.

Woodinville’s Star Attraction

One would think since Woodinville, Washington, has more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms it would be difficult to name one star attraction. But it really isn’t close.

Chateau Ste. Michelle, the first winery in the state, is the kingpin of this wine community about 30 miles from Seattle. It produces more than 24 million bottles of Riesling alone on an annual basis, so its name is well known. The wines are loved by sophisticated palates as well as wine “newbies.”

A reason the winery is a popular tourist site is that it is a true destination winery. Many of the wine stops in Woodinville are tasting rooms and can be as simple as a bar with a few stools. By contrast, Chateau Ste. Michelle boasts its own chateau built on an 87-acre estate formerly owned by a lumber baron. Peacocks strut around the manicured grounds and visitors frolic on the lawn.

Tastes Of The Northwest

What has always intrigued me about Chateau Ste. Michelle is its range. You can stock up on Columbia Valley Riesling at a mere $9, but you can also explore the upper tier of wines with an Ethos Syrah at $55 or an Artist Series red blend at $65. All told there are 68 different wines.

With the expert assistance of Alex, we adjourned to the library room for a private pairings tasting. We started with the 2014 Oak Oval Gewürztraminer, Columbia Valley. This was paired with creamy Ford Farm Double Gloucester cheese and onions.  The wine is aged in fudors (large German barrels) and it has a touch of spice and rosewater.

Our pairing with Rouge Creamery LaDiDa Lavender cheese was the delicious 2012 Austral Red Wine, Columbia Valley. This is 58% Grenache, 12% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre – a proper Rhone style blend. It is delicious with earthy, exotic flavors. It was also a treat to enjoy the lavender flavors after seeing their bright purple flowers everywhere in Washington.

The 2012 Stone Tree Vineyard Syrah, Wahluke Slope is an exceptional wine, with lush, jammy flavors. It was paired with Dry Coppa, a spiced pork shoulder, which brought out the savory, caramel flavors of the wine. It retails for $36.

Chateau Ste. Michelle has the advantage of three wonderful estate vineyards: Canoe Ridge Estate, Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard and Cold Creek Vineyard. It is from the later that our next wine came. The 2012 Cold Creek Red is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot, 7% Syrah and 2% Cabernet Franc. This is a wine that has power and concentrated flavors with a focus on black fruit taste. The Spanish Manchego cheese was a great pairing.

The 2014 Muscat Canelli, Columbia Valley, is a flavorful sweet wine. The residual sugar is just 4.5%, so it isn’t a sugar explosion. The sweetness is balanced with crisp acidity and it has ginger and pear flavor notes. Served with Peach Chamomile Preserves, the sweetness was dialed in to a very pleasant level.

Our afternoon adventure continued with a personal tour of the winery. This is a huge operation. All the red wines are made at Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Canoe Ridge Estate, but all the whites are made at the Woodinville winery. The production line bottles 17 cases per minute in order to keep pace with the thirst for Chateau Ste. Michelle wines.

The winery tasting room and retail shop was bustling with activity. Chateau Ste. Michele hosts more than 300,000 visitors each year. In addition to the vino, the winery hosts a concert series at its 4,300-seat outdoor amphitheater. Some of the upcoming acts are Don Henley, Earth Wind and Fire, Jackson Browne, Rob Thomas and Ray Lamontagne. At Chateau Ste. Michelle, the good taste goes beyond the wine.

A visit to Chateau Ste. Michelle is a highlight for any wine lover. Whether you are a Riesling fanatic or delight in Washington State reds, make it a point to become acquainted with these wines.

Woodinville Wine Country: Exploring the Best Of Washington State Wine - Part 2

Woodinville, located in a peaceful valley 30 minutes northeast of Seattle, is a crossroads where the fruit of Eastern Washington meet the vintners, chefs and flavors of the Pacific Northwest. Here’s the second installment from our recent visit.

Woodinville’s Warehouse Winery District

Our initial foray into Woodinville’s wine scene took us to the Warehouse Winery District, which has about 45 tasting rooms and wineries. We reported on three tasting rooms in the first installment of this story. Three tasting rooms is hardly a day’s work for your dedicated Toledo Wines and Vines tasting team, so on we pressed.

Efestē

I first became acquainted with Efestē (pronounced F-S-T) during a visit to Seattle and a large format wine event called the Red & White Party. One sip and I knew this was a sensational winery with powerhouse wines. I’ve sought them out ever since.

The Efestē tasting room is a few blocks north of the main Warehouse District action and their tasting room is a spacious affair with a long tasting bar, tables and retail area. There is also a barrel room which they use for wine club activities.

We began tasting with the 2013 Evergreen Riesling from the Ancient Lakes AVA. This has peach and tangerine flavors with a slight pop of sweetness.

There are no bad wines at Efestē, but two are standouts. The 2012 Upright Merlot reveals the greatness that is possible with Washington State Merlot. The grapes are from the Klipsun Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA and the wine is satin smooth, but with a complex mix of tannins and dark fruit. We favored the 2012 Nana Bordeaux Blend (45% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon) over the 100% Cab 2012 Big Poppa for its bright currant flavors and layers of spice.

Gorman Winery

Chris Gorman is a rising star in the international wine scene. He is focused on producing premium Red Mountain AVA Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. We visited his Gorman Winery World Headquarters (aka Warehouse District tasting room).

A lively buzz livened the tasting room, which is decorated with a rock and roll theme. Although we tend to focus on the Washington State reds, there are some exceptional whites as well. Gorman offers a pair of Chardonnay, the 2013 Ashan Cellars Ceillo Chardonnay is fermented in mostly neutral oak, allowing the citrus flavors to shine. The 2013 Ashan Cellars Kestrel Chardonnay uses 100% new French oak for a rich full feel.

Gorman Winery has a full slate of superb wines, but we did have a couple of favorites. The 2012 Pixie Syrah from Red Mountain is smoky with deep raspberry and dark fruit flavor. The 2013 Bully Cabernet is also from Red Mountain and has rich, bold fruit. Green Dragon favored this as more accessible than the Syrah.

Elevation Cellars

Elevation Cellars is owner Steve Stuart’s effort to capture the “journey from the grape to the glass.” We found his tasting room to be the perfect location for us to continue our journey exploring Washington State wines.

A mechanical engineer, Steve started as a “garagiste” winemaker after being offered a job in Woodinville. His focus is on wines with character, the ability to age and the intent that they will be enjoyed around the dinner table. Check, check and check!

We found the 2014 Imperium Riesling a bit too sweet for our liking, but found a winner with the 2011 Jammin’ red blend.This is an everyday blend with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. This is a tasteful bottle of berries and oak, with a great label by Steve’s wife Mary (who designs all the labels). Also notable is the 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted from several exceptional barrels.

Our top pick was the 2011 Monolith, a 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Malbec blend. It won us over with its playful mix of cherry, blackberry and white pepper flavors. We purchased a bottle for $38. Elevation is a fun, family operation with wines that deliver in terms of value and quality.

More in our next installment!

Woodinville Wine Country: Exploring the Best Of Washington State Wine - Part 1

Seattle is a travel highlight for any lover of wine, food and culture. But there is so much more just a few miles away from the Emerald City. Woodinville, located in a peaceful valley 30 minutes northeast of Seattle, is a crossroads where the fruit of Eastern Washington meet the vintners, chefs and flavors of the Pacific Northwest.

The Woodinville Wine Experience

When I first visited (and fell in love with) Washington State wine country, I spent most of my time in the Walla Walla Valley. Eastern Washington is where most of the grapes are grown in the state. The high desert climate and less-than-fertile soil is ideal for vineyards. It’s also across the Cascade Mountains and a couple hundred miles away from Seattle.

During a recent visit to Seattle we tagged on a few extra days but didn’t have the time to trek all the way to Walla Walla – however, we were in luck. A mere half hour away Woodinville offers 108 wineries and tasting rooms. Our plan was to reduce our mileage and invest that extra time into tasting wine.

If you are a wine tourist, Woodinville will most likely be a different type of experience. Unlike the Silverado Wine Trail in Napa Valley, you won’t be trekking from one destination winery to another. Instead, this is more like the Lompoc Wine Ghetto – storefronts where there is a tasting room and sometimes a production room in the back. With a few exceptions, you won’t be strolling garden paths to granite and glass edifices.

The Warehouse District

There are two main wine areas in Woodinville, the northerly Warehouse District and the southerly Hollywood District. Each has 45 to 50 tasting rooms or wineries with a few distilleries and microbreweries thrown in.

A common site is a three-foot tall sandwich board sign with the name of a winery and an arrow pointing the way. At one stop in the Warehouse District we saw 20 such signs lined up on the road.

The outsides are typically what you might expect of a strip mall business, except for the signs advertising wine inside. It’s not uncommon for wineries to share space as was the case with our first stop where three tasting rooms were co-located, each with a small bar set up.

Our first taste was Convergence Zone Cellars, for us it was the convergence of luck and our location. CZ was on my long list of places to visit and after blundering around with directions we spotted a sign and stopped in.

Convergence Zone Cellars

Convergence Zone is a small family owned winery with production facilities in Woodinville and North Bend. They source grapes from Red Mountain, Snipes Mountain and Columbia Valley.

We sampled the 2013 Dewpoint, a Riesling with 1.6% residual sugar, and Drizzle, a Pinot Gris with 2.2% residual sugar. While they were okay, our favorite was the 2013 Mistral, a Grenache-based blend with Syrah and Mourvedre. This offered great flavors of fresh macerated berries.

Kaella Winery

Taking about two steps to our right, we entered the Kaella Winery zone manned by owner and winemaker Dave Butner. The winery name combines the names of Dave’s two youngest daughters. Kaella focuses on small-log premium red wines. Their production is about 500 cases annually.

Dave has recently sold the winery and has been using his time in the tasting room to pour some special bottles. Great timing on our part! We tasted the 2010 Ciel du Cheval Sangiovese (full of tannins and spice) and well as the 2012 Cabernet Franc and 2012 Meritage. Each of these was outstanding, but the best of all was the 2008 Merlot. Only one barrel was produced and the tannins have integrated nicely into the smooth, ripe cherry flavors.

Avennia

Avennia was a recommendation from a waiter in Seattle. It turns out that its tasting room was on the backside of the parking lot from Convergence Zone and so we decided to pop in. We were the only visitors present and that led to a great tasting with winemaker Chris Peterson. Chris is a native of the Pacific Northwest and helped make some of the top-rated wines in the state at DeLille Cellars.

We started with the refreshing 2014 Oliane Sauvignon Blanc. It is wild fermented and partly aged in the winemaker’s newest toy – a concrete egg. It offers a nice dose of minerality. Our well-needed refreshment continued with the L’Egerie Rosé made from Grenache and Mourvedre using the direct press and saignée method.

Chris is enchanted with Bordeaux wines – and so are we. The 2013 Gravuva blend, is an almost even blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a dollop of Cabernet Franc.

The highlight of the tasting was the 2013 Sestina, which is a Left Bank Bordeaux blend driven by 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 9% Cab Franc. Chris calls this a 15-year wine – but we don’t think we can wait that long for the bottle we purchased.

Chris calls his wine style vineyard driven. “I want to show off the terroir,” he said. “I want to let the wine express itself.”
Woodinville is a kaleidoscope of wine. We’ll take another look through the lens later this week in our second installment.