Three of Washington State’s largest and most opulent winery facilities are located in Woodinville, a suburb of Seattle. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, and Novelty Hill/Januik make excellent stops on anyone’s wine tasting adventure.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s oldest winery. The chateau and surrounding grounds are absolutely beautiful and make a great spot for a picnic lunch on a nice day. Chateau Ste. Michelle also features a Summer Concert Series.

Columbia Winery was founded in 1962 by a group comprised mostly of University of Washington professors. Columbia is currently located in a landmark Victorian mansion surrounded by English gardens. However, they will soon be moving all of their wine production to eastern Washington. They have plans to maintain a smaller tasting room in Woodinville at another location. Be sure to check their website or call before visiting for an update on their location.

Novelty Hill/Januik boasts an ultra-modern facility, agricultural landscape, gardens, and an outdoor fire pit. Novelty Hill and Januik are actually two separate wineries that share the same winemaker, Mike Januik.

In addition to the “Big Three,” Woodinville is also home to a number of small, garagiste wineries. But instead of being located in someone’s garage, most of these mom-and-pop operations are located in local business parks or storage facilities. Several of these smaller operations that I encourage you to visit are Chatter Creek, Stevens, and Darby. For information and a listing of other wineries in the area, visit the Woodinville Wine Country website.

While over 30 wineries currently have production facilities or tasting rooms in Woodinville, almost all of them actually get their grapes from vineyards in eastern Washington. So if you are looking to tour vineyards, you should look elsewhere; but this is the perfect place to taste some excellent wines and meet some really nice people. Woodinville is located approximately 20 miles northeast of Seattle. The drive takes between 30 minutes to an hour depending on traffic.

Seattle is a year-round tourist destination but the best months to visit are generally August and September. If you love water, trees, mountains, and wine, this is definitely a place you should visit. Come to Seattle for a week and enjoy the sights of the city including the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, but be sure to plan at least a day or two for touring the wineries in Woodinville.

If You Go:

Seattle/Tacoma is the closest major airport. Woodinville is approximately 20 miles northeast of Seattle. From Seattle, take I-5 North to WA-520 East towards Bellevue/Kirkland. After crossing the floating bridge across Lake Washington, take I-405 North towards Everett. Take exit 23 to merge onto WA-522 East towards Woodinville.

Lodging: For a beautiful getaway and to be right near the wineries, stay at Willows Lodge. Of course with Woodinville’s close proximity to Seattle, there are numerous options to consider there as well.

Restaurants: Woodinville offers several wonderful restaurants will excellent wine lists including Barking Frog, The Herbfarm, and Purple Café & Wine Bar.

Wineries and tasting rooms to visit:
Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 NE 145th Street, Woodinville, WA, 425-415-3300, open daily 10am-5pm (complimentary tours available 10:30am-4:30pm), No tasting fee (reserve tastings available for a fee). Directions: From WA-522 East, take the first Woodinville exit onto Hwy 202 East. Turn right onto NE 175th Street. Go one-quarter mile, over two sets of railroad tracks, until you come to a four-way stop sign on an incline. Turn left at the stop sign onto Hwy 202 and go 1.6 miles. Follow the road as it curves left and the Chateau’s entrance will be on your right.
Columbia Winery, 14030 NE 145th Street, Woodinville, WA, 425-482-7490, open daily 10am-6pm, $5 tasting fee. Directions: From WA-522 East, take the first Woodinville exit onto Hwy 202 East. Turn right onto NE 175th Street. Go one-quarter mile, over two sets of railroad tracks, until you come to a four-way stop sign on an incline. Turn left at the stop sign onto Hwy 202 and go 1.6 miles. Follow the road as it curves left and Columbia’s entrance will be on your left.
Novelty Hill/Januik, 14710 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE, Woodinville, WA, 425-481-5502, open daily 11am-5pm, $5-$15 tasting fee depending on which tasting you choose. Directions: From WA-522 East, take the first Woodinville exit onto Hwy 202 East. Turn right onto NE 175th Street. Go one-quarter mile, over two sets of railroad tracks, until you come to a four-way stop sign on an incline. Turn left at the stop sign onto Hwy 202 and go about a mile. Novelty Hill/Januik will be on your left.
Chatter Creek, 18658 142nd Ave NE, Woodinville, WA, 425-485-3864, open Sat-Sun: 12pm-5pm, $5 tasting fee refundable with purchase. Directions: From WA-522 East, take the NE 195th Street exit (road name changes to NE North Woodinville Way). Turn right onto 142nd. The business park that houses Chatter Creek is on the left. It is located in Building “E” inside the complex.
Stevens, 18520 142nd Ave NE, Woodinville, WA, 425-424-9463, open Sat: 12pm-4:30pm, No tasting fee. Directions: From WA-522 East, take the NE 195th Street exit (road name changes to NE North Woodinville Way). Turn right onto 142nd. The business park that houses Stevens is on the left.
Darby, 19501 144th Ave NE #E-700, Woodinville, WA, 206-954-4700, open Sat-Sun: 12pm-5pm, $5 tasting fee refundable with purchase. Directions: From WA-522 East, take the NE 195th Street exit (road name changes to NE North Woodinville Way). Turn left onto 144th. The business park that houses Darby and a number of other wineries is on the left. Look for Suite E-700. When open, sandwich board signs should guide you.

Other things to do in the area: Redhook Brewery is located next door to Columbia Winery. There are many things to do in the greater Seattle area including shopping, sightseeing, and outdoor activities.