To celebrate her recent birthday, my friend Jen got her tribe together for a day of visiting the wineries of Woodinville. If you haven’t been to Woodinville, WA, you must go. Just 30 miles from Seattle, it’s the perfect place to while away the day in a wine-induced haze. Plus, Nancy Wilson from the classic rock band Heart lives there, so it must be great.
A Brief History of Wine (in Woodinville)
We have the fine folks at Chateau St. Michelle to thank for putting Woodinville on the wine map. In 1934, The National Wine Company and The Pommerelle Wine Company were founded and eventually merged, becoming Chateau St. Michelle. In 1976 they opened their doors in Woodinville and are now the big daddy in town. In addition to their tasting room and classes, they host a summer concert series and parties throughout the year.
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Today Woodinville has more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms organized into four districts. Chateau St. Michelle and 40-plus other wineries and tasting rooms are in the Hollywood District. You can spend the whole day walking around Hollywood, and then, if you need a break from wine, you can stop in at the Redhook Ale Brewery.
The Warehouse District is a bit grittier—think New York’s Meatpacking District before it got cool—but it has two things going for it: it is the home of more boutique wineries per square foot than any other wine region in the world and it is the place where you are most likely to meet a winemaker.
The West Valley District is definitely more chill, with fewer wineries. And the Downtown District is great for restaurants and commerce, but not necessarily for wine tasting given that there is only one winery there (Woodinville Wine Cellars).
Taking the Limo in Hollywood
Jen, being the wise one that she is, rented a limo and focused the day at wineries in the Hollywood District. If you do it sans limo, I recommend parking by the Hollywood Schoolhouse, touring and tasting on foot and ending with a big meal at The Commons. That’s where we started our day. I can’t tell you how much I love this restaurant. If you go early in the day, my reco is the breakfast burrito, which is insanely fresh and yummy.
Where to Spend a Day. Or Three
From there we rode in style to JM Cellars , a very pretty winery sitting on seven acres. The grounds are so lovely that the place is extremely popular for weddings. Call ahead to make sure they’re open to the public on the day you go. JM Cellars charges a $15 tasting fee that can be applied toward a purchase. The wines aren’t inexpensive, so if you buy a bottle, you will spend at least $15.
A case in point: the friendly woman pouring our tasting flight told us she liked to serve JM Cellars 2012 Bramble Bump Red as her “third bottle,” that is, the wine she uncorks after her guests have imbibed two bottles of the more expensive stuff. The price of a bottle of Bramble Bump at the winery? $28. At my house, that’s the wine you get first.
Next we headed to Novelty Hill/Janiuk, which is two wineries in one. This place has a cool, modern setting, wood-fired pizzas and really interesting wine paraphernalia, including this wine bag shaped like a handbag. 
We ended the day at DeLille, where you can sit and sample wines outside their fancy carriage house. My husband Big Red and I are wine club members at DeLille, which paid off because they waive the $15 tasting fee for wine club members and their friends. Delille is a great place to learn about wine. The DeLille staff is smart and always willing to spend time with you. And while the wines are costly (at least for my budget), these are beautiful wines and always my go-to gift when I need to impress. 
Big Red and I headed home after DeLille while the rest of the tribe continued on into the night. Without a doubt, you could spend an entire day or three visiting the wineries of Woodinville. If you go, some of my favorite tasting rooms are Otis Kenyon (great backstory and great reds), Sparkman Cellars (they offer award-winning whites and the guy who runs the tasting room has a fabulous Louisiana accent) and Kestrel Vintners (I love many of their wines and the prices are right). Have fun, and please drop a comment to tell the tribe about your favorite places in Woodinville.