When I last wrote about Seattle’s urban wineries and wine tasting rooms, there were 25 of them and more on the way. As of now there are 28 and they appear to be thriving. The economics and the appeal for winemakers in crafting their wines in the city versus where the grapes grow makes sense to me. They ship their grapes in from eastern Washington, rent space in the city in which to make their wines and then they can distribute directly in a big market, be it direct to consumers or in local restaurants and wine shops, all while enjoying life in the city. And for those wineries who produce their wines in eastern Washington, having a tasting room in the big city can’t be beat.
What’s in it for me?
Even better? It’s a big win for Seattleites. Generally you get the best prices and widest selection when you buy directly from a winery. And you can more easily visit a variety of wineries in the city verses schlepping 5 hours to Walla Walla. Once you find one you love you can pop in on a regular basis and get to know the winemaker and their team which adds to the experience and somehow makes the wine taste better.
So how is the juice?
And the best part is that the wine is damn good. Through the course of personal visits and 2 organized “winery crawls” I can vouch for the top 8 of the list below. And the research continues with a My Wine Tribe Winery Crawl next week to Slight of Hand Cellars and Waters Winery (oh the sacrifices we make for you dear readers). Ill be reporting back soon on results. In the meantime, get yourself out there my fellow Seattleites and support your local winery. No matter what tribe you are in, you will be sure to find some winning wines. Cheers!
Seattle’s Urban Wineries:
Kerloo Cellars
Structure Cellars
Viscon Cellars
OS Wine
Cloudlift Cellars
Almquist Family Vineyards
Cadence Winery
Elsom Cellars
Sleight of Hand Cellars
Waters Winery
Rotie Cellars
Scarborough Winery
Animale
Bartholomew Winery
Eight Bells Winery
Hand of God Wines
Laurelhurst Cellars
Northwest Wine Academy
Nota Bene Cellars
Pine Lake Cellars
Riley Sexton Vintners
Robert Ramsay Cellars
Stomani Cellars
Two Brothers Winery
Ward Johnson Winery
Wilridge Wineries
Domanico Cellars
Charles Smith Wines Jet City