Discovering Washington Wines at The Tasting Room at Pike Place Market Seattle
Located along a quaint alleyway just outside of Pike Place Market in Seattle is a cozy little tasting room that offers guests a glimpse into some of the best boutique Washington wines. The Tasting Room, Wines of Washington offers only wine from eight winemaker-owned wineries across Washington, giving guests in Seattle an exclusive opportunity to get a glimpse into Washington wines without having to leave the city. Because the winemakers are hands-on with their operation, it’s possible that any given day that you are trying wines at The Tasting Room may be the day that a winemaker makes a stop in to drop off his or her own wines. Thus, providing an incredible opportunity for a one-on-one chat with the person behind the bottle.
Taste Wine on Post Alley: Where is “The Tasting Room”?
Finding The Tasting Room can be a bit tricky. It is located along Post Alley (1924 Post Alley), which is the alleyway that runs parallel to Pike Place Market. Along the alley, you’ll find bars, restaurants and local gift shops. It’s the perfect location to escape the hustle of the streets of Seattle for a taste of Washington wine country. When the weather is nice, sit outside and enjoy the sunshine, but no worries if it’s not. The Tasting Room offers plenty of seating inside at long wooden tables or at the bar.
Flights, Bites, Glasses and Bottles
Friendly service awaits when you walk into the wine-lined rustic-chic room of The Tasting Room, where you have the choice to pick your style of discovery. The flights of wine are arranged by theme, and the staff has been extremely clever in coming up with creative ways to compare wines. Want to try some spicy reds like Tempranillo, Mourvèdre, or Petit Sirah from different Washington wine producers? Perfect! There’s a flight for that.
If you want to pair your wine with cheese, The Tasting Room has a flight called “There’s Something About Dairy” that perfectly pairs wines like Sparkling Müller-Thurgau Sec and Washington Nebbiolo with artisanal cheeses. If you want a taste of dessert in a glass, ask about “The Sweetest Thing” flight. Whatever you choose, the wines will surely impress. It’s hard to find a bad wine in any of these bottles.
If you’re just stopping by for a quick glass, The Tasting Room also offers wines by the glass and bottle. You can purchase your bottle to enjoy on-site or to-go. The chances are strong that if you enjoy a flight here, you’ll want to take a bottle home with you. The prices are reasonable for top-quality Washington wines!
Need a nibble? There’s a menu for that too. Only small bites like cheese, cured meats, and some chocolate, but that’s all that is necessary to really get into what complements some of these wines. Ask a staff member for a recommendation on what pairs best with your flight or wine of choice.
Winetraveler Tip: Have you ever had a sparkling Gewürztraminer from Washington? For something refreshing and sweet, ask about the Treveri Cellars Sparkling Gewürztraminer Demi-Sec.
Wines of Washington Producers You Can Expect To Find
There are only a few hand-picked small producers that are part of The Tasting Room, but they offer a wonderful sampling of the best of their productions.
Wineries include:
:Nota Bene Cellars, a boutique Seattle winery operated by winemaker Tim Narby.
Camaraderie Cellars owned by Don & Vicki Corson makes primarily “food wines” that are balanced and made for aging.
Locus Wines by winemaker, Rich Burton, is a Seattle-area operation that sources grapes from not only Washington but also Oregon and Idaho. You can only get these wines in the Seattle area.
Lost River Winery is located in northern Washington state, and the goal of the winery is to deliver fine Washington wines at reasonable prices.
Naches Heights Vineyard is a high-elevation, volcanic-soiled vineyard located in the newly formed, Naches Heights AVA that uses primarily organic and biodynamic grape growing practices when possible.
Treveri Cellars is a family-owned sparkling wine house that makes all their wines, including non-traditional sparkling wine varieties like Riesling and Mueller-Thurgau, in the traditional method for sparkling wine production.
Willis Hall is owned by winemaker, John Bell, who named the winery after two important family members and came to learn more about wine while working for Boeing and taking part in the Boeing Wine Club.
Wilridge Winery is a family-run operation that was founded in 1988 and is the oldest, continuously running winery in Seattle. The estate vineyard is planted in Naches Heights near Yakima.
Visiting The Tasting Room & Tasting Wines of Washington
The Tasting Room is open seven days a week from noon to 8 PM, and even later on the weekends. Check the website for information on regular live music nights on Fridays and other events that are happening throughout the year. Most of the tasting flights are priced at $15, and bottle prices are mostly $20-$50. Stop by the Tasting Room on your next trip to Seattle for a taste of small-batch Washington wines!
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