I think it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about Seattle wine stores since I typically have more than 50 bottles of wine in my house at any given time. I prefer to shop at small, independent wine shops because they tend to be more attentive and willing to educate you about wine. Plus, you all know I love supporting local whenever possible.
So if you’re in need of wine, here are the best Seattle wine stores worth checking out…especially if you want to up your wine knowledge and not simply grab the nicest looking label off the grocery shelf. 😂
Best Seattle Wine Stores
Portalis
website | neighborhood: Ballard | best for: a large selection of both PNW and European wines
I remember when Portalis was one of the few Seattle wine stores and located on Ballard Ave. Its since moved a bit north on 15th Ave NW, but it still has that unpretentious wine shop vibe. If you’re looking for the true local wine shop vibe, this place is it.
Its owner, Jens, is German and imports old world wines and some local Washington wine as well. He still hosts wine tastings so you can sample some of the 500+ bottles he has available in the store. Get everything from a cabernet sauvignon, to dry rosé, to ports. There is something for everyone here.
Molly’s Bottle Shop
website | neighborhood: Sunset Hill | best for: natural wine
Molly’s Bottle Shop is one of the newer independent Seattle wine stores. This tiny shop is in a residential area most people consider north Ballard. You’ll often find Molly pouring wine tastes or chatting up customers. Use her wealth of knowledge to pick the perfect bottle of a natural wine you’ve likely never heard of, or leave it to her by joining her monthly wine club.
Pro tip: Her and Baker’s next door are tight, so you can get a gift certificate for dinner and wine.
Champion Wine Cellars
website | neighborhood: Greenwood | best for: French wines
I live less than a mile away from Champion Wine Cellars, but I only recently learned about it…which is crazy because it’s the oldest independent wine store in Seattle. It changed ownership in 2017, but owner Erin Lyman still curates French-style wines in this bottle-packed wine shop in Greenwood.
Left Bank
website | neighborhood: South Park and Capitol Hill | best for: natural wine
You must be sensing a theme here: there are a lot of Seattle wine stores specializing in natural wine. Left Bank is another tiny wine bar and bottle shop serving south Seattle and Capitol Hill residents out of its two locations. It focuses on affordable natural wine and tries to make it accessible.
Ebb & Company
website | neighborhood: Bryan Park | best for: natural wine and food
I’ve been following Stephanie Eburah on Instagram for a while. She started as a food photographer and recipe developer, but opened up this sweet bottle shop and wine bar in south Seattle in 2020. She has an eye for the beautiful. So you can expect a beautiful aesthetic and taste in everything she touches. She also offers an affordable wine club for monthly pickup.
Bottlehouse
website | neighborhood: Madrona | best for: small production, boutique wine
Bottlehouse is in a beautiful historic home turned restaurant and Seattle wine shop. It’s owned by a husband and wife who specialize in curating small-production wines from around the world, including Washington. The shop has a bar where you’ll find wines on tap in addition to bottles and a gorgeous outdoor garden area. If it’s nice out, definitely sit there!
Le Caviste
website | neighborhood: downtown | best for: French wine
Le Caviste is a tiny wine bar in downtown Seattle that most people don’t know also offers bottles to go. It’s owned by David Butler, the former sommelier of Le Gourmand. I used to live down the street from Le Gourmand. My dad got my sister a gift certificate there every year for her birthday, which was awesome because it was like a gift for me. I’ll never forget that every time we went, David would kneel down and take us on an adventure. He’d share stories about visiting tiny French villages on the hunt for wine to bring back to the restaurant. Part of me hated him because I was so jealous, but mostly I just remembered that he made the meal.
So when he opened Le Caviste, I knew I would love it. And I was right. It has French wine I can’t pronounce written on a chalk board, but I don’t care. I just let David and his staff tell me what to get and enjoy it while I nibble on some of the best butter I’ve ever had in my life. This place is a must visit when exploring downtown Seattle, but it’s also a great option for a wine shop if you love French wine and want to get a bottle with a story behind it.
Cone & Steiner
website | neighborhood: Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, Downtown | best for: specialty grocery store vibes
Cone & Steiner is a modern day general store that has a good wine selection, so I consider it a great Seattle wine store option. Its owned by Dani Cone of Fuel Coffee and High 5 Pie, who was inspired by her great-grand father who owned general stores in the early 1900s. If you want a place to also pick up other goods to bring home, this is likely the best option.
Full Pull Wines
website | neighborhood: SODO | best for: boutique wines
Full Pull Wines is the brainchild of Paul Zitarelli, the wine god behind Seattle Magazine who’s training for his Master of Wine certification. Full Pull is a little different than other Seattle wine shops because it’s in a warehouse. You see, there isn’t a shop persay, but rather customers get regularly emails with wine offerings that they order for pickup at their SODO location. When they do, they can also enjoy a complimentary wine tasting.
I’ve been a Full Pull list member for years and have never not loved everything I bought. If you want a unique Seattle wine store experience, this is it!
DeLaurenti
website | neighborhood: downtown | best for: Italian wines
DeLaurenti is an Italian specialty grocery store in Pike Place Market. Most people don’t know it has a wine shop upstairs curating wines from all over the world, particularly Italy.
Footprint Wine
website | neighborhood: Capitol Hill | best for: PNW wines on tap
Footprint is a wine bar in Capitol Hill with a moody vibe and taps lining the wall as if it were a bar. It sources Pacific Northwest wines and serves them on tap in their tasting room, but what most people don’t know is you can also buy wine to go. You can order online for pickup ahead of time or stop by to fill a growler of wine.
More Seattle wine options
Another way to stock up on wine is to buy directly from some of my favorite Seattle urban wineries. Or, if you’re on the Eastside or willing to drive the 20-30 minutes outside of Seattle, pickup wine from Washington wineries at my favorite Woodinville wineries.
You can also visit them on one of these Seattle wine tours.
Hi There: What’s ‘Natural Wine’?? I thought ALL wine was ‘Natural’ …but, I see a distiction in ur “Best Independent Wine Shops” list??
Kurt Krause
Great question! Natural wine refers to a method of winemaking that uses the bare minimum intervention (preferably none). Ideally all wine would be created equally by just letting it ferment, but unfortunately a lot of companies use synthetics to affect taste and shelf life.
Natural wine is also an umbrella term to include “organic” and “biodynamic”, but not all natural wines are certified organic or using biodynamic practices (basically dealing with low-intervention farming that follows the cycles of the moon). It’s a tricky, unregulated space to navigate. I hope this helped a bit!