Looking for the best Woodinville wineries? You’ve come to the right place.
I’ve visited just about every wine region in the Pacific Northwest and have written guides to the best Washington and Oregon wineries. Since I have a near reverence for wine, I’m constantly researching places to try and sipping my way through different wine regions.
Washington is home to some of the best wine in the world, and people living in or exploring Seattle have a great wine tasting area nearby: Woodinville. This wine-loving town is about a 30-minute drive from Seattle and has more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms.
I’ve explored all of the wine districts in Woodinville, so I’ll break down the areas and give you a local’s perspective on the best Woodinville wineries to visit. I’ll also share my private Woodinville wineries map so you can create your own wine tasting itinerary.
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Best Woodinville Wineries
Save this to Pinterest later, as I’ll keep it update with my favorite wineries in Woodinville!
Before diving in, let me give you a sense of how Woodinville is organized. There are 4 main districts:
- Hollywood District – Bustling area with a cluster of tasting rooms
- West Valley District – Home to wineries with grander grounds
- Warehouse District – Part production facilities, part no-fuss tasting rooms
- Downtown District – Tasting rooms among restaurants and shops
There are also two emerging areas called The Schoolhouse District, located downtown, and Artisan Hill, located near the Warehouse District.
The wineries below are dotted all over Woodinville, but I’ll mention which district they’re in so you can cluster the ones you want to visit. I recommend spending one day in each district if you’re able to, as many of the wineries in each area are within walking distance of each other. But if you only have one day, feel free to zig zag to fit in as many of these best Woodinville wineries into your itinerary as possible!
Alright, let’s dive into my favorites…
JM Cellars
website | area: Hollywood District (get directions) & Maltby (get directions) | tasting fee: complimentary | best for: vibes
Family-owned JM Cellars is one of my favorite wineries in Woodinville. They have two locations, one located near wine behemoths Chateau Ste. Michelle and Novelty Hill Januik. The other is in Maltby about 15 minutes north near Snohomish.
Their Woodinville location called Bramble Bump is so dreamy, but unfortunately they’ve turned it into a space exclusively for wine club members. If you’re interested in joining, or happen to already be a member, you can expect secluded forest vibes and a property just begging to host a wedding.
The main wine tasting building is like a posh cabin with an expansive patio. The grounds boast a fire pit, bocce ball court, and an easy trail down to a small pond and abandoned, shed-like building that’s nestled in a sea of ferns.
While not as expansive as their Woodinville location, JM’s Maltby location is pretty dreamy itself thanks to white shiplap walls, concrete floors, and rows upon rows of artfully-arranged barrels visible through the glass doors to the production space. You’ll find some of the best Washington state wines at JM, so even driving a bit outside of Woodinville will be worth it!
What to taste: If it’s available, try the Cinsault red wine. It often starts earthy, but finishes with tart berries. It’s like a pinot, but heavier. Cinsault is a grape varietal that’s not too common in Washington, so give this one a try!
Adams Bench
website | area: Downtown District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$25 pp, waived with purchase | best for: no frills, serious red wine cred
Adams Bench is a husband-and-wife owned, small batch winery that used to sit on the couple’s property. However, city laws forced them to move their operations to a commercial space, so now they are conveniently located in Woodin Creek Village’s Wine Alley.
They focus on only reds, which means they do them well. And doing reds well means bottles are pricier than some of the other wineries on this list at about $40 – $70. But oh are they worth it.
if you’re curious where the name Adams Bench comes from, it did in fact start with an actual bench. The vintage bench in the back of the tasting room is from an elementary school in Indiana that reminded the owner of the times growing up when students sat in line to go to the principal’s office before learning their fate.
It’s quaint stories like this, the fact that the owner is telling his own tales, and the off-the-beaten-path nature of this place that makes it so special. They’re only open weekends for tasting, so plan accordingly.
What to taste: If it’s available, try the Stillwater Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. The owner explained how he loves this varietal of cab grapes for their piney flavor. But because their yield isn’t large, many wineries don’t want to grow them.
Latta Wines
website | area: West Valley District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$25 pp, waived with 2 bottle purchase | best for: medium-bodied unique varietals
Andrew Latta makes exceptional Rhone-style wines using unique varietals he sources from all over Washington. These are my favorite types of wines. They’re high in acid and low on alcohol. The result is medium-bodied wines where you can really taste the nuance of the grapes without a ton of big oak.
Latta used to be located only in SODO, but they now also have a tasting room in Woodinville. The space is absolutely stunning, with moody glam meets warehouse vibes. If you love aesthetics, you will absolutely love their tasting room.
What to taste: If it’s available, I always get the Latta GSM with grenache, syrah,and mouvedre grapes.It’s often young and bright with a smooth finish.
Savage Grace Wines
website | area: Warehouse District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$30 pp, waived with 2 bottle purchase | best for: terroir-driven wines
The Columbia River Gorge is one of my favorite wine regions in the Pacific Northwest. There aren’t a ton of wineries in Woodinville featuring their grapes, so that makes Savage Grace all the more worth a visit.
Savage Grace has a farm in Underwood on the Washington side of the Gorge where they use regenerative farming practices. Their philosophy is to not intervene too much so you can really get a sense of their land. The result is small-production, Loire Valley-style wines that leave an impression.
What to taste: Savage Grace is best known for their cabernet franc. It’s light like a Beaujolais, but often with peppery earthy notes to keep it interesting. If it’s available I also like to get their gewürztraminer orange wine. It tastes like ripe papaya, but is dry versus sweet.
KINHAVEN Winery
website | area: Hollywood District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$25 pp, waived with 2 bottle purchase | best for: zippy, fruity wines
KINHAVEN is one of my favorite wineries in Walla Walla, so you can imagine my excitement when they opened a tasting room in Woodinville (in the old aMaurice space, RIP). They produce about 2,000 cases a year of wine using grapes from their gorgeous estate and nearby friends.
Since the winemaker used to work at restaurants, he strives to make high acid, medium-bodied wines that pair well with food. Walla Walla wineries are known for big reds, so this is a unique expression of the region.
What to taste: If it’s available, get the merlot. KINHAVEN has a gift for showcasing a lighter version of this often heavy grape. The vintage I tasted was light like a pinot noir!
Kevin White Winery
website | area: Warehouse District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$15 pp | best for: balanced, cool-climate reds
Kevin White Winery is in the up-and-coming Artisan Hill area a few minutes away from the Warehouse District. While so many of the tasting rooms in this area lean into their production space vibe, Kevin White has a Parisian cafe vibe with chic blue walls, white moulding, and a lot of natural light.
Kevin still works at Microsoft, but he fell in love with the Rhône Valley on a visit to France and so turned to winemaking on the side. He produces about 2,000 cases a year of wines using primarily syrah, grenache, and mourvedre sourced from cooler climates and higher elevations in the Yakima Valley. The goal is to create delicate, balanced wines that have a texture on the palate.
What to taste: If it’s available, try the La Fraternité GSM. It’s lively with tart strawberries and a silky mouthfeel that makes this wine go down easy.
DeLille Cellars
website | area: West Valley District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$30 pp, waived with $70 purchase | best for: Bordeaux-style blends
DeLille Cellars is the third oldest winery in Woodinville and best known for deep red wines. They produce about 30,000 cases a year of wines using Washington grapes sourced from the Red Mountain AVA, which they blend using European techniques. I was given a barrel tasting tour here once and honestly, even when the wines “weren’t ready” they were friggin’ phenomenal.
The winery used to be located in a quaint house-turned-tasting room near Novelty Hill Januik and JM Cellars, but now they’re in a large modern space in the old Red Hook Brewery parking lot next to Sparkman Cellars. They also serve a full menu, so this is no longer just a wine tasting facility but rather an experience.
Pro tip: They are not affiliated with nearby Chateau Lill. They just have similar names!
What to taste: If available, try the Métier. It’s bright and fruity, unlike DeLille’s other big, bold reds. If you prefer heavier reds, try their D2 series, like the D2 Estate Red.
Long Shadows
website | area: West Valley District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$30-$35 pp, waived with minimum purchase | best for: wines made by famous winemakers around the world | 21+ only
Long Shadows is one of the best wineries in Woodinville, hands down. It was created by the CEO of juggernaut Chateau Ste. Michelle who had a dream of creating a winery that showcases the best winemakers in the world. You’ll find wines made by master winemakers out of Chile, Italy, Australia and more who come to the production facility to create limited-production wines. Winemaker Gilles Nicault overseas all production and will work with the other winemakers while they’re overseas throughout the winemaking process to tell them the flavors and chemical makeup of their wines.
You’re definitely getting premium wines at Long Shadows, which shows in the price tags of the bottles. However this Woodinville tasting room is anything but snooty. My favorite thing about them is that they will literally ask if you want to split a tasting. My boyfriend and I do this a lot so we can taste more wines, but most wineries turn their nose up at this. To have a fancy winery offer it blows my mind.
The tasting room attendant literally spent about 5 minutes as she poured each wine gushing about the wines and how they were made. I loved the passion and willingness to tell you everything about what you were drinking, so if you’re also nerdy and want to know everything, you’ll love Long Shadows.
What to taste: If it’s available, the Saggi. It’s a sangiovese-dominant blend made by an Italian winemaker from a prestigious wine family out of Tuscany. And it’s heavier than most sangioveses, with a long finish and complex flavors.
Bayernmoor Cellars
website | area: Downtown District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$25 pp for wine only, $45 for food pairing; both waived with 2 bottle purchase | best for: food and wine pairings
Bayernmoor is one of the more unique tasting rooms on this list of the best Woodinville wineries. That’s because their estate is in Stanwood about an hour north of Seattle. This area isn’t known for growing grapes, yet Bayernmoor is showing the world that the Puget Sound AVA shouldn’t be ignored. They produce about 6,000 cases of mostly Burgundian-style pinots, but also some interesting grapes you don’t often find in Washington.
Besides award-winning wines, Bayernmoor is known for food pairings. You’ll get 4 glasses paired with one bite each that changes with the season. When I last went they had this focaccia I couldn’t stop gushing over because it was topped with paper-thin eggplant. They also had an ice cream pairing option in partnership with nearby Swanky Scoops.
What to taste: If it’s available, definitely get the food and wine pairing. But if you want to also seek out a specific glass, try the albariño. It’s tropical and unlike most wines in Washington.
McQueen’s Champagne Bar
website | area: Downtown District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$30-$45 pp | best for: sparking lines
McQueen’s Champagne Bar is owned by Structure Winery, one of my favorite wineries in SODO. They first got into the sparkling wine business by opening Love Beats Pagne in the back of their Structure space. It was so popular that they opened a second tasting room in Woodinville.
Their Woodinville location, McQueen’s, is located in the Old Schoolhouse District, the emerging sub-district in Downtown. This area is perfect for a day of wine tasting because there are a bunch of restaurants and tasting rooms lined up next to each other, plus it hosts the Woodinville Farmers Market on Saturdays May through September. While McQueen’s is my favorite tasting room in the area, they are near some other greats like Oregon-based Montinore & Landline Estates, Mullan Road Cellars, and L’Ecole No. 41.
I’m not really a sparkling wine fan, but McQueen’s always curates bottles that I enjoy. You can order glasses and bottles, but I always recommend getting their constantly-changing flights so you can try something new.
What to taste: Their flight selection on the day you visit.
Market Vineyards
website | area: Hollywood District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$15 pp, waived with purchase | best for: nice structured reds
Boutique winery Market Vineyards is in a strip mall. It’s unassuming, but it’s making beautiful, big red wines in small batches. It was founded by ex-finance professionals, hence their winery and bottles being named after financial terms (Benchmark, Liquidity, etc.).
I asked the tasting room attendant what they’re known for and she said single-variety Bordeauxs, which isn’t common since most other wineries blend these grape styles. She also gave this wonderful tip for remembering how their wines taste: most of their grapes comes from Red Mountain, which is the smallest AVA in Washington producing the biggest grapes…meaning they have wines with a lot of tannins and structure.
What to taste: If available, their Liquidity white, a viognier-roussanne blend that has deep, complex flavors. Or try their Benchmark red, which starts big but mellows out with currant and caramel notes.
Pondera Winery
website | area: Warehouse District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$20 pp, waived with $30 purchase | best for: dry reds enjoyed among art curated by the winemakers mom
Pondera is a small, family-owned boutique winery with serious accolades. It was recommended to me by a waiter at The Herb Farm who used to work in the wine industry. To show what I mean, winemaker Shane Howard once submitted 7 wines to a competition and all 7 got gold.
But you would never know this from walking in, especially if Shane happens to be pouring your wines. He’s a humble, shy guy who will describe what you’re drinking concisely before moving onto the next table. It took one of his regular wine club members coming up to us to explain that Shane isn’t letting on just how good of a winemaker he is.
What to taste: If available, the cabernet franc. It’s a heavy red with flavors of berries and black pepper that linger long after sipping.
Long Cellars
website | area: Warehouse District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$16 pp, waived with purchase | best for: Bordeaux-style varietals
Long Cellars is a small winery tucked in the strip of warehouses across the street from all the other wineries in the Warehouse District. Owner Jason Long got into wine by working for Barrage Cellars. He said they paid him in grapes so that he can learn to make his own wine. Now he makes about 3,000 – 4,000 cases a year of mostly red blends using grapes out of Yakima.
What to taste: If available, the Screaming Baby red blend has nice structure and a fun story. It was made for a friend’s baby shower (hence the name) and was so good, he decided to release it to the world.
Obelisco Estates
website | area: Hollywood District (get directions) | tasting fee: ~$30 pp, waived with $50 purchase | best for: art & award-winning wines
Obelisco Estates has a cozy tasting room that feels like someone’s home. It’s lined with local artists’ work and has a wrap around deck with seating that’s perfect for sipping while taking in the ambiance.
I always enjoy their wines, which range from a 92-point malbec to a riesling white wine that somehow smells like rubber but tastes tropical and complex.
What to taste: If it’s available, get their cabernet sauvignon rosé. It has a beautiful color and often tastes caramel-y and jammy. It’s heavy for a rosé, which I always appreciate.
Tips for wine tasting in Woodinville
Here are some tips for how to make the most of your trip to Woodinville.
how to get around safely
Real talk: getting to Woodinville from Seattle can be a real slog. It’s only 30 minutes away, but it’s a long trip to take using public transit. When you’re drinking, figuring out how to safely get around can be enough to pull your hair out! To avoid this, here are my recommendations if you don’t have a designated driver.
If you have 1-4 people, just take an Uber or Lyft if you want to do a full day of tastings. It will be about $60 each way during non-peak hours and you can choose one district and walk between wineries.
Another option is staying overnight in Woodinville and then taking ride shares between each district. Each ride will cost less because you won’t be traveling from Seattle. Here are some options:
- Heathman Hotel in Kirkland – Beautiful hotel ~15 minutes from the wineries
- Willows Lodge in Woodinville – Cozy lodge in the West District
- The Lodge at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore – Historic building turned into a luxury hotel ~15 minutes from the wineries
Your last option if you don’t want to drive is to take a wine tasting tour. I have a whole article curating the best Seattle wine tours, so use that as your guide!
Saving Money on Wine Tastings
Woodinville Wine Country, the area’s tourism board, offers Woodinville wine passes. It includes wine tastings and discounts at multiple wineries starting at $45. This is a steal since a lot of tasting rooms charge $20 or more per person to taste.
My Woodinville winery map
I constantly update my Woodinville winery map. It includes both what I consider the best Woodinville wineries and restaurants plus places I read about and want to try. Use it to explore more of the tasting rooms in Woodinville.
More PNW wineries
After you explore all the best Woodinville wineries, check out my guides to other wine regions in the Pacific Northwest. Or, better yet, let me plan you a custom itinerary exploring wine country!
- Wineries in Seattle Proper
- Walla Walla Wineries
- Lake Chelan Wineries
- Willamette Valley Wineries
- Eugene, OR Wineries
- Columbia Gorge Wineries
- Leavenworth Wineries
- Bainbridge Island Wineries
- Whidbey Island Wineries
Prefer other types of libations?
- Taste Seattle’s Best Breweries
- Geek Out at a Seattle Craft Beer Bar
- Seek Out the Best Seattle Cocktails
- Hidden Seattle Speakeasies
- Seattle Rooftop Bars with Epic Views
