The Best Seattle Urban Wineries, as Told By a Local

When I first moved here, there weren’t any Seattle urban wineries or tasting rooms. I didn’t always have time to drive 30 minutes to the Woodinville wineries or 4 hours to the other amazing Pacific Northwest wineries, so I was left wanting when the mood struck for some wine tasting.

Luckily, now there are more than 20 Seattle urban wineries offering wine tastings right here in the city. I’ve been to just about all of them and found myself going back to a handful again and again. I’ll outline where all the Seattle wine tasting locations are and list out the best Seattle urban wineries of the bunch.

There are more than 20 wineries in Seattle spread throughout four districts:

North of Downtown
Downtown Seattle
West Seattle
The Industrial District

When I’m in need of a day of Seattle wine tasting, I usually head to SODO and Georgetown in the Industrial District because it has the best concentration of Seattle urban wineries all in a short walk or drive of each other. You can easily grab a bus from downtown, or just Uber to one location and walk.

However, there are also a few strewn throughout the city in neighborhoods like Queen Anne and Pioneer Square that are definitely worth a stop. The Seattle Urban Wineries organization has both a printable and interactive map of all the wineries throughout the city here.

Best Seattle Urban Wineries

Here is my list of all the best Seattle urban wineries and tasting room. Get ready for some yummy wine in your future

Structure Cellars

I come to the Seattle wine tasting room, Structure, for their bad ass red wines. It’s rare that I don’t love everything they’re pouring. They make really awesome, complex and fruit-forward reds that have me saying, “Oooo this is so good,” after every sip. Just talking about it is making me think this is another wine club I need to sign up for.

I also love the winemaker’s story. Brian started as a “vodka guy”, but was introduced to wine by his wife, Brandee. They started making wine in their basement in Ballard and slowly grew their offerings to the ~2,500 cases a year it is today. If you want to read a really endearing version of how they got started, read this about page written by Brandee.

What to taste:

They have so many good wines. If it’s available, try the Piloti (~$27). It’s a full-bodied cab franc that’s dry at first with a blackberry finish. The Bauhaus Syrah (~$25) is also a goodie, with its peppery nose and big berry finish (it says on the tasting notes that I’m not allowed to say it’s jammy, but god I want to!). Lastly, if the Foundation cabernet sauvignon (~$40) is available, try this too. It’s dry and tastes like caramel and blackberries! I consider it one of the best Washington wines.

Love Beats ‘Pagne

Surprise! Brandee and Brian started a sparkling wine bar run out of the back of Structure Winery in SODO. Their winery always has hip hop tunes of my youth on the stereo, so they really played up that passion with the branding of Love Beats ‘Pagne. They’re the only one of the Seattle urban wineries focusing on sparkling wine.

They take a drink typically reserved for fancy occasions and make it approachable for the masses (seriously, they have a “fancy AF” section of their extensive bubbly menu). I’m not typically a sparkly fan. But they have some incredible ones that made me really reevaluate that statement.

What to taste:

The menu changes often, but if it’s available get the Brazilier Rosé 100% Pineau d’Aunis or Maurice Bonnmay 100% cab franc. Both are heavy bodied and complex in flavor, while being light on bubbles so it doesn’t feel like you just snorted some soda. I’m not usually the biggest sparkling wine fan but was obsessed with these.

Cloudlift Cellars

Cloudlift Cellars is the first Seattle winery I went to in SODO. What it lacks in ambiance (it’s a small, re-purposed office), it makes up for in story and taste. Its owner, Tom Stangeland, greets you warmly and takes you on a journey through 8 of his wines. And let me tell you, he’s a natural-born storyteller.

For example, just this last trip he took us through how he ended up in winemaking. He started his career as a chef and transitioned to furniture making at some point. But when it comes down to it, he said he “is a maker of things”. He was introduced to wine and wine pairing through his culinary career, and so in 2001 decided to take on winemaking full time.

He says his wine philosophy is to make wine that pairs well with food. Thus, he avoids big jammy wines from Red Mountain, which is known for their big wines. Instead he focuses on drier wines with a much more subtle complexity.

Tom gets his wines from about 6 vineyards in eastern Washington state. Most of his wines are blends, which he says he became fascinated with when he realized it’s much more about palate than science. He makes reds and whites, but his portfolio is made up of mostly red wine.

Cloudlift is the winery I always make sure to visit on a SODO wine tasting day. I love them so much, that I joined their wine club (a 3 or 6-bottle commitment twice a year). And since all their wines are from $18 – $32, this definitely won’t break the bank.

What to taste:

The Lucy rosé (~$16), so named because Cloudlift is on Lucile Street, is a just-touched-pink rosé that I always love year to year. It’s usually dry on the front palate, with subtle hints of strawberry on the back palate.

From the reds, I typically always love his Halcyon (~$32), which is a departure from the lighter-bodied Lucy. It’s usually a big, meaty red filled with blackberry after notes. I love Tom’s reds the best, and luckily you’ll be able to try all his wines on your visit to decide if you agree.

Full Pull Wines

Full Pull is a bit different than other Seattle urban wineries. That’s because their strength is in curating the best wine. It was started by soon-to-be Master of Wine, Paul Zitarelli, when he converted his popular wine blog into a wine list. The concept is pretty simple:

He tastes a lot of wine and picks ones he likes.
He sends a list of them out to his email list.
People on his email list buy it.
Then these people go pick it up at Full Pull.

The wines featured are mostly from boutique Washington wineries. But sometimes you’ll find them from all over the world. I’m a list member and I’ve literally loved everything I’ve ordered. Everything.

What’s super fun about their offering is that you can also get their own label, Full Pull & Friends. They don’t make the wines, but rather put their label on premium “juice” from wineries that created an excess of their wine. You never know which winery it is, but it’s usually wines going for quite pricey bottles and you’ll get them for a fraction of the cost.

Lucky for non-list members, they’re open to the public on Thursdays through Saturdays for tasting. You can purchase some of the wines on the spot, but to get the full selection you’ll want to sign up for their email list.

What to taste:

I can’t tell you, because it’s always changing! But honestly, everything Paul tastes and suggests is gold!

Latta Wines

Andrew Latta got started in the restaurant industry before becoming a sommelier in Thailand. That exposure to wine got him interested in winemaking, and now you can try his super small lot bold reds in a tiny tasting room nestled between Kerloo and Full Pull. He works to make wines with unusual reds from unique, sustainable vineyards in Eastern Washington.

What to taste:

If available, get the Latta GSM (~$35). It’s young and bright, similar to Kerloo’s but with a bit richer, more caramel-like of a mouthfeel instead of acidic. There’s also a lot of berry flavor, but it’s smooth thanks to the long finish.

Rotie Cellars

Rotie is another winery that makes Rhône-style wines. These wines are known for being drier and medium bodied, not jammy and full-bodied. Owner and winemaker Sean Boyd uses old world techniques to create clean, well-rounded red and whites that are really drinkable and pair well with food.

What to taste:

If it’s available, try their rosé (~$22). It’s a beautiful light pink color and super fresh. The nose is of florals, but the taste is bright, zingy fruits like pomegranate and rhubarb. It’s the perfect wine for a warm day.

Princess & Bear Wines

website | neighborhood: South Park (get directions) | tasting fee: $20, waived with 2 bottle purchase | hours: Thurs – Sun from 1 pm – 7 pm (6 pm Sun) | go for: affordable French wines from an up-and-coming region you can’t get anywhere else | kids allowed? No, 21+ only

Princess & Bear Wines is one of my favorite new discoveries. It’s a tasting room curating mostly organic and biodynamic wine from teeny tiny producers in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. None of these winemakers sell their wine in the United States. So we’re so lucky to be able to get them right here in Seattle!

Founders Carol Bailey (the princess) and husband Steve Medwell (the bear) decided to retire from their hectic life as a lawyer and surgeon and buy a house in Languedoc-Roussillon. Once there they discovered so many small winemakers, many without websites who were making gasp-worthy bottles of wine for less than you pay for a glass in a Seattle restaurant.

Traveling between France and the States, they noticed no one was really talking about this buzzy wine region. Carol’s brother owns a vineyard in Bordeaux and her mom used to import French wines to the US in the 1970s, so she was inspired to help these small winemakers distribute their bottles while introducing the American palate to Languedoc-Roussillon wines.

After months of asking restaurants about their wines and tasting around the region with famed wine merchant, taster, and writer Richard Neville, they opened their tasting room in July 2021. They work with about 35 different winemakers, most of which are woman owned and make on average less than 500 cases a year.

Princess & Bear Wines’ tasting room is such a hidden gem. It’s tucked inside a warehouse complex in South Park, but you’d never guess it just from photos. The inside is absolutely stunning, with white walls and pink and mint accents that feel very French. You can choose to sit at a table or lounge on one of the ivory couches, taking in the views of the bistro tables visible through the huge garage door that’s often thrown open.

Most of the wines are around $20 a bottle, with the “expensive” ones being in the $40-$50 range. They change the wine tasting menu every two weeks. You get 5 tastes, typically a mix of white wine, rosé, and red, and are allowed to order food from Osprey Bistro next door (who will bring it to you).

What to taste:

If it’s available, don’t miss the Domaine La Louvière Le Libertin (~$19.99). It’s an organic 100% sauvignon blanc white wine that’s bright and zippy with complex flavors that change on your palate. It goes from green apple to citrus to earthiness all in one sip!

Another standout is the Domaine Gilbert & Gaillard Le Rosé (~$18.99). The 2020 vintage was dry and acidic, with a pleasing strawberry flavor that lingers long after you finish. Plus Carol says it pairs awesome with poke, one of my favorite foods!

Nine Hats Wines

Nine Hats is a larger winery, producing about 18,000 cases per year. That’s because they’re the sister label of Long Shadow Winery out of Walla Walla (which also has one of my favorite tasting rooms in Woodinville). What’s interesting about Long Shadow is that they don’t actually make any of their own wine. Rather, they’ve gathered 9 different winemakers from all over the world to highlight Washington grapes and make scrumptious wines. That “9” is where the name Nine Hats came from.

Besides easy-drinking wines, Nine Hats has a laid back atmosphere. Vintage toys line the cases and there’s a piano in the corner, where you can hear someone playing weekly. They’re also about to open Nine Pizzeria next door, which means there will be some more food options within walking distances as you sip the day away. It’s not on my list of best pizza in Seattle, but it’s good when you need something respectable to eat while wine tasting.

What to taste:

If it’s available, try the Reisling ($14) that’s dry with fruit flavors or the red wine blend ($20) that’s full of caramel and vanilla goodness.

Tinte Cellars

Tinte Cellars was started by husband and wife team, Tim Gamble and Teresa Spellman Gamble, who purchased Woodinville’s William Church and Cuillin Hills and merged them under the brand Tinte. They make about 4,000 cases a year and have tasting rooms in Woodinville too.

You’ll find well-balanced reds and whites meant to be paired with food. They also have nice ambiance in their Georgetown tasting room thanks to art lining the walls and a peaceful back patio.

What to taste:

If available, get the Viognier (~$30). It’s a punch in the face of lip-puckering acid in the most refreshing way. You’ll smell and taste melons, making it perfect for a warm day.

Nota Bene Cellars

Nota Bene is a true working wine in South Park, a bit off the main drag of wineries in South Seattle. It’s in a warehouse where winemaker Tim produces a small number of excellent Rhône-style wines. We loved the personal touch of visiting is winery because he poured directly and shared stories of each wine we tasted. He even gave us a sip of something out of a barrel that wasn’t bottled yet!

What to taste:

If available, get the Superlio Viognier (~$25). It’s acidic with a pineapple taste that’s zippy and refreshing.

Locus Wines

Locus Wines is one of the newest Seattle tasting rooms, located in the historic Occidental Square building that Woodhouse Estates used to be in (now closed). They’ve been serving their wines out of The Tasting Room in Pike Place Market for years, but this is their first standalone tasting room.

Locus Wines is a ~1,500 case per year winery owned by partners, Rich Burton and Ton Yazici. What makes this spot unique is that they offer wine flights paired with small bites. This makes it the perfect Seattle winery for when you’re feeling peckish.

Rich is the winemaker and focuses on creating Rhône-style wines, meaning he sources grape varietals common to this region in France: syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, viognier, etc. But the grapes come from Yakima vineyards in the Naches Heights AVA. He explained that Ton and him love drinking affordable European wines, so he looks for young grapes grown in high altitude vineyards that will have a lot of acid so he can make the types of wines they prefer to drink.

Ton is Turkish and came to Seattle in the late 90s for his MBA. He thought he’d go back home, but when Rich and him met he decided to stay. He explained that they used to throw lavish dinner parties, where he’d prepare all the food and they’d set up different themed stations on each floor of their home with wine pairings. It clicked for them when friends kept asking if they’d do this full time, so the two devised a plan to make it happen.

The amount of hustle between these two is unreal.

Rich is making 1,500 cases of wine a year while still holding a full-time job in tech. Ton is a culinary school instructor and runs a catering business in addition to the kitchen at Locus Wines. The fact that they’re able to have so much going on but still develop excellent wines and approachable food is inspiring.

Definitely make sure you get a pairing that includes Ton’s Turkish pastries. They’re heavenly bites of 64 layers of dough filled with constantly changing add ins. When we went, we couldn’t stop talking about the cheese one. I asked Ton what makes them so good and he explained he brushes each layer with milk instead of butter because they’re fattening enough. 🙂

What to taste:

If available, get the Moda White (~$15) or Locus Keller syrah (~$30). The white is crisp and light, but has a lot of floral and ever-so-slightly sweet complexity that keeps it interesting. The syrah is worth getting because most wineries don’t serve 100% syrah. But Rich’s version lets you appreciate the big and dry structure of this magnificent grape.

Disclaimer: I was invited to a complimentary tasting at Locus Wines. However, inclusion in this piece wasn’t guaranteed. I just liked their hospitality, wine, and food so much that it was a no brainer to include them.

Welcome Road Winery

Welcome Road is a laid back tasting room near some of the best places to eat in West Seattle. It was opened by Leigh McMillan & Kristen Dorrity who fell in love with the idea of winemaking after touring vineyards in France. They decided to take the French winemaking tradition and pair it with the casualness of the Pacific Northwest.

The winery is named after the road their cabin is on near Mount Baker. They produce just ~1,000 cases a year of bold red blends using Yakima Valley grapes. And since they love nothing more than grilling for friends at their cabin, they focus on making wine meant to be paired with food. They even offer at-home wine tasting kits to allow you to host some fun with friends.

What to taste:

If available, get the flagship Road Trip Red (~$28). It’s bright with dark fruit flavors to start, but with an earthy and smooth finish. It’s won multiple rewards and is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and malbec from the Dineen Vineyards and Two Mountain Vineyards out of Yakima Valley.

Map of Seattle’s best wineries

To give you a sense of space, here’s a map of where all the Seattle urban wineries are in relation to each other. Notice that the majority are clustered at SODO UrbanWorks, which makes it a good stop for a wine tasting day.

More wine tasting in Washington and Oregon

Above are my favorite Seattle urban wineries, but there’s so much more awesome wine within driving distance of Seattle. Here’s a breakdown of some of my favorite wine country regions in the Pacific Northwest:

Best Seattle Wine Tours
Woodinville wineries (30 minutes from Seattle)
Lake Chelan wineries (4 hours from Seattle)
Walla Walla wineries (5 hours from Seattle)
Willamette Valley wineries (4 hours from Seattle in Oregon)
Eugene, OR wineries (6 hours from Seattle in Oregon)

Let me plan your dream wine trip

Want to experience wine country, but don’t know where to start? Delegate the travel planning to me! I’ll create an hour-by-hour itinerary for every day of trip so all you have to do is show up!

Comments

Karen Kirsch says

January 24, 2018 at 4:38 pm

I’ve been searching for good wineries closer to home! I mean Woodinville is awesome, but some days I just don’t wanna drive that far, ya know?! LOVE!
- Adria Saracino says
  
  January 25, 2018 at 4:57 am
  
  EXACTLY! I’m so happy you found this helpful! SODO is one of my favorite thing to do on a Saturday. And there’s also a nice cluster in West Seattle that I need to do a bit more exploring of before I put it in here. Would love to hear if you find any favorites!
Rachel Teodoro says

January 24, 2018 at 6:37 pm

I’m not a wine drinker but I have out of town friends who are always asking for my advice on this. This is a great resource!
- Adria Saracino says
  
  January 25, 2018 at 4:59 am
  
  So happy to help! I have a cocktail round up if that’s more your speed! https://www.emeraldpalate.com/the-5-best-cocktails-in-seattle/
Rachel says

January 24, 2018 at 9:02 pm

Thanks for the list, I’m definitely going to pin this the next time I want to try a winery outside Woodinville.
- Adria Saracino says
  
  January 25, 2018 at 4:59 am
  
  Yay, so happy to help! Would love to hear if you find any new favorites!
Keziah says

January 24, 2018 at 10:23 pm

I usually stick to Woodinville since I am on the Eastside, but it sounds like I need to venture over to Seattle for my wine tasting… Full Pull sounds like a really cool idea, might just have to get on that list:)
- Adria Saracino says
  
  January 25, 2018 at 5:00 am
  
  You’re so lucky to live so close to Woodinville! And yes, I cannot recommend Full Pull enough!
Astrid Vinje says

January 25, 2018 at 2:10 pm

I’ll have to put this on my list of things to do in Seattle!
- Adria Saracino says
  
  January 30, 2018 at 3:44 am
  
  Yay! Definitely let me know if you have a favorite!

The Local’s Guide to the Best Seattle Urban Wineries