12 Washington Wineries Near Seattle for a Great Day Trip

When we decided to visit friends in Seattle, we knew we wanted to get out to experience several Washington wineries.

At first, we had our hearts set on hitting a proper wine region like those found in the Columbia Valley towards the eastern side of the state. But we quickly scrapped that plan when we found out that many wineries in Washington are not estate operated- that is to say, wine producers typically do not grow their own grapes.

While this is not always the case, we found that tasting rooms in proper wine regions are few and far between- so much so that planning a visit seemed a bit too daunting. There are fields upon fields of grapes, naturally, but when it comes to trying the final products at proper tasting rooms, we weren't quite sure if it made sense for us given how far of a drive the region is from Seattle.

As it turns out, many of the most well-known wineries in the state are actually based in the greater Seattle metro area! These wineries typically buy their grapes directly from vineyards all over the state but ferment, package, bottle, sell, and pour samples at their tasting rooms much closer to the city.

So we decided to stick close to Seattle and hit up a dozen wineries in nearby Woodinville, Bainbridge Island, and even within the city limits of Seattle proper and we quickly found out how much the region loves Rhone and Bordeaux varietals outright!

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Barcelona Wine Bar Review – A Tapas Experience in Washington

We often lament about how we need more Spanish-style tapas bars in the country and European wine bars in general. So when I read about Barcelona Wine Bar in Washington DC and found that it was just a mile or so away from the hotel I was staying at, you know I had to go.

To say this wine bar checks both of those boxes is an understatement. But while you are not likely to get a free tapa with every wine order (like some tapas bars we went to in Spain), you will get the next best thing in all respect. That is to say, small plates, affordable prices, and an incredible selection all around.

Call me hooked on this great wine bar in DC!

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David & Nadia Topography Pinotage 2019 Review

Oh Pinotage, you are an interesting grape. A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, this popular South African variety has many of the characteristics we love about the former grape bit amped up in intensity from the latter.

Interestingly enough, Pinotage comes with an interesting flavor characteristic you may not find on other grapes- coffee!

While we would say that David & Nadia's Topography Pinotage is perhaps lighter in the coffee notes than we've had in other bottles of this grape, it does hit us with all the right notes all the same.

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WSET Diploma D1 Review – A Quick, Intense Dive into Winemaking

So, you're thinking of enrolling in WSET Diploma and want to know a bit about what the modules are like?

Well, you're in luck. We are actively going to review each WSET Level 4 module after completing them where we will dive a bit into the material that is covered, share what the experience was like overall, and relate it to the same sections as covered in WSET Level 3.

While students can pursue modules D3-D6 at their own pace, module D1 must be completed first (and D2 second) before you can access the rest. This one sets the pace of the work that is to come with a robust dive into all things wine production!

So, let's talk about what the four-week course was like!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D1 exam in September 2021. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D1 with distinction.

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E. Guigal Condrieu 2019 Review – Low Acid and Strong Flavors

As I am slowly falling in love with the Northern Rhone for its Syrah, I've always been curious about trying the region's notable white grape- Viognier.

If Cote-Rotie is the champion of all things Syrah, then Condrieu nearby is all about this floral and fragrant grape. But there was always one problem- it is really hard to find a reasonable bottle of Condrieu. $80-$100+ is the norm with these, and it wasn't until I stumbled upon a $60 bottle of E. Guigal Condrieu at a Total Wine in Virginia that I finally threw reason out the door and snatched one up.

While this one was a bit out of the conventional balance we like, we have to admit, the flavor was a winner.

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How to Prepare for the WSET Diploma D1 Exam

Oh WSET Diploma, you are a beast.

Unlike lower courses of WSET (like WSET Level 2 or Level 3) which can be completed in a single, multi-week module, Diploma (or WSET Level 4) is on an entirely different level. This one has six unique modules that students must take over an 18-to-36 month period at a pace of their choosing.

Of these modules, five of the six have corresponding essay exams (the sixth is a research paper) and some also have tastings (D3, D4, and D5). We'll cover logic for tackling this beast of a program as a whole in a later article, but for this one, I wanted to dive down into details of what the D1: Wine Production exam is like and give a few tips on how I prepared ahead of time.

Get ready to memorize a boatload of facts!

Note: I took the WSET Diploma D1 exam in September 2021. Test material and structure can and does change over time. I passed D1 with distinction.

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Domaine Rostaing Ampodium Cote Rotie 2017 Review

Over the last year or so, I've been developing a bit of a love affair with Syrah. This grape has a wonderful flavor profile with nice black pepper characteristics and can be quite intense as well.

Of all the regions that produce Syrah, my affinity is pushing towards those from the Northern Rhone in regions like Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, and others. One region that took me a while to try was Cote Rotie as these bottles are often among the most expensive we've seen (think $70 for the cheapest, $100 for average, and $150+ for more).

But the allure of Syrahs from the roasted hillside got the better of me, so when I needed a bottle to celebrate some good news, I knew what to get. I ended up finding Domaine Rostaing Ampodium 2017 for just about $90 and popped it open the very next day. It was everything I hoped for.

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Jaine Rose 2019 Review – A Refreshing and Complex Rose

When it comes to rose wines, we can enjoy them any time of year for any reason with (almost) any food pairing. But some rose wines rise above the rest and become something truly special worth savoring and pairing with the very best food.

Jaine's Sustainable Vineyards Rose is one such wine, and this 100% Grenache rose may go down as our very favorite yet.

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Latta Upland Vineyard Grenache 2016 Review – A Fruity Red

Every time we travel, there is almost always a winery that we find by chance and fall in love with. During our trip to Washington, that winery was Latta Wines.

We stumbled upon this one when shopping for a bottle to take to a nice dinner as the corkage fee was reasonable relative to the heavily marked-up bottle prices. We stumbled upon the Latta Grenache Upland Vineyard 2015 at a nearby store. We saw it had stellar reviews and was at a reasonable price, so we jumped on it. What a wine it was!

The wine left such an impression on us that we immediately had to look up where the winery was, and we found out they are based in the south end of Seattle outright (as many wineries in the state buy their grapes from various vineyards)! Naturally, we visited, adored all the wines we tried there, and left with even more bottles of the Upland Vineyard Grenache, 2016 vintage, to take home with us.

It was just a few weeks later that we opened our first bottle, and wanted to share more in this review!

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Gratsi Wine Review – Boxed Wine Done Right for the Table

When it comes to thinking about boxed wine, we often remember the lower-quality beverages we had way back in our younger days. As some of the connotations that go along with this packaging medium are generally on the negative side, we've not really rushed to try out any of the new brands pushing boxed wines that have been popping up in recent years.

It wasn't until Gratsi contacted us to see if we wanted to try their Washington-grown Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon that we decided to give boxed wine a chance. All we have to say is if boxed wine was like this when we had it last, we may have not waited so long to try them again.

To be sure, this is table wine. But it is damn good table wine, and at 3L per box provides an ample amount of wine for meals, cooking, and even some sneaky sips here or there all at a respectable price point.

We could get used to that.

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