Woodinville

Its been a few weeks since I last blogged.  I have been all over the place - east coast, west coast.  It is so nice to be back in Seattle.  I did not think I would miss this city that much after a month.  After a day of unpacking from my latest jaunt,  it was rainy and I had an urge to get out of the city and into surburbia.  My friend Leslie suggested we head to this small town north of Seattle, called Woodinville.  Heading up to this adorable town, I realized Washington’s fall does not seem to end – which I am appreciating. There are still leaves on trees, and bright pops of color all over the place. It’s that temperature where you need to wear an extra sweater but not necessarily a jacket.

With rain sprinking down, we found ourselves at APEX vineyards, where a glass of red wine was the perfect way to begin our Sunday adventure.   Wine tasting in Woodinville is setup so the tasting rooms are lined up for your convenience in a strip mall-type fashion.  Charging a nominal fee of $10 per tasting flight, (which can be put towards your bottle purchases), I tasted so many different Washington wines that were delicious.   It is such a different vibe than I expected.  It is so convenient and each vineyard’s room has its own style, but all of them evoke a warm cabin like feel. 

After a few tastings, we discovered these two vineyards that share a space - Elsom and Celaeno.  We were the last call of the day.  We ended up meeting the owner of the Celaeno vineyard and he gave us a mini tour of their cellars.  He let us stomp grapes (not like Lucy) but with this grape crusher device, that looked like a giant potato masher.  He climbed multiple wine barrels and let us taste all their reserves.   We felt so special like we were the winners of a contest that the prize was this private fancy experience.    We found out later, he gives this tour to others, (many others)  - but we still feel special and it really did make the day that much more perfect.  On the way home, I realized I had a little wine collection for my apartment which I’m anxious to dive into with some new and old friends and I’m excited about this idyllic respite so close to my new home.