When another rice wine brewery recently popped up, I remembered I never reviewed my amazing…read moreexperience at this first one of Woodinville. Did you know that there is a sake brewery in Woodinville, a hidden gem, among all the other warehouse wineries and breweries? I've been saving this one for a while and brought a sake loving friend along. We thought we were going in for a quick flight tasting, but instead the owners totally hooked us up. We ended up staying for the almost 2 hours. We couldn't even finish all the sake and the owners even sent us home with bottled water. They were so kind, sweet and generous. I had such a memorable time. Shirafuji has an amazing story originating from Japan. Happy to have them restarting here in the PNW and sharing their craft with us. Currently they are in the process of moving to a bigger space. I'm happy for them for their growth.

We took a tour and did a tasting today - lovely experience. The owner and master distiller gave a…read morevery thorough background on the origins of their family distillery in Fukushima, the process for distilling sake from rice, and answered all of our questions very patiently. The tasting pours were plentiful and refills freely offered. Our favorite was the Nama Genshu. We are fortunate to have Shirafuji in the Woodinville area - a local taste of Japanese tradition and hospitality.

While here for another event, I bought a round of wine pours for myself and my 2 kids. We enjoyed…read morevisiting Guardian Cellars and chatting with the staff as we learned about their wines and the family behind it (a police officer and his journalist wife). Guardian Cellars has a law enforcement theme with famous mug shots up high to the names of the individual wines. Very cute and well done. I like the nod to journalism with The Seattle Times iconic blue newspaper stand in the lobby. We all tasted a rose, a white and a red variety of wines initially with the red blend being my favorite and hence, my choice of the full pour. I think it was called The Wanted. A good balance of flavors and not too heavy. This place is really pretty much in Maltby so don't let the Snohomish address fool you. It is a very large warehouse style building in an district with other intriguing spirits, etc. companies nearby. Give them a try!

Great people and ambiance! It has a cool theme of news + criminals since the owners were cop and…read morejournalist. We had an amazing opportunity to tour the wine making area. It was informational!

Came here as my friend has a membership as well her needing to pick up some pre-ordered bottles. We…read moredecided to stick around for a couple of glasses as well as watch the game that was on. The room has a nice sized TV just for watching whatever sport may be on, in this case - Seahawks. The staff, one of whom was the owner was very friendly, and each came by to chat with us about wines, and other offerings they had if we wished. The room seats maybe 25 people comfortably, there were a fair amount of people in and out during our visit. They also allowed my dog inside which was nice, so they're dog friendly. I had a couple glasses of their reminiscence Riesling which was great. Only snag was I guess they made some chili, which honestly sounded good, but we weren't interested. They kept offering it like 2-3 times. Other than that, it was a good time.

Ancestry Cellars is located in the same tasting room as TruthTeller and Grassie. Because of so, it…read morecan get busy. But we were able to find a spot and stayed awhile here, as we enjoyed the wines from Ancestry. Since we were all passport holders, we were told that we could choose from any three wines on the menu. Their menu is also paperless, as they ask that you look on the website for the menu. I am a red wine drinker, so started with the Provocant, a Bordeaux-style varietal red blend, and had the Le Frere, a cabernet sauvignon-forward wine and the 2015 reserve cabernet. I enjoyed all of the wines I had from here, but would say the reserve cabernet was my favorite. It was very full-bodied, with a nice oak finish. It's the kind of wine you have a nice juicy steak with. But the menu at Ancestry is huge, as they have several different types of wine. There's something for everyone here. Staff were very friendly and sociable. I love that dogs are allowed here! You're also allowed to eat your own food here, but there is no nearby eatery around. Bring your own picnic! I also learned that they have a tasting room in eastern Washington, so will have to check it out when I'm in that neck of the woods. I'm glad to have discovered Ancestry Cellars.

Rain city wines has the most incredible selection of imported wines. You can find anything from a…read morebarolo to champagne to a bottle of port or dessert wine. He has the most unique and fairly priced wines in my opinion. He usually has a tasting every Friday from 4-7pm that showcases some of his favorites for the season. Josh, the owner is very knowledgeable and can help you find just about anything you're looking for. Do not hesitate to stop by! A guaranteed good time.

I recently endeavoured to find Licataa, the sparkling red wine created/developed by Raekwon. I know…read moreI am several years late to this, but recently heard about it and struggled to find any bottles near me. A google search directed me towards Rain City Wines. I haven't bought too much wine online other than through subscriptions, and was unsure how it was going to go but I have to say Rain City surpassed my expectations in packaging, shipping time, and care they put in assembling it all together. I'll definitely order from them in the future the next time I need to track down a bottle that isn't available in my area. Thank you, Rain City! Also if you get your hands on any more bottles of Licataa, send them my way!

My friend and I had a great experience here on a weekend afternoon. Very nice space inside, and the…read morestaff are great too. The tasting is very reasonable price wise, and they give a great presentation. We had 2 whites, 1 rosé and 2 reds. All of them were very unique. The Wonderlust white, their Viognier and 100% Syrah were my faves. The prices of their wines are very reasonable too. They also gave us a sample of their mulled wine which was absolutely delicious. Plenty parking in this great little wine area! Look forward to returning!

What a hidden gem! We're so glad we found this winery--it's become one of our favorite spots. The…read morewine is high-end and absolutely delicious, but what really sets this place apart is the people. Tyler (the owner) and James (our server) have been fantastic--friendly, welcoming, and genuinely great to get to know. The entire staff is wonderful. We even hosted our daughter's high school graduation party here, and it was the perfect venue. Upstairs was set up for the kids with space to set up a photo booth, a catered Chipotle bar, music, and games. Downstairs was ideal for the adults to relax, mingle, and celebrate. Since we booked after hours, we had full use of the parking lot and outdoor seating area--we added some outdoor games and it made for a super fun evening. Whether you're stopping in for a casual tasting or planning a special event, I highly recommend this place. And definitely join the wine club--you won't regret it!

Absolutely amazing wine and staff! Muriel and her team are salt of the earth humans and then...THE…read moreWINE!!

A bit off the beaten path, around a building, down a sidewalk, and at the first left Otis Kenyon…read moreWinery's tasting room is. We, my little tasting group, stopped here last and close to when they were closing for the day. Immediately I was grateful because the lady who helped us was very welcoming. She seemed not to notice the time or at least was not bothered by it. Even when my friend joined us late she barely reacted except with joking he had to catch up. It is a fun, little space. It is interesting to look at as there is so much to see in this space without it feeling cramped or cluttered. Then she told us the history and we were entranced. I love a good history story but this had drama which is even better! I won't spoil it here, but the label and some of the names all tie into the family history. The wine was very good too. We ended up with a couple bottles as we enjoyed it that much. It was a great experience.

Just as good as I remember it. Missed the event a few weeks ago and had a chance to stop in. Super…read morefriendly staff. Lots of great choices. Mix and match is the way to go. Strawberry is amazing as well as Lavender. Will be back for sure!

OMG the meads are great! From dry to sweet to fruity to spiced. Had a 5-taste flight. Glenda took…read morecare of me and was a good conversationalist. I ended up picking up a variety of 4 bottles. Yum! I prefer a sweeter drink, so the Sweet was perfect. I also got their Strawberry Mead and the Solas. The Solas was the highest alcohol yet was the sweetest. It had hints of vanilla or marshmallow and whiskey barrel. I'll finish with another OMG it is so delicious! Thanks Glanda!

I was introduced to this winery via their multi-award winning Albarino. I just could not stop…read morethinking about it and had to go back. Their tasting room location is in Apple Farm Village- which is one of those spots I drive by all the time and think "wow that looks cute, I should go." This time, I actually went. The backside of this building isn't visible from the road, but is SO lovely. They have a beautiful patio with hydrangeas, huge vines, and other plants. It looks like a dream pnw backyard and has so much greenery. They even have a fig tree. It feels very much like the old days of Woodinville when it was all farms- very nostalgic and romantic. The indoor space had great AC and great vibes. It was a pleasure to meet the winemaker- he cares so much about what he does and has a deep knowledge of wine and everything that goes along with it. Their price point is very low for the quality of wines they have. I attended a wine and sushi pairing here and it was out of this world. I feel like this spot may just be one of Woodinville's best kept secrets, but I am ready to let the word out because they truly deserve people to know about them! Not a bad wine in the bunch. From the chablis-style chardonnay to the rich tempranillo, I was impressed throughout. The staff is very proud of their wine, and honestly, I am too. If you want to feel like you are in the lovely garden of a sweet, GENIUS, winemaker and drink his incredible wines, this is your spot. Enjoy the serene patio and definitely dive into their phenomenal selection of white wines.

Walked into this little tasting room in Apple Farm Village after getting a recommendation from…read moreanother local vintner and walked out with a few bottles and a membership. Cory, the owner and one-man-winemaking operation, is an artist with grapes. His wines are tannin-free, which if you don't like getting punched in the face by a pucker-inducing beverage, you'll probably appreciate. I prefer whites and his albarino and rose are both fantastic, but we enjoyed all of the samples we tasted in the flight. 425 is well worth your time and your support not only helps a one-man operation remain in business, but also supports a veteran and his family.