Guide to Wine Scores

At the nucleus of this rising star winery in Walla Walla is a highly credentialed team: namely, vineyard consultant Alan Busacca along with wine industry entrepreneurs Steve and Nikki Bruere. Together these dynamic partners are garnering attention for lush and expressive red wines crafted from their three premier estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Gorge … [Read more...] about Capital Call Vintners Launches Walla Walla Tasting Room

Stephen Lesefko spent seven years honing his craft as winemaker for Seattle-based Kerloo Cellars. After starting a wine brand together with his wife, Kelsey von der Burg, the couple decided to “pick up shop and move out to the Olympic Peninsula.” In the summer of 2024, the couple opened a tasting room along a prime stretch of retail establishments on the quaint Port … [Read more...] about Castle & Crown Cellars: Bringing Old World-Style Wines to Port Townsend

A cult name among wine fans, Andrew Latta grew his brand slowly and organically from 2011 to 2016, when he opened his tasting room and production facility in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. Now Latta has opened a new satellite tasting room close to the Woodinville action. The modern spacious location has hip vibes and sits within a cluster of other wineries within the former … [Read more...] about Latta Wines Expands Cult Vibes into Woodinville

Managed by Kasey and Cameron Davenport, Kinhaven is the newest place to gather in Woodinville over luxe boutique wines sourced primarily from the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The satellite tasting room sits in the Hollywood District of town in the same retail hub as Purple Café and Wine Bar. Cameron is a chef-turned-winemaker who strives for aromatics, complexity and balance in … [Read more...] about Kinhaven in Walla Walla Branches into Woodinville

Darby English began selling his small-batch wine in a warehouse tasting room in Woodinville in 2006, and has earned the moniker of a brand synonymous with early Woodinville startups. He developed a cult following for his Syrah from the get-go, and first appeared in Washington Tasting Room Magazine in 2010. French Rhône varietals, both reds and whites, have always been … [Read more...] about Darby Winery Begins A New Chapter in the Hollywood District

Vagabond is the brainchild of Ryan Lowell, age 35, who already has a lifetime of experience in the food and beverage industry. He is the Wine & Spirits Director for Russell’s Restaurant in Bothell, WA, where he has worked for the past 21 years. “I literally grew up in the restaurant world,” he says, only half joking, pointing out that when he was only a toddler, his father, … [Read more...] about Bright Future Ahead for Vagabond Wine Co.

Fidélitas has become a name synonymous with Red Mountain virtuosity, evolving since its inception 24 vintages ago under the tenure of Charlie Hoppes, winemaker and founder. Hoppes—joined by his son, Will—has brought to fruition a hard-won vision of becoming 100% AVA-focused. The Hoppes’ cultivate Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties from their Red Mountain estate … [Read more...] about Fidélitas Wines Finds New Modern Digs in Woodinville

  Wes and Michelle Parker are an impressive husband-and-wife team crafting luxe wines under their newest label, Parker Family Wine. Wes wears the title of head winemaker and Michelle is assistant winemaker. Their oldest son, Ty Parker, manages the tasting room located inside the new Mountain Timber Market shopping complex on the beautiful waterfront in Kalama. Their … [Read more...] about Parker Family Wine Brings Luxe Wines To The Kalama Waterfront

  Chemist Eric Hoppe and his wife Leslie had intended to open their Benton City winery doors to the public in March 2020, but when the pandemic hit they couldn’t find contractors to finish the tasting room construction. The resourceful couple pivoted to bulk wine production, an arrangement that kept the business solvent until the pandemic ended, and finally three … [Read more...] about Chemistry and Art Converge at Heron Bluff Vineyard and Winery

Winemakers Mark and Jo Bader are the newest faces among Seattle’s casual SODO wine scene, embracing the district’s industrial vibe. The tasting room and production area is a bit unique in that it’s under the same roof as T2 Cellar and Republic of Cider, offering wide tasting choices from any of the three independent businesses that share the building. The winery name and … [Read more...] about Spruce Hill Is The Newest Winery in Seattle’s SoDo District

  Long Shadows’ recently upgraded from its former Woodinville tasting room into a brand new location (close by DeLille Cellars) that dazzles with soaring 35-foot ceilings, double-sided fireplace, dramatic backlit bar with granite countertops and a gleaming grand piano. Upholstered chairs and leather sofas punctuate the first-floor seating area. Upstairs, three fire pits … [Read more...] about Long Shadows Vintners Relocates in Woodinville

Kevin Mueller began making wine a decade ago. “I’ve long had a passion for Washington wine, believing that some of the most amazing wines in the world come from our beautiful state,” he says. He and his wife Kathryn founded Virtue Cellars in 2016, starting quite small at first, and then carefully building volume as word of their wines slowly spread. When Washington Tasting … [Read more...] about Virtue Cellars Partnership Brings Craft Wines to Downtown Edmonds

As did many well-respected winemakers in the region, Scott Greenberg began making wine commercially in a Woodinville warehouse in the early 2000s. Soon he developed a reputation for crafting structured and flavorful reds and whites in small, high-quality batches, like his flagship Storm Front Bordeaux-style blend. “I started the winery to make wine that would pair well with … [Read more...] about Convergence Zone Cellars Migrates to Tri-Cities in Central Washington

Whitman Hill Winery offers easy access on Roza Drive, an area that beckons with postcard-like charm amid a bucolic mixed-use setting of vineyards, hops, orchard farms and horse ranches near the epicenter of Zillah’s winegrowing region about 20 minutes from Yakima. Owners Scott and Denise Whitman (whose maiden name is Hill) purchased the former winery, Agate Field, in … [Read more...] about Whitman Hill Is Yakima Valley’s Newest Destination Winery