Travels with Tish Girlfriends’ Getaway Guide

Even if you don’t like wine, you’ll love Columbia Winery in Woodinville, just outside Seattle. It has a gift store to die for. Wine glasses, bar ware, linens, serving pieces, decor items, some decor furniture and, oh by the way, wine. No kidding, the shop is very fun for your own home or for gifts — especially gifts for wine lovers. Out-of-the-ordinary and pretty well priced, I thought. In fact, I saw a terrific round rustic metal “tray” table that I loved and only $150. It’s one of those “shoulda, but didn’t” things you regret later.

The Wine’s The Thing.
I was truly distracted by the gift items, but the wine is really the heart and soul of the place. Columbia is a large winery with its vineyards in both the Columbia Valley and the Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington. It’s 45 years old and was started by a small group of U of Washington professors who believed that European vinifera vines could survive in Washington. These are not grafted vines as at many other American vineyards. The winery produces Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. We particularly liked the Riesling and the Gewurztraminer and bought some bottles to take home.

Tours, Tastings and More.
Tour days and times are defined. Once on weekdays and 5 times on weekends. Tastings are available any time. A $5 fee takes you through 5 wine samplings. It’s a great way to get to know their wines. Columbia Winery also offers private wine education programs, private tour/tastings, cooking classes and special wine country tours. Any of these would be fun to try.

Willows Lodge in Woodinville.
If you want to spend a couple of days in wine country, you will certainly enjoy the Willows Lodge, next to the Columbia Winery and across from Chateau Ste. Michelle. Very convenient. While we only took a day trip to Woodinville, I did ask for a tour at the Willows and was cordially received.

The Willows has a Pacific Northwest decor, but with high tech amenities. Deep soaking tubs in the rooms. Digital showers. Very luxurious and comfortable. Goose down pillows. Fireplaces. French press coffee, patios/balconies with garden views. Very elegant. The Willows also offers a nicely appointed onsite spa with a wide variety of services. The Barking Frog Restaurant is on the property (where we had lunch and found it excellent). The Herb Farm is a most unique restaurant on the property, using its own kitchen garden produce as it prepares 9-course dinners for its guests — with wine, of course. You’ll have to check out its Web site to really see what the Herb Farm is all about. Sounds decadent and wonderful. We’d like to try it the next time we’re up there. The Willows Lodge rooms and suites can accommodate up to 4 gals and they are willing to bring in a rollaway if necessary. I believe the room rate is around $200/night. That can really bring the cost down of staying in such a luxurious setting. By the way, Willows Lodge offers getaway packages for touring wine country, a spa package and one called the Desperate Diva package.

NEXT: Downtown Seattle

TIPS:
1) More Wineries. Do Some Research. Visit washingtonwine.org and request their booklet on “Touring Washington Wine Country.” There are many other wineries around Seattle, Tacoma and Bellingham. And don’t forget all the vineyards that are a 2-4 hour drive from Seattle. Also visit woodinvillewinecountry.com for info specifically about Woodinville wineries.
2) What Else To Do Near Woodinville? Lots. Golfing, shopping, biking, rafting, kayaking, hot air ballooning and of course, sampling wines and dining. The Willows can provide informtion on these activities.
3) Seattle or Woodinville? I’d recommend both. Fly into Seattle/Tacoma. Spend a day and night there. Then drive up to Woodinville for another 2 days. It’s an easy drive back to the airport. (Of course, there’s a whole lot more to the Seattle area that are also worth exploring, but we didn’t get to them on this first, brief trip. Whalewatching, ferrying to islands, going out to the mountains and so much more.
4) Cruise Ships. Nearly 200 cruise ships come through the Port of Seattle each year — mostly on the way to Alaska. If you’re planning a cruise, depart from Seattle and enjoy the area before you head to Alaska.
5) Airline Service to Seattle. Midwest Airlines flies out of Kansas City nonstop to Seattle, with easy connections through Milwaukee. (Departing from Milwaukee, we were in Seattle by 11:30 A.M.) But starting June 18, Midwest will fly nonstop to Seattle/Tacoma from Milwaukee, giving you more flight options. You can book those flights now.

When I first learned that we’d be heading to Seattle/Tacoma, I googled the Visitors Bureau to start planning our getaway.  I found plenty to see and do. One thing that particularly intrigued me was the abundance of vineyards and wineries in Washington state. So I planned a day trip to the closest area, Woodinville, just 25 minutes northeast of Seattle.

Nearly 20 Wineries
It was an easy drive up to Woodinville, a small community nestled in the Sammamish River Valley that is known as Woodinville Wine Country. The collective vision of the winemakers there is to create fine, world-class wines from Washington’s own grape harvests.

Chateau Ste. Michelle.
This beautiful estate and winery is the oldest winery in the state and owns some of the most mature vineyards in the Columbia Valley. It is considered a premium winery and operates two winemaking facilities — one for whites and one for reds. Chateau Ste. Michelle  and its vintages have been significantly recognized many times over by Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast and Restaurant Wine publications.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is now in its 40th year of winemaking. It is housed in a French-style chateau on the former estate of a lumber baron, whose residence has been maintained for the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds are spectacular and romantic, great for strolling or picnicking. In recent years, this winery has also partnered with a multi-generation Tuscan winemaker Marchesi Antinori, to create an internationally-styled red wine called Col Solare.  And they have also partnered with a famous German winemaker, Ernst Loosen, to produce a premium Riesling called Eroica and a dessert wine called Single Berry Select. So this winery offers a very broad selection of wines.

We Took the Winery Tour. A very knowledgeable Frenchman, whose name escapes me, conducted our winery tour. We saw the casks of wine being stored and learned why certain wines are casked longer than others. We looked down on the bottling operation from a great vantage point. And we learned a bit about the history of winemaking in Washington as well as why they decided to partner with European winemasters to create new wine blends.

And then the Wine Tasting. At the conclusion of the tour, guests are invited to sample four of their famous wines. An essential part of the wine tasting is learning what grapes were used, what food it might be paired with, how long the wine must age before it is ideal for decanting, etc. We bought several bottles of wine, including one of the dessert wines which we loved.

NEXT: The Columbia Winery in Woodinville

TIPS:
1) Plan an Impromptu Picnic. The wineries we visited had assortments of cheeses, sausages, crackers and more that are ideal size for a picnic, as well as corks, openers, glasses, etc. Even lovely picnic sets. How fun would it be to purchase a wine you like and some snacks to enjoy a picnic on the grounds of this lovely Pacific Northwest estate.

2) Shippers Are Available. If you want bring back a case or two, or even fewer bottles, the wineries have “shippers” and packing material available. They tell me wine would easily make the trip in these shipping boxes with other luggage under the airplane — as you cannot take any liquids past Security into the cabin.
3) Not All States Allow Wine to be Shipped In. The wineries have a list of states that do not permit shipments of wine into their state. But you can take the wine with you if you use a shipper or pack it in your suitcase. (They also have bubble wrap to help with that.)
4) Tours Available Daily. Chateau Ste. Michelle offers tours every day between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Free, of course. If you want to just stop in for a wine tasting without a tour, you will be charged a small fee for the wines you sample.
5) Winery Staff Very Helpful. Everyone we spoke with at Chateau Ste. Michelle was pleasant and most helpful. They are used to a wide range of wine connoisseurs (and those like me who are not such a connoisseur) coming in to sample, ask questions and request recommendations. You can feel comfortable there, even if you don’t have a clue about wine varieties. You’ll easily pick up a few tips and some wines you can really enjoy.