East of Seattle is Woodinville, a rural community nestled in the fertile Sammamish Valley. Home to farms and horse trails, surrounded by green hills and the high-tech cities of Redmond and Bothell, Woodinville has become a major tourist destination. You can find good wine, live music, and natural beauty, along with interesting and informative tours.
Where is Woodinville?
Woodinville is a short drive from Seattle. Take Interstate 405 to State Route 522 (Exit 23, toward Monroe and Wenatchee), and head east to the Woodinville Exit. Many tour buses and ferries, including Beeline Tours and Washington Wine Tours, also offer scheduled day trips to the city. For a popular alternative, take advantage of Seattle’s vast network of urban trails to bike to Woodinville. Woodinville’s Jerry Wilmot Park is located along the 10-mile Sammamish River Trail that connects Blyth Park in Bothell with Marymoor Park in Redmond.
Just over a mile south of downtown Woodinville, the Sammamish Trail connects to the half-mile Woodinville Valley Trail that will take you across the Sammamish River to wineries and breweries.
Wine tasting and tours
Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery are the main attractions in the city. Located side by side, visitors can enjoy free or near-free tours and tastings at each facility.
A major Washington winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle is perhaps the best known of the state’s more than 150 wineries. The castle was once the summer home of pioneer logger Baron Fred Stimson. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the quaint estate now houses the winery’s tasting room, shop, kitchens, and indoor event facilities. With vineyards located throughout Washington’s lush Columbia Valley region, Ste. Michelle makes her white wines on the Woodinville site.
Short, free tours begin inside the castle and continue through the cellar to the bottling and labeling lines, offering visitors an up-close view of the wine-making process. Each tour ends with the opportunity to taste the final product. Underage guests can enjoy grape juice. Picnic food, as well as wine and wine accessories, are available in the store. The winery’s lush landscaped grounds include picnic areas and an amphitheater that hosts an annual summer concert series.
Located across the street from Chateau Ste. Michelle’s front door is the Columbia Winery. Inside the charming Victorian-style building you will find the extensive cellar shop, lively tasting bar and popular event facilities. Free tours, starting near the wine bar, give guests the opportunity to learn more about Columbia’s award-winning wines. The gift shop offers wines and foods from the Pacific Northwest.
New wineries and wine tasting rooms continue to be located in Woodinville; Earlier this year, two new wineries moved into the space that used to be occupied by Redhook Brewery: DeLille Cellars and Sparkman Cellars. These are now across the street from Chateau Ste. Michelle The same property is shared by the ZinZanni Theater, a circus theater.
Things to do in Woodinville
- If you like objects of beauty, both natural and man-made, the Molbak Garden Center in Woodinville is the place for you. Molbak’s offers a great selection of nurseries and a wide range of items to decorate your home and garden. You can lose all track of time browsing the aisles, both inside and out, savoring Molbak’s unique seasonal offerings.
- If you are looking for a more adventurous day in Woodinville, visit Adventura, an aerial adventure course that is ideal for a day of fun with family and friends.
