One Day In Woodinville.
Woodinville is a small town with a big charm. Woodinville sits in Northern Washington and is considered part of the greater Seattle metropolitan area. After doing some research about this area, I could tell that the wine scene is what this place is known for. Though I have to say, wine may reign as champion here but after my trip, I found some distilleries, breweries, cideries, and restaurants that command some genuine recognition. One day is not enough to see all that Woodinville has to offer but one day was enough to realize I’m kind of digging this place.
BARKING FROG
First stop of the day was at Willows Lodge for brunch at their Barking Frog resturant. Mmmm, was this place yummy. So how do you think I started off my brunch? Well I did it with their Sasquatch Bloody Mary of course. Some people prefer to start brunch with a Mimosa but I believe a Bloody Mary can tell you a lot about a place. I really enjoyed this Bloody, like a lot! I had to keep myself from ordering a second round because I knew I had a whole day of spirit tasting ahead of me (trying to not get trashed before my day even begins, if I’m being honest).
As far as the food, my choices were not so clear cut, finally deciding on their signature Challa French Toast for something sweet, the Verde Chilaquiles for something savory, and the Loaded Cornbread Tots with short rib for something I’ve never tried. Oh my, the French Toast was spot on, the eggs on the Chilaquiles were cooked perfectly but the Loaded Cornbread Tots were magical.
These crunchy squares made me so happy with every bite. They reminded me of being a kid at a carnival, you know, when the carnival was the highlight of your summer. You rode all the sketchy rides, pet stinky animals, watched side-shows and ate corndogs. These tots tasted like the best version of elevated corn dog batter you can imagine. Seriously, I experienced joy eating these small cornbread treasures and I will go back to the Barking Frog just for these Tots.
LOCUST CIDER & BREWING CO.
Stop number two was Locust Cider & Brewing Co. and I came here because of the description they have on their webpage. “ We don’t just want to make you say “Yum, that’s good’. We want you to make you say “Hell yeah, that’s amazing’.” So with an intro like that , there’s no way I’m passing up this place. Plus, who doesn’t like cider on a hot day?
Locust was a relaxed comfy place complete with a food truck outside, hard cider slushies, video game consoles, and board games. I could see how hanging out here for a few hours would be easy to do but I have more places to visit on this day.
WOODINVILLE WHISKEY COMPANY
Next up I had reserved a distillery tour and tasting at Woodinville Whiskey Company. Wow, did I learn a lot about the workings of the distillery and about its history. The group tour lasted for about 45 minutes. I was surprised by how simple the ingredients are but fascinated by how precise and time consuming the actual process of making whiskey is. I learned after completing the distillery process the whiskey then goes into barrels and aged for at least 5 years, talk about delayed gratification. I highly recommend taking the tour, especially if you like to know how things work and I’m kind of a nerd that likes to know random things.
Before today’s tour, I was like, yeah whiskey is fine. But…. After today I have a whole new appreciation for whiskey and the distilling process. I will forever be a Woodinville Whiskey super-fan, this place Rocks.
CHATEAU ST. MICHELLE
After whiskey tasting I made it in time (across the street) for my reservation at Chateau St. Michelle. While doing research on wineries here in Woodinville, Chateau St. Michelle was always among the top of many lists of the “must visit” wineries. So I had to check it out for myself.
Being that this is the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest, sitting on 118 acres, plus the chateau itself, and a concert/event facility. You can most certainly imagine there is plenty of space for many people to come and enjoy these lovely grounds and have some good vino.
I took part in their Feature Flight Tasting with food pairing. I enjoyed myself very much, even taking an extra glass of wine to slowly walk around the grounds. As with most wineries you can simply buy a bottle of wine or two and have your own picnic, or they offer a “Chateau Picnic” set in their rose garden. The amount of different experiences you can have here is extensive, and there were many people all among the grounds having a lovely time. I was impressed by the wine here, how quickly the service was, and by the well kept grounds. This was a great way to end my day in Woodinville.
Woodinville has so many places I would have liked to experience and with its highly regarded reputation I was not let down with any of the places I had time to visit on this trip. The intimate small town vibe is another aspect of Woodinville that I can appreciate. To think, it’s only about a 20 minute drive north of Seattle. If you’ve never been, you have to get here.
Honorable Mention -
Bosk Brew Works
14350 NE 193rd Place
Woodinville, Washington
Here at Bosk Brew Works, I just popped in to grab some beers to take back home with me, because you can’t pass up this award winning brewery when you're in Woodinville.
