Seattle is one of those cities I have always wanted to visit, so when i found out that our cruise ship was leaving from there, i figured it would be a great opportunity to stay couple of extra days in Seattle and get to know the city. Of course, there was no way I could be in Washington and not visit a couple of wineries.

We booked a wine tour that took us to Silver Lake Winery and Chateau St. Michelle.

Our first stop was Silver Lake winery. In addition to Silver Lake wines, the winery also wines under the Hoodsport and Blind Date labels. The tasting room is located in what appears to be a converted warehouse and it feels more like a wine shop than a tasting room.

As part of the tour package, we were able to taste 7 pre-selected wines. That was a bummer, because I really wanted to try their Cabernet Franc. The whites we tried were their Chardonnay and their Sauvignon Blanc. The Sauvignon Blanc was nice, not specatular, but a good wine. Of their reds, the only one that stood out was their Merlot. it had hints of cherries and a peppery taste that really made it stand out from most Merlots.





Chateau St. Michelle was a completely different experience. While the tasting room, and the grounds, were huge they were also very charming and it made the experience that much more enjoyable.

We were also limited in the wines we were given to taste (one of the downsides of using a tour), but the wines we tried wee unique and our pourer was very engaging. The standout wine was the Artist Series Meritage. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot was a complex wine that was extremely flavorful with a long finish.