An Afternoon Wine and Cider Tasting With Claudette and Zoe at Goose Ridge Estate Winery

Recently, I visited Goose Ridge Estate Winery’s Woodinville tasting room with my lovely friends, Claudette and Zoe. Goose Ridge Vineyards is home to a beautiful 2200 acre Richland estate, as well as tasting rooms in Woodinville, Walla Walla, and Leavenworth, Washington.

There are wine club choices for everyone here!  A Golden Goose, Snow Goose and a Cider Club membership option are available. You can find all of the shipment breakdowns and details here.

This photo of Claudette is the epitome of the afternoon we had at this lovely Hollywood District tasting room. Don’t you love her radiant smile?

We really enjoyed the balanced flavors of this 2017 Grenache Rosé. It was refreshing with a little zest, and I tasted notes of raspberries, strawberry and plum. I think I managed to keep this bottle around at home barely long enough to share it – it’s that good!

Here are Claudette and Zoe chatting with tasting room associate Monique about ciders and the 100% estate grown wine blends. She even gave us some insight into the family history of the Goose Ridge estate.

We all enjoyed this Viognier, which I believe was a wine club-only special pour.

I was so surprised  when Monique asked us if we would be doing a wine or cider tasting! Of course we unanimously agreed to taste BOTH! A very unique offering, these Champagne-style ciders were a delightful treat following our wine flight. I really love the idea of having both in the same establishment, since some of my friends would lean toward cider over wine.

Our group thought that the mixed berry cider was delicious, very fruity and reminiscent of sparking cranberry juice. It would be great paired with smoked salmon, goat cheese, and a baguette.

Here is the cider tap, where guests can order by the glass and even have a growler filled to take home. Goose Ridge produces its cider from over 300 acres of apples and cherries that the family has been farming since the 1950s!

I can’t wait to head back into Goose Ridge again, to try the next release. I am a fan of cider when it is on the drier side, and as these have only 3% residual sugar, my palate was very pleased! The lightest of the flight was a pear-infused blend and the one I like the most was the passionfruit. It had a nice balance between dry and sweet.

As you can see, there are many places to sit and stay awhile, and the friendly staff will make you want to do just that! The day we were there, the fireplace was glowing and made for a very cozy experience.

The G3 series of wines represent three generations of Monson family winemaking. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon received 91 points with Wine Enthusiast magazine and was rated best-buy. Unlike the Reserve wines from Goose Ridge, which are sold in tasting rooms only, The G3 brand can be purchased in stores.

Zoe’s favorite wine of the day was the 2014 Syrah, a delicious Rhône style blend. Rich, velvety and full-bodied, this red had warm vanilla notes and a hint of spiciness. Her second favorite was the Rosé and she brought home a bottle of each.

I loved the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon for its fruity and spicy flavors. This wine was aged for 22 months in French and American Oak barrels and was rich and warm.  There is also a 25th  anniversary 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon blend that I would LOVE to try the next time I visit!

How cute is this “Rosé All Day” sign? I really want one for my outdoor patio at home!

This display also made me smile and the whole crew here at Woodinville Wine Blog has made it back to purchase Cascadian Outfitters wine in a can. I have since decided that having this on hand is the only way I agree to go camping, ever again. (Or is it glamping?…)

It is worth mentioning how helpful and friendly the tasting room staff was to us. We were not the only guests there, but Tiffany and Monique managed to give us lots of attention. We had a great experience!

The tasting room is open 7 days a week, and hours are listed below for your convenience. For groups or private event reservations, call (425) 488-0200. Goose Ridge Vineyards Woodinville is located at: 14450 Woodinville Redmond Road NE Suite 108 in Woodinville, WA.

Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 11am-6pm
Thursday: 11am-8pm
Friday – Sunday: 11am-7pm

Live music every Sunday from 4-7 pm!

Cheers! ~Jen

RESOURCES:

Goose Ridge Vineyards Website

Goose Ridge Vineyards Woodinville Facebook

Goose Ridge Vineyards on Twitter

Goose Ridge Vineyards on Instagram

Goose Ridge Vineyards Woodinville Tasting Room on Yelp

 

 

 

 

%d bloggers like this: