Last week, the Woodinville Wine Country association invited Jen and me to come out to the After Hours Woodinville event. This wine tasting event is held every second and fourth Thursdays this summer, in the evenings.
After Hours Woodinville alternates between the Warehouse District tasting rooms and the participating tasting rooms in the Hollywood District. This particular week, it was held in the Warehouse District. Jen and I loved this opportunity to visit some tasting rooms we have a hard time fitting into our busy weekends.
We arrived at the Warehouse District and started trying to find one of the twelve tasting rooms participating in the event. We were a bit lost and confused, and to our delight and amusement, a lady ran out from Genoa Cellars and dragged us inside (kindly!)
Our fabulous hostess in the Genoa Cellars tasting room that night was Teresa. We really got a kick out of her and enjoyed getting to know her and learning about Genoa Cellars from her.
We loved the cute and clever wine signs scattered around this tasting room.
The winery’s theme is sailing, and the wines’ names reflect that: Danforth, Full Keel, Flying Colors, and Danger Buoy.
Genoa Cellars specializes in Super Tuscan style wines. Teresa mentioned that the wine club has a two bottles per quarter option and a six bottles per quarter option. We noticed that Genoa’s wines have a really good, affordable price point.
Jen tasted the 2016 Springline white wine, a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. She said it tasted a bit sweet, and called it “fantastic.”
I tasted the 2015 Danger Buoy, a 97% Sangiovese mixed with just a bit of Syrah. I really liked it, and shared a sip with Jen. She agreed with me that oddly, there’s a bit of a Coconut nose to it.
We didn’t try the Rosé, but Teresa mentioned it’s bone dry, made from Syrah and Grenache.
Part of the fun of these wine walks and tasting room explorations is meeting the other people who are tasting wine at the same time. We met some fabulous and friendly ladies from the Wine Women and Shoes event, a benefit fundraiser for Olive Crest. The event will take place November 9 at the Fairmont here in Seattle.
After we said our goodbyes at Genoa, we wandered around a little lost again, trying to find Love That Red Winery’s door – the sandwich board pointed somewhere else and was a bit confusing. By the time we finally found the nondescript door in an alley full of Patterson Cellars wine equipment, it felt like we were entering into a speakeasy. That made everything even more fun! So mysterious!
Inside, we found vibrant red walls and tons of artwork of horses. The Barrel Room’s air conditioning felt so good on such a miserably hot evening. There were a lot of other wine tasters in there, so we weren’t able to get many photos for you of the inside of this tasting room. (We don’t like to disturb other patrons, who are there trying to enjoy their wine).
Jen and I both liked the festive strings of lights wound around the bottles. On display were Love That Rosé, Fillies & Mares (a Grenache), Stakes Race (a Syrah), Seattle Slew (a Cabernet Sauvignon) and Lost Time.
Jen, offered a taste of wine by the friendly lady behind the bar, chose to taste their Port wine. She really enjoyed it – I know she’s always looking for port and dessert wines to take home to serve after her dinners.
We got to meet the winemaker, Terry. We learned that his father owned a horse named Love That Red, and the family’s passion for horse racing inspired the theme of the tasting room and the red wines.
The winery was founded in 2013, and released their first vintage in 2015.
Genoa Cellars is located at 19501 144th Ave NE Suite C-1100, and Love That Red Winery’s tasting room is located at 19501 144th Ave NE D100 Back Entrance, both in Woodinville (of course).
The next After Hours Woodinville event in the Warehouse District is on Thursday, August 23; and it will be in the Hollywood District on Thursday, August 9.
-Carrie
