We were so excited to visit Wit Cellars and taste wine in Woodinville’s Warehouse District a few weeks back. I don’t often have the chance to go to Woodinville wineries on Sunday afternoons, so to make a date of it I invited my fiance James along. We were immediately greeted by Susan and the team at Wit who were super friendly. The patio was open but the weather was not very cooperative, and we opted (thankful for the hospitality) to sit in the back tasting area with the large warehouse door thrown open for fresh air.
Our first pour of the day was the 2019 “Unleashed” sparkling Pinot Grigio. This bubbly was such a wonderful treat and we loved it enough to bring home a few bottles. We will need a few more before it sells out! This sparkling wine is refreshing and balanced with hints of lemon zest and light bubbles. It was awarded Gold at Seattle Wine Awards, Gold by Sip Northwest’s “Best of the Northwest” and we could see why. Many of WIT’s delicious Woodinville wines are award-winning and it was wonderful to sip them.
We all three had so much fun trying a side-by-side comparison tasting of the 2017 and 2018 Mazzacanno Sotte Vocce. These GSM blends (the 2018 also has 7% Grenache Blanc!) were both wonderful, and it was cool to learn that the name Sotte Vocce means “to speak softly” in Italian. This is such a fitting name for this blend with elegant layers and notes of raspberry, cherry, and tobacco. The Mazzacanno label is named in honor of winemaker Flint Nelson’s wife, Katie (it was her maiden name). We love this – very romantic!
Here, James and I were enjoying the 100% Petite Verdot, which Sue told us was the first 100% Petite Verdot in the State of Washington! I feel like my wine tasting experiences have elevated so much from exposure to Washington State grown Petite Verdot. I love this varietal. If you live or plan to visit the Prosser area the weekend of April 17th and 18th, there is a special vertical tasting of their award winning Petite Verdot happening with winemakers Flint Nelson and Carolina “Cat” Warwick. Find out more, here.
This wonderful 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Elephant Mountain Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA made our list of favorite Woodinville wines. It is lovely; deliciously balanced with flavors of dark fruits and blackberry jam and a hint of earthy herbs. This was drinking wonderfully and will definitely be even more stunning with a few years more age.
Another new favorite (honestly, we loved EVERYTHING that WIT had to offer us!) is the 2016 Petite Verdot Dessert Wine (Port Style). James and I are actually a bit obsessed with it. It has become our new, Saturday night go-to treat. The fruit is sourced from Olsen Vineyards (Yakima Valley) and paired with the Brnady added in fermentation, results in caramelly, toasted marshmallow goodness that pairs perfectly with S’mores, just as was suggested in the Woodinville tasting room!
We Look forward to many more trips to visit the team at WIT Cellars in the Woodinville Warehouse District. The team at WIT seems like a fun group, from our experience sipping their wines in the Woodinville tasting room, to the lighthearted virtual tasting they presented us with over the course of 2020. You can enjoy wine tasting flights at the Woodinville tasting room by visiting them in the Warehouse District, at 19501 144th Ave NW, Suite A-400. The tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday, and you may click here for their current hours of operation or call the team at (425) 218-0815.
~ Jen
RESOURCES:
