For many brides, one of the tasks that comes with planning is picking out the wines for your big day. But what kind do you choose? Syrah? Merlot? A mixture? A nice sweet Riesling? If you are a wine connoisseur or have done your fair share of working in an Italian restaurant like my best friend, you might have no problem at all doing this. You may give your fiancé a list you already have pre-selected and send him off to Costco or your favorite wine cellar. But for the novice like me, who often finds the taste of red wine vinegary and lip puckering, you might find this task somewhat overwhelming.
How can you find wines that you’d like to be at your wedding instead of just randomly picking or having brands that your mother suggested or picked out for you? One way to do that is to go to wine tastings, and the great thing about that is where we are located, near a great Mecca of Wine Country in Woodinville.
According to the website www.woodinvillewinecountry.com, Woodinville is home to over 70 wineries! Woodinville, which is less the 30 minutes from downtown Seattle, is regarded as a unique haven for exceptional winemakers. It is home to the well known brands and historic grounds of Chateau St. Michelle and Columbia Winery to even the smallest and unique boutiques such as Convergence Zone Cellars or Pomum Cellars.
Visit one or several of the wineries in one day, you can easily plan your route with the map provided on the website or wander around the warehouse district and see what strikes you. Many of the wineries have what are called “tasting rooms,” located in a warehouse district of Woodinville off of Woodinville-Redmond road. These rooms usually offer up to 5 tastes of their featured wine for $5-10. But the great part about it is, if you like a wine you sampled, they will give you your tasting fee back-toward a bottle of wine to purchase. Some places will even offer this on multiple bottles.
This is why it works great if you are buying for a wedding. For example, I went into one winery that was offering their special that day of a clearance white wine at $7.99 a bottle, take away my $5 tasting fee and each bottle was then $2.99! Buy a few cases of those and you are set for your white selection!
So no, don’t pay those ridiculous bar fees or even grocery store prices! Grab a group of your friends, make plans and head to Woodinville. Many places will suggest reservations for groups over 6-8 however. But go ahead, make a day of it, try something new, something local, and check something off of your to-do list as well.
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