5 BEST WINERIES NEAR REDMOND TO VISIT FOR DATE NIGHT

It’s time for date night! But, what to do? Whether you’re going on a first date with someone new or going on a date with your husband or wife, figuring out new and exciting ideas for dates can be challenging. Fortunately, in Redmond, we have quite a few options. Don’t just make it a “date night.” Make it a day, or even a weekend.

Why not visit a winery (or two, or three, or five), then enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner, and cap the night off with your new favorite wine that you discovered during your wine tasting excursion? Keep in mind, that most wineries aren’t open too late, so you’ll want to start earlier in the day.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite wineries and tasting rooms in or near Redmond. Get ready to have a romantic date night in Redmond.

COUGAR CREST WINERY

Address: 14366 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE, Redmond
Phone: (425) 398-9999
Web: www.cougarcrestwinery.com
Hours: Varies. Visit their website for current hours.

You don’t have to make the schlep out to Walla Walla to taste some of the world’s finest wines. Walla Walla Valley-based Cougar Crest Estate has a charming little tasting room in Woodinville.

Widely considered to be one of the finest wineries located in one of the finest wine growing regions, Cougar Crest’s award-winning wines regularly make the lists among the top 100 wines in the world. Just check out some of the awards they’ve received.

BRIAN CARTER CELLARS

Address: 14419 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE, Woodinville, WA 98072
Phone: (425) 806-9463
Web: www.briancartercellars.com
Hours: 12pm – 5pm

Brian Carter is a brilliant winemaker. At the Brian Carter Cellars Woodinville tasting room, you can discover a wide variety of European-style vintages that reflect the “classic elegance and centuries-old tradition found in true European-style blends.” Brian has a passion for European-style blends which clearly comes through with his wines. All his wines reflect the handcrafted classic elegance you can usually only find in European wines.

The last wine tasting of the day is fairly early, 4:30 – 5:30, so you’ll want to head out earlier in the day. To make it a date night, after you finish your wine tasting, why not conclude the evening at Bin on the Lake Wine Bar & Restaurant, where you can experience a romantic evening at one of the best waterfront restaurants. Even better, the restaurant is conveniently located at the Woodmark Hotel & Spa. Why not book the hotel and make it a weekend?

BETZ FAMILY WINERY

Address: 13244 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE, Redmond
Phone: (425) 861-9823
Web: www.betzfamilywinery.com
Hours: Varies. Open to wine club members for release parties. Call for more information.

If you haven’t experienced a Betz Family Winery, prepare for greatness. They treat every one of their vintages as if it were their child. They limit production so that they can meticulously oversee every step in the winemaking process.

Surely, their strategy has paid off. All Betz Family wines are “approachable and age-worthy,” and continue to advance Washington as one of the finest wine regions in the world. They’re also passionate about creating a winery culture where they treat everyone — from their growers and staff to customers — as a member of their family.

Unfortunately, they’re only open a few times per year, and that’s for wine club members only. However, the wines are so fantastic, you should strongly consider joining their club.

JM CELLARS

Address: 14404 137th Pl NE, Woodinville
Phone: (425) 485-6508
Web: jmcellars.com/visit
Hours: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11 AM – 4 PM

Winemaker, John Bigelow, got his start by studying at U.C. Davis (the nation’s best school for aspiring winemakers), and then applying his newfound knowledge to producing wine by converting the basement of his Seattle home into a winery. Initially, he and his wife, Peggy, fermented and aged a small batch of 100 cases to enjoy themselves. In 2000, John and Peggy established a permanent home for JM Cellars on seven acres in Woodinville. They’ve grown slowly but steadily over the years so they could always focus on quality.

JM Cellars is not only a great spot for “date night” — go early as they close at 4pm — it’s a great venue to get married. Hidden off the beaten path of the often busy local tasting rooms, the estate is beautiful, whether you’re going for a date or forthcoming nuptials.

Be sure to try one of their Petit Verdots. Petit Verdot is a red grape that until recently was used only in Bordeaux (the world’s greatest growing region) as a minor blending grape. Known for being bold, yet fruit-forward and floral.

CAVE B ESTATE WINERY

Address: 13244 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE, Redmond and 348 Silica Rd NW, Quincy, WA
Phone: (425) 861-9823
Web: caveb.com
Hours: Varies by season. Check website.

In 1979, founders of Cave B, Seattle neurosurgeon Vincent Bryan II and his wife Carol, were on a mission to find a property that mirrored the premier wine-growing ranges of France. They were looking for a property that was on a latitude comparable to France’s wine regions, that also had similar soils and microclimates where they could produce great wine. After a year of searching, they found it and in 1980 they purchased a several-hundred-acre property perched on the cliffs about the Columbia River.

It didn’t take long for the Bryans to confirm their property was ideally-suited to grow vinifera grapes, making it a perfect site to open their first winery in 1984, Champs de Brionne. However, being so far from civilization (Quincy, the closest town is six miles away, while Seattle is over three hours away), they needed a way to attract visitors who they could introduce to their wines.

Discovering their property had incredible acoustics and would be perfect for music, they began providing visitors with an amazing musical experience. It was a smash hit! They soon named it Music in the Gorge (aka “The Gorge”), and they were able to lure musical greats like Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan. Some years later, it became clear they needed to open another smaller premium winery. In 2000, Cave B Estate was born. They added Tendrils Restaurant and a small boutique spa. To this day, they continue to produce some of the best wines in the Northwest.

During the Summer months, they host a popular symphony concert series at their Quincy location. Visit Yakima Symphony Orchestra’s website to purchase tickets. Needless to say, if you can make it out to Quincy for the symphony, Cave B is a perfect spot for a romantic date. If the trek is too far, visit their Woodinville location.

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