JM Cellars

JM Cellars is open to the public only on the first Saturday of the month. However, a reward awaits those WineTrail followers who time their Woodinville excursion accordingly. Leave the crowds behind at the big wineries and drive up the hill. Talk about relaxed: After leaving your vehicle with a valet parking attendant, you follow the shrub-lined path to the tasting room. Yes, the tasting fee is a bit steep ($10), but you get it back with a purchase of wine. And odds are you won't be able to resist these treasures.

John and Peggy Bigelow began JM Cellars in 1998 in the basement of their Laurelhurst home. In 2001, the Bigelows moved their operation and home to Woodinville. Like so many other “artisan” winery owners, John Bigelow has kept his day job and finds time at night and on the weekends to produce some lovely blends of red wines. His distinctive, full-bodied wines reflect their source: grapes from the Red Mountain viticulture area near the Tri-Cities. They also reflect the recipes of one of America’s top winemakers and his mentor, Mike Januik of Januik Winery and Novelty Hill Winery fame. As noted on the JM Cellars website, “By combining old-world artisan techniques with new-world style, John crafts his wines one barrel at a time, striving for wines that show both power and finesse, and exemplify the well-balanced fruit, tannic structure and acidity that has made Washington wine a recognized player on the world stage of fine wines.” Nice.

While enjoying your visit with John and Peggy, check out these beauties: Klipsun Vineyard sauvignon blanc, cuvée viognier, “Bramble Bump” Red (named after the location of their home/winery), Columbia Valley merlot, “Tre Fanciulli” blend, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah. If you like big, full-bodied wines, you are in for a treat. Soon the crowds in lower Woodinville will be a distant memory.

Directions: From SR-522 take first Woodinville exit onto SR-202 [131st Ave. NE]. Turn right (west) onto SR-202 [NE 175th St.] and go .3 miles. At the four-way stop, go left onto Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE and go 1.6 miles and bear right onto NE 145th. Road name changes to 137th Pl. NE. Continue up the hill (west) and look for JM Cellars sign on the left. Please note that due to limited parking, JM Cellars provides valet parking.

Events: Passport to Woodinville (First weekend of April); St. Nicholas Weekend (first weekend of December) in collaboration with other Woodinville wineries -- see www.woodinvillewinecountry.com.

Addresses

• Woodinville WineTrail South

  Winery/Tasting Room

  14404 137th Place NE, Woodinville, WA 98072
  Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12–4
  47.731118-122.15634