Northwest Mountain Winery

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The Firebreathing Mead got my attention. Kristi, co-owner of Northwest Mountain Winery and wife of winemaker, Curtis Ray, asked if I would like to try it. “Sure,” I replied after all, what could be the harm in sampling something that just took home the bronze medal at the 2011 Seattle Wine Awards. “Wow,” I said as the sweet honey taste gave way to the fire of the jalapenos – sweet and spicy together in one sip confirming that opposites attract like peanut butter and jelly. It works. I figured any winemaker daring to think outside the proverbial barrel, has a future in this industry.

New to the South Puget Sound wine scene, Northwest Mountain Winery opened in 2010 with a host of dessert, fruit and traditional wines. The winery might be new, but winemaker Ray Curtis isn’t new to winemaking having dabbled in it working for a winery as a teenager back in his native Ohio. Typically sporting a Seahawks sweatshirt (Ray and Kristi got married on the field at a Seahawks game) this burly and genial man, is willing try making a variety of libations. Grapes aren’t the only thing with sugar for fermentation…people have been making honey wine (mead) since ancient times. Indeed Viking tradition held that newlyweds drink a glass of mead each night following their marriage giving us the word “honeymoon.”

Located in the same business park complex as Madsen Family Cellars, the cozy interior of Northwest Mountain Winery offers cushy chairs to relax and enjoy their wines. The décor is Kristi’s signature and has a home-like feel. Unpretentious and inviting it reflects their attitude toward wine as a drink to share with friends and family woven into the culture of life. It’s the perfect environment to uncork a bottle of their Firebreathing Mead and savor the moment. My only suggestion would be to bring headbands for the occasion.