Pasek Cellars Winery

Cork dorks might make the mistake of passing by Pasek’s Mount Vernon tasting room, located right off I-5’s exit 221, because the winery’s focus is on making fruit wine. But that would be their loss. While Pasek Cellars makes several traditional wines, including syrah and merlot, it is known for making exceptional fruit wines. Its list of fruit wines reads more like a fruit smoothie menu board: blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, loganberry, guava, pineapple, and passion fruit. Incidentally, the raspberry, loganberry, and blackberry also come as dessert-style port wines to be enjoyed separately, or drizzled on vanilla ice cream or (my favorite) pound cake. According to Gene Pasek, they had a “tiger by the tail” from the start, and demand for their fruit wines often exceeds supply.

Which wine do you think is Pasek’s most popular? If you guessed cranberry, you are correct. And when asked which food pairs the best with cranberry wine, you may be surprised by Gene’s answer: everything!

WineTrail Note: A visit to Pasek Winery puts you smack dab in the middle of Skagit Valley’s famous tulip area. Come April, the fields are painted with reds, yellows, and other tulipy colors for miles, with an occasional red barn popping up in the distance. Each year an original painting is selected to represent the Tulip Festival and the chosen image adorns the label on Pasek’s “Tulip Red” merlot-cabernet. Folks come from all over to purchase the “Tulip Red” blend and many feel as though they’re getting two for one, a great wine and a terrific label.

For the sake of convenience, Pasek’s tasting room shares a building with an eatery that features deli-style sandwiches, snacks and teriyaki. Hey, maybe the cranberry wine goes with chicken teriyaki. However, if you find yourself a hundred miles east in the übertown of Leavenworth, you will find a second Pasek tasting room, located on 939 Front St., where Pasek has partnered with Willow Crest Winery to offer an inviting space for sampling wine.

And remember: Once you get those bottles of fruit wine home, be sure to serve it chilled.

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  Pasek Cellars Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Northwest Washington WineTrail on page 24!