The Tasting Room - Seattle

Take seven outstanding Washington wineries of which winemaker and owner for each are one and the same, put them in an historic building in the heart of Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and you have The Take a number of outstanding Washington wineries and put them in an historic building in the heart of Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and you have The Tasting Room – Seattle. Now if you did the same thing but placed it in a completely different venue, like outside Yakima, you would have The Tasting Room – Yakima. And that’s just what owner/winemaker Paul Beveridge of Wilridge Winery did.

From humble basement beginnings in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood home, Paul Beveridge (can you think of a better name?) and his wife Lysle Wilhelmi (the Wil in Wilridge) launched Wilridge Vineyards.

To feature his wines, he embraced an open concept where he invited other wineries to join him at a Pike Place tasting salon that he named The Tasting Room – Seattle, Wine of Washington. Located in Post Alley next to Kell’s Irish Pub across from the Pink Door Restaurant, the Tasting Room – Seattle, Wines of Washington invites everyone to come in and experience a wide assortment of wines. At the current time, visitors can sample a plethora of wines including wines from Natches Heights Vineyards, Camaraderie Cellars, Harlequin Wine Cellars, Mountain Dome, Latitude 46 N, Wineglass Cellars and Wilridge Vineyards. You can sample wines for a small fee or buy a glass to enjoy with the selection of gourmet meats and cheeses it offers.

But wait there’s more. In 2007, Paul Beveridge purchased a parcel of land outside Yakima to grow grapes and make wine. The setting, called The Tasting Room – Yakima, features many of the same wineries you find at the Pike Place location. However, visitors can go beyond the early 1900 Craftsman style house turned tasting room to tip toe through the 10-acre estate vineyard, drink a glass (or two) on the expansive patio or hike the nearby Cowiche Canyon Nature Preserve. It’s beautiful. It’s relaxing. And it goes beyond drive-by tasting. You will want to budget a generous amount of time for heaven-on-earth spot. Warning: if you are having a mid-life crisis, visiting this winery may have you ditching your day job and reinventing your life. Be careful.