Ward Johnson Winery

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“We aim to please,” remarked Charlie Johnson, part owner of Ward Johnson Winery. “When you walk in, we want you to have a pleasant experience throughout your visit,” he added as I dipped a strawberry in their chocolate fountain. I figured that any winery that provides a chocolate fountain for tasting room visitors is fine by me especially when they also feature original paintings on the wall by local artists.

If you didn’t know you were close to Queen Anne Hill a quick survey of the wine menu might inform. With a name like Counterbalance Chardonnay, long-time Seattle residents know that this label refers to the electric trolley cars that ran up and down Queen Anne Avenue for decades. For Charlie, having a sense of place is important after spending the better part of his life in the U.S. Air Force and teaching overseas in Europe.

Now retired, Charlie and his wife Sherri Johnson joined forces with his brother Kurt and his wife Tammara Johnson to launch Ward Johnson. The “Ward” half of the name comes from the Sherri and Tammara’s maiden name, Ward, although they are not related. Strange but true.

Kurt is the primary winemaker for Ward Johnson with a penchant for making single varietal red wines. They rely on fruit from Washington’s Red Mountain AVA using Kiona Vineyards (cabernet), Hedges (merlot) and Ranch at the End of the Road (syrah) vineyards. The chardonnay derives from Columbia Valley’s Sun River Vineyard.

Charlie recalls that as young men they would drive to a nearby vineyard from their Richland, WA home with empty apple boxes to gather grapes for their home winemaking. One can only imagine the laughter of the grape grower to see the apple boxes when they typically sell their produce by the ton. However, from those naïve beginnings, Ward Johnson Winery has established a solid reputation for fine wines, grown an active wine club and a presence on the shelf space at most retail locations throughout the Seattle area. With or without the fountain, there are plenty of chocolate notes in their delectable merlot.