Brian Carter Cellars Review
Address: 14419 Woodinville-Redmond Rd Woodinville,Washington 98072.
Phone Number: 425-806-9463
Tasting Hours: 12:00-5:00
Region: Puget Sound AVA, Woodinville, Woodinville Tourist District, Washington
Reviewer: Denise Gangnes
Review Date: 3/1/2012
Reviewer: Denise Gangnes
Rating: 4
The Review
Brians Carters reputation as an award-winning winemaker is the heart and soul of this quaint tasting facility located in the Hollywood area of the Woodinville Tasting region.
The Place: A half-hour drive from Downtown Seattle, the tasting room is part of a cluster of wine tasting establishments located in the southern edge of Woodinville. The welcoming yellow building features an outside covered patio area and a Club Members room that serves as overflow on busy summer weekends. One advantage of this facility is their location opposite a string of strip-mall tasting rooms, with plenty of parking and outside picnic space for relaxing and viewing the expansive Woodinville valley. The winery is adjacent to the DeLille tasting room another respected Washington winery worth a visit.
The Experience: Tasting fees are $10.00 per person and can be applied to purchases. You can expect to try 5-6 wines. Private tastings are $15 per person with a similar option for a refund with purchase. The tasting room is small but artfully decorated with paintings by Steven Black, who designs and produces the colorful labels that adorn several vintages. Ask your server to explain the interpretation of the bottle artwork. Kitschy and useful wine souvenirs and artifacts are tastefully arranged around the room. Prepackaged food can be purchased if you choose to buy a glass of your favorite vintage and enjoy the outdoors on a warm day. Tasting bar servers are knowledgeable but on various occasions, we have found them to be less approachable than other wineries.
The Wines: The cellar boasts more than two dozen wines, but not all are available for tasting, and selections can change seasonally, or as the winery sells out of vintages. Brian Carter has more than 30 years of experience as a winemaker who has won nearly every award in the Washington State area and continues to blend an enviable array of outstanding vintages. His style reflects the European methods of blending wines, and he names them accordingly, with Italian-inspired titles such as their flagship wine the Solesce, a super-Tuscan style Tuttaroso, the Grenache-based Byzance, and the newest offering, a port-style Opulento. My favorite is the Oriana, an intoxicating mix of Viognier, Riesling and Roussanne grapes grown in the Yakima Valley.
Extras: Wine Club members are treated to quarterly private tastings paired with appetizers and chocolates, hosted by affable volunteers. The winery also holds special events such as grape stomping contests in the fall and off-site winemaker dinners throughout the year. The lack of cooking facilities in the space requires hiring an outside caterer for onsite events, although there are several restaurants and shops in the area if you want to bring your own eatables for an upscale lunch. The Wine Club tasting room can be rented for private parties.