Woodinville Wine Tours with a Private Chauffeur

Woodinville sits in the Sammamish River Valley northeast of Seattle, and the city counts more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms. The Woodinville Wine Country association groups them into four districts, and each one sets a different pace for the day.

Hollywood District

Named for the old Hollywood Farm and the Hollywood Schoolhouse, which still stands at its center. The district grew up around Chateau Ste. Michelle, which describes itself as Washington’s founding winery, and now counts more than 40 wineries along with restaurants. Many tasting rooms sit close together, so your chauffeur can park once while you walk between a few of them.

Warehouse District

On the hill above Woodinville and Highway 522, in business parks rather than vineyards. It is made up of several enclaves, including the original Warehouse Wineries, The Junction, The Gateway and Artisan Hill. Expect small producers, tanks behind the tasting bar, and a good chance the person pouring made the wine.

West Valley District

Along the west side of the Sammamish River, reached from Woodinville-Redmond Road. About half a dozen boutique wineries and distillers are spread out here, which suits a slower day with longer stays at each stop.

Downtown

A growing hub of tasting rooms, restaurants and shops. It works well as the place to start the day or to finish it with dinner.

Most of the planning comes down to three decisions: how many stops, which districts, and what time you need to be home.

How many stops

Three or four tastings make a comfortable day for most groups, with 45 to 60 minutes at each. Keeping the stops within one or two districts cuts time on the road; the Hollywood and Warehouse districts each cluster tightly. Our first-timer’s route through Woodinville wine country lays out a sample day.

Getting there

The City of Woodinville describes itself as about 30 minutes northeast of Seattle. Plan on roughly 30 to 45 minutes from downtown outside peak hours, and longer on weekday afternoons, when I-405 and SR 522 slow down. Traffic varies, and your chauffeur plans the route around it. Pickups in Kirkland, Redmond or Bothell start closer to the wineries.

Food and water

Build lunch into the schedule. The Hollywood and Downtown districts both have restaurants near the tasting rooms, and some wineries serve food.

Set the return time early

Tell your chauffeur at the start of the day when you need to be home. The last stop tends to run long.

Everyone who tastes must be 21 or older, and wineries set their own rules for younger guests.

Book your tastings before you book the vehicle. Woodinville wineries size their tastings by table, and many recommend or encourage reservations. A few current examples from the wineries’ own sites:

• Chateau Ste. Michelle lists reservations as recommended for its tasting experiences; its largest listed tasting takes up to 12 guests.
• DeLille Cellars seats up to eight people per table for its daily tastings and offers private rooms for larger parties.
• Brian Carter Cellars asks parties larger than eight to contact the tasting room to reserve.
• Matthews Winery hosts tasting groups of up to eight and does not host larger parties.

Policies change, so confirm each winery’s rules when you reserve. If your group is larger than eight, ask about two tables with staggered start times, or look for wineries with private tasting rooms. Arriving late can shorten a tasting, so leave some slack between appointments.

When you request a quote, include the winery names and appointment times. The reservations team builds the pickup time and route around them.

Group size decides the vehicle. On a wine day guests get in and out at every stop and bottles collect along the way, so spare room helps.

• Two or three people: the Executive Sedan seats up to 3 in a quiet cabin, a good fit for a couple or a client outing.
• Up to 10: the Stretch Limousine, with leather seating, mood lighting and a privacy divider, suits anniversaries and birthdays.
• Up to 12: the Executive Sprinter Van has conference-style seating and luggage capacity, which leaves room for the cases you buy.
• Up to 14: the SUV Limousine, a stretched SUV with bar seating and a raised roofline, for bachelorette parties and celebrations.
• Up to 30: the Luxury Party Bus. With a group this size, plan winery reservations carefully, since most tastings are sized for small tables.