Seattle - Washington State - page 139

AT THE MOVIES
The Seattle Art Museum, 100 University St. ( & 206/654-3100; www.seattle
artmuseum.org), has Thursday-night screenings of classics and foreign films. If
you're a movie buff, be sure to check out this series.
In Fremont, the Fremont Saturday Nite Outdoor Movies series ( & 206/781-
4230; www.outdoorcinema.com), a summer event, shows modern classics,
B movies (sometimes with live overdubbing by a local improv comedy company),
and indie shorts. Films are screened in the parking lot at North 35th Street and
Phinney Avenue North. The parking lot opens at 7:30pm, and there is a $5 sug-
gested donation.
11 Easy Excursions: Seattle's Wine Country
SEATTLE'S WINE COUNTRY
The state of Washington is the fastest-growing wine region in the country and
today produces more wine than any other state except California. Although the
main wine country lies hundreds of miles to the east in central and eastern
Washington, a small winery region is but a 30-minute drive north of Seattle out-
side the town of Woodinville. In the Woodinville area, five wineries are open to
the public on a regular basis (several others are open only by appointment or not
open to the public at all). Five wineries is just about the perfect number for an
afternoon of wine tasting, and the proximity to Seattle makes this an excellent
day's outing. Woodinville is also home to the Northwest's top restaurant and a
gorgeous modern lodge that together with the wineries make this a great place
for a romantic getaway.
To reach this miniature wine country, head north on I-5, take the NE 124th
Street exit, and drive east to 132nd Avenue NE. Turn left here and continue
north to NE 143rd Place/NE 145th Street. Turn right and drive down the hill.
At the bottom of the hill, you will be facing the first of the area's wineries.
The Columbia Winery, 14030 NE 145th St., Woodinville ( & 800/488-2347
or 425/488-2776; www.columbiawinery.com), has Washington's largest wine-
tasting bar and produces a wide range of good wines (open daily 10am-7pm).
This winery tends to be crowded on weekends, so try to arrive early.
Directly across NE 145th Street from the Columbia Winery, you'll find the
largest and most famous of the wineries in the area, Chateau Ste. Michelle ,
14111 NE 145th St., Woodinville ( & 800/267-6793 or 425/488-1133; www.
ste-michelle.com). Open daily 10am to 5pm, this is by far the most beautiful
winery in the Northwest, located in a grand mansion on a historic 1912 estate.
It's also the largest winery in the state, and is known for its consistent quality. If
you take a free tour of the winery, you can sample several of the winery's less
expensive wines. For a $5 tasting fee, you can sample some older reserve wines.
Because this winery is so big and produces so many different wines, you never
know what you might find being poured in the tasting room. An amphitheater
on the grounds stages big-name music performances throughout the summer.
If you drive north from Chateau Ste. Michelle, NE 145th Street becomes
Woodinville-Redmond Road (Wash. 202) and you soon come to Silver Lake
Winery, 15029 Woodinville-Redmond Rd. NE, Woodinville ( & 425/485-
2437; www.silverlakewinery.com). This winery crafts good reds but can be
hit-or-miss. It's open daily noon to 5pm. Next up the road heading north is a hid-
den gem, the small Facelli Winery, 16120 Woodinville-Redmond NE
( & 425/488-1020; www.facelliwinery.com), which is open Saturday and Sunday