Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West Coast U.S.
304
Chateau Ste. Michelle
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Woodinville, Washington
The balmy scent of fresh grass and oak
trees wafts across the giant lawn at sunset.
You lie there in your low deck chair as Elvis
Costello croons live from a nearby stage. A
laid-back audience relaxes with picnic cool-
ers in a natural amphitheater; the sultry
evening is alive with music, people, and
atmosphere. As the orange sky grows ever
darker, the “Spirit of Washington” dinner
train shuttles by in the distance.
But for that glass of cool Riesling in your
hand, you might forget you are in a win-
ery. That large French-style mansion in the
background also gives it away: You are in
fact at Chateau Ste. Michelle, one of Wash-
ington state's leading wineries.
Woodinville must be one of the most
unusual wine regions in America. For one
thing, there are no vineyards—here you'll
find gorgeous woodlands of beech trees,
spruce bushes, and red oaks without a
vine in sight. A dozen wineries have
located themselves in this picturesque
farming and logging community because
of its proximity to Seattle, 30 minutes
away, but the actual grapes are grown in
the much drier climes across the Cascade
Mountains in eastern Washington state.
Chateau Ste. Michelle is the big boy among
these bucolic vintners. Set in 87 acres (35
hectares) of verdant countryside, the
estate is the former hunting ground of a
lumber baron, with a mock château built in
1976, complete with tall windows and
gray shutters. The tasting terrace over-
looks manicured lawns; vigilant mallards
patrol trout ponds with the dappled colors
of maple and cherry trees in the distance.
It's a plum picnic spot.
“The Chateau,” as it's known locally,
can trace its history from 1934. Over the
years, it has been creating very good
Riesling and swallowing up neighboring
wineries; it now owns a total of 3,400
acres (1,375 hectares) of vineyards and
produces one million cases of wine a year,
which makes it the biggest producer of
Riesling in the country. The attractive visi-
tor's center receives 200,000 people
annually, not to mention thousands more
who attend the phenomenally popular
summer concerts.
Wine tours are free and include tours of
the atmospheric and aromatic cellars. The
tasting room, with its long welcoming bar,
offers a range of tastings. If you can afford
The grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Wood-
inville, Washington.
