Matthews Winery, Woodinville WA

Matthews Winery in Woodinville, Washington is a tasting room we have frequented here and there over the years. They recently gave their tasting room a face-lift so we decided to go back with friends to check it out – so lovely!

A very fresh and modern look with barn door cabinets and rugged style lighting and chandeliers. We found a cozy bench seat in the back corner with lots of trendy pillows that we snuggled my toddler up in with an episode of classic Mickey Mouse to watch while the adults chatted.

Matthews features a Bordeaux inspired lineup, with a Claret being their staple. We had friends coming to meet us for an evening tasting after work and they ended up stuck in traffic, so I gave in and had a glass while we were waiting 🙂 The aroma was very fruity with lots of blackberry and plum, and some vanilla. I should have just bought a bottle, but I guess that is what next time is for 🙂

Our friends are Woodinville “Passport” members, which is a super fun program that encourages you to taste your way through all the wineries in Washington’s Wine Country. It looks just like a little Passport booklet that you purchase with one up-front cost. Then, you enjoy one free tasting per winery (some distilleries and breweries participate too!), and stamp them off your list as you go. Matthews is a participating winery.

Two things I especially love about Matthews, aside from the good wine and nice atmosphere:

• They are open until 6, daily! Most tasting rooms in this area close at 4pm or 5pm.
• They are kid/dog friendly! I always feel guilty bringing a kid into a tasting room, and my daughter has actually been kicked out of one before for misbehaving (shaking my head, yes this is true). Almost every table in the tasting room had a child or dog with them, but the room had such a buzz that you would have never noticed or been bothered by it.

Be sure to check them out!