The Tasting Room

Wine tasting in the comfort of your own Pike Place Market

When you don't have the luxury of time to drive to various wineries around Washington, The Tasting Room is the perfect alternative. They're the first cooperative wine tasting room in this state with seven wineries using the space as an extension of their wineries. Over sixty wines are available each day, so you can go back again and again to experience different flavors.

Paul Beveridge, attorney by day, winemaker all the time, knew in 2001 that Jen Doak* of the Washington Wine Commission had left and was looking for a new opportunity. They cooked up the idea of having a group of local winemakers using shared space for tasting. As word spread, there was great interest in being part of this plan. Robert Goodfriend of Harlequin shared his interest early on. As the number of interested parties grew, it became apparent that it was possible to have too many chefs in the kitchen. Paul, Jen and Robert partnered to bring the idea to fruition and involved five other wineries. The Tasting Room opened in December of 2002. Jen is the onsite manager and main employee of the space.

With ten years in the wine industry, Jen brings a lot of knowledge to the tasting experience. She interned at the Washington Wine Commission on the Auction of Washington Wines with Cynthia Daste and was eventually hired full-time. She has worked at various wine shops around town like Esquin and Pike & Western, as well as working at Hedges on weekends "back in the day." As Jen describes it, "This is just fun. I get to connect with people on this personal level. I do miss working with the vintners through the Wine Commission, but I now get to work with great, hardworking winemakers who are lovely people."

Tastes range from $2 to $6 depending on size of taste and cost of wine. A fun way to experience several tastes is to choose one of their featured wine flights. Flight names range from the clear, "Red Mountain," to the humorous, "Naked in the Hot Tub." Flights consist of four wines and run from $5 to $15. The dessert flight has three wines and costs $8. Pair that with chocolate truffles for $15.

If you're feeling a bit peckish, they have small bites like a Salumi cured meat sampler, a cheese sampler, rosemary croccantini and Theo Chocolate.

The criteria for a winery to be part of The Tasting Room is simple: limited production, a commitment to quality and some sort of different focus than others already involved, i.e., more unusual wines like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Malbec or interesting blends. All current wineries are winemaker owned.

Mid-2006 saw some interior changes to The Tasting Room. New shelving (yes, there are still cases sitting on the floor, but now they're below the shelving) that allows easier viewing of the bottles, and exterior changes in the form of an outdoor seating area. "We always had these plans in mind," explains Jen. "As always with a capital expense, it takes awhile to do what you want. As we've grown into the space, we could see what our needs were. We wanted to increase the retail area and tasting accessibility. We didn't anticipate so many tastings, but with over 400 wineries in Washington state, consumers want to know if they'll like a wine before they buy it."

Photo above: Jen Doak at The Tasting Room

One possible reason the tastings are so popular is the relaxed, casual atmosphere of The Tasting Room. "We have people come in who have no idea how to pronounce the names of grapes and others who make a continual study of wines," says Jen. "Everyone comes in receptive to learning a little something and enjoying themselves. No one has to be intimated by their level of wine knowledge or someone else's." The staff encourages people to ask questions and really get to know the wines.

In addition to the usual tastings, The Tasting Room can be reserved for private and corporate events. They also support the community by donating tasting events to fundraisers like Cooking with Class that benefits Heritage House at the Market, which provides assisted living at Pike Place Market.

Next time you'd like to do some wine tasting, save your gas and head down to The Tasting Room. You'll learn a little something, find a new wine to love and enjoy the camaraderie of other wine lovers.

The Tasting Room is located at 1924 Post Alley in the Pike Place Market between Stewart and Virginia Streets. 206-770-943, www.winesofwashington.com. If you'd like to receive their newsletter and events calendar, let them know at info@winesofwashington.com.

The Tasting Room Wineries
Apex Cellars 111 E Lincoln Ave Sunnyside, WA 98944 509-839-9463 winery 425-889-9463 office www.apexcellars.com Camaraderie Cellars 334 Benson Rd Port Angeles, WA 98363 360-417-3564 www.camaraderiecellars.com Harlequin 1211 Sand Pit Rd Touchet, WA 99360 509-394-2112 winery 425-413-4633 office www.harlequinewine.com	JM Cellars 14404 137th Pl NE Woodinville, WA 98072 206-321-0052 www.jmcellars.com Latitude 46º North 1211 Sand Pit Rd. Touchet, WA 99360 509-394-0460 www.latitude46.com Wineglass Cellars 260 N Bonair Rd Zillah, WA 98953 509-829-3011 www.wineglasscellars.com Wilridge Winery 1416 34th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122 206-325-3051 www.wilridgewinery.com

* Jen Doak has left The Tasting Room. She is opening Brimmer and Heeltap in Ballard in 2013.

Connie Adams/Fall 2006

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