"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

While my in-laws were visiting one of the places we usually visit is the winery Chateau Ste. Michelle.  It's one of the more well known and oldest wineries in Washington.  We always love to walk around there and enjoy the scenery and then take the winery tour.  The tours are free and include a wine tasting at the end.  Definitely a place that's worth taking a visit to if you're visiting the area, it's one of the top historic tourist attractions here.  In early spring the Woodinville Garden Club has one of their plant sales there, which I seem to miss every year.  One day I hope to make it to it.

 There is a large lily pond under the tree.  I was surprised at how good most of the gardens looked here after the dry summer we've had.  

This is the Manor House which is used for different events.  I read that it can hold up to 60 people, what a beautiful place for a small wedding!  These stairs overlook the pond in the previous picture.

Walking down toward the winery are these pretty lampposts.  There are tall evergreen trees all around this area.  The winery itself is on 87 acres.

The Chateau was built in 1976, but it feels like it's been there a lot longer.  The land that it's built on is the 1912 estate of a Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson.  The winery originally was started back in 1934, but has gone through several name changes before they settled on Ste. Michelle.

One of the gardens near the entry to the Chateau.

I loved these tall doors at the entrance.

The winery tour was really interesting.  I won't show all the pictures, but I thought it was amazing that these vats each hold about 5000 gallons of wine each.  There were rows and rows of them.

During the weekend lots of people have picnics here.  There is a little shop in the winery that sells everything you could want for a picnic.

This area is where they hold the summer concerts.  I've been to one here once before and it's really fun.  Everyone brings picnics and enjoys the beautiful surroundings and the music.  There is wine tasting and food sold during the concerts too.

One last look before we left.

There are quite a few other wineries being built in this same area, although like the Ste. Michelle winery most of the grapes are grown in the Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington.  On weekends there are bus tours that people go on that take them around to different wineries for tastings.
Across the street from this winery is the Redhook Brewery which we at lunch at first.  It's also a lot of fun and they offer free tours there as well.  
Pin It

25 comments:

  1. Oh, I haven't been to a winery in years! Time to go, I think :). There is just something about the ambiance of a winery that is special. I hope you are getting the cooler weather!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like a great place. I will be doing some winery posts soon too. Lots of good ones in Leelanau MI.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now that is a big winery. Most beautiful too as one would imagine wineries to be. We have one here but it is quite tiny. It too offers free summertime concerts. Jazz on the Lawn is the name and it is quite fun. Of course you have to buy their wine. I like wine tastings. I've never been to one except at trade shows in Europe when you could sample them all before you bought. I prefer the sweet so it's easy really for me. Love that lily pond and if I ever get out that way this will be a stop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Catherine - just found your blog and impressed by the great photos. Is this your garden on the Header - really pretty.

    And I agree about the wooden doors and lamps at the Winery - I shall add them to my wants list!

    If time, come and visit me for blog on gardens and the English countryside which I hope you might like. I shall definitely be coming back here! Johnson

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for sharing your visit. It does look a lovely place to spend the day. The lamps remind me of some Victorian gas lamps that are along one of the roads in the town I live. They are still in use though occasionally the gas plays up and there are flames instead of a nice glow!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Enjoyed the tour. Gardens are almost as good as their wine (one of my favorite wineries). Only thing that would make it perfect would be enjoying that picnic in the garden. Nice site, will visit more of it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks like a grand place. I have never been to a winery but my husband's stepmother loves to go -- she even makes her own wine.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That is a beautiful place Catherine. The trees are so pretty and like you say, what a lovely setting for a wedding. Thanks for sharing your tour with us.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That was lovely Catherine! Thank you.
    gail

    ReplyDelete
  10. what a beautiful place to visit. It is hard to believe that you had any dry spell. The place is beautiful. I am thinking they had this place of The Victory Garden once, I am not sure. Thanks for the good shots.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very beautiful Catherine and old world looking. What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. I used to visit wineries in the Portland area while visiting my brother in optometry school (Forest Grove) but haven't been to any since he graduated and left the area. I think having one nearby would be wonderful (for the entertainment value alone). I hope you had a good visit with your in laws.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The Chateau looks very charming.
    And the grounds are kept so well.
    Bet they make great wine !

    ReplyDelete
  13. Catherine, thanks for the tour of the winery. It has been years and years since I visited there. You brought back some pleasant memories.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Catherine I have never been to a winery before and loved seeing this one. I can't imagine seeing all those vats with that much wine. I bet this is a very interesting tour.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for visiting! I noticed how crooked some of these pictures are, and I barely sipped the few wines I sampled. Guess I was holding the camera at an angle :)

    Tessa - Yes, it was much cooler here, 65 degrees. Quite a difference! Today was a little warmer, just perfect at 79.

    Johnson - Yes, that is my garden in the header. Thank you for the compliments, and I'll be by to visit your blog.

    Flash Black - They do definitely have good wine here! Thank you for visiting!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've been to both places. Even gone to a concert or two. Did you see any of their peacocks ?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for the great tour Catherine! I've missed your lovely photos and glad to have caught up! Loved your dragonfly photos :)We were away on vacation and there were no internet access in the mountains of NH! I have lots of reading to catch up...see ya later!
    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a great visit. Thanks for my first tour of a winery!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a beautiful place to tour! I went to college in the wine country of California and I do believe that is where my first love of gardening came to me. I always enjoyed looking at all the pretty landscaping, the wine was just a bonus!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for the lovely trip round the winery!

    ReplyDelete
  21. JC -No peacocks around the day we were there. I've seen them before though, they do add more color to an already pretty place.

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a fun tour! I've only been on one winery tour and it was back east in Pennsylvania. It was quite fun. I loved the architecture at your winery. Thanks for the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'd sure love to visit that winery! We often visit wineries when we vacation. And I sure love the Chateau St. Michelle Reisling. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Very pretty. One of their former wine makers moved to Idaho - Melanie - (can't remember her last name) and has started up a winery of her own. She recommended some of the Ste. Michelle wines to me and I was happy to try them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looks like an awesome place to visit. I would love the wine tasting at the end of the tour too!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and leave a comment. I try my very best to answer any questions you may have, but usually don't have time to respond to each comment. Please leave a link to your blog so I can visit you in return.