Unsurprisingly, this tech hub hosts several urban wineries. But when Charles Smith (known for K Vintners, Charles Smith Wines, Sixto, Substance, Secco Italian Bubbles and Charles & Charles), moved his winemaking operations from Walla Walla, Washington, to Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood last year, people took notice. Smith’s mammoth 32,000-square-foot production facility and tasting room, Jet City, is the second-largest urban winery in North America. Smith’s location next to Boeing Field provides plenty of entertainment, as guests can watch planes take off and land in two uniquely styled tasting spaces.
By contrast, Eight Bells Winery is shoehorned into an alley in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood. Former home winemakers Frank Michiels, Andy Shepherd and Tim Bates show creativity in using every square inch of space to produce their small-lot wines. They also employ an army of local volunteers to help during crush. The winery’s focus is to sell directly to the consumer at very reasonable prices, especially considering that much of the fruit comes from Red Willow Vineyard, one of the state’s premier locations. —Sean P. Sullivan
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