Northwest Cellars

My girlfriend and I were doing some wine tasting in Kirkland last weekend, so we decided to check out Northwest Cellars.
The tasting room is kind of unusual in that it is a relatively large room, but still felt really cramped because the bar area is in the smallest part of the room.
Our pourer was really friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. Some of the wines that we tasted we pretty good, but a couple of them were not properly balanced (too acidic). I also thought that the naming of their wines was kind of gimmicky. They had music-​related names like Serenade, Cadenza, and Madrigal, but I would have liked some explanation on how the wines embodied those names.
Also, they had some fancy wine-​dispensing machine in which worked much like a soda fountain where our pourer only had to press a button and the wine would fill the glass. She mentioned that the machine cost over a thousand dollars. This seemed gimmicky to me as well.
Overall, while our pourer was nice, we weren’t particularly impressed with any of the wines or the style of this tasting room.

My husband and I went here last night. We always recieve text messages so we thought we’d go check it out. We were disappointed to find it in a strip mall. It was packed with people who semed to be having a great time. They had food trucks outside. It seemed like a great place to chill; they had live music setting up. Due to the long line to get wine, we decided not to stay.

My mother bought my partner and I tickets to a wine tasting fundraiser at Northwest Cellars. The event raised money for the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF). My mother suffers from essential tremors, as does the owner of Northwest Cellars, Bob Delf. She was excited to help a good cause, while giving us the opportunity to meet someone who has a similar medical condition. All proceeds of the wine tasting went directly to IETF, in addition to 40% off sales of two specific bottles.
Northwest Cellars is hidden behind the Totem Lake Mall in an industrial-​looking area. Luckily, they had signs with arrows to follow in order to find the small strip mall shop. Once you step inside, you forget about its bland location. Award ribbons and metals cover the front wall (if you don’t believe, see all the awards listed here:
). A tasting bar is found to the left, while a large room with a piano and local artist paintings decorating the walls can be found to the right.
Bob participates in many different fundraisers of interest like IETF and for pets like Kirkland’s Humane Society, Dogs of Kirkland. Wine tasting is normally $ 5, however, this fee is refunded when a bottle purchase is made. A tasting includes 5 of their award-​winning wines. You can choose from red or white. All of their bottles feature custom labels with local art, in addition to fundraiser labels when appropriate. My partner and I really enjoyed two of the reds, Intrigue (lighthouse image) and Petite Syrah (Yakima Valley image), while I poured down my favorite white, the Viognier (Snipe Mountains image). If you would like to give a specific bottle as a gift, they allow you to create your own custom labels (perfect idea for business gifts or weddings) and provide shipping!
Check out Northwest Cellar’s events on their webpage (
). If you become a fan of their wines, you have the option to join their text list or Cellar Rats Club. You’ll be the first to hear about their Happy Hours. Better yet, Unilocalers can take advantage of the $ 15 for $ 25 Unilocal Deal!

I found NW cellars about a year ago and have been going all the time since then. The wines are all excellent, I haven’t had one yet that I didn’t really enjoy. The prices are also excellent. Tons of fun events, tastings, and with the other 2 wineries in the same little strip you can have several good tastings (though the others are greats, NW really blows the other 2 out of the water). I would highly recommend making a stop here and picking up some wine

Amazing wines. A bit pricey for my budget, but really great quality. Especially love the Syrah!

This was our 3^rd and last stop on our Sunday «Tasting Hop» but, let me tell you it may be the most memorable one. Bob is rather inspirational once you get to know him and that wonderful «Sonatina» white blend. This man devotes 70 hrs a week to something he believes in and it shows. There wasn’t a wine that we didn’t try that wasn’t excellent or deserving of an award. Bob, don’t ever quit on us my friend.

I have visited the Kirkland tasting room one time now and definitely plan on going back. Good people, great product and fun surroundings. I told my parents about the winery and they said they will be visiting some time soon as well. (My dad is really into wine, I am just starting to get my taste buds for it).
I also found out about their «custom wine labeling» and informed my company about the service. Now, we are about to order some custom labeled bottles of wine to send out to all of our clients for the holidays and are VERY excited about it! (Highly recommend for any special occasion!)
Keep up the good work Northwest Cellars! :)

I was fortunate enough to try all of Bob’s wines at Nectar Tasting Room in Spokane, Wa recently. Each of the wines were extremely well-​made and unique in taste (different from each other). You know how some wineries make wines that all taste the same? Not here, you’ll find an array of grapes and styles to choose from. Check out the Sangiovese and Bordeaux blends. Great people, fantastic wines!

I originally went here for one basic reason: Carly L worked there.
The second reason: It’s a few miles from my house.
The tasting room is not super huge, and even someone super familiar with the area may not find it with the greatest of ease… so be on the lookout for their «tasting room open» signs.
I want to go back, because I really enjoyed the wines I tasted. They have regular events, that also allow dogs, support charities, this place is really pumpin’ out good wine and great community involvement.
For my visit, it really was Carly who made the experience, because I don’t talk «wine speak» so good. Her love of wine, coupled with her bi-​lingual ability in both ‘snob’ and ‘dope’ narrowed me down to a wine I really wanted to take home.
Since they are still located a few miles from my house, though they are now sans Carly, I’m looking forward to the next email newsletter telling me what’s coming up and popping in for a tasting and picking up some for home.

Good wine, friendly staff. Custom wine labels!!!

I sampled here at the on June 5, 2010 —
No Tasting Fee
Six wines were offered:
— 2008 Adagio [Sauvignon Blanc/​Chardonnay Blend]:
fragrant, crisp, scent of apples
— 2005 Intrigue [Merlot Dominant Blend] — $ 22:
[you’ll miss it when its gone]
— 2005 Merlot — $ 17: [yum]
— 2004 Merlot — $ 14:
[a superb value for Merlot fans]
— 2006 Intrigue [Cab Dominant Blend]:
Focused, lush & delicious from a very good growing year
— 2007 Syrah:
taste the smoke & spice [great with chocolate]
Cheeses, Satay & Chocolate Leaves were also served.
Bob & Katherine’s tasting room is like an extension of their home, including their adorable baby dog in its own crib;
Ask Bob about their Private Label business;
Let’s hope Bob finds the juice to make another Petite Syrah —
Great wine — all affordable, great folks…

Northwest Cellars was a bit of a challenge to find, but very worth it! There were many signs pointing us in the right direction which helped a bit in locating it. The tasting room itself is cozy and welcoming, with colorful artwork and «Dogs of Kirkland» calendars for sale (100% of proceeds go to the Humane Society). Their white wine, Adagio, was a crisp and light sauvignon blanc and chardonnay blend. It was also very pleasantly priced. In fact, for the excellent quality of Northwest Cellars’ wines, the pricing was surprisingly low compared to what you’ll see in many wine tasting rooms. Their merlots were super smooth. My favorite was the ’05 Intrigue, a blend of cab, syrah, cab franc and petit verdot, though my boyfriend leaned more toward the ’06 Intrigue of cab, syrah, pinot noir and carmenere as he could see the potential in letting it decant for a bit. We bought a bottle of each Intrigue as well as the very economical Adagio. And we plan to go back, especially now that we will be able to find it right away next time.

Wine AND Dogs?! I’m in!
My introduction to this fine winery was by way of a recent dog event they held to both introduce the 101 Hounds of Kirkland Calendar and their release of Rescue Red.
We were warmly welcomed into an intimate space filled with dogs of all shape and size behaving nicely while their owners happily sipped a wonderful selection of wines. The walls are a deep burgundy and on them hung art by Michael Godard. The hosts were quick to give you a glass and excited to share their wine. All of this made for a great atmosphere in which to enjoy their wines. A nice departure from the cold spaces within the Woodinville Wine Wherehouse district.
The Rescue Red is actually their 2005 Merlot blend;75% Merlot, 13% Syrah and 12% Cabernet. However if you buy under the Rescue label, 20% of the proceeds go to the Seattle Humane Society. Any winery willing to do such a generous thing in giving back to animals will immediately win my heart!
This is not just any blend, it has recieved a double gold @ Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, Gold @ Seattle Wine Awards and Best Buy via Winepress NW. It is a seductive blend with a luscious berry color and effusive fruit, violet, exotic spice and cocoa notes. This is the perfect gift this holiday season for the wine and dog lovers in your life!
I also couldn’t leave without their 2005 Intrigue. A red blend; 50% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 16% Cabernet, 4% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. This is another winning wine w/​90 ppts from Wine and Spirits Mag and Bronze @ Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. This blend packs alot into your glass, full of black cherry balanced with vanilla and ending with a delicious black pepper.
So if you’re in Kirkland or are looking to get off the beaten path, I strongly recommend taking a side trip to check out what NW Cellars has to offer, you shant be disappointed!

So Bonnie, Mugsy and I attended a charity event this past Saturday organized by local Unilocaler Carly, and we were blown away! First of all, Northwest Cellars is located in an unfortunate place; you’ll never find it unless you’re actively looking for it, and even then you might run into problems. It’s behind the Totem Lake Plaza on 124^th Ave, so you have to drive into the plaza, and continue driving behind it to another small plaza. Once you find it, though, you’ll be glad you did.
The staff is supurb; friendly, helpful and passionate about their wines. Not in that «our stuff is the best» kind of passion, though. It was truly a humble vibe and subtle pride that gives this place a welcoming feeling. Most of their grapes come from Yakima Valley, and they seem to focus on reds for the most part. They had one Chardonnay to taste (which was actually quite good, despite my general dislike for the varietal), and the rest were all *fantastic* reds. Very rarely do I taste a lineup of reds and come away liking most, if not all of them. This was one of those rare moments. For such a small winery, they really make some fantastic wines. And did I mention inexpensive?! Fantastic values to be found here.
The event was a charity tied to the dogs of Kirkland — they already have a calendar and are coming out with a book in the new year. What a great idea! They hold tasting events often, and this will absolutely be one place Bonnie and I do our best to frequent!