Columbia Winery

Open: Year Round

History

Founded in 1962 by ten friends, six of whom were University of Washington professors, Columbia Winery is Washington State's first premium winery. Originally known as Associated Vintners, the group was united in the belief that classic European vinifera vines would thrive in the Washington climate and that fine wine could be made in Washington State. They began by making their wines in the garage of Dr. Lloyd Woodburne, Columbia Winery's first winemaker, in the Seattle neighborhood of Laurelhurst.

The results far exceeded their expectations. "Those first years of the 1960s are the turning point in modern wine history" writes Hugh Johnson, one of the world's most widely read and respected wine authorities. In his book "Vintage," he pays tribute to the Associated Vintners and the industry they helped build in the Northwest, at precisely the same time that Californian winemakers were awakening to the possibility of making high-quality wine.