If you thought wineries in Western Washington were too few and far between to make a decent day or weekend of a winery tour, all you need do is look north to Whatcom County.
Bound by the Straight of Georgia to the west, the Canadian border to the north and Mount Baker and North Cascades to the east, Whatcom can entertain the wine traveler with several wineries, restaurants with unmatched views of sea and mountain, countless recreation opportunities and a thriving arts scene.
Start your journey by checking out the Whatcom Wine Trail Web site at whatcomwinetrail.com.
Whatcom County's wine trail connects wine travelers with nine wineries within driving distance of each other:
In Bellingham, Whatcom's largest city and home to Western Washington University, you'll find:
Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co., red and white wines from Yakima Valley vineyards, 1017 N. State Street, 360-734-3537, chuckanutridgewinecompany.com.
Dynasty Cellars, 2987 Haxton Way.
Honey Moon Mead, red and white wines, mead and cider, 1053 N. State Street, 360-734-0728, honeymoonmead.net.
On nearby Lummi Island:
Legoe Bay Winery, red and white wines, 4232 Legoe Bay Road, 360-805-2710.
In Blaine, near the Canadian border:
Dakota Creek Winery, maker of red and white wines from Eastern Washington AVAs, 3575 Haynie Road, 360-820-4752, dakotacreekwinery.com.
Glacial Lake Missoula Wine Co., named for the Ice Age lake that helped create the terroir of Eastern Washington, making its Deluge series of red blends from Yakima valley vineyards, 1625 Boblett Street, 360-332-2097, glmwine.com.
And in Everson, east of Bellingham:
Mount Baker Vineyards, 4298 Mount Baker Highway, Western Washington vineyard pioneer, making red and white wines, 360-592-2300, mountbakervineyards.com.
Samson Estates, making varietals from Columbia and Yakima valleys and fruit and dessert wines, 1861 Van Dyk Road, 360-966-7787, samsonestates.com.
Vartanyan Estate Winery, red and white wines, 1626 Huntley Road, 360-733-1097. The Web site is vewinery.com.
Leave the driving to someone else
If you'd rather turn off the GPS and let someone else drive, two companies offer tours to some of the wineries.
Whatcom Wine Tours, 360-224-0734, whatcomwinetours.com, offers tours by passenger van to six of the wineries - Dakota Creek, Glacial Lake Missoula, Chuckanut Ridge, Mount Baker, Simson and Vartanyan - with visits to three on Saturdays and another three on Sundays, said Hollie Hilde who started the tours this year with her husband.
For $55 each, Whatcom Wine Tours will pick you and up to 10 others up at your hotel ($65 for a pickup at a Whatcom County residence), drive for tours and tastings at the wineries, serve a box lunch at one of the wineries and give you a souvenir wine glass. Tasting fees aren't included but are nominal at those wineries that charge.
If you find something you like, Hilde said, there's room in the back of the air-conditioned van for up to six cases.
Although regular tours are not scheduled, Bellair Charters, 800-221-4548, airporter.com/bellair, offers special tours to the wineries, including a kayaking and wine expedition.
Say cheese
Would you like some cheese to go with your wine? Make a stop in Bellingham's historic Fairhaven district at Quel Fromage, 1200 Old Fairhaven Parkway, Suite 101, 360-671-0203, quelfromage.com. The cheese shop, which at most times offers an array of 125 imported and domestic cheeses, will wrap up a choice of three $20 Fromage-a-Go-Go picnic baskets that include two quarter-pound wedges of cheese, a small baguette, condiments and a cheese spreader.
Owner Rachel Riggs, who opened her shop about three years ago, is a cheese evangelist. Customers get an information sheet with each cheese that shows how to pronounce the name, information on where and how it was made and suggested pairings with food and wine. And don't hesitate to ask for a taste.
With the cooler weather of fall on its way, expect to see more cheeses from Vermont, New Hampshire and other East Coast cheesemakers, Riggs said. Quel Fromage also offers a selection of wines, mostly from California, but France, Oregon and Washington are represented.
Stroll through the wine list
Dine at Du Jour Bistro in downtown Bellingham, 1319 Cornwall Avenue, Suite 102, 360-714-1161, thevinesdujour.com, for lunch or dinner and walk through the companion, The Vines Wine Shop, to select a bottle of wine to go with the meal.
Along with a short menu that includes small plates (bacon-wrapped dates, $5; artisan cheese and crackers, $10), soups, salads and big plates (a nightly seafood special; spaghetti with a Spanish meat sauce, $12.95; roasted leg of lamb, $21), Du Jour invites diners to select a wine from the shop and enjoy it with dinner for a modest $5 corkage fee. Along with a shelf of wines under $15, The Vines offers a selection of reasonably priced Northwest and B.C. wines, as well as bottles from South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and South Africa.
Jon Bauer is Wine Press Northwest's editor-at-large.
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