Alexandria Nicole

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
LOCATION : Hollywood District (they also have a Woodin Creek location)
HOURS (as of Nov 2022): 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 12-5pm Sun
TASTING FEE (as of Nov 2022): $20, mixed flight

Alexandria Nicole Cellars is the first “small winery” many newcomers visit after experiencing the blasé offerings of the Big Two Who Shall Remain Nameless on their first trip to Woodinville. Staged quaintly in the basement cellar of the historic Hollywood Schoolhouse, the atmosphere at Alexandria Nicole is private, intimate, and somehow warm despite the stonework walls and polished concrete floor.

The $20 tasting fee includes five pours; at the time of my most recent visit the lineup included one white (an Albariño) followed by four reds (a Syrah, a Bordeaux-style blend, a Merlot and a tempting Cab Sauv to finish). In an innovation more and more common since the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexandria Nicole offers all five pours at once, bringing them to the table in carafes so guests can pace themselves.

Alexandria Nicole is an estate winery (meaning they grow their own fruit at their picturesque Destiny Ridge vineyard). The winemaking sensibility is truly Washingtonian, with a variety of oak styles and experimental varietals providing an innovative counterbalance to the “old reliable” Bordeaux varietals that put Washington wine on the map in the first place. If you visit, ask your server if they happen to have the Adulting sparkling series open for a bonus pour; both the white and the rose are beautifully approachable picnic sparklers. Bottles range in price from $21-$56 and include some noteworthy varietals including Albariño, Marsanne, Carmenere and a unique icewine of Cabernet Franc.

Reservations are recommended for guests interested in visiting solo; keep in mind that Alexandria Nicole does not accept vertical IDs as a house policy. Food is available only on the weekends (but you’re welcome to order in from a local restaurant). On warm summer days the patio is a lovely place to meet up for a group tasting or just enjoy a glass while you observe drivers trying to navigate the Hollywood district’s vexing roundabout.

If you’re interested in visiting Alexandria Nicole Cellars as part of your tour, let us know in the pre-tour survey and we will make arrangements with the tasting room staff.

Salut, and enjoy Woodinville!