Damsel Cellars
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
LOCATION : Hollywood District
HOURS (as of April 2023): 11am-6pm daily
TASTING FEE (as of April 2023): $25 (mixed flight)
Any Francophones in the audience? I’ve always found it interesting that, while American culture has historically treated wine as a more feminine beverage, the French language (with its gendered nouns) catalogues it as masculine. The push and pull of gender discourse is not front-and-center in the wine industry—not yet—but there are of course myriad opportunities to discuss it. Float the subject in your average tasting room and you’ll inevitably be confronted with an inconvenient truth; while women make up a huge proportion of tasting room staff, there really aren’t as many female winemakers as you might expect.
That’s where Damsel Cellars comes in.
Founded in 2011 by Mari Womack, Damsel Cellars is a boutique winery with a focus on crafting elegant, balanced wines inspired by Mari’s early interest in food and wine pairing. Mari is one of a growing handful of woman winemakers in Woodinville, a trailblazer in an industry where women are underrepresented. A master of her craft, her keen eye for detail and commitment to quality are evident in every sip of her wines.
The new Hollywood district tasting room (the brand is also represented on Artisan Hill) is a welcoming, naturally-lit space adorned with local art and fresh flowers, imparting a sense of Damsel’s real commitment to celebrating local creativity. Wines are named after female figures from folklore — Persephone, The Fates, Medusa — and trend distinctively French in their varietal selection, including an uncommon varietally-bottled Mourvèdre as well as a refreshing GSM rosé and a pair of red blends representing the Bordeaux and Rhône regions respectively.
One unique feature at Damsel is the cheese case, which greets visitors next to the register. In fact, Damsel retains a resident cheesemonger in alignment with the winemaker’s longtime respect for the art of pairing. Leveraging a keen sense of taste and a deep knowledge of her craft, cheesemonger Rachel Lukas selects artisanal cheeses that complement and showcase Damsel Cellars' wines.
If you're looking for a special way to celebrate Mother's Day (and you’re reading this blog post around that time of year), Damsel Cellars would be an excellent choice, assuming your mom would enjoy an afternoon of wine and cheese pairing (I know mine would). Between the pleasant atmosphere of the tasting room, the thoughtful quality of the wines and the temptation of excellent cheeses, it's sure to be a memorable celebration.
Bottles range in price from $18-58, and it’s worth noting that the tasting room does charge a corkage fee for bottles opened in the tasting room (an unusual practice). Reservations are recommended but not required; cheese and charcuterie are of course amply available, and pets are accommodated on the patio. If you’d like to visit this proudly woman-owned winery, let us know in your pre-tour survey and we will be sure not to miss it.
Salut, and enjoy Woodinville!
