Lachini Winery
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
LOCATION : Hollywood District
HOURS (as of March 2023): Mon & Thurs 12-5:30pm, Fri/Sat 11:30am-8pm, Sunday 11:30am-5:30pm, closed Tues/Wed
TASTING FEE (as of March 2023): $30 (mixed flight)
We’re back in the Hollywood district for another Woodinville staple - Lachini Winery, a little taste of the Oregon river valleys right here in our fair town.
In a world of tongue-twisting and trick-witty naming conventions, the story behind Lachini’s name is refreshingly simple; it’s taken from the owners themselves, who have been putting their moniker behind their premium wines since 2001. As an estate grower, Lachini embraces biodynamic and organic viticulture practices (though it’s not clear if they’ve been formally certified in either category).
It’s worth a brief digression to discuss Lachini’s home turf—Oregon’s Willamette Valley—and its importance to American wine culture. We’ve talked before about how Pinot Noir can be a finicky grower, best suited to cool, misty mornings and warm afternoons (see my profile on Bayernmoor Cellars for more details on that). The Willamette Valley — so named for its eponymous river — is just such a biome, with fertile soils from the Missoula floods and cool fog rolling in from the Pacific providing the optimal growing conditions for this discerning grape. Some of the best (and most expensive) Pinot Noir in the USA grows here, on the same latitude as the Burgundy region of France (generally considered to produce the best and most expensive Pinots Noir of Europe). Lachini’s particular estate benefits from the south-facing slopes of this magical river valley — and they also operate a tasting room there, if you’re ever in the area.
The atmosphere in the Woodinville tasting room is beautifully designed, with warm wood fixtures and elegant metalwork. The indoor space features an elegant and comfortable lounge area with plush couches and plenty of art and bottles to look at. The tasting itself may give you sticker shock at a cool $30 - but it does feature eight wines, including a Méthode Champenoise sparkling rosé, a selection of estate and sourced Pinots Noir, an estate Chardonnay and two fine Red Mountain Cabs. I was personally fond of the 2021 (young, I know, but stay with me) Sorellini Pinot Noir, an eight-barrel blend that offered the balance of fruit and earth I appreciate in an Oregon Pinot. In addition to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cab, Lachini also produces Pinot Gris and dessert wines of Pinot Noir and Muscat Canelli.
One of the highlights of the Lachini Winery tasting room was the opportunity to taste wines outside the Woodinville norm—multiple dessert wines & Pinots as far as the eye can see! With few other Pinot offerers on the scene (though their numbers are growing), Lachini benefits from being a cosmopolitan brand with unusual wares.
Bottles range in price from $65-125 (not including dessert wines, sold in smaller denominations and ranging $40-45), rather steep in Woodinville’s context but rationalized by the rarity of the offerings. Reservations are recommended at this tasting room, and dogs can be accommodated on the heated patio. Food was not available at the time of my visit, but may be offered at other times of year. If you’d like to visit this tenured bi-state winery, let us know in your pre-tour survey and we will be sure not to miss it.
Salut, and enjoy Woodinville!
