WIT Cellars

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
LOCATION : Warehouse District
HOURS (as of March 2023): Thurs/Sun 12-5pm, Fri/Sat 12-6pm, closed Mon-Wed
TASTING FEE (as of March 2023): $15 (mixed flight)

Warehouse district foray part 2 takes us to a quirky little joint called WIT Cellars, nestled amongst other storefronts in a space that looks like it might once have been an office, complete with reception desk. With cases stacked along the wall, barn doors bearing the brand’s logo, and dog beds nestled next to the tables, we knew we were in for a good time.

WIT is a funny term - I’m capitalizing it because it appears to be an acronym standing for “We’re In (it) Together.” However the brand also capitalizes on the conventional meaning of the word, with witticisms and little pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout their marketing copy. If this tongue-in-cheek nomenclature makes you smile, you’ll definitely like what you find behind the nondescript winery façade.

When I was seated in the bustling tasting room (it was peak hours on a Saturday and the tasting room staff kindly accommodated us despite our being late for our reservation), I expected to hear a tale of three friends who came together to create a winery, but in fact everyone we spoke to seemed to think of themselves as part of a grander co-op or family who all treat the winery as their own.

The atmosphere in the Woodinville tasting room is friendly and casual. Live music is a regular occurrence, as are Paint & Sip events where guests can enjoy a glass or two while painting along with an instructor Bob-Ross-style. A quick peek at WIT’s events calendar revealed that the Prosser location also offers 10am Sunday yoga and wine gatherings (worth a visit if you’re ever east of the mountains).

WIT offers two brands; their eponymous one and a second, enigmatic sister called Mazzacano. While the website and tasting room literature are vague about how Mazzacano came to be, I have deduced a couple of things; Mazzacano appears to be a smaller-production label and appears to index higher on Italian varietals and styles, possibly as a result of one of the founders’ connection to Italian immigrant heritage. More information might exist in the depths of the brand’s social media presence; unfortunately, I wasn’t able to track it down and the subject never came up at our tasting.

The tasting itself was economically priced at $15 (the norm in Woodinville some seven years ago but now less and less frequently seen), and kicked off with two WIT wines; a delicious rosé of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by a dry Riesling. Third came an offering from the Mazzacano brand (a light and silky Cabernet Franc) and then two more WITs (a Columbia Valley Cab Sauv and a rare varietally bottled Petit Verdot). As we were settling up, I noticed what appeared to be a Port-style bottle behind the bar; at my inquiry, we were offered a taste of WIT’s Petit Verdot Port, which was so delicious that we went home with several bottles. When you can find a great local dessert wine, it’s best not to pass it up!

Bottles range in price from $18-63 and include other notables such as a Late Harvest Riesling and a series of single-vineyard Cab Sauvs (in fact, it’s worth noting that most of WITs bottles are single-vineyard). Reservations are recommended at this tasting room (especially on weekends), and dogs and babies alike are accommodated indoors. If you’d like to visit this WITty winery (see what I did there), let us know in your pre-tour survey and we will add it to your tour.

Salut, and enjoy Woodinville!