Beer-and-wine lovers, take note: These new spots in Woodinville, Mercer Island and Bellevue are here for your tasting desires.
One of the big openings on Mercer Island this year, Barrels has about 50 wines you can order by the glass, and some Northwest craft beers on tap. Smoked seafood, cheeses, charcuterie and other small plates are offered for pairings and snacks. There are 27 seats around the communal table and bar. The 1,188-square-foot tasting room also doubles as a retail shop with 300 bottles, from Northwest to Old World wines. Barrels also houses a rotating art exhibit.
7605 S.E. 27th St., Suite 107, Mercer Island; 206-979-6523, barrelswinebar.com
Bellevue gets Cépaé Tasting Room, a wine bar north of the “Old Bellevue” retail hub. About 120 wines are offered by the glass, a portfolio heavy on French and European wines, though expect to see some B.C. wines and some home-team reds. The food will likely be French pastries, quiches, croque monsieur and baguettes from La Parisienne, since both operations share retail space and are under the same ownership. (La Parisienne Bakery also has a Belltown location.)
Down the line, the wine bar plans to offer shared plates for brunch and dinner service. Cépaé, which doubles as a wine retail store, has delayed its opening until July 6.
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258 106th Ave. N.E., Bellevue; cepae.com/pages/cepae-tasting-room
Hopheads Taproom opened in Woodinville with 24 taps, a roster heavy on craft beers from the West Coast, including the trendy sours and the hazy New England-style IPAs. Ciders and wines are also available on tap.
Hopheads has three big flat screens to catch games and is putting in an oven soon for its sandwich-and-pizza menu. In the meantime, you can bring your own food. By early July, its 20-seat patio should be ready. A dog-friendly spot, Hopheads Taproom has filed permits to change to an all-age venue, similar to what many bottle shops and taprooms are doing these days to create a more family-friendly atmosphere than a tavern setting.
14141 N.E. Woodinville Duvall Road, Woodinville; 425-892-8262, hopheads-taproom.com/on-tap
B-Side Brewing in Woodinville is now Métier Brewing. Todd Herriott, co-founder of Métier Racing & Coffee on Capitol Hill, and Rodney Hines, a Starbucks executive, have taken over B-Side but kept the brewer, Bob Thorpe. A major expansion is planned to the 6,000-square-foot warehouse, in Artisan Hill near the Winery Warehouse District. A children’s play area was set up, and on the drawing board is a new patio and an expanded taproom (current capacity is 50). The seven-barrel brewery system will gradually increase to 15 barrels. There are seven to nine beers on tap, from porters to IPAs, and root beer, cider and soon a nitro cold brew. Métier Brewing is still working on a food program — most likely prepackaged noshes or sandwiches. Métier will also have food trucks parked outside.
14125 N.E. 189th St. Suite B, Woodinville; 425-415-8466, metierbrewing.com
Look who popped into Woodinville Wine Country. A neighbor to the south, Willamette Valley’s Panther Creek Cellars, opened a tasting room in the Hollywood District (across from the new Heritage Restaurant and Bar). You can sample several vintages of its pinot noir. Its 2016 single vineyard pinots won’t be released until fall.
Panther Creek, founded by winemaking legend Ken Wright, also has some library wines from the past 30 years, available for sale in its Woodinville tasting room.
14455 Woodinville-Redmond Road, Suite B, Woodinville; 503-472-8080, panthercreekcellars.com