The Woodinville winery grows vegetables, herbs and flowers at Creekside Farm, providing fresh produce to CSA customers, visitors to its tasting room and local restaurants.
THE WOODINVILLE AREA has long been known for its pastoral setting, and getting lost in rural Sammamish Valley rewards the wanderlust spirit of the Pacific Northwest.
Heading down one back road leads to Matthews Winery, with a recently remodeled tasting room and an estate microfarm that feeds its Community Supported Agriculture program members; provides ingredients for its farm-to-fork dinners; and supplies local restaurants, including the venerable Herbfarm.
Called Creekside Farm, the one-third acre was planted in 2015. At the height of summer, it thrives with upward of 40 kinds of vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Three to try
Matthews Winery 2015 sauvignon blanc, Columbia Valley, $25: Aromas of grapefruit and a wisp of smoke lead to flavors of grassy herbs, crisp apple and ripe pear. A great oyster wine.
Matthews Winery 2013 Claret, Columbia Valley, $35: This cab-leading blend offers supple aromas of plum, blackberry and smoky vanilla, followed by flavors of boysenberry, black cherry and a touch of blueberry. Smooth tannins give way to a round, jammy finish.
Matthews Winery 2013 Reserve, Columbia Valley, $60: Alluring and inviting aromas of blackberry jam on toast lead to flavors of maple syrup, huckleberry and smoke. Its smooth finish makes this perfect with tenderloin with a reduction sauce.
In the CSA program, consumers buy shares, typically in advance, and take delivery of a fresh box of produce each week.
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Just past the Hollywood Schoolhouse, the Matthews property has been home to one of Washington’s most revered wineries since the early 1990s. It was started by Matt Loso, who focused on elegant and classic Bordeaux-style blends. The Otis family purchased the brand and property in 2008. Winemaking was taken over by Aryn Morell, who moved the Matthews production to his facility in Walla Walla.
That left a lot of room in the Woodinville building, so the Otis family set out to give it a face-lift. With it empty of winemaking equipment, it’s now a spacious tasting room filled with light and seating — including outdoors when the sun shines. Live music pairs well with small gourmet bites served year-round alongside the classically made reds and whites. It’s a great space that still feels like a farmhouse.
Which is perfect in bucolic Woodinville, with its long and rich history of agriculture. Even today, the area from Woodinville to Duvall supports 60 or more small, family-owned commercial farms.
The Otis family’s Creekside Farm extends the Matthews Winery experience. Visitors are encouraged to stroll through the microfarm, with its rows of sunflowers and five varieties of basil. The garden leads to an open area — room to expand — and not far away is a grove of trees with a tiny creek romantically bubbling through it.
The winery’s CSA started in 2016, with the inaugural 14 members paying $1,750 annually for a weekly share of farm-fresh, extremely local veggies, herbs and flowers. Included was a bottle of Matthews wine (occasionally a library selection); fresh bread from a local bakery; and occasionally local eggs, butter and cheeses.
It’s an off-the-beaten-path way to experience Woodinville wine country.