Visiting Lobo Hills
The Importance of Experience in Our Tasting Room
Did you know that Woodinville is home to nearly 130 wineries? The variety of experiences available is truly remarkable! So, why would you choose to hang out at our tasting room? Or why should Lobo Hills make it onto your must-visit list? If you’re looking for a cozy vibe that is easy to enjoy wine and food with your favorite people, then we’re the place. If you’re looking for a tasting experience with a team that’s as enthusiastic about wine as a kid in a candy store and can make it fun and easy, then we’re the place. We know what we’re good at, and it’s all about making your wine and food adventure memorable. And, if you visit more than a few times, you’ll see why sitting at the bar is our most requested spot in the house!
So Many Wines…Whites and Reds!
Let’s begin with the star of the show: the wine! Our menu features nearly 20 different wines, showcasing a rich variety of both white and red options. When you’re tasting with us, you get to pick any five wines, your choice, from that list, which I guarantee will be a bit of a challenge at the start. But, we make that an enjoyable feat and we love helping you discover something new along the way.
If you’re looking for whites, we’re known within the Woodinville wine community as having one of the most extensive offerings of dry and semi-dry white wines like Chenin Blanc, Dry Riesling, and a Chardonnay with only a kiss of oak. We also have an Alsatian varietal, Auxerrois, that we’re pretty sure you haven’t heard of and that only we make in Washington State. I like to say this is a white wine for red wine lovers. And, if red wines are your first pick, we have an incredible range from bold Cabs and bordeaux-style blends to unique wines like Carmenere, Barbera and Petit Verdot.
With such a wide range of wines and diverse list of varietals, we frequently are asked what makes Lobo Hills distinct. If I were to summarize it, I would highlight the essence of Tony's winemaking philosophy. He approaches wine as a craftsman, avoiding any kind of formulaic methods to get the same wine year after year, and deliberately avoiding the use of unnatural chemicals—he doesn't use any at all—as well as steering clear of heavy tannins. This results in wines that are exceptionally well-balanced and designed to enhance the food you’re pairing. Guests often share with us that they have yet to find a wine they dislike from our selection. This is exceptional…as you know… when you’re out tasting, you might enjoy one, two, or possibly three wines, but to like all of them is truly rare!
If you really want to take a deep dive into Tony’s wine making philosophy, check out our past blogs on Minimalism Part 1 and 2.
Food to Enhance Your Tasting Experience
We absolutely love curating the best pairings for our wines. That’s no understatement. We constantly test our small bites menu so that as new wines come in, we’re making sure what’s available does not overpower the wines in any way. That means we carefully craft each menu option. Though, we do find that our tasty snacks like freshly popped popcorn drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and seasoned with cracked black pepper are simply good for a reason–they always pair superbly with our wines.
And when we can, we’re always on the lookout to partner with local artisans like our beloved cheesemaker, Daniel Wavrin from Ferndale Farmstead. For several years, we have showcased his exceptional cheese on our menu, appreciating that his cheese-making skills were refined in Italy, making it an ideal match for our wines. We also have hosted several cheese and wine pairing events with Daniel at our tasting room where we take a journey through his aging process, followed by an interactive experience of pairing his exquisite cheese with our wines. It’s a sold out event every time!
We Make Wine Education Fun…if that’s your thing
You can’t have a craftsman winemaker like Tony and not have a tasting room team that brings vast wine knowledge to your table or every pairing event that you attend. If you’re up for a journey through the cellar (metaphorically speaking), we’re ready to take you there because, yes, we love to geek out on wine (though we’re careful not to carelessly throw around wine jargon…that’s no fun for anyone). We’re willing to go deep into cellar details, sharing secrets of Tony’s winemaking approach (did you know that he uses crushed oyster shells and crushed limestone in his fermentation process?). But, if that’s not your thing, that’s okay, we’ll meet you where you want us to go. Every experience we offer is guided by your preferences and interests.
Reviews Speak Volumes
With every guest experience, we hope we hit the mark with all that I just shared, and more. Simply serving wine and hoping you enjoy it is not enough. We know how precious it is to have our guests tell us what’s working and what’s not, and we listen every time. Thankfully, I can say that when people take the time to share their experience with us, we are rated extremely high when it comes to wine, and hospitality. Just take a look at our Google and Yelp reviews…they tell our story better than I ever could.
If you haven’t yet visited our tasting room, I warmly invite you to stop by. Let us provide you with a delightful two-hour experience that will leave you eager to return and sample five more wines you may have missed the first time.
