Vortex Cellars, Woodinville

After almost a decade of making homebrew wines, Ed and Nichole had an idea of the types of wines they liked. What they didn't know was that their first vintages from their winery, Vortex Cellars, would also charm the palates of so many others, with three of their wines winning gold and silver medals at the 2012 Seattle Wine Awards. Their secret is the variety of Washington grapes they use. To achieve the sweet, honeysuckle notes of their dessert wine, Late Harvest Viognier, they use viognier grapes plucked from the vine on the last day of November, then aged in French oak barrels. For their other wines, they uses grapes traditionally grown in the Mediterranean to create classic French and Spanish style wines, such as the jammy CM2 with flavors of raspberries and currants. On the weekends, the couple opens up the winery to guests hoping to sample their vintages or see if the crazy rumors about wine coming from storks is true. The pair also helps host events such as wine walks, in which guests can explore the town while sipping wine and mingling with their neighbors.