This week I spent an evening at a cool new spot in Seattle…Urban Enoteca. Open since December, this wine and event space in SoDo (South of Downtown) is a warehouse turned hip wine bar.
You open the huge wooden doors of the warehouse and are transported into a wine land from Eastern Washington. With a lovely greeting at the front desk, you’re introduced to The Wine Library and Wine Lounge. We pick up our Wine Library Card and head into the Library to explore the seven Eastern Washington wineries featured in their new Seattle wine bar homes.
The rustic Wine Library is lined with tasting booths staffed by the wineries…Cave B Estate, Côte Bonneville, Five Star, Fidelitas, Fielding Hills, Kiona and McCrea. You can browse the room and enjoy tastings, pours and flights from each winery. After a visit to each, we picked a few to sample and settled into bar stools around a wine barrel table not far from the warm fireplace and other comfy leather chair seating areas.
My favorite wines of the evening…
- Cave B Estate’s Sagecliffe 100 White Wine: This un-oaked Chardonnay is full of tropical fruit nose and taste. 97% Chardonnay, 3% Viognier.
- Côte Bonneville Cabernet Franc Rosé: Delicious, crisp, refreshing and full of raspberry.
After checking out our Wine Library Card (each winery swipes your card for each tasting), we went over to the Wine Lounge for a yummy taste of Chef Chris Opsata’s menu (he’s formerly of Corkscrew Café in Manhattan Beach, CA). Loved the Ahi with sesame, red wine vinegar, cumin, compressed pear and basil; Gnocchi with peas, tarragon, preserved lemon and gruyere; and Fingerling Potatoes roasted in duck fat with aioli.
This is a great spot for wine exploration, a happy hour with friends or even a big group event (they have 3 private rooms that can accommodate up to 200 people). And a MUST GO for wine lovers living in or visiting Seattle.