Grapeworks Distilling

More and more distilleries are opening in Woodinville, which is exciting to see. Grapeworks Distilling is in the former distilling facilities of Woodinville Whiskey Co. The company I believe is connected to Silver Lake Winery. So I decided to stop by and try their grape vodkas. All the vodkas are made from specific grape varietals.
There were 5 tastings the day I was in, which were all vodkas. All the vodkas are made from Vitis Vinifera grapes out of Washington State. The samplings included Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, and the Distillers Blend. Each vodka does have it’s own distinctive taste, and I will totally admit I wasn’t really expecting to note a huge difference between the various Vodka varietals. The profile of the tastings are similar to what each grape varietal brings to a wine, though they may not be noticeable to some at first.
It looks like they also are producing brandy and other grape spirits, which were either not ready when I visited or still in the works. I’m looking forward to trying some of their new products in the future to compare with other distilleries in the area.
Overall an interesting distillery with a friendly tasting room employee. I did end up buying a bottle of the Gewurtztraminer Vodka to take back to Florida with me.

When we’re in Woodinville, we’re usually all wineries all the time, but the partner and I hit this place up because, one, they make their vodkas from grapes (yes, that’s totally a thing) and, two, they make varietal specific grape vodkas (which is just a fancy way of saying «vodka from all the same kind of grapes»). The idea of having a swig of Gewurtztraminer or Riesling vodka (heck, just the idea of getting to say «Gewurtztraminer or Riesling vodka») was just too exciting to pass up, so in we went.
They’ve got an attractive tasting room and the woman who poured for us was both knowledgeable about and invested in what they produce. They have a very clear vision for what their spirits are and are not. (Pro tip: Don’t suggest that their product is like grappa or you’re in for a very polite earful.) The tasting is structured and well thought out in advance. You taste five or so of their vodkas, most of which are from a single grape variety and at least one of which is a blend. All of the vodkas were smooth, and there were noticeable, if subtle, distinctions between the flavor profiles of each one. All in all, the tasting was enjoyable, interesting and a good education on what you can do with wine grapes other than making wine.
Keep in mind, this is pretty subtle stuff, and it’s boutique distilling in its purest form. The differences in taste between the Chenin Blanc vodka and the Riesling were noticeable, but nowhere near as noticeable as the difference between a Chenin Blanc wine and a Riesling wine would be, or, even, for that matter, between different kids of scotch or gin. This is ultra-​premium stuff for a rarefied setting and love vodka as we do the partner and I couldn’t justify spending the 40-​some dollars given that we were most likely to use it as mixer — as we do most of the vodka we buy. If you practice a high-​level of connoisseurship when it comes to vodka, however, that price is absolutely justified for the quality (and novelty) of the spirit you’re getting. The website indicates that they are planning to release a line of grape spirits and one of brandies; the grape spirits especially will let more of the grape varietal characteristics come through, and we’re really excited to try these.
Bottom line: Absolutely go in and do a tasting, even if you don’t think of yourself as a spirits type of drinker. You’ll learn a lot about distilling, try something you’re unlikely to find too many other places and, who knows, maybe you’ll get the bug.