I spent some time at Covington Cellars last week for a couple of events. The first was a Winery After Hours sponsored by the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce which allows member wineries to showcase their business. Our first wine was a Viognier which was paired with a tiny tomato stuffed with cheese and a mini green bean for garnish. We were treated to a barrel tasting of Grenache, which they will be bottling very soon. We had a tour of the winery which included the barrel room, and shown how the bottling machine and crush machine works. Morgan Lee, Assistant Winemaker, gave us a good look into all the work that goes into getting the grapes from the vineyard to putting the labels on the bottles.
Cindy Lawson, Owner, is in charge of the food and wine parings that that we enjoyed for the evening . She gave us insight on the importance of pairing food with the wines. We tasted a Tuscan Red which was paired with an Italian Potsticker. Next was the Syrah which was paired with Meatballs which are marinated in Cindy’s secret recipe Cellar Sauce. Once you taste it you have to buy a jar. There were also Mini Beef Wellingtons with horseradish sauce which were paired with their amazing Cabernet Franc.
I spend Saturday in a “So You Want to Start a Winery?: An Honest Look at the Inside fo the Wine Business” taught by Cindy. She told those in attendance about some of the things they learned as they opened Covingtion that they don’t teach you in school. She talked about lengthy permit processes, sourcing fruit, and the challenges of cash flow.
Cindy believes in the importance of customer service and how it makes each visit to Covington Cellars a memorable experience. The food that Cindy creates to go with the wines is amazing. She is a culinarian who enjoys creating food to go with Covington wines. There is Wine & Cheese class, An Underground Supper Club, or you can book your own event. What a great place for a party. Make sure to get on their email list so you know about their upcoming events.
Lola, Winery Dog – Photo by Shona Milne
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