Victor Alexander Winery

I went to Victor Alexander Winery for the first time as a part of a wine tasting trip with a group of friends. Charlie was so much fun, he not only showed us his wine but also gave us a tour of the distillery and showed us his hand made guitars. The wine is wonderful and between our group of 9 I think we left with at least a full case. I would definitely recommend wine tasting at Victor Alexander Winery!

My girlfriend and I took the ferry over to do some wine tasting. After checking Unilocal for the best wine tasting experiences, we chose this winery for the high ratings. It was difficult to find, so we called. Charlie gave us directions. When we arrived he was on his lawn mower mowing the lawn. We wondered what this experience may bring.
He invited us into his ‘barrel’ wine tasting room which is under construction. Charlie was great! He let us taste variety of different wines. He took the time to explain the history of his own wine making, and even let us taste out of a barrel that was not finished yet. He also suggested some other wineries and distilleries to visit that were nearby.
This was, by far, the best wine tasting experience we have ever had and look forward to visiting him again next spring.

A bicycle trip to do some serious wine tasting brought us to Bainbridge Island, and we decided to try our luck at one last place that was by appointment only. Well, Charlie was as friendly and accommodating as we could ever have hoped for, giving us the inside scoop on everything he’s trying to do with his winery.
Charlie has primarily single-​varietal grapes sourced from the central Columbia Valley, and we loved both of the reds he had available. The Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon both had the pleasant take of offering something unique that only a small winemaker with a specific goal can attempt. He also offered us some in-​progress Cab Sauv rose that he used to teach us what the process entailed.
His tasting room was still under construction after moving out of downtown Winslow, but it will be far more charming than a place in town could have possibly been. Stop by and see the gorgeous landscaping, the barrel/​tasting room and just listen to all that Charlie has to offer.

The husband and I took a day trip to Bainbridge Island after the owner of this place gave us his card. We stopped by a total of three tasting rooms close to the ferries and this was by far the best place.
Signage off the street was a bit light so we had a little trouble finding it. We only found it after noticing a little wine rack on the ground by the entrance. During the visit, the owner’s graphic designer came by with mock ups for posters/​signs so it should be easier to find in the near future.
Walking in, the atmosphere was very warm and inviting. It’s a wonderful space that’s pretty large for such a small operation. I loved the tasting table that was a cross section of a tree secured on wine barrels.
They only had two (of three) wine vintages still available but they were fantastic! The Semillon was crisp, slightly sweet, and minimal traces of oak (I hate oakiness). Their cabernet sauvignon was bottled earlier this month, but it was supremely drinkable with a wonderful nose of honeycomb. We were given at least three generous tastes from a decanted bottle and also out of a fresh one. They were both excellent and needed minimal decanting.
We had a lot of fun drinking glass after glass of wine, talking about meta-​politics, graphic design, web development, etc. It was like hanging out in a good friend’s living room. We were quite a-​glow by the time we left and happily purchased 4 bottles that came in well under $ 100 total. It was very reasonably priced for the quality and in comparison to the other tasting rooms visited that day.
If you want to make a day of it, Charlie would be happy to provide an itinerary and suggestions.

It’s thanks to Unilocal that I found and took a couple of my friends to Victor Alexander Winery’s tasting room last week. It’s a little hard to find because it’s not a storefront, it’s right near Church Mouse, look for a discreet Wine Tasting sign.
Charlie Merrill is the owner of the winery. The winery’s name comes from his and his son’s middle names.
I was really surprised — their Sémillon was smoky and fabulous. White wines can be so bland, or sweet, but I could see pairing Victor Alexander’s Sémillon with all sorts of seafood.
NOTE: only cash or checks — no credit cards.
Inside scoop: rumor has it that the Streamliner Diner might be serving their wine in the future.
Generous pours. Comfortable tasting room. Well worth a visit.

Our first tasting room on the island and it was great! We were able to try 3 different wines and we were lucky that Victor had a heavy pour. The tastings are usually $ 3 a person for 3 tastings but because we bought several bottles and were such entertaining patrons :-), he waived the fee. Good times!
Obviously the wine was yum or we would not have purchased 6 bottles!