Celaeno Winery

Had an absolutely fantastic time at this tasting room. Wines were superb. Service was awesome. Best tasting experience I have had in the area so far. How many other wineries are pouring 09’s and 10’s right now? Not many!
The 09 2 barrels Syrah was a standout.

Visited Celaeno Winery this past weekend, based on the ratings here. I can say they are correct and I was well pleased with the tasting. The proprietor, Brian was very entertaining and knowledgeable about grapes and winemaking in general. Of the wine tasted, our favorite was the «Road to Hell» Viognier. If you are a fan of white wine, you will find none better than the Viognier. Just hoping this rating does not cause a sell out before I can get back in for a case!

Had a wonderful time talking with Brian and tasting the wine. My favorite was the 2009 Pinot Noir. Couldn’t leave without getting a bottle! Will definitely be back again

I’ve know Celaeno + Brian and Mimi for several years and whenever a «celaeno» bottle of wine hits the table, you know it’s a event worth celebrating. Celaeno is a small operation in the heart of the busy Woodinville tourist district at which you will have one of the most memorable wine tasting experiences of your life. Celaeno’s winemaker, Brian, always greets everyone with a smile on his face and his hospitality is second to none. From a wine-o’s perspective, this place is fantastic. One of the best Pinot Noirs you can get, and the various Syrah blends are fantastic with layers of flavors that rival some of the most expensive wines you can find. A great, yet limited supply of whites always offer something different from your usual Viognier as the grapes are sourced from the PNW and subject to various influences our climate has on them — even down to sometimes having a subtly smoky profile due to the occasional wildfires that plague the eastern regions of our state. One of the best wine clubs you can join with a relaxed attitude. This place exists due to the natural love and respect for treating customers with respect (and as family) and from a passion to create artful wines and not worry about mass producing to meet the bottom line. (PS — buy a bottle and take it to Purple for dinner — if they don’t sell it, there’s no corking fee.)

Since I was a Latin teacher in another life and a wine lover in this one, I’m a sucker for wineries that are in touch with their classical roots (come on, wine owes a lot to the Romans) and give themselves (and/​or their wines) smart, latinate names; so, it was a no brainer that we were stoked to check out Celaeno. In case 9^th Grade World Lit. is escaping you at the moment, Celaeno is the harpy-​in-​chief of the band of harpies that Aeneas and his people meet en route to Italy who lays a really heavy rap on them about all the suffering they have coming their way before things get better. It’s a buzz kill, I know, but don’t let any of that deter you from stopping by and checking out the offerings. Here’s the skinny:
The thing this place can really crow about is the Syrah. You’ll taste at least four expressions, each of them something of a revelation in its own way. Underneath all of them lies skillfully handled Yakima fruit, but what sets the different bottlings apart is the oak treatments. The winemaker has aged some of them in Pennsylvania oak, some in Kentucky oak, and he’s also blended the two. They were all impressive and interesting, but, for me, anyway, the standout was the Pennsylvania oak treatment (I think it’s called Cuvee 6 – 5000 — can’t fault the name).
I was less enamored of the other wines, two Pinots Noirs and two Viogniers. The Pinots were from Washington fruit and were a good effort but they didn’t do anything to convince me to buy a Washington Pinot in preference to a French, Californian or (eye roll) Oregonian bottle. The Viogniers, both a dry and off-​dry version, were heavy and hot on the palate.
Bottom line: I debated between three and four stars for quite a while on this one and ultimately went with three because I just wasn’t feeling half of the wines I tasted. That said, the Syrahs really were very good by any metric and the different oak treatments add an extra level of interest and complexity. So, give this winery a spot on the list and head over to drink some smart, latinate Syrah.

Hands down one of my favorite wineries. Brian (the owner) is a great guy and his wine is phenomenal. He has a nice variety of wines and a selection that will make every type of wine drinker happy. This is top is a little off the beaten path but well worth the extra trip. Plus you can hit up Novelty Hill afterwards. Stop on by and drink some wine, you will be happy.

Very enjoyable visit. The owner was really passionate and you can tell he enjoys what he does. We will be back for his later releases. The wine was delicious. Hidden gem, worth stopping by and checking out.

This is a small winery in Woodinville.
The wine is fantastic!
The Award winners are $ 40+ and worth every bit!
Wow! This is excellent wine!!!

My husband and I were in town from Alaska, and visited Celaeno after reviewing Unilocal reviews on wineries in the area. I have to say it definitely lives up to all its awesome reviews. Brian is extremely personable and entertaining, and his wife made delicious snacks while we were tasting. He makes all the wines himself and has an unbelievable knowledge of all of them. Oh, and lets not forget how all of his wines are fabulous! my husband is not a huge wine drinker, but loved everyone there, and we ended up making our biggest purchase of the day there. Dont pass this place up (which is easy to do since its tucked off the road next to another tasting room) when in Woodenville!

There is not a doubt in my mind that Celaeno makes the best wines in Washington state. Brian and his wife, Mimi, are always accommodating and take great pride in the wines they produce, with good reason. I talk about this winery with everyone I know and a bottle of their Both Barrels Syrahs or the Pinot Noir often makes an appearance on my dinner table!

Great wine tasting experience! This place is awesome. Great Woodinville location, always a fun time!

Hands down the best winery in Woodinville. The owner is personable and insanely well versed in wine. He was able to explain to me everything I needed to know about wine in terms that I could understand. He was so passionate and genuinely wanted everyone to develop a love for wine like his. I cannot wait to go back.

Brian is a great guy who is knowledgeable about all kinds of things, brilliant with his wines and a pleasure to spend time with. So glad we stopped in!

We stopped in last weekend on a whim. AMAZING wines, top to bottom, and definitely a better tasting group than the other four wineries we went into. This is a MUST try winery. Brian even stayed open late as a favor to us, and signed our bottles.

Brian is amazing! He is the mad scientist of wine, and his wines are ALL delectable! Do not waste your time at all the other downtown storefronts with tastings! Bleck!

We had a blast talking with the winemaker! He had vast depth of knowledge and was entertaining to boot. The wines were great and a good value worth the price.

We love this place. Both the lady and I are wine enthusiasts. Coming from Europe, wine has always been part of my life, and so is wine-​pairing with food. There is hardly a evening that a bottle is not picked for a specific thing we are cooking.
Celaeno shares its tasting room/​winery with Elsom (another review for them). It’s a nice, open space as you see the barrels aging in the back. If you are lucky, you would even spot Brian working on his wines; and if you are very lucky, he may give you a taste of what is to come. We have been super lucky a few times.
You would ask, if we are (very nice) wine snobs, why do we like Celaeno so much, that we keep going back to see Brian? Two things. The wines are unique and Brian is a fantastic host.
My favorite is the Il Purgatorio Viognier. You can tell Brian has a good sense of humor (and knows his history, but ask him about that!), but at the same time, the moment you have the Viognier in your mouth, you know he is also very serious about his wines. It’s a well balanced, slightly dry and fragrant beauty. It has a subtle elegance that is missing from most of the big juicy wines that are all the rage. It reminds me of the old vines Rhone Viognier I have had in my former life. I haven’t had a similar wine like this in a long time, and I bought a few bottles on the spot.
The other must-​try are the «Both Barrels» Syrah and the «Bone Dry» if it’s not sold out (again). These are all limited releases, and are worth your time if you would like to branch out of the usual destinations in the area. I don’t think you could be disappointed.
As for Brian, he is quite simply a great host, who understands fully what wines are truly about. Wines are for sharing, for friends, for happiness. It is such a lovely, happy place that we have brought many friends, and every one was surprised at how wonderful the experience was.
At last count, we have at least a full case of different wines (out of about 200 bottles we constantly have) from Celaeno at all time. We visit about once every two months.
Can you tell we LOVE this place?

Located near Januik Winery, go see Brian Countryman and taste his:
— 2007 Bone Dry Gewürztraminer
dry, crisp, not overly sweet and unusual
— The Viognier
Grown, oddly enough in the Okanagan
try it, you’ll like it — quite unusual
— 2008 Pinot Noir, Okanagan County [$ 42]:
not cheap
but soft, supple, fragrant and approachable now
— 2008 «Both Barrels» Syrah:
not yet in the bottle but very promising
should be a joy to drink
for Tina