Sketched Sept. 13

At an industrial park in north Woodinville, you can shop for granite countertops, buy carpet or hire a plumber. You can also taste wines. A lot of them.

The "Warehouse District" is hard for people to envision, said Steve Stuart, owner of Elevation Cellars. "But when they see it, they're impressed."

I find it remarkable that a community with no vineyards has become one of the top wine-tasting destinations in the state. Wineries seem to be everywhere. You can't miss their stylish logos and storefronts decorated with flower pots and the obligatory wine barrel.

Outside of the Warehouse District, Woodinville's wine country surprised me with other visual flavors: the lavish grounds of local giant Chateau Ste. Michelle and the woodsy estate of John Bigelow's JM Cellars.

As the harvest season gets in full swing in a couple of weeks, winemakers like Stuart and Bigelow are entering a busy time of the year. Some tasting rooms also reduce their hours as days get shorter, but most are still open on Saturdays.

Getting to the Warehouse District: I got a little lost trying to find the Warehouse District, which is easily accessible if you take the NE 195th St exit toward Duvall from Highway 522. But I'm glad I did, because that's how I ended up at Silver Lake Winery, drawn to the biggest grape stomping barrel I've ever seen. Luckily, Silver Lake's tasting room manager Frank Standefer had just opened for the day and helped me get situated. He quickly pulled out a handy map of Woodinville Wine Country and I was on my way.

For more information visit woodinvillewinecountry.com and www.woodwarewine.com/.

What has drawn your attention around Seattle lately? I invite you to send me your suggestions of interesting places to sketch via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter. Have a great weekend!