Bainbridge Business Highlight

Island Vinters Tasting Room soon to open.

One of the fun and great things about living on Bainbridge Island is our wide variety of wine tasting rooms. Three local winemakers are joining forces to transform a former kitchen focused on serving local food into a tasting room focused on serving locally made wine. Charlie Merrill of Victor Alexander Winery, Jim Wilford of Fletcher Bay Winery, and Paul Bianchi of Amelia Wynn Winery hope to open Island Vintners before the end of May.  The tasting room is located at 450 Winslow Way, next door to That's Some Italian in the space formerly occupied by Arbutus Market Kitchen. Theirs will be the third tasting room in Winslow run by local winemakers. Hugh Remash of Eagle Harbor Wine Co. and Matt Albee of Eleven Winery each have tasting rooms nearby. "I think overall we'd like it to be a busy, happening place during the day," Wilford said. "Then by 5 or 6 transition into a locals' place, a place where people can hang out." They plan to stay open until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday to meet that need and are still deciding the hours for the rest of the week. They may be closed Monday and Tuesday and open Wednesday from noon to 7 p.m. They plan to be open noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Island Vintners will serve tasting flights, wine by the glass or by the bottle. People can pop in and pick up a bottle or two on their way home for dinner, but the winemakers hope people will also choose to meet friends at the tasting room and stay a while.  I can't wait to try it out this summer!