What an incredible facility Mike Januik and his design team have created at the new Novelty Hill-Januik Winery.

This extraordinary winery makes its older, more established neighbors look staid and stale. Novelty Hill-Januik was clearly designed to encourage visitors to linger, allowing one to connect to Mike's wines in ways that extend beyond the bottles being poured at the tasting room bar. In fact, it is a place one should dedicate an hour or more to slow down, relax and enjoy the setting, the people, the food, and of course, the wine.

From the parking lot, the concrete exterior can be deceiving, as it suggests a sterile, cavernous warehouse facility inside. Arriving thru the north entrance, I was immediately struck by the balanced integration of wood, steel, glass and concrete combining to create an open, airy interior design. Even better, the path to the tasting room took me past glass walls providing a birds eye view into the separated barrel and tank rooms, enabling one to connect to the winemaking process below.

The tasting room offers a double-sided bar, which was full of people sampling Novelty Hill and Januik wines. There are also plenty of tables and chairs in the expansive room or you can venture outside into the gardens (more on that in a bit). The place was full, but due to the open design, it never felt crowded. With a commercial kitchen, dining and conference rooms, I can see why this winery is becoming a popular place for business meetings, weddings and other gatherings.

At the bar, there were three people pouring, with great service and attention provided along the way. The staff had an energy and enthusiasm about them that just made it fun to be there. But it wasn't over-the-top or pushy in anyway. In fact, the thing I liked most about my experience was the modesty shown by the folks behind the bar. No mention of reviews, awards or scores (thank goodness). Based on what I have read, this reflects Mike's style, for he is a modest man who likes to let his wines speak for themselves.

Novelty Hill-Januik Winery offers three tasting flights priced at $5, $10 and $15 as well as a reserve tour/tasting at $40. In explaining the flights, the server stated they could be flexible substituting some tastes for others. Even better, while sampling the Novelty Hill 2004 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Syrah, she placed another glass on the bar and filled it with the Novelty Hill 2004 Columbia Valley Syrah for comparison.

She did this without missing a beat, as if tasting one required trying the other. I loved this treatment, especially considering my experience at Pepper Bridge Winery last spring. Overall, it was a really fun tasting experience at the bar, trying the various wines and learning more about the winery and winemaker.

On my way out, I took a tour of the garden terraces, enjoying the landscape design of each level. It's evident the design team invested a lot of time and energy in the landscape architecture, creating a variety of captivating spaces to experience with your wine. For it is here, at a patio table, on a bench along the water element, at the bocce ball court or beside the fire, one can linger and enjoy a glass of wine or as part of a picnic lunch easily procured from the tasting room.

I can see why Margot of WriteforWine.com raved about the place soon after it opened. I was really blown away by the entire experience and look forward to returning with friends and family soon. It deserves to be your first stop on any future visit to Woodinville Wine Country, but plan on staying a while before moving on to your next destination.

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