Discover Spokane's Cork District: Historic Buildings and Washington Wines

The downtown Nectar Tasting Room is located
in one of Spokane's historic brick buildings

Spokane, Washington is a great getaway destination for wine enthusiasts. With an ever-growing number of tasting rooms in the vibrant downtown area, the Spokane Cork District will provide you with opportunities to taste Washington wines and talk with Spokane wine experts.

While the Cork District extends to the surrounding areas, the 20+ downtown wineries and tasting rooms will keep you busy tasting, appreciating and discovering some reasonably priced fine wines. Two interesting, and very different, tasting experiences on a recent visit ensured our desire to return and experience more of the Cork District.

Nectar Tasting Room (Main and Stevens)
A tasting of Washington wines at Nectar Tasting Room in downtown Spokane, Washington not only was a convenient way to discover very drinkable and affordable Washington wines we found that it is housed in a historic Spokane building as are many of the tasting rooms in the Cork District.

Josh Wade, owner of Nectar Tasting Room,
and local wine expert, shares winery stories
with us as he pours Washington wines.

Nectar Tasting Room is a co-op of five Washington wineries. They offer over 40 wines by the glass or bottle, the largest selection of Washington wine by the glass in the Spokane area. Wine tastings are only $5 for a flight of five. They also have food available through a local caterer. Friday nights, look for live music.

We enjoyed our time at the modern, light-filled tasting room. The room is available for special events.

You'll love the historic building by the
railroad tracks housing the
Barrister Tasting Room

Barrister Winery - W Railroad Avenue
Barrister Winery is housed in a fascinating 100 year old brick building practically track-side in the Davenport Arts District of downtown Spokane. The award-winning winery was created by two attorneys with a true love of wine. Interestingly they started their adventure into wine-making by purchasing a home wine-making kit. And things took off from there.

The historic building where the winery is located has indoor meeting and event space and an outdoor patio. The 25,000 square foot facility houses production, a large single-stack barrel room, an expansive tasting room and a one-of-a-kind event venue.  The old brick and massive timber structure creates a unique ambiance that nicely blends a bit of Spokane history with the historic art of wine making. The building was once used to work on cars delivered by train on the tracks just across from the building.

We were treated to a dinner in their barrel room. We arrived at the basement room via freight elevator and were entranced by the atmosphere created by flickering candles set on the French Oak barrels. The glow against the timbers and and basalt rock walls make this room a romantic wine and dine setting for small groups.

The Barrel Room at Barrister Winery
provides an enchanting venue
for small gatherings.

The Barrel Room at Barrister Winery provides an enchanting venue for small gatherings.

Barrister's also has a tasting room downtown, across from the Davenport Grand Hotel.

Visiting the Cork District
You can walk to many of the tasting rooms from your downtown hotel.

Spokane's Cork District website lists the wineries and tasting rooms, features special events, has an online brochure with map and is a great place to find out about events and package deals for wine tasting getaways.

The District also features two additional wine tasting clusters.  A short drive to the northeast you’ll find the Mount Spokane Cluster and just minutes east of downtown, the Spokane Valley Cluster, both featuring award winning wineries.

And, if you are flying Alaska Airlines, look for their Alaska Wine Pass.

More Information

Cork District Website
Visit Spokane

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Note: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary meals/tastings  for the purpose of review. While this has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

Planning a trip to Spokane just got easier - Use Utrip

When you're planning a trip, you can use travel guides, lots of online research or just hope for the best. Or...you can use Utrip -- a new, free travel planning tool that's as fun to use as it is amazing. 

Now, visitors to the Spokane region can use Utrip to create the perfect Inland Northwest experience. Utrip has just added Washington's second-biggest city to its roster of world-class destinations, which includes San Francisco, Seattle, London, Barcelona and more. (Spokane is the smallest city in the Utrip lineup!)

Travelers can access the Spokane Utrip travel planning technology from the visitspokane.com homepage. Users can also use the hashtag #PlanSpokane on social media to share their own trip planning experience and to explore other users' trips. 

Utrip is a free travel planning platform that brings together the best in artificial intelligence and human experience, making it easy for travelers to create their perfect trip. Founded in Seattle, WA in 2012, Utrip's predictive technology works on a vast travel database that has been curated by local experts. 

Once a traveler indicates their interests and budget, Utrip's algorithm sorts through millions of combinations of must-see sites, activities and restaurant recommendations to deliver personalized itineraries - in minutes. 

Travelers may then book lodging and share their itineraries with friends. Utrip's companion mobile app provides access to itineraries, directions and personalized recommendations on the go. Utrip PRO, the white-labeled version, allows businesses to offer personalized travel planning on their sites. To learn more about Utrip or to plan your next adventure, visit utrip.com.

Spokane's Manito Park: A TripAdvisor Top 25 Park

Spokane's Manito Park

Spokane, Washington is home to one of the Top 25 Parks in the country. Spokane's Manito Park was recently named by TripAdvisor's 2014 Traveler's Choice Awards as one of the Top 25 Parks in the United States.

The Traveler's Choice Awards are given to top attractions that generate the most positive reviews during a 12-month period. More than 350 comments were written in praise of Manito Park, including 97 photos showcasing the park's various gardens and conservatory.

Manito Park consists of 78 acres of native landscape and 20 acres of botanical gardens. Along with five major garden areas, the park includes playgrounds, Gaiser Conservatory, Park Bench Café, Loop Drive and more. 

While visiting Spokane, we toured the historic neighborhoods. While in the beautiful South Hill Neighborhood, we stopped in to see some of Manito Park's attractions.  One highlight was The Nishinomiya Japanese Garden. Inside this traditional Japanese garden you can enjoy manicured pathways, a Koi pond, waterfall and cross the Japanese bridge. 

Be sure and drive along Manito Place, adjacent to the park. The west and south sides of Manito Place are lined with older bungalow homes, some as old as Manito Park, dating back to the early 20th century.

The manicured beauty of Manito Park's Japanese Garden stands
in beautiful contrast to Spokane's natural pine trees.

Manito Park is easily accessed off I-90. From I-90 drive South on Stevens Ave past the hospitals. Stevens will turn into Grand Boulevard which travels past the Manito Park Entrance. Watch for the large sign on the right after you get up the hill past 14th Ave. 

More About Spokane
Spokane Falls
Spokane's Cork District
Walking Spokane

Photography copyright: Elizabeth R. Rose

Wordless Wednesday: Spokane's River Park Square

Spokane's River Park Square
is an example of the re-vitalization of the downtown area.
And, behind this exciting shopping and entertainment zone
you'll find the beauty of the Spokane Falls and Spokane River.

Photography copyright: Elizabeth R. Rose