Artist rendering of DeLille’s University Village main dining room.

Winery’s first expansion to Seattle

DeLille Cellars, one of Woodinville’s founding wineries, will open a restaurant and tasting room in Seattle’s University Village. The location, which will be DeLille’s first expansion to Seattle, is slated to open in mid-2025.

“We’re very excited,” says Tom Dugan, CEO of DeLille Cellars. “I think it will provide a great opportunity to reach a lot of people.”

DeLille’s University Village location will be a spacious 6,700 square feet. It will provide a combination of dining, wine tasting, and retail sales. The location will also have private dining options as well as event spaces.

“I would call it a restaurant/tasting room hybrid,” says Dugan. “The restaurant will be in the lead just because of where that space is and how we think it’ll be successful with that demographic.”

Focus on experience and hospitality

DeLille already has a track record of success in the restaurant industry. The winery opened The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars next door to its production facility and tasting room in 2021. With numerous tasting rooms within a short walk, the restaurant has been a hit.

“We’ve had a lot more success than frankly we ever imagined,” says Dugan.

Executive chef Michael Toni will oversee food at the new restaurant and continue to do the same in Woodinville. Toni has partnered with DeLille since 2003.

Several Washington wineries, such as DeLille, J. Bookwalter, Valdemar Estates, and others have opened restaurants in recent years. It’s a reflection of a changing consumer and an increased focus on experience and hospitality across the industry.

Image courtesy of DeLille. 

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