Bacovino’s Pioneer Square tasting room lies in the heart of the city’s vibrant waterfront district. It’s close to the stadiums, Pike Place Market, and sits directly across the street from the Seattle ferry terminal with major routes serving Bainbridge and Bremerton.
Owner, winemaker and Seattle native Randy Brooks says the historic nature of the neighborhood location spoke to him. “Whether heading to a game, meeting friends downtown, or waiting for a ferry, it’s an easy place to stop for a glass of wine. The floor-to-ceiling windows face Elliott Bay, so you can watch the ferries slide in and out, especially when the light hits just right in the evening.”
Washington Tasting Room Magazine first reported on this winery-to-watch in the Spring 2023 issue after Randy had opened his first tasting room near the Museum of Flight.
Bacovino was officially founded in 2019, but Randy has been making wine for almost two decades. Casual wine drinkers and aficionados alike will be thrilled at the high-quality offerings across the board from this boutique-wine superstar.
“We’re still producing wine out of our original facility in South Seattle, but the new tasting room offers something different,” says Randy. “It doesn’t have a traditional bar—no counters, no formality. Just soft seating, natural light, and a space that invites people to settle in. Wine can be intimidating, and I wanted to strip that away.”
The mainstays are a stellar selection of Bordeaux and Rhone varietal reds, but with Randy’s affinity for wine from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France there are no limits on what to expect in the future. Wines are available by the flight, bottle, and a rotating selection of glass pours.
Visit Bacovino: 80 Yesler Way, Seattle; (206) 337-8911, open Tues-Sun. Learn more at www.bacovino.com.
Below are three releases we recently reviewed:
Bacovino 2020 Il Livorno
95 pts.
A spectacular version of Super Tuscan varietals that delivers both power and polish, dominated by Sangiovese with a good mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Precise and handsomely built, leading with dried currants, floral cherry, violet, dark plum, sage and spice notes that settle in. A firm backstop of grippy tannins and leather hints wrap around an earthy and vivacious finish. $62
Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot
Bacovino 2020 Garonne
94 pts.
This Cabernet-dominant red is a blend of all five major Bordeaux varietals. A lush and polished style, loaded with steeped blackberry, black raspberry and plum with poised accents of fig, violet, tea leaf, cherry skin and cocoa. A sheen of chewy tannins saturates the texture, embedded with granite details that build upon the long aftertaste. $59
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot
Bacovino 2020 Dordogne
93 pts.
Inspired by Right Bank Bordeaux-style wine, this enchants with aromas of dark fruit, violet, cola, anise seed and a whiff of bacon fat. A cacophony of black currant and black stone fruit envelop the senses, followed by a thick blanket of plush tannins, cedar and spice notes. The structure is concentrated yet highly polished, showing impressive scope and depth, with waves that ripple slowly outward, eventually encircling the lengthy finish. $55
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot