On a cruise through Puget Sound with American Cruise Lines, the scenery is only the beginning. Rolling vineyard hills and a long-standing history of winemaking set the backdrop for a region where wine and cider crafting have become both art and tradition. Thanks to volcanic soil, cool marine breezes, and small-scale producers with an intimate knowledge of their land, the wines and ciders here express the Pacific Northwest in every sip.
Each tasting excursion on our Puget Sound & San Juan Islands cruise is a chance to explore the places where the wine you sip is shaped by the soil beneath your feet.
Friday Harbor SkyBar Wine Tasting
A short walk from the dock, Friday Harbor SkyBar turns a tasting into an experience, with pours of Washington’s finest varietals selected for both expression and depth. With a rooftop overlooking the harbor, the views here are magnificent. A regional wine educator walks you through the nuances of each selection—from a brambly red with notes of forest floor to a bright white that carries the faint trace of Pacific mist. Take in the views while learning about the more than 100 wines SkyBar has to offer.
Olympic Cellars Winery in Port Angeles
A secluded, weathered barn framed by the snowcapped Olympic Mountains is home to this family-owned, woman-operated winery known for their “Working Girl” wines. Olympic Cellars has roots deep in the region’s winemaking history, and every bottle reflects that care. Their wines are made by hand—from fermentation to bottling—and poured inside a cozy, wood-beamed tasting room that feels part old farmhouse, part hidden treasure. Outside, rows of vines stretch toward the horizon, a living testament to the family’s pride in their product. Try Rosé the Riveter, known as their “5 o’clock wine,” with semi-sweet notes of red currant, strawberry, and cherry. Or sip on Go Girl Red, a lush, fruity Merlot blend with a smooth blackberry finish.
Olympic Bluffs Cidery & Lavender Farm in Port Angeles
Here, the scent hits you first—lavender on the breeze, sweet and sharp. Just a short distance from Port Angeles lies Sequim, the Lavender Capital of North America, second only to Provence, France, in production, thanks to its unique climate shaped by the Olympic Mountains’ rain shadow. At Olympic Bluffs, cider is pressed on-site from semi-dwarf apples grown just steps from where you'll stand. The owners, warm and talkative, guide you through the cidery, showing how their small-batch process transforms crisp fruit into effervescent pours.
Tastings might include a semi-dry cider with a citrusy snap, or a floral blend infused with lavender syrup. Their 500 cider trees and 3,500 lavender plants are also turned into the best homemade treasures for you to take home. Visit the Lavender Boutique for essential oils, luxury bath products, and items that reflect the area's natural beauty.
Port Townsend Vineyards Wine Tasting
Just a short walk inland, Port Townsend Vineyards opens its doors to a quaint tasting room humming with conversation. Wines here carry coastal character: lean, mineral whites and nuanced reds aged in neutral oak. Sip a spicy and elaborate Syrah, blending grapes from three vineyards and a touch of Viognier—just as they do in the old country—or a Riesling & Roussanne blend with aromas of fresh Perry pears, lemon balm, kumquat, fine herbs, and persimmon. The staff speaks the language of wine without pretense, happy to share the how and why behind each vintage, each barrel, each blend.
Enjoy Coastal Wines and Cruising Comfort with American Cruise Lines
One day it’s a lavender cider by a hillside orchard. The next, a structured Syrah in a town that still carries the rhythm of the 1800s. Every tasting along our Puget Sound & San Juan Islands cruise offers something distinct: a new flavor, a new story, a new landscape framed through the glass. With American Cruise Lines, these experiences unfold effortlessly. Our curated excursions bring you to boutique wineries, farms, and tasting rooms that are as unforgettable as the wines themselves.
