Eastside restaurants halve wine prices to encourage sampling

Venturing out on a limb when it comes to sampling new wines can sometimes feel like a daunting task - and an expensive one at that. To ease the angst, several Eastside restaurants are offering half-price programs on wine by the bottle.

By Lindsay Larin • November 28, 2008 12:05 am
The Purple Cafe group offers half-price on many bottles of wine on selected days of the week.
The Purple Cafe group offers half-price on many bottles of wine on selected days of the week.

Venturing out on a limb when it comes to sampling new wines can sometimes feel like a daunting task – and an expensive one at that. To ease the angst, several Eastside restaurants are offering half-price programs on wine by the bottle.

Purple Cafe is offering half off any bottle of wine under $100 that’s also sold by the glass. About 75 selections are available.

The special is good at Purple’s Woodinville every Sunday and every Monday at the Kirkland and Seattle locations.

(A new multi-story Purple Cafe location is set to open in Bellevue in mid 2009 at the ground level of the Bellevue Towers on the corner of 106th and 4th Avenue.)

The promotion also includes a rotating “Fresh Sheet” that includes an even wider range of half-price options from Purple’s extensive wine list. Guests are required to spend a minimum of a $25 purchase, explained David Yusen, the director of marketing and public relations for Purple Cafe. Yusen hopes the new wine program will encourage guests to venture out of their wine-comfort zone.

People tend to stick to what they know, but trying something new lets you explore different flavors and new labels, he said.

Purple Cafe also encourages guests to dust off their prized bottles from the wine cellar and bring them in to enjoy while dining in the restaurant for any occasion. Purple charges no corkage fee on the first bottle brought in and a $15 to $25 fee for every bottle after that.

Want more wine specials? Hop over to Spazzo Italian Grill & Wine Bar at Redmond Town Center for half-off Sundays. The restaurant has 350 selections of wine by the bottle with half off those priced at under $100.

The wine list is made up exclusively of Northwest and Italian wines. Spazzos also offers half off wine by the glass in the lounge seven nights a week after 9 p.m.

Other Eastside Wine Hotspots

Bellevue

George’s Wine Shoppe: Lake Hills Shopping Center, 521 156th Ave. SE, Bellevue, 425-644-7723.

LaCantina Wine Merchants: 826 102nd Ave. NE, Bellevue, 425-455-4363.

0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar: 900 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue Place, 425-637-0808.

Pete’s Wines Eastside: 134 105th NE Bellevue, 425-454-1100

Seattle Wine Co: 1950 130th Ave. NE, Bellevue, 425-869-0609.

Redmond

Fine Wine & Cigars: Redmond Town Center, 16535 N.E. 76th Street, Suite D-105, Redmond, 425-869-0869.

Jerzy’s Wine Bar: Located on the South corner of Cleveland St. and Redmond Way, Redmond, 425-702-8575.

World of Wines: 16701 Cleveland St., #A, Redmond, 425-869-WINE.