Spokane's Railroad Ave Pours Punching Above Its Weight
Downtown · Spokane · Winery · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Barrister Winery’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Barrister feels like someone converted the coolest old warehouse in Spokane into a wine bar — because that's exactly what happened. High ceilings, exposed brick, original timber beams, and an urban garden courtyard out back that makes you want to order another pour before you've finished your first. It's not a restaurant, it's not a wine bar exactly — it's a winery tasting room that actually has a personality.
The list is tight and intentional: Barrister makes their own wines and that's what you're drinking here, full stop. The focus is squarely on Columbia Valley and Walla Walla fruit, with bold reds leading the charge — the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the backbone, and the Grand Palette and Rough Justice blends show they know how to work with layered Washington red blends. Don't come looking for Burgundy or anything outside the Pacific Northwest orbit; this is a house-pours-only situation. The upside is that the people pouring these wines made them, which means the context and story behind every glass is genuine rather than recited from a cheat sheet.
With 8-15 options on any given visit, the glass program covers Barrister's range well — you're not stuck choosing between just two reds and a white. The rotation tracks what's current in the cellar, so seasonal visits can net you different expressions of the same varietals. For a tasting room, this is genuinely strong glass-pour coverage.
Barrister Merlot — $
Washington Merlot gets slept on nationally, but Walla Walla and Columbia Valley fruit can produce serious stuff. Barrister's version gives you the full picture at tasting room pricing — no restaurant markup piled on top.
Barrister Rough Justice Red Blend
Most visitors beeline for the single-varietal bottles, but Rough Justice is where Barrister shows some craft. Red blends from this corner of Washington can be genuinely complex, and most people walk past it in favor of the Cab.
Barrister Grand Palette Red Blend
Not a bad wine, but if you're only doing one pour, Grand Palette sits in a similar lane to Rough Justice and tends to be the more straightforward of the two blends. Try Rough Justice instead and come back for this one.
Barrister Cabernet Sauvignon + Charcuterie from a nearby spot brought in
No food is served at Barrister, but the courtyard is the kind of place you bring your own cheese board. A Columbia Valley Cab and cured meats in a brick garden is a hard combination to argue with.
The Bottom Line
Barrister is the rare tasting room that earns a trip on its own terms — the setting is legitimately great, the wines are honest representations of what Eastern Washington can do, and the vibe doesn't take itself too seriously. If you're in Spokane and ignoring this spot, that's on you.
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One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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