When Blain, Kim and their daughter Carrie Roberts purchased 20 acres of land on the south coast of Grays Harbor in 2007, they didn’t know anything about running a winery. But having founded the largest dive charter company in Hawaii they did know how to run a successful business, so it didn’t take long for them to put Westport Winery Garden Resort on the map.
From the beginning they knew they wanted to create a tourism destination with multiple attractions, and visitors certainly love the Mermaid Museum, extensive gardens, original sculptures, Sea Glass Grill and Ocean’s Daughter Distillery. But at the heart of every winery is the wine, and Westport Winery hasn’t forgotten. In fact, they’ve just earned a major award: 2022 Washington Winery of the Year, according to Great Northwest Wine Magazine.
“There are 1,100 wineries in Washington State, and we all want this award. It’s been one of our goals every year,” Kim says.
Wines are judged blind by some of the top wine professionals throughout the state, and Westport Winery has no shortage of award-winners to choose from. With over 800 medals from international competitions, Westport is currently one of the top 10 Platinum Award-Winning wineries in the Pacific Northwest.
Their sparkling cranberry Rapture of the Deep has been ranked in the Top 50 in the Pacific Northwest for years — the only non-grape wine to make that list. The Kraken Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been well-received by judges in competition, and by guests at the Garden Resort. Their Rosé, Humu Humu Nuku Nuku Apua’a pays homage to their Hawaiian history and earned a gold medal in California’s prestigious 2022 Sunset International Wine Competition — it also sold out in just two months.
Clockwise from top left: the Mermaid Museum, the lighthouse that let’s visitors know they’ve arrived, a Cosmic Star Duster cocktail, and the Hail Caesar salad from the Sea Glass Grill. Photos: Kim Roberts
Nautical accommodation
With so much to do at the Westport Winery Garden Resort, guests have long suggested the Roberts add lodging. Within the next six months, that dream is finally coming true!
4 private suites, all inspired by US Coast Guard Housing with ocean nautical marine interiors:
- Ensign Suite: A queen bedroom suite, with a queen hide-a-bed in the living area, that sleeps four.
- Captain’s Cottage: A three king bedroom, two bath home, with a queen hide-a-bed that sleeps eight.
- Lieutenant’s Lodge: A three king bedroom, two bath home, with a queen hide-a-bed that sleeps eight.
- Commander’s Palace: A four king bedroom, two bath home, with a queen hide-a-bed that sleeps ten.
“The art inside each suite goes back to our wine labels. We feature beautiful work by local artists on the labels and in the sculpture garden” Kim says.
The family has also designed four pull-through RV spaces for overnight campers, with electricity and water hook-ups.
Westport Winery is adding lodging! Four private suites, plus four pull-through RV sites with electricity and water hookups. Photo: Kim Roberts
Gardens, mermaids and more
After a decade of hard work, the garden is now flourishing — Kim says many guests can’t believe it’s free — and the Mermaid Museum offers a deep history of ocean ecology immersed in mermaid mythology.
“We’ve had visitors from every state and 25 different countries. So many people visit because of their kids and then realize that it’s so much more than a cartoon —mermaid culture is so rich!”
Westport Winery Garden Resort including Ocean’s Daughter Distillery, the Sea Glass Grill, and the International Mermaid Museum are open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sea Glass Grill dining reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 360-648-2224 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Find the resort halfway between Aberdeen and Westport on Highway 105. “When you see our lighthouse, you have arrived!”
Find Westport Winery Garden Retreat halfway between Aberdeen and Westport in Grays Harbor. Photo: Capture.Share.Repeat
