Saanj Winery, the Seattle-born brand behind colorful, playlist-ready bottles, is trading in its strictly online and pop-up life for a bricks-and-mortar upgrade. The winery has signed on for its first permanent tasting room inside KOMO Plaza near Seattle Center, setting up a compact storefront and wine bar in the heart of South Lake Union. Founders say the space will host pours, bottle sales and small events that spotlight pairing their wines with a wider range of cuisines, giving the young label a visible foothold near the Space Needle and nearby concert venues.
As reported by the Puget Sound Business Journal, Saanj has leased a 1,437-square-foot space at KOMO Plaza for the wine bar. The outlet notes that the unit sits inside the two-building complex next to Seattle Center, which puts the winery just steps from the Space Needle and surrounding cultural venues.
According to Saanj Winery, the name "Saanj" means "togetherness" and the company was launched as an urban winery to make wine more approachable and easier to pair with a broader range of foods. The site says Saanj was born in 2024 and is led by co‑founders Kye and Shahron, who have so far relied on pop‑ups and online sales to build a local following.
Where Saanj Fits In Seattle's Wine Scene
Seattle’s wine and bar scene has been filling in rapidly, with new tasting rooms and concept bars landing in neighborhoods across the city, from SoDo’s tasting-row stretch to fresh rooftop concepts downtown. Local food-and-drink coverage has tracked a steady run of new openings and tasting rooms, the kind of trend that makes a compact, well-located bottle shop or bar a logical first move for indie producers. As The Seattle Times pointed out, several of the newer spots lean into patio and bar service instead of sprawling dining rooms.
"We really want to be able to use wine as a medium to talk about ourselves," Saanj co-founder Shahron Chaudhry told the South Seattle Emerald, describing the winery’s mission to center culture and food pairings outside the usual French and Italian frame. The company has introduced a small lineup of whites and rosé and has been popping up at events around Seattle while planning a permanent tasting room.
Per the KOMO Plaza website, the property is a LEED Gold, two-building complex that combines office, data center and retail space next to Seattle Center. The location gives Saanj exposure to tourists and nearby workers, while the relatively compact footprint suits a high-turnover, grab-and-go bottle program or intimate pours by the glass.
Saanj did not give a firm opening date when the lease was reported, but the brand’s website invites fans to join its mailing list for announcements and future pop-up events. Once the tasting room opens, the founders say visitors can expect a modest bar for tastings, bottle sales and occasional ticketed events as the company shifts from a pop-up operation to a permanent presence in the city.
