Lake Chelan
Wineries
Lake Chelan Wineries
There are close to 40 Chelan wineries, providing a multitude of options for wine tasting around Lake Chelan. Whether you are looking for Chelan wineries with food or amazing views of the lake, you won't be disappointed. The Lake Chelan wine growing area was formally recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2009, the 11th AVA recognized in Washington State, and encompasses a total of 24,040 acres. The Lake Chelan AVA is comprised of four areas : North Shore, South Shore, Downtown Chelan and the Columbia River. The Lake Chelan AVA is known for a more moderate climate than found elsewhere in the Columbia Valley, attributable to the higher elevation and the lake effect. This allows for some unique grape varieties to be grown in the area, including Aglianico, Clairette Blanche, Dolcetto, Muscadelle du Bordelais and Tannat. Many Chelan wineries also source grapes from the larger Columbia Valley AVA, as the Lake Chelan AVA has approximately 300 acres under cultivation, which is not sufficient for the amount of wine sold and consumed in Lake Chelan.
While wine growing and winemaking have been occurring in the Chelan area for well over 100 years, commercial production and the plethora of tasting rooms is a relatively new tourist attraction for the Lake Chelan area. Commercial production began in 1998, and the first winery was officially opened in 2000, with the number of wineries and tasting rooms exploding in the last 10 years. Many of the wineries are now hosting restaurants in addition to the small bites, including upscale restaurants at Tsillan Cellars, Vin du Lac Winery and Wapato Point.
Wineries in Chelan, WA also host a number of events throughout the year. These events are especially common during the off-season of Lake Chelan (any season outside of the summer), and include Winterfest in January, Month of Love in February and Harvest Festival in October and November to name just a few. Many of the wineries provide amazing views of Lake Chelan, and you can expect the wineries to sometimes be busy during the summer months, especially on weekends and during holidays; however there are enough wineries in the area that you can always find a spot if you desire.
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit a winery is when you want wine! But in all seriousness, there really isn't a best time to visit, as each season offers its own attractions. Wineries in Lake Chelan are open year round, although certain amenities like onsite restaurants may have pared down hours in the off-season.
The summer is peak season, and some of the more popular wineries can fill up quickly - many wineries now offer reservations, and if available, it is highly recommended to secure a reservation during the summer. But given the number of wineries, it is always possible to find a spot to enjoy a tasting or a glass of wine even during peak summer weekends and holidays. Spring and fall are a great time to visit, with sunny days and typically cooler temps, providing the perfect opportunity to sit outside. Winter, outside of the holidays, sees a lot less people but is still a great time to visit, especially when snow blankets the valley.
Tsillan Cellars
Tsillan Cellars (pronounced "Chelan") on the South Shore has an excellent restaurant called Sorrento's, which is open for brunch, lunch and dinner. Like the winery, it is Italian focused and offers an extensive dinner menu. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and is situated next to a plaza with three cascading waterfalls, natural stone bridges, landscaped rockeries and gardens, and a fish pool with food available for children to feed the fish. Combine a wine tasting with exquisite food and views of Lake Chelan at Tsillan Cellars for a memorable experience.
Lake Chelan Winery
The Lake Chelan Winery features the BBQ in the Vineyard every summer, and it's a must do while in the Chelan Valley. The BBQ typically opens in May with limited weekend hours, but is open most days in the summer and runs through September. It features classic BBQ fare like brisket, ribs and chicken, and while wine tasting / flights aren't available at the BBQ, they have glasses and bottles from Lake Chelan Winery available for purchase. Or consider doing a tasting in the winery before dinner! The BBQ in the Vineyard is all outside, with a large covered seating area, as well as picnic tables and umbrellas spread throughout the lawn and parts of the vineyard. It's a popular option with families, with lots of room for the kiddos to play in the grass. On popular weekends and summer days, expect lines when it opens at 5pm. However, the line typically moves pretty quickly as the staff moves folks to their tables.
Vin Du Lac
Located next to the Lookout, a vacation rental community just outside of downtown Chelan, Vin du Lac has a beatiful bistro overlooking Lake Chelan with its own herb and vegetable garden nearby, in addition to the estate vineyard with Viognier and Cabernet Franc. The restaurant features shaded outdoor seating with heaters for the cooler months, and the bistro also offers take out. In the summer months, the restaurant is walk-in only for non wine club members, while off-season non members can make reservations. It's a perfect place to enjoy a tasting or bottle paired with locally grown and sourced food.
Benson Vineyards
Benson Vineyards, a Mediterranean-inspired estate winery on the North shore is home to Cafe Myth which has a variety of Neapolitan style pizza, fresh salads and artisan sandwiches. In addition to Benson Vineyard wine available by the glass or bottle, Cafe Myth has a number of beers as well, both on tap and in the bottle. There is a large outdoor seating area with views of Lake Chelan and Cafe Myth is open Thursday through Sunday for lunch and dinner walk-in only.
Siren Song Winery
The Siren Song Estate Vineyards and Winery features a vineyard lounge and a bistro. The vineyard lounge has a number of small bites perfect for wine pairing, while the bistro offers a more complete menu with a variety of European-style menu items, such as artisan pizzas, soups and salads and larger entrees. Wine tastings are available at both the lounge and the bistro, and are open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday during the summer, and Thursday through Sunday during the off-season. Reservations are highly recommended, and Siren Song has a Lake View Garden room for those 21 years of age and above, as well as seating for all ages.
Wapato Point Cellars
The Siren Song Estate Vineyards and Winery features a vineyard lounge and a bistro. The vineyard lounge has a number of small bites perfect for wine pairing, while the bistro offers a more complete menu with a variety of European-style menu items, such as artisan pizzas, soups and salads and larger entrees. Wine tastings are available at both the lounge and the bistro, and are open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday during the summer, and Thursday through Sunday during the off-season. Reservations are highly recommended, and Siren Song has a Lake View Garden room for those 21 years of age and above, as well as seating for all ages.
Sigillo Cellars
Sigillo Cellars, located just outside the city of Chelan offers a great rooftop deck with a number of boards and shareables. While the bites aren't entree sized, they have a variety of options from the garden, land and sea that pair well with a wine flight, glass or bottle, and they also offer local beer and cider. Reservations are required for groups 6 and over, and recommended for all sizes.
Radiance Winery
Radiance Winery has two locations, with the main winery offering light bites like smoked salmon, meats and cheeses and the downtown Manson location recently adding a more extensive menu. The downtown location has a good selection of neapolitan pizzas, as well as chicken wings with dry rub or sauce of various flavors.
Navarre Coulee Vineyards
Navarre Coulee Vineyards has a tasting room in Manson (they grow their grapes on the other side of the lake in Navarre Coulee) and feature a cute outdoor space with plenty of shade as well as indoor seating. On Wednesdays throughout the year, Navarre Coulee Vineyards fires up their wood fired grill for $20 pizzas, including Manson Margherita, Pesto Party and the ever changing Pizza Paul Special. Pair the pizza with a wine tasting, bottles from a number of vintages or bubble infused cocktails like Manson Mule and Pomegranate Sangria.
Fielding Hills Winery
Fielding Hills has a beautifully landscaped property, with ample outdoor seating and large lawn providing a 270-degree view of Lake Chelan. Located on the South Shore, Fielding Hills was established in the late 90's with vines on the Wahluke Slope and production in East Wenatchee. In 2014 they opened their Lake Chelan tasting room and production facility, and also began planting Malbec on the property . Reservations are highly recommended (walk-ins will be accommodated if space is available) and Fielding Hills also offers a customizable Concierge Tasting and Tour.
Larc Hill Vineyards
Larc Hill Vineyards offers sweeping views of Lake Chelan from the South Shore, with a large outdoor patio overlooking the vineyard. Opening in 2022, they are a relative newcomer to the Chelan Valley; however Larc Hill first planted their vines in 2016, with their first harvest in 2018. The property also doubles as an event space, and is a popular venue for weddings during the warmer months.
Mellisoni Vineyards
Mellisoni has a beautiful tasting room and large lawn with plenty of seating on the South Shore with incredible views of Lake Chelan. Mellisoni won the Great Northwest Wine's Washington Winery of the Year award and 2021, and features a number of events throughout the year, including food trucks, live music, open mic night and yoga.
Nefarious Cellars
Nefarious Cellars has incredible views of Lake Chelan, with outdoor seated patio tastings as well as a large lawn area where bottle and glass service is available. The lawn area has a swing set, chairs and umbrellas and plenty of space for kids and dogs to run around. They also offer indoor wine tastings at their standup bar. Reservations are required for the patio, and the lawn area is first come first serve.
Cairdeas Winery
Cairdeas features Rhône inspired wines in a lovely barn with lake views overlooking their vineyard. While the upstairs space is reserved for members, the downstairs area is open to all and has indoor and outdoor seating, a bocce ball court and a lawn (dogs are allowed on the patio and lawn, but not inside). In addition to sourcing their grapes from a number of well known vineyards through the Columbia Valley, Cairdeas's estate vineyard has Syrah and two lesser known Rhône varietals not commonly grown in Washington State, Clairette Blanche and Picardan. Reservations recommended during busy weekends and the summer. Not able to visit during your stay in Lake Chelan, Cairdeas also recently opened a tasting room in Seattle.
Amos Rome Vineyards
Located just outside Manson, Amos Rome features two levels of outdoor seating, the upper deck attached to the tasting room and a large lawn and patio downstairs, all with splendid views of Lake Chelan. In the warmer months, they often feature live music on the patio, as well as hosting a number of other events. Amos Rome grows ten varietals across two properties in Manson and is one of the few wineries in the Lake Chelan area to rely solely on grapes produced in the Lake Chelan AVA.
Silver Bell Winery
Perched above Manson with stunning panoramas of Lake Chelan and Wapato point, Silver Bell is the perfect place to sample a flight of wines while enjoying the view. Silver Bell has outside seating on a patio and large lawn for pooches (or kids), as the owners have a pair of dogs that can often be found at the winery. Silver Bell is a relative newcomer to the Chelan Valley, opening their doors in 2021, and focus on Bordeaux style blends, sourcing their grapes from throughout Washington State, as well as planting vines onsite for future harvest.
Use the map above to locate a winery or peruse the list of wineries broken out into four areas in the Chelan Valley. Note, many wineries are now encouraging reservations, check out each respective winery's website for additional information.
