During the summers, locals and tourists alike, flood the little town of Chelan to enjoy the lake; sunbathing, jet-skiing, boating, and plenty of lake house parties. Winters are spent…well, I don’t know because I try to avoid winter at all costs.
Fall ::sigh:: Fall is spent at charming lake view wineries.
Read the Ultimate Guide to Wine Tasting in Lake Chelan here!
Lake Chelan is the largest natural lake in the state of Washington. Chelan is an Indian word, Tsi-Laan, meaning Deep Water. Tsillan Cellars sits above Lake Chelan, providing stellar views of their 40-acre vineyard and overlooking the lake. Established in 2000 by Dr. Robert (Bob) Jankelson, it is the largest producing winery and largest estate vineyard in the Chelan valley.
Tasting for Two
My girlfriend and I head up to Chelan on a Wednesday afternoon in late Fall…because Wine Wednesday.
The tasting room was quiet and only had one or two groups coming and going while we were there. Walking into the tasting room, you are transported to Tuscany. The Italian architecture, décor, and warm tones aren’t seen in your typical Washington wineries.
Plopping down at the tasting bar, my friend notified the woman behind the bar that we would like to do a tasting and pick up her quarterly bottles of wine.
Tastings for members and their guests are free! Non-members pay just $10 for 5 wines. It’s really a great deal! With their heavy pours, trust me, you will be tipsy after. (Or I’m just a lightweight!)
Pick 5 reds, 5 whites or a mix.
We went with 5 reds: Sinistra, Sangiovese, Syrah, Syrah Grenache, and Reserve Syrah.
Two girls that will talk to just about anyone and a sommelier sitting at a bar…
Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, right? This was our afternoon.
Cathy, our sommelier, was so warm and welcoming. Sharing her wealth of wine knowledge, tidbits about the winery, as well as sharing stories about her and her husband’s travels while keeping our glasses full.
A Surprise at a Winery is Always a Pleasant One
More than likely if you visit the winery, you will run into the owner, Bob. He came out and chatted with us at the bar for a while about our upcoming travels to China and Cuba and wine, of course! It really adds to the experience when you’re able to meet the person who built the establishment you’re visiting.
Besides meeting the owner and Cathy’s lovely personality, Cathy pleasantly surprised us by adding to our tasting experience. She offered tastings of the 2015 Bocciolo Di Rosa, 2015 Riesling, and 2015 Pinot Grigio (the only white I truly like).
I didn’t have plans of buying a bottle as I already had 2 bottles sitting unopened at my parents’ house.
Maybe it was the atmosphere.
Maybe it was Cathy.
Or maybe it was the couple of glasses of wine I had.
But their wines were so delicious, I couldn’t resist.
I ended up getting a bottle of the 2015 Bocciolo Di Rosa, which my girlfriend and I used to celebrate before I left the states.
Rosé All Day
After tasting, grab a glass of wine and sit by the fireplace or set out to explore the grounds…or both! (I highly suggest both.) Grabbing a glass of rosé, cheese, meat and crackers, we snuggled up on the couch in front of the fireplace.
Filling up our glasses, we set out to wander the grounds. The walkway leading to the garden runs along the backside of their restaurant, Sorrento’s. Everywhere you turn is magical. Using this breathtaking backdrop, I snapped some pictures for my friend’s holiday cards.
Tsillan Cellars Winery and Vineyard is a must-taste for your next trip to Lake Chelan. Seriously, if I lived here I would be a member (and probably have a drinking problem).
In addition to the quarterly bottles of wine and free tastings, the membership offers great discounts on additional bottles of wine for you and guests as well as exclusive invites to winery events including their spectacular 5-course dinner party for New Year. It offers so much from wine tasting, tours, the gift shop, a lovely scenic view, and dining (you know to sober up before driving back)!
I’m a huge wine-o and would love to explore more wineries around the world, share your favorite winery below!
Looking for more things to do in Washington? Check out the posts below or drop a comment or DM!
