09/12/07 Lake Chelan Pt. 3

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Last week I spent a few days touring and tasting on the shores of Lake Chelan. Today we continue our series about this burgeoning wine country. Just outside the town of Chelan is a very nice drive in either direction along the north or south side of the lake. Along the drive you have the opportunity to set off into the hills and visit some charming wineries. One of my favorite stops was at a winery still under construction. It is a family owned and operated facility Benson Vineyards Estate Winery. Everyone there was gracious and welcoming. It was a treat to meet them. As a bonus, the wines were pretty darn good. By consciously deciding to be and estate winery the family is exhibiting a belief and commitment to this newer wine region. You see, if you are an estate winery all of your wines must be made and bottled at your facility from grapes grown on your property. Some of the other wineries I visited showing this commitment were Tsillan Cellars Winery and Wapato Point Cellars. Another great thing about the wineries was that many of them serve food of some sort. If you stop by Lake Chelan Winery make it your last stop and enjoy a Barbecue dinner. For lunch definitely time it so you can enjoy a traditional Italian pizza with a glass of Bellissima at Tsillan Cellars Winery. The pizza crust and the view are to die for! This is a visit you will want to plan soon maybe just for a long weekend. Join me tomorrow as we continue this series about the Lake Chelan wine region and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.