 Winery
The Vin du Lac winery sits on a hilltop rising 200 feet above Lake Chelan, with superb views of the lake, Chelan Butte, and the town of Chelan. The grounds have been orchard land since the 1920's, and one half of the property remains working orchard. Seven acres of vineyard were planted in the spring of 2002.
The winery itself is housed in two old orchard sheds that were fully remodeled and updated to serve as modern winery production facilities. Remnants of the buildings' former character remain, including the hand-laid stone foundation of the barrel room, which bears the inscription "Sept. 1937".
The old orchard farmhouse, built in the twenties, has also been updated, and now serves as the winery tasting room. It has been styled after a French country bistro, and besides our broad selection of wines, inside you will find a unique selection of meats, cheeses, breads, olives, french baguettes, and other delicious items to enjoy with a glass of wine on the adjacent lake-view patio.
The setting of the winery, nestled amongst vineyard and orchard, is serene and romantic. The ambiance is both old world and country. The natural beauty and views of the surrounding countryside are classic eastern Washington -- or are they of Provence?? Is that Lake Chelan winding into the hills, or the Rhone river working its way beneath the battlements of the Chateuneuf-du-Pape? Come see for yourself, to relax and unwind and experience a little of what the French call "joie de vivre"....
People
 The Chelan Wine Company and Vin du Lac are the creative effort of proprietors Larry Lehmbecker and Michaela Markusson. They share a passion for good wine, good food, fun people, beautiful places, and of course, each other. All these things have served as the inspiration for their decision to pursue the life of the vigneron ("wine-grower") and bistrotier ("cafe owner"). Larry and Michaela's travels to Provence and Paris in recent years have also inspired and influenced them. Thus at the Vin du Lac winery you will find touches of French country in the styling, decor and foods, and you can experience the charms of a Paris street cafe as you sit sipping a crisp, white wine on the patio, chatting amiably with friends and the other guests.
 Larry is a long-time hobbyist brewer and winemaker, who has made the transition to full-time commercial winemaker. Some of Larry's first experiences with winemaking were as a teenager, when his parents made fruit wines at home, which Larry would steal regularly from their carboys under the basement stairs. Larry says he probably drank more of those wines than his parents did, and he enjoyed them very much. During the mid-1980's, Larry was attending law school in San Francisco, and made many trips to the then-booming Napa Valley wine region. On these trips Larry refined his palate, and began developing an appreciation for truly well-made wines. He also began to develop a sense of how exciting and fun being in the winery business could be. In recent years, Larry has devoted himself to the study of formal, commercial winemaking, and the results are evident in his Vin du Lac wines.
Michaela is a dedicated city girl, a savvy urbanite who has learned to love the pleasures of farming and country living. Back in the day when she used to ride the metro bus from West Seattle to meet friends and hear music in Seattle's hip neighborhoods, Micki never dreamed she'd someday be living the life of a wine grower. But traveling with Larry to Chelan, Paris and Provence, Micki developed a taste and love for good living in a natural setting. Micki's background as a program analyst has served well in her role as development director of this fledging wine company. Her urban -- and urbane -- sensibilities, and her eye for stylistic detail have contributed much to the aesthetics of the winery tasting room and grounds. No kitschy country motif here - Micki's tasting room exudes elegance and Provencal charm. She keeps the winery deli well stocked with a selection of meats, cheeses, olives, and breads that simply has no rival in North Central Washington for its uniqueness and old world influence.
Location
The winery is located within the city limits of Chelan, one-half mile northwest of downtown off of Highway 150 (Chelan-Manson Highway). Take a left at Spader Bay Drive, across from No-See-Um road, and drive up to the bright yellow buildings. The winery address is:
105 Highway 150
Chelan, WA 98816
509.682.2882
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