Benson Vineyards Estate Winery

The name is important: Benson Vineyards Estate Winery. No other winery in the Lake Chelan area can boast a production of 100 percent estate wines. Located on Lake Chelan’s North Shore, the Benson 30-acre vineyard has the look of northern Italy with its hills, tall spindly trees, terra-cotta homes and deep blues of the pristine lake below.

Although the winery is relatively new (established in 2005), the vineyards began much earlier. The Bensons knew that to be true vintners, they needed to know the land first. To this day, they require that all their staff —tasting room personnel included—work the vineyard during the year pruning, picking, and getting dirt under their fingernails.

Interestingly, the land area apportioned to growing grapes in the Lake Chelan Valley is smaller than other American Viticultural Areas in Washington. However, Lake Chelan has something other viticultural areas lack; namely, infrastructure. There are plenty of places to eat, sleep, and recreate in Lake Chelan. The Bensons obviously have a good thing going.

When the Bensons note on their website that their wine is “from our family to yours,” they’re not kidding. The entire family gets in on the act, with son Scott assuming the role of winemaker and the parents managing the tasting room and other day-to-day operations. The new facility for tasting and storing wine offers a stunning exterior view of Lake Chelan as well as a unique interior view of the facility’s lower level, where as many as 500 oak barrels can rest. This is where the winery produces its viognier, pinot gris, syrah, sangiovese, and chardonnay. On the ground floor, a private tasting room is available for hosting functions. There’s also a separate room dedicated to catered sit-down dinners that can comfortably seat as many as 25 people.

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  Benson Vineyards Estate Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Lake Chelan North Shore WineTrail on page 246!