Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery

Wenatchee-based Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery is housed in a restored 1920s fruit packing warehouse. The restoration preserved the original hardwood-plank flooring and gently arching windows. Behind the wine bar, a mural by local artist Sarah Morgan depicts grapes growing amongst apple and cherry orchards of the Wenatchee Valley. The 6,000-square-foot winery easily holds 150 guests for weddings, corporate events, class reunions, and wine-tasting geeks like me. A full-service kitchen supports its Vineyard Café, which serves up light and full fare. During the summer, a generous-size patio offers a great place to relax and enjoy the view.

In short, Faire Le Pont is Wenatchee’s destination winery.

The English translation of “Faire Le Pont” is “to bridge the gap.” We’re not sure what gap is being bridged, but it certainly makes sense that Wenatchee would sport a premium winery. After all, within a 100-mile radius you have premier vineyards in Lake Chelan, Wahluke Slope, and the Yakima Valley. Located next to the winery, an “educational vineyard” is a key component of Faire Le Pont’s Adopt-a-Vine Club. Would-be vintners join the club to prune, pick, and crush an adopted vine. In this hands-on learning lab, you get to bottle your own wine.

The sources of Faire Le Pont winemaker Doug Brazil’s fruit are the Alderdale and Mattawa growers of Yakima Valley. With this fruit, Doug produces a full slate of dry and sweet white wines as well as classic French-style red wines. Among other critically acclaimed wines, Doug’s red blend “Confluence” has won high praise. This red gets its name from the winery’s location near the meeting of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers. When wine critics gush over their favorite wines, they often note the winemaker’s attention to detail as the primary ingredient for making great wine. We’re certain that Doug’s 21-year background as a Navy helicopter pilot demanded attention to detail, and that ingrained attention is still paying off. Although young in wine years, Faire Le Pont will undoubtedly win many more awards, medals, and high praise well into the future.

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  Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Columbia River WineTrail on page 216!