If you didn’t know, there are several fun places to go wine tasting in Washington state. Woodinville, Walla Walla and Chelan! I have only recently been getting into wine and have found that I REALLY love wine tasting vs. drinking a glass of wine at home. I love being able to hang out at a winery with girl friends. I am spoiled that I live close to Woodinville which has some of the best wineries / tasting rooms.
Lake Chelan has been one of my favorite weekend getaways for the last few years! Since I have been getting into wine tasting, I have recently been checking out some of the wineries at the Lake. I recently posted my picks for a day of wine hopping on the Chelan side. Check out that post here: “Travel With Me: 5 Wineries to Check Out in Lake Chelan“
Today, we will hop to the other side of the lake to the Manson side. It can be overwhelming to try and pick out wineries to visit since there are SO MANY! There are many factors for me when deciding a wine route. I like wineries with a view, wineries that allow for small groups, and even a winery or two that offer some sort of food. On this latest trip to Lake Chelan, I ended up picking wineries that were close to where we were staying and close driving range.
1. Benson Vineyards
This vineyard was a last minute add. We were trying to go back toward town more, but there was construction and traffic. This vineyard ended up being way up on the top of the hill and provided amazing views! The tasting room is a small room (I recommend calling ahead next time and letting them know if you have a group larger than 8). We each did a tasting flight, took some pictures and went to the next winery.
2. Lake Chelan Winery
This winery is at the bottom of the road that led you to Benson Vineyards. Inside, you will find a great gift store and friendly staff ready to pour you some wine. This was the most fun we had at all of the wineries and we were able to be spread out more with how large our group was.
3. Hard Row to Hoe
Even though we didn’t get to taste wine here, I still recommend trying to go here for some tastings. This winery does require a “reservation” if you have a group larger than 6 tasting wine. We didn’t know this before so we tried to go closer to closing and were not able to taste wine.
4. MVP Vintners
This tasting room can be found on the “main street” of Manson. I found the flight to be a little pricier and to purchase a full bottle of wine, their prices were on the higher end. However, the atmosphere was nice and they have an outdoor seating area if the weather is right.
If you are staying on the Manson side of the lake, give these 4 wineries a try for a fun wine tasting afternoon! Let me know in the comments if there are any other wineries I should try on my next visit!
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