Tildio Leads the Way in Chelan Winery Boom

The number of Northwest wineries has exploded over the last decade and this is no more evident than in the Lake Chelan area, which is located in north central Washington.

There are currently 13 wineries around Lake Chelan and plans for four more are in the making. One of these – Tildio Winery, located about 10 minutes northwest of the town of Chelan – is off to a great start by producing several wines that deserve your attention.

Husband and wife owners Milum and Katy Perry began operations at Tildio (Spanish for “killdeer”) in 2002 and opened their tasting room last year. Katy has past experience at California wineries that include Robert Mondavi, Geyser Peak and Stag’s Leap and was also an assistant winemaker at Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Here are some current releases from Tildio Winery that I recently tried and think you might enjoy:

2004 Zinfandel (about $17): A lighter style zin with plenty of bright cherry and red berry flavors and a touch of spice on the finish. Delicious!

2003 Sangiovese (about $20): I like my Sangiovese to be a bit fruit forward and this one fits the bill. The wine displays hints of cherry and a whisper of smoke and spice on the finish.

2003 Merlot (about $25): Lovely berry aromas, followed by generous chocolate-covered cherry flavors and topped off with a hint of vanilla. This is really a very nice Merlot that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Tildio wines are currently available at Compass Wines in Anacortes. More information: www.tildio.com.