This popular Wenatchee-based winery has now opened a tasting room in the quaint Bavarian-themed village of Leavenworth.
Prior to the husband and wife team of Doug and Debé Brazil starting the winery and onsite restaurant 15 years ago, they had traveled the world and cultivated a sophisticated love of wine and an appreciation for approachable leisure. At Chateau Faire Le Pont these tastes and experiences have influenced their approach to winemaking and hospitality, creating a wonderful atmosphere that evokes the sense of a true destination winery.
Doug is in charge of crafting small-lot, premium wines and Debé manages sales and marketing. She is principally responsible for the name of the winery—originally hailing from Montreal, faire le pont was a phrase her family would use when they wanted to extend a mid-week holiday and means “to bridge.” This idea of an extended celebration is at the core of both the established Wenatchee winery and the newer Leavenworth tasting room.
Featuring locally sourced organic produce, the Wenatchee restaurant at the winery sports a seasonally inspired menu, with dishes always prepared with wine in mind, whether serving filet mignon and foie gras with a heavier red poured alongside, or a lighter fresh fish catch with a crisp white wine. They also offer tours of their historic facility, blending classes, cooking classes, hosting an Adopt-A-Vine Program and regular live entertainment. Dog fans will be delighted with their Yappy Hour, where you can bring your pup to enjoy “yappitizers” while enjoying wine with friends.
It’s precisely this fun mix of community bonding and luxury that sets Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery apart, and also what “bridges” the two locations. The tasting rooms are located at:
- 1 Vineyard Way in Wenatchee, open 7 days per week
- 636 Front St, Suite B, Leavenworth, check website for seasonal hours at www.fairelepont.com
Here are two releases we recently reviewed:
Chateau Faire Le Pont 2015 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, $60
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
Polished and sleekly built, with floral aromas and cocoa- and cinnamon-infused spice notes that flow through profuse layers of crushed red cherry, ripe blackberry, violet, vanilla bean and graham. Wraps up with traces of dusky red earth amid fine sweet tannins.
Chateau Faire Le Pont 2015 Confluence, $55
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
Power and harmony sum up this Bordeaux varietal red wine, with a seductive mouthfeel offering dense, bold flavors of macerated black cherry and cassis, tiered with dark roast coffee, sweet tobacco and baking spices. Accents of violet and rose petals play out on the extended finish.