Ventimiglia Cellars

Ventimiglia was definitely our favorite winery that we visited in Chelan. The wines were fantastic and Ron was a gracious and entertaining host.

We stopped here on our first visit to Lake Chelan and were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of Ron’s wines. The Bordeaux blend, which he calls Amalgamarsi (means to blend harmoniously) was excellent. We sampled the 2012 and immediately added some to our cellar.
Another favorite for us was his Syrah. Both of these wines have a lovely complexity and should age well over the next several years. The Syrah is also represented in our cellar now.
Ron is a great host. He gave us a tour and we did some barrel sampling and his knowledge and enthusiasm for making and enjoying fine wine is evident. If in the area, I would make sure to visit.

The wine and port is well crafted, complex and highly drinkable. While all of the current wines we tasted were noteworthy, the Syrah stood out in particular and I couldn’t resist purchasing a bottle. My friend took home some port.
The tasting room experience was incredibly personal, with Ron’s larger than life personality and friendly style. The tasting area is intimate, making you feel like part of the family. Ron introduced us to the wine thief, which extracts wine in the barrel for sampling — a fun first for me!
We wouldn’t have discovered this fantastic spot if not for our tour guide Bill from Real Adventours. Now, it will be a must-​stop spot on my future Chelan visits.

Ventimiglia Cellars is a relatively new winery on the wine scene in Chelan, opening to the public just last fall (2011). But the winemaker and owner, Ron Ventimiglia has been making wine for quite a while, for himself and his friends, then for other wineries including Big Pine, Vin Du Lac, and Chelan Ridge. Now he has his own winery and tasting room just east of downtown Chelan on a piece of property tucked in behind several apple packing sheds. The place is very different from many of the wineries in the area — it’s small, for one thing, and it’s kind of a one man show. When you go in to taste the wine, you are more than likely going to be talking to the winemaker himself, rather than someone just hired for the summer. Sometimes he has a friend stand in if he has to be away from the winery, but in any case you will be treated to some of the best wines in the Chelan area. Ron is very passionate about making wine, and it shows. When you go for a tasting, you are in for an experience!
Now, about those wines. Currently he has a Pinot Gris/​Viognier blend that is quite delicious on a hot day, a Syrah that is full of fruit and round and velvety with just a hint of pepper, and his signature blend called Amalgamarsi. This is a full body, intense wine that will knock your socks off. I know some more wines are in the barrel and just waiting for the right time to be bottled and released — like that other famous winery, Ron will release no wine before it’s time!
The winery can be difficult to find, but a new sign is supposed to be out on Hwy 150 so look for that, and call if you need directions to get there.