Lake Chelan This Week - October 1, 2020

EVENTS

FOOD

FUN

WATER

WINE

SHOPS

SUN

INFO

LAKE CHELAN THIS WEEK

OCT. 1 - OCT. 7

CRUSH CELEBRATIONS

Lake Chelan Winery Ancestry Cellars Succession Wines Tsillan Cellars Siren Song Vineyard Estate & Winery PAGES 2-3

NEW OWNERS The Culinary Apple PAGES 6-7

Serious Wine Bright Fruity Whites and Bold Red Wines 222 East Wapato Way, Manson, WA 98831

509-293-9679

www.winegirlwines.com/winery 217 8th Street, Leavenworth, WA 98826

509-393-4125

2

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Lake Chelan This Week

INSIDE STORY

INSIDE 2-3 4 5 6-7

Chelan Valley Crush

Photo provided by Tsillan Cellars.

Grapes are ready for Crush at Tsillan Cellars.

Entertainment

Farmers Markets

The Culinary Apple

Photo provided by Lake Chelan Winery

Contestants at Lake Chelan Winery’s Grape Stomp Competition give it all they have during their allotted time.

The Crush must go on

COVER PHOTO: Photo provided by Lake Chelan Winery

Lake Chelan Winery staff officially begin the annual Grape Stomp Competition.

LAKE CHELAN this week Lake Chelan This Week is published by Washington Media LLC, Wenatchee, WA. For advertising information, contact: Sherrie Harlow harlow@wenatcheeworld.com 253-255-5920 or 509-664-7134 Submit publication items to chelaninfo@wenatcheeworld.com View this publication online at wenatcheeworld.com/lctw/

STORY BY KAREN LARSEN

To be a grape stomping contestant all you need is your two bare feet.

Photo provided by Lake Chelan Winery

T

he grape harvest and the annual wine production schedule are two things that do not change during a pandemic. The annual Crush celebration, which takes place the first two weekends of October, is still on in 2020 in the Chelan Valley.

Wineries throughout the area have had to rethink their Crush traditions and adapt them to social distancing requirements, but they have found a way to continue the annual celebration with tours, harvest activities, tasting events and, of course, the well-loved grape stomp.

Lake Chelan Winery, owned by the Lake Chelan Trading Company, was the first winery in the valley and has been holding a crush festival with a grape stomp for over 20 years. The first year they opened they set up barrels in the front parking lot and let people stomp grapes, according to owner/general manager April Williams. They have brought the barrels back every harvest season and have turned the grape stomp into an Annual Grape Stomp Competition.

For the competition, two stompers head off at a time in half barrels of grapes. The stompers work what magic they can with their bare feet for the allotted time, and when time is up, each contestant holds up his or her jug of grape juice. The winner is declared and prizes are distributed.

This is an uproariously fun competition for the whole family.

The winery’s attached restaurant, the BBQ in the Vineyard, will be open for lunch from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct.

INSIDE STORY

Lake Chelan This Week

Thursday, October 1, 2020

3

Photo provided by Tsillan Cellars

Grapes are unloaded for Crush at Tsillan Cellars.

Siren Song owner Kevin Brown loads grapes into a vat for crushing.

3, 4, 10 and 11. The event is a great outing for families. The BBQ is then open again for dinner from 4 p.m.

Thursdays through Sundays until the middle of October.

Lake Chelan Winery is located at 3519 WA-150 in Chelan.

Ancestry Cellars, located at 50 Wapato Way in Manson, will bring the harvest to guests, with fresh-picked fruit samples from local vineyards served to guests every Friday and fresh-pressed juice samples served every Monday. Ancestry Cellars is open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The Fruity Fridays and “Must” Try Mondays will continue to the end of October or until all the fruit is picked.

Succession Wines, located at 78 Swartout Road in Manson, will have harvest activities on site, and cellar tours as time allows. Grape samples will be available as the harvest continues. Succession Wines is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Tsillan Cellars, located at 3875 Highway 97A in Chelan, will be providing tours of the production room and cellar Fridays and Saturdays during

Photo provided by Siren Song Vineyard

both Crush weekends. The attached Sorrento’s Ristorante will have a special Crush menu in addition to the regular menu. This will include a shaved fennel salad, a pan-seared duck breast served over sage and portobello risotto and a lava cake for dessert. Tsillan Cellars is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday.

Siren Song Vineyard Estate and Winery, located at 635 South Lakeshore Road in Chelan, is offering tasting tours Friday through Sunday on both Crush weekends. The tour costs $35 per person and includes a 25-minute guided tour of the vineyards and production facility and then wine tasting and food pairing delivered to seated groups of no more than five people. Call (509)888-4657 or visit the website at sirensongwines.com to make reservations.

Siren Song is open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

For more information about Crush events, see the Lake Chelan Wine Valley website Crush page at lakechelanwinevalley.com/lake-chelancrush/.

Photo provided by Lake Chelan Winery

A judge carefully checks output as two stompers work diligently during Lake Chelan Winery’s Grape Stomp Competition.

4

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Lake Chelan This Week

ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT & THINGS TO DO

TUESDAY & THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 & 8

O C T OBER 1 - OCT OBE R 7

THURSDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1-4

FRI-SUN, OCTOBER 2-4

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 & 4

FALL PUMPKIN FEST AT SIREN SONG FARMS Thurs-Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Siren Song Farms • 7 Tunnel Hill Rd, Chelan www.sirensongwines.com/sirensongfarms Visit Siren Song Farms for our first Pumpkin Festival! Bring the whole family to enjoy a variety of fun activities including: Picking your own pumpkin, farm tours, wine tasting, a photo booth, gift shop, and yummy treats for everyone to enjoy!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2

WEDNESDAY, OCT 7

CHELAN VALLEY FARMS PUMPKIN PATCH

October 3 & 4 @ 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 2393 Green Ave, Manson, WA www.chelanvalleyfarms.com Join us Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm throughout October. Mark your calendars! We would love to see you on the farm & enjoy walking the field! Due to COVID-19, we will be able to continue the pumpkin patch following strict guidelines- Please wear a mask and maintain the 6ft social distancing.

MONDAY & TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 & 6

FRIDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 & 4

Tues & Thurs 8 AM · North Shore Bible Church · Manson

Join us in the Courtyard at 8AM for your morning cup of coffee and some great conversations! We practice social distancing and mask and hand sanitizers are available.

If you feel sick or think you might have been exposed to Covid-19 we ask that you stay home. Questions – contact Norm Manly 509293-0225 or normmanly@yahoo.com

LAKE CHELAN CRUSH

October 2 - October 4 October in the Lake Chelan Wine Valley is gorgeous with brilliant sun, spectacular color and the smell of freshly fallen leaves. Join us in back-to-back weekends as we celebrate our annual Crush Festival. The barrel room doors swing wide open and the work in the vineyards comes to the crush pad. Come taste, stomp and dance. Watch the grapes tumble through the press and taste the raw juice that it produces. Get the inside scoop from the cellar master or wine maker on how the wine will taste come bottling time. Sit down with us at the table for a harvest party or a winemaker dinner and share in the experience of harvest season. Here are a list of events from the wineries: www.lakechelan.com/event/ lake-chelan-crush-2/2020-10-02/

COFFEE CONNECTION IN THE COURTYARD

PLAYERS 55 & BETTER Wed 6 AM · Mill Bay Casino · 455 Wapato Lake Road, Manson www.colvillecasinos.com/mill-bay-casino/ F&B VOUCHER: 10am-4pm Virtual Racing Qualifying Period: 6am-4pm Virtual Racing Events: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm Experience the thrill of horse racing, but with AC…along with a meal discount! See Mill Bay Casino for complete details and rules.

TASTING TOURS AT SIREN SONG

HELICOPTER & BI-PLANE WEEKEND! Friday, Oct 2 @ 12 PM & Sunday, Oct 4 @ 4:30 PM · Skydive Chelan · 201 Airport Way, Chelan www.skydivechelan.com Skydive Chelan will have an R-44 helicopter on Friday and Sunday as well as a 1942 Stearman bi-plane on Saturday and Sunday!

Licensed jumpers with a USPA “A” license or higher are welcome to jump out of these unique aircraft! Ride-a-longs are welcome!

Friday @ 3 PM · Siren Song Wines • Chelan www.sirensongswines.com Tasting Tours at Siren Song offer a unique opportunity to tour and learn about Siren Song wines with our winemakers, Kevin Brown and Jordan Brown. Tasting Tours include a 25 minute guided tour of our vineyards and production facility. After the tour you’ll be treated to a wine tasting featuring Siren Song Gold Medal Award-Winning wines, combined with a food pairing curated by our chef. Food and Wine Pairing is delivered to you seated with your group (no more than 5 people per group) at the end of the tour. Cost is $35.00 per person ($25 for Siren Club Members).

Space is limited. Call 509-888-4657, visit our website and click to our event page.

HERO DAYS

Monday-Tuesday, October 5-6 Mill Bay Casino · Manson 455 Wapato Lake Road, Manson www.colvillecasinos.com/mill-bay-casino/ Putting Heroes first for putting us first for those who serve our community and this country, join us every Monday for your chance to win up to $1,000 FREE PLAY along with a meal discount. It’s our way of giving back to those who give us so much. See Mill Bay Casino for complete details and rules.

STORMY MOUNTAIN TRIVIA! Wed 6 PM · Stormy Mountain Brewing and Local Public House · Chelan 133 E Woodin Ave, Chelan (509) 888-5665 Stormy Mountain’s Famous Pub Trivia is fun questions for all ages. Geography, history, pop culture, food, and more! Prizes, prizes & prizes! We will be adhering to social distancing requirements and seating will be limited.

Trivia teams up to 5 people.

FARMERS MARKETS

Riverwalk Books munity

riverwalkbooks.com

C

lt ivate

OPEN Tues-Sat, 10AM-4PM

Cu

509.682.8901

•

op Indie

116 East Woodin Ave, Chelan

om

Sh

Lake Chelan Valley’s Community Bookstore Since 1994

Celebrating

26

years

Lake Chelan This Week

Thursday, October 1, 2020

planning to list? in uncertain times, go with a real estate professional you can trust.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

The Lake Chelan Valley offers several options for farm fresh produce

1

CHELAN FARMER’S MARKET Saturdays 8AM-Noon

112 East Johnson Ave, Parking Lot, Chelan A place to purchase locally grown organic food and support local artists!

3

2

MANSON FARMER’S MARKET Saturdays 8:30AM-Noon

157 E Wapato Way (Manson Grange Community Center Parking Lot), Manson Vendors selling all kinds of items including vegetables, fruit, pies, soaps, etc.

WEDNESDAY MANSON FARMER’S MARKET Wednesdays 8:30AM-Noon

157 E Wapato Way (Manson Grange Community Center Parking Lot), Manson Vendors selling all kinds of items including vegetables, fruit, pies, soaps, etc.

4

CHELAN EVENING FARMER’S MARKET Thursdays 3:00-6:00PM

Riverwalk Park, Chelan Stroll through the park while enjoying the many vendors local goods.

coldwell banker has served north central washington for over 40 years with offices in wenatchee | chelan | winthrop

5

6

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Lake Chelan This Week

INSIDE STORY

The Culinary Apple is full of treasures for the kitchen.

Ethan, Lars, JoAnne and Olivia Strandberg stand in front of The Culinary Apple.

The Culinary Apple is an inviting stop in Chelan’s business district.

The Culinary Apple: New owners jump into a challenging wave, and come out on top STORY BY KAREN LARSEN | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE CULINARY APPLE

B

efore Lars and JoAnne Strandberg bought The Culinary Apple from Dave and Mary Weldy this past January, they had been counseled by the Weldys that “retail is always a gamble and you never know what is going to happen from year to year.”

JoAnne Strandberg had already served as store manager for the past 12 years, so she had some idea of the ups and downs of retail, as well as the ins and outs of The Culinary Apple, yet she had no way to guess that a wave as hard and high as the COVID pandemic would hit them just three months into their new venture.

Like surfers riding the waves, the Strandbergs rode this one by jumping into it.

Because the store sold essential items, it was never required to close, but few people wanted to venture out to shop at specialty stores during those months. The Strandbergs made a quick decision to use the time to implement a new point-of-sale system. This kept their workforce of five employed and enabled the store to improve its efficiency for the long run.

Fortunately, the store already had a web presence; the Strandbergs focused on enhancing this presence by adding new products and improving the website organization.

This was quite successful and the store experienced record high web sales in April, May and June.

JoAnne produced live Facebook videos demonstrating gift ideas.

“It was fun and it was received really well,” she said.

She also accommodated customers by doing FaceTime walk-throughs of the store. The store offered delivery, curbside pickup and shopping by appointment.

Once summer hit, things began to look up. Chelan saw a lot of first-time visitors, and many of those came to shop at local stores.

Because of the timing of the Strandbergs’ purchase of the store, their initiation to retail has been largely colored by the pandemic, which necessitated many changes that they had not foreseen when making their original business plan.

However, JoAnne said that they didn’t

INSIDE STORY

Lake Chelan This Week

Thursday, October 1, 2020

7

WINE TASTING | BBQ OPEN DAILY CHEESE SHOP | GIFT SHOP

Local Vineyards Lawn & Playground

Patio Seating Cheese Plates

TASTING ROOM OPEN DAILY AT 12 NOON RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN DAILY AT 5PM 200 S. QUETILQUASOON RD. MANSON WAPATOPOINTCELLARS.COM 509.687.4000

TASTING ROOM OPEN DAILY @ 11AM BBQ OPEN DAILY @ 4PM 3519 HWY 150, CHELAN 509-687-9463 (WINE) LAKECHELANWINERY.COM

We’re Open!

Come See Us or Shop Online.

JoAnne Strandberg does a FaceTime walk through of the store with a customer.

Delivery & Curbside Pickup Options Available! successionwines.com • 509-888-7611 • 78 Swartout Road, Manson, WA 98831

Thank you all for your support!

The Culinary Apple sells many gourmet kitchen implements.

Culinary Apple fudge is wrapped and ready to go.

go into the business with an idea of making any drastic changes. The Culinary Apple was owned by the Weldys for 23 years and had been a very successful business.

The store is well known for its fresh fudge and spiced nuts made on site.

Customers love walking into the store and smelling the aromas of the fudge production and nut roasting process.

What’s more, one can expect there to be free samples.

“We still want people to come in and have this full experience,” JoAnne said.

The store sells gourmet kitchen implements, and provides a professional knife-sharpening service. JoAnne said that as people have been more home-bound during the pandemic, they are getting into making more of their food from scratch. This has caused an

increased demand for high quality cooking and baking implements, which the store provides.

It has been a really fun experience to keep up with these trends and support what people are trying to do at home,” JoAnne said.

The Strandbergs are helped by their son, Ethan, 17, and their daughter, Olivia, 15. Ethan is in charge of deliveries and Olivia helps with the website.

The Culinary Apple is gearing up to start shipping fresh Washington apple gift boxes, which have proven to be popular during the holiday season especially when paired with delicious house fudge and cinnamon glazed nuts.

The store, located at 109 E. Woodin Ave. in Chelan, is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

FRU IT

SSO E R ESP

509-682-1514 www.lonepinefruit.com

Now closed for the season

8

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Lake Chelan This Week

XXXXXX