Our Vineyards

Explore this small vineyard that boasts 14 acres of selected varietals including Gewürztraminer, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Karma Vineyards rests on the beautiful south shore of Lake Chelan where its north facing slope creates a relatively late harvest season.

Known for our sparkling wine, Karma Vineyards was the first vineyard in Chelan to cane prune Pinot Noir grapes. A technique commonly used with the Oregon Pinot Noir, we decided to try this method in 2006 with the goal of decreasing potential mildew, very common in this thin skinned tight clustered grape. Increased airflow has been key in creating a disease free Pinot Noir block that has continually produced excellent Pinot Noir.

The Gewürztraminer is dry farmed, as it sits on a high water table, and produces a beautiful balance of sugar and acidity each year. Gorgeous fruit that is later made in the Alsatian style has continually yielded rave reviews from our Karma customers.

Owner Julie Pittsinger studied viticulture at Washington State University and oversees this vineyard. Theodoro Nunez, vineyard manager, has been with Karma for eight years and brings a wealth of experience in keeping our vineyards incredibly prosperous, healthy, and beautiful.

Our Passion

French monks were the first to bottle a sparkling form of wine called Champagne, named after the Champagne region of France. The method of making “mousse” (another name for bubbles) in a bottle was invented by the efforts of Frère Jean Oudart (1654 – 1742) and Dom Pierre Pérignon (1639 – 1715), Benedictine monks and cellarmasters at the respective abbeys of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Châlons, and Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers.

The region of Champagne has a colder and shorter growing season. Champagne grapes had to be picked late in the year with less time available for fermentation. During fermentation yeasts are used to convert the sugars of the grape juice into alcohol and cold winter temperatures stopped the process. The monks developed a method of making sparkling wine by using a second fermentation process that took place in the bottle during the following spring. The second fermentation created carbon-dioxide bubbles that are the sparkle of Champagne.

Karma Vineyards is proud to be one of a handful of Methode Champenoise producers in Washington state. With an abundance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay growing on site, we look forward to many, many more years of sparkling made in the true french tradition. Released every Memorial Day weekend, our vintages usually are available for a very limited time, so don’t hesitate to get on our list..and enjoy some bubbly anytime you like!

Feel Free to Reach Out

1681 S. Lakeshore Rd.
Chelan, WA 98816

509-682-5538