129
Cairdeas Winery
LAKE CHELAN
Cairdeas (pronounced "card-is") is an Irish-Gaelic word meaning "friendship,
goodwill, or alliance." At Cairdeas Winery, they believe in all three: Good wine
should be shared with friends; goodwill should be spread at every opportunity;
and alliances should be created with those who share the same passions.
The word also holds special personal meaning for the winery's founders
Lacey and Charlie Lybecker, as they especially value the alliance they have
made with each other and with those in the industry as well as all the
friendships established along the way. What's more, the winery's logo also
incorporates the ancient Gaelic Ogham alphabet character of the word
"cairdeas," which was illustrated in a relic that Lacey took home from a trip to
Ireland with her mom.
As luck would have it, Charlie actually has Lacey to thank for truly igniting
his passion for wine. She went on her first wine tasting tour when she was
just 19—in Australia, no less—and quickly sought out the wine scene when
she moved to Seattle after college graduation. Romantic wine tastings in
Woodinville and south Seattle became a regular date activity for the couple.
As sparks flew between the two of them, Charlie likewise kindled his love of
discovering new bottles. His curiosity piqued, he soon set out to learn what
makes a great wine and why the juice turns out the way it does—delving
into everything from the vineyard and the barrel, to the yeast and
winemaking techniques.
FACING PAGE: Charlie and Lacey Lybecker pose for a photo
inside their barrel room, which currently houses 200 barrels
of wine.
Photograph by Dalisa Jo Photography
TOP: Freshly harvested Boushey Vineyard Grenache Blanc
waiting to go into the press, with the tasting room entrance
in the backdrop.
Photograph by Lacey Lybecker
