our story

once upon a time in tuscany...

where it began

It all started in 2002 when Donna and Rob Mellison took an incredible trip to Italy where they stayed at a Villa and Winery in the heart of Tuscany called Livernano, located in the picturesque town of Radda in Chianti.

It was there that they experienced “Agriturismo”, a more personal and intimate experience, staying with the owner at his personal Villa, meeting the other guests from all over the world, sharing elegantly crafted Italian wines, eating family style with meals created by the Villa’s Private Chef, laughing and just enjoying the whole immersive experience in the rustic surroundings.

experiencing agriturismo

agriturismo

a more personal and intimate experience with wine, food & friends

experiencing the harvest

As part of the Agriturismo experience they were asked to help with the Merlot harvest and of course they said yes! They picked grapes for the next 2 days, 9 hours per day and when they finished they looked at each other and said....

“Let’s start a Winery and bring this whole experience back to Lake Chelan so we can share it with others”. 

inspiration

They told the owner of the Winery, Marco Montanari, about their plans and he gave them this advice – 

"Make wine for your own palate, for if in the end no one likes your wines and you are stuck with them at least you know you’ll enjoy drinking them!"

BUILDING THEIR DREAM

This was the inspiration for their Winery and they’ve heeded that advice ever since, crafting elegant wines and creating great experiences for their customers to remember for a lifetime as well.

discover

agriturismo

The beautiful scenery of Lake Chelan provides the perfect backdrop for tours and tastings. Above all else, Mellisoni was created to make tastings and pairings more personal. From the high quality, small batched collections of wine, to the intimate hosting and gorgeous Lake Chelan Waterside setting, your
experience will be entirely unique.

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