Most people follow their passion when they open the winery. Holly and Kevin Brown are no exception. Everything they have done with the winery shows that they are following their calling, including the name of the winery - Siren Song.
Winery Story
The name refers to an episode in the classic Odyssey saga when Odysseus fought the enchanting songs of the sirens and led his men to safety. In Brown's tale, they seem to succumb to the irresistible calling of wine.
They founded Siren Song in the Lake Chelan wine region back in 2007 and released the first wines under the label in 2009. In the following six years, Holly and Kevin invested $7 million into the estate to create an unforgettable experience for the visitors. Siren Song tasting room opened its doors in July of 2015.
To call it a tasting room is an understatement because it's a villa with a Mediterranean feel. Kevin and Holly wanted to recreate their experiences in Southern France, Italy, and Spain and share it with their guests.
As we drove up to the winery, we were surprised to find a Mediterranean Villa in place of the tasting room. We were impressed even more when we walked inside and felt more like in the resort in Southern France. Napa winery would be jealous to see this in Eastern Washington!
We thought this was impressive, but then we walked out to the piazza terrace and were blown away by a beautiful view of Lake Chelan. Memories of our Italian travels immediately came to mind. Holly and Kevin thought of everything to turn the visit to the winery into a lot more than a tasting.
Siren Song Wines
They have three different wine flights to choose from and a good selection of small delicious bites to go along with the wine. We could see ourselves spending half a day here sipping wine and enjoying the view. Besides wine and food, Siren Song has regular concerts, cooking classes, and more.
Holly and Kevin have different duties at Siren Song. Kevin is the winemaker, and Holly is a chef. We couldn't help but sense a little competition between wine and food. In our view, food had the edge over wine because it was more consistent and finessed.
If we asked ourselves why? Probably, the luxurious atmosphere of Siren Song, build up our expectations. While the food was able to stand up to them, the wine was a bit less exciting and less consistent across the flight. One of the wines that stood out to us was Matisse Chardonnay.
The wine consistency issue wasn't unique to Siren Song on our trip, and we observed it at other wineries as well. It's understandable and expected with any young wine region. Consistency comes with time, and winemakers are learning to adapt to local challenges.
We see great potential in Kevin's wine and Lake Chelan as a whole region and look forward to our future visits to Siren Song and tasting Kevin's wines and Holly's food.
