Charlie Lybecker
Winemaker
Charlie is the head winemaker at Cairdeas Winery, where he specializes in crafting Rhone-inspired wines from Washington’s unique terroir. His journey into winemaking began with a shared passion for wine and exploration alongside his wife, Lacey. What better way to connect than through wine tasting and discovering new flavors together?
Charlie’s curiosity about the art and science of winemaking—ranging from vineyard practices to barrel aging, yeast fermentation, and innovative techniques—fuels his dedication to creating exceptional wines. His fascination with the wines of France’s Rhône Valley profoundly influences both the vineyard selections and the wines he creates, giving Cairdeas wines their distinctive character and sense of place.
Lacey Lybecker
PResident, Owner & The Glue
Lacey is the President, Owner, and driving force behind Cairdeas Winery. As the glue that holds everything together, she oversees the business operations including marketing and sales, while also diving into the hands-on work of harvest, blending, tending the vines, and bottling.
Lacey discovered wine in Australia at age 19. Viticulture was farming but so different than the one she grew up on in Minnesota. Before transitioning to full-time work at the winery, she held marketing management roles in nonprofit, events, and hospitality. Lacey also serves on the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a former Vice Chair of the Washington State Wine Commission. Together, Lacey and Charlie are raising two boys and a few dogs!
Charles Schmitz
Cellarmaster & Farm Manager
Read Bio
Charles is Lacey’s younger brother and they grew up on a farm in northwestern Minnesota. From the moment the winery started, Charles was asking when we would hire him. Lacey’s answer: I have to hire myself first. Fast forward to 2017, on a whim, Charles took a sabbatical from his job in Fargo, ND to join us for harvest. He really enjoyed the change of pace! In April of 2018, he and his wife, Kylie, made the move to Lake Chelan, and he joined our team as Cellarmaster and Farm Manager (he is a jack of all trades which comes in handy). They have a daughter, Clara, and two dogs, Luna and Wall-E.
Danielle Calvillo
Tasting Room Manager
Read Bio
Danielle joined the Cairdeas Crew in March of 2016. She was new to the Lake Chelan Valley and planned on spending some time with her kids before jumping back into a career. Lacey and Charlie asked (ok, maybe begged) her to help out at the tasting room one weekend and the rest is history! One day a week transitioned to two and three, and eventually, we knew she was meant to be our Tasting Room Manager. Danielle is such an integral part of our team. Her background is in retail sales management and she is an expert in developing systems to help us all run more efficiently.
Cara ENGSTROM
Wine Club Manager
Read Bio
In the beginning of 2018, Kai marched into our tasting room and announced she was moving back to Lake Chelan (she lived here previously and then spent a few years in the Seattle area). Before consulting with Lacey, Charlie offered her a job on the spot. She initially joined our team as a tasting room associate plus distribution lead plus events manager, but as she got to know our amazing wine club members, we knew she was the perfect fit to be our Wine Club Manager. Kai lives in Manson with her husband Jake, their daughter Makenna, and puppy dogs, Ash and Mya.
ELISSA Garvey
Marketing Manager
Read Bio
Coming soon!
Alia Ellison
SODO Tasting Room Manager
Read Bio
Coming soon!
Charles Imperatori
Diffraction’s head of wine & games
Read Bio
Coming soon!
