Cellar Door
"Come up and see me sometime"
- Mae West
You will most likely encounter the owners Don and/or Judy Phelps when you visit since they are usually on the premises tending to winemaking and the vineyard. There is plenty of room for picnics so treat yourself to a bottle of our delicious wine while relaxing on the lawn or deck.
We are located about 1/2 mile behind Mill Bay Casino on the north shore of Lake Chelan. Look for the Pointing Finger signs.
OPEN Daily from Noon-5 pm (Saturday 'til 6) for Wine Tasting/Sales
Our small tasting room needs advance notice for large groups (>6) Please call for a reservation 509-687-3000. Thanks!
Like a more intimate experience? Private tastings available by appointment.
Address:
300 Ivan Morse Rd.
Manson, Wa.
Click Here for Directions
You can also taste our wines at Nectar in Spokane.
ACCOUNT SALES
American Northwest Distributors
Seattle-area
Oleg 206-465-9950
Bottles of Grapes
Spokane-area
Lee 866-263-4462
Columbia Distributing
North Central Washington
Brad 509-662-1673
Piccola Cellars
Wine on Tap
Diana 425-486-9463
Read more about us below
The heart of Hard Row to Hoe are its owners, Judy and Don Phelps.
Winemaker Judy Phelps has a Master of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Connecticut Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. She retired from her corporate career in research and development at Pfizer, Inc. in 2006. Judy completed the Winemaking Certificate program at the University of California at Davis in July 2006 and is past president of the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association.
Don, works his magic in the vineyard. He has a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from Washington State University specializing in water resources and works in his private practice in Chelan. Don is a Board member for Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association.
If there was ever a Renaissance Man, it has got to be assistant winemaker Rudy Vargas; there is so much more to him than his role of assistant winemaker lets on. You probably know Rudy from behind the tasting room bar where he treats us to his brand of enthusiasm and love of wine. Rudy has a Fine Arts degree and brings his artistic sensibility to the tasting room experience.
Each visit, each sip of wine is a chance to explore and discover the art of winemaking. He'll make sure that you appreciate, understand and experience the nuances of each varietal; that you 'get' the lemon in the Riesling, the peach in the Viognier, and won't let you leave without explaining the unique characterisics of the Nauti Buoy and Shameless Hussy wines. His passion for wine is contagious!
The Vineyard
With an eye towards making wine in the Lake Chelan valley, Judy and Don began searching for the right property and bought a 25 acre orchard on Ivan Morse Road on the north shore of Lake Chelan in 2004. After updating the existing orchard buildings and purchasing state-of-the-art winery equipment, they were ready for their first commercial 'crush' on site in the fall of 2005.
The Lake Chelan climate, with its cool nights, hot days and lake-moderated winter temperature is an ideal area for growing wine grapes allowing for a longer hang time without over ripening. The vineyard is located on a southwest facing slope of the property and has been planted and maintained organically using sustainable growing practices. The soils here consist of well-drained gravel interspersed with large stones and small boulders, making it truly a hard row to hoe. The vineyard is irrigated with the crystal-clear, glacial waters of Lake Chelan. We are currently participating in Salmon-Safe Certification, the first vineyard in north central Washington to do so.
2005 was the first year of planting the first two acres of grapes, Cabernet Franc. In 2006 another 2 acres of grapes, Gewurztraminer and Riesling, were planted. In the 2007 growing season Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec and Chenin Blanc were planted. In 2011, all of the Chenin Blanc was replaced with new plantings of Cabernet Franc
Vineyards on the south shore of Lake Chelan and from the Columbia Valley continue to add value to our wine program as our estate matures and comes in to full fruition. Grapes are sourced from Lonesome Springs Ranch (Petit Verdot, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc) , Boushey Vineyard (Marsanne) Riverbend Vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and Doebler Vineyard (Primitivo). We also lease a vineyard on the south shore of Lake Chelan for Pinot Noir.