Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards

As you drive by Mill Bay Casino and turn up Ivan Morse Road in Manson, you have the beauty of Lake Chelan behind you and the promise of an established winery before you.

A 2006 start-up, Hard Row to Hoe Vineyard is the creation Don and Judy Phelps originally named Balsamroot Vineyards and Winery. Don’s background as an engineer comes in handy nurturing their vineyard. Judy’s mathematical mind (she’s a biostatistician) is often exercised in the science of winemaking. She can readily tell you that 30 tons of grapes translate into 2,000 cases of wine.

The name itself is a stroke of marketing genius and celebrates the fact that Lake Chelan had a thriving brothel in the 1930s. Miners were ferried via rowboat to the brothel at Point Lovely and the name “Hard Row to Hoe” honors those sex-starved lads. Even the name of their wine club, the Oar House, is a play on the enterprising business. Note: when at the winery, check out the Kama Sutra wallpaper in the restroom. So with branding hitting a sexual theme, this WineTrail trekker was hot to try their wines.

Be sure and sample their Bear Mountain Syrah made from grapes harvested from their south shore vineyard – the finish on this wine gives you a nice climax.

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  Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Lake Chelan North Shore WineTrail on page 248!