Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards (formerly Balsamroot Winery and Vineyard)
As you drive up Ivan Morse Road in Manson, you have the beauty of Lake Chelan behind you and the promise of a new winery before you. You know you’ve arrived at Balsamroot when you see the yellow-logo-emblazoned SUV parked at the entrance. A 2006 start-up, Balsamroot Vineyard and Winery is the creation Don and Judy Phelps. Don’s background as an engineer comes in handy nurturing their 4-acre 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.
A visit with Don and Judy quickly dispels any notion that a mathematician and an engineer are devoid of passion. As you swirl and sip their chardonnay, viognier, riesling, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and “Ivan the Red” blend, you can’t help but notice that they poured their collective hearts into the creation of these wines.
If time permits, you can relax on the outside deck (hopefully with a glass of wine in hand) and enjoy the view of the backyard hillside. During the spring, the native arrowleaf balsamroot wildflower is in its full yellow splendor. If you notice strange little animals scurrying around the dirt-encrusted hillside, please don’t be concerned that you’ve imbibed too much wine. Those critters are a colony of marmots that entertain visitors throughout the day.
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Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards (formerly Balsamroot Winery and Vineyard) was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Lake Chelan North Shore WineTrail on page 248!
