Hard Row to Hoe

Judy and Don Phelps of Hard Row to Hoe

7 October 2015

In the marketing area, this is a story that moves from Balsamroot to a lovely lakeside brothel.  I’ll let you listen to the details, which reflect how strategic a local story can be when it comes to naming a winery.  But a good name is nothing without equally good wine, and Hard Row to Hoe has both. 

I’m beginning to think that Cabernet Franc is the stellar grape of the Lake Chelan area, and the local Braeburn apples make wonderful ice cider, as you'll see when you visit Hard Row to Hoe and taste their Burning Desire Cabernet Franc and Ice Breaker Ice Cider.  Suggestive label names such as Shameless Hussy, Nauti Buoy and Good in Bed make wine drinking fun, but there is a serious side as well to wine making at Hard Row to Hoe.  Judy and Don are committed to expressing the Lake Chelan terroir with their wines, both the north and south shore areas.  Thus they source many of their grapes from their own estate vineyards.  Find out what is unique about the Lake Chelan AVA, the virtues of ice cider as opposed to ice wine, the connection between copper mining and wine, and much more by listening to Judy and Don.

Listen to the Interview:

Hello, World!