The family-run Lake Chelan winery says the certification makes official a longstanding commitment to healthy soils, clean water, and estate-grown fruit
information released
Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards, a family-owned estate winery on the north shore of Lake Chelan, has announced that its estate vineyards are now USDA Organic certified.
The certification applies to Hard Row to Hoe’s estate vineyards in Manson, including Glacial Gravels, Gary’s, and Poverty Hill, where the winery farms approximately 20 acres of wine grapes in the Lake Chelan AVA. The 2026 vintage will mark the first release since the estate vineyards became officially certified, bringing new recognition to practices that have shaped the winery from the beginning.
“This certification didn’t change our farming,” said Judy Phelps, owner and founding winemaker of Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards. “It just made it official. We’ve been organic since day one because we make wine that we actually like to drink ourselves, and we don’t want glyphosates or synthetic chemicals in what we consume.”
Hard Row to Hoe’s first vineyard on Ivan Morse Road was previously recognized as the first LIVE and Salmon-Safe certified vineyard in North Central Washington, reflecting the winery’s early commitment to farming practices designed to support healthy land and waterways.
“What goes on the soils in the vineyard doesn’t stay there,” said Don Phelps, owner and vineyard manager of Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards.
“Protecting the watershed of Lake Chelan is non-negotiable for us. Healthy soils, living ecosystems, and clean water make better grapes and better wine in your glass.”
Don Phelps, Julian Shaver, Judy Phelps (l to r)
For the Phelps family, organic certification is also tied to a larger belief about the future of Lake Chelan as an agricultural community. The rolling hills of orchards and vineyards are part of what visitors love about the valley, but that landscape depends on people continuing to farm it.
“The lake is beautiful, but this is also an agricultural area,” Don Phelps said. “The vineyards and orchards people come here to enjoy don’t stay part of the landscape by accident. We want to keep this valley in agriculture for future generations, and that means supporting the farms and wineries that are growing fruit here.”
For Julian Shaver, Head Winemaker and Managing Partner of Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards, organic farming is directly connected to the winery’s focus on low-intervention winemaking and Lake Chelan Valley terroir.
“Great wine starts in a living vineyard,” Shaver said. “We’re focused on making wines that reflect the unique terroir of Lake Chelan Valley. When the vineyard is healthy and alive, we can work with native yeast, ferment with less intervention, and let the grapes speak more clearly. For the same reasons many families prefer organic fruits and vegetables, we prefer to make wine from organically grown grapes.”
Visitors can taste wines made with organic grapes at the winery’s Lake Chelan tasting room in Manson and its tasting parlor in downtown Leavenworth.
For more information, visit hardrow.com.
About Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards
Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards is a family-owned and operated estate winery located in Manson, Washington, in the Lake Chelan AVA. Established in 2005, the winery is known for estate-grown wines, vineyard views, notorious storytelling, and a serious commitment to farming. Hard Row to Hoe’s estate vineyards are farmed organically and are certified LIVE sustainable and Salmon-Safe. The winery welcomes guests at its Lake Chelan tasting room in Manson and its tasting parlor in downtown Leavenworth.
