Every time we travel to Manson, in WA’s Lake Chelan AVA, we always visit Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards for excellent wines and notorious stories. It is a must-stop, because of the wines and because of the friendly and knowledgeable co-owners, Judy and Don Phelps, and Julian Shaver. During our trip last month, we were delighted that Judy joined us. And we toasted the winery’s 20th anniversary. She and our tasting room hostess Becca kindly poured us five impressive wines. Their website proclaims “Exceptional Wines and Notorious Stories from Lake Chelan.” That is exactly right. Read on for details.
Category Archives: Gamay Noir
What’s In Our Glasses in January
What’s in our glasses in January? We enjoyed some fine wine lately, and subsequently posted about these great seven bottles on social media. However, in case you missed our posts, you can catch up here. In addition, we welcome you to follow Write for Wine on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. Read on to find out details about what’s been in our glasses this month.
Swirl Around BC 2025
Last month, we were delighted to attend Swirl Around BC 2025 Wine Expo, an event in Vancouver held by Wines of British Columbia to celebrate BC wine. About 60 wineries participated, and the two of us managed to share small pours from 14 of them. BC wine is indeed worth celebrating. In addition, we talked to several wineries about the provincial program that enables BC wineries to use grapes from outside the province while recovering from the deep freeze in Jan. 2024. We tasted some of these wines with fruit grown from Washington and Oregon, but made in BC. All are delicious!
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Summer Reds
Summer reds? Yes, please! Sure, most people think of whites, rosés, and bubbles for the deck in warm weather. But let’s not forget that red wine pairs perfectly with backyard barbecues. That’s right! Summertime means it’s grilling season. So fire up the BBQ. Here are a dozen bottles we served recently with grilled meat.
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