Award-winning winery on the shores of Moses Lake

The dockside view of Camas Cove Cellars’ tasting room on Camas Place, in Moses Lake.

Camas Cove’s wines spend between two and four years in French oak barrels that can cost more than $1,000 each.

by Robert Monteleone & Staff Writer
| December 29, 2015 12:45 PM

Camas Coves wines spend between two and four years in French oak barrels that can cost more than $1,000 each.

MOSES LAKE — South of Blue Heron Park, across from Laguna Drive, you can dock your boat and, after a quick jaunt up a flight of stairs, visit the tasting room of one of Washington's award-winning wineries. Camas Cove Cellars is the winery Dennis and Nancy Parr have overseen since they first planted grapes on their property 11 years ago.

The Parrs’ home sits on 10 acres near the southern end of Moses Lake. Dennis, a structural engineer, and Nancy, formerly a home economics teacher at MLHS, had always enjoyed wine as a hobby. When their first test plot of grapes took to the land, they dedicated two of their acres to growing primarily four different types of wine grapes, mostly Syrah, but also Roussane, Counoise, and Chardonnay. Though it is a labor of love, Nancy cautioned other aspiring vintners, saying it usually takes "at least three to five years to get profitable."

She said the cost of a single (empty) barrel can fall between $800 and $1,200, depending on the type of oak used. Choosing the type of oak barrel is an important decision, Nancy said, because each type of oak imparts a different flavor upon the wine. With her wines typically spending between two and four years developing in barrels, having the right oak is essential to properly compliment the grapes’ flavor.

Nancy said Camas Cove Cellars started out selling "about 200 cases" each year, and now sells about 350 cases. However, she said continued growth or expansion isn't their goal. They're happy to be a "micro-boutique" winery, and with their wines sold at Harvest Foods, Michael's on the Lake, and Simmer, to name a few, the Parrs are happy with the size and production of Camas Cove Cellars.

The tasting room is usually open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday afternoons, but will be closed until Valentine's Day. The Parrs will be pouring at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center artists' reception on Jan. 15.

CCC's 2009 Roussane was awarded the silver medal at the Northwest Wine Summit Awards and their 2009 Thelma & Louise and 2008 Merlot took home the bronze.