Our Team

FOUNDER

Founder, Bob Morus serves as President and Director of Winegrowing. He moved to Hood River in 1989 with the expressed goal of raising both wine grapes and kids. Today, his children are all grown up and the established estate vineyard consists of 36 acres of breathtaking vines.

Bob now spends his time tending the vines or overseeing all production aspects, since retiring from commanding a Boeing 777 in international operations for a major airline. He also now has more time for stories of Phelps Creek in the new Tasting Room.

THE CONSULTING WINEMAKER

Alexandrine Roy, from Gevrey-Chambertin, first joined our team in 2007, with the goal of crafting a special cuvée from our estate Pinot Noir. Over the years, her role expanded into contributions reflected in all of our wines. Even though Alex has now taken the reigns in her family estate Domaine Marc Roy, she still finds time to return to Oregon and contribute to Phelps Creek Vineyards. This fourth-generation Vigneron continually amazes our team with her timeless techniques steeped in tradition.

GENERAL MANAGER

Lynette Barss-Morus began her journey to Phelps Creek through a serendipitous visit to a Hong Kong wine bar. She unexpectedly ventured into the layover lair of Bob and his co-pilot. Bob, aiming to impress this cute Canadian lass, ordered them a bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir, and the rest is history.

Lynette spent 12 years in Asia in marketing and sales for medical imaging equipment throughout the Pacific Rim. While overseas she attended Hong Kong's prestigious WSET Academy (Wine & Spirit Education Trust), earning her Level 3 Certification.

CELLAR & VINEYARD MANAGER

Irineo Magaña has been our Manager of Vineyard Operations for over 25 years. He believes that the quality of wine in the bottle first begins with the hours of hard work in the field.

His commitment to quality grape production stems from personal pride in witnessing the vineyards developments transforming wines that truly reflect the beauty of the land. He coordinates a team of three brothers and numerous other workers in the field to make this magic happen.

Irineo was awarded Vineyard Excellence Award in 2016 from Oregon Wine Board.

WINEMAKER

Lauren joined the Phelps Creek team in 2023. She leads the Production team to make our wines, and has assumed the lab reigns from Bill. After fermenting beverages at home while working in nonprofits, Lauren went back to school 10 years ago for a winemaking degree from NW Wine Academy at South Seattle College. After a cellar stint in Woodinville and seven years at K Vintners as Enologist, her desire to make “mountain wine” in the Gorge, and to be more involved in grape growing, brought her to Phelps Creek.

SENIOR ENOLOGIST

A graduate of UC Davis's Wine program, Bill Swain moved his family to the Columbia Gorge over 30 years ago, seeking the perfect place to start his own winery. He and Bob "kicked the dirt" on Phelps Creek Vineyard's estate long before the land was purchased.

His vast winemaking experience flowed through positions crafting wine in California, Oregon, Venezuela, Virginia, and Washington. Bill returned to the Gorge in a dual role as our resident Enologist and Grandfather to his own clan.

ASSISTANT WINEMAKER

Ira Kreft joined our team in 2010. He assists Alexandrine Roy and Bill Swain by bringing an appreciation for traditional winemaking practices as well as New World technology. He enjoys nurturing the native yeast essential to Phelps Creek's unique expression of terroir.  

Earning his Certificate in Winemaking from U.C. Davis, Ira maintains a strong commitment to continuing education. Prior to joining our team, he volunteered with many other wineries in both Michigan and Oregon.

WINE CLUB CONCIERGE & REGIONAL SALES

Beth Runnels is an Oregon native with nearly 20 years of experience in the hospitality and service industry. Her desire to learn more about wine brought her to our door in August 2021. She has grown with the Phelps Creek team and facilitated its growth during our time of expansion at the new location.

Beth continues to expand her wine business knowledge at Phelps Creek by taking on additional responsibility as Regional Sales. When she’s not connecting with the Wine Club or traveling around the region, you can find her at home with her partner and their three dogs, or relaxing with a good book and a glass of Phelps Creek Pinot Noir.

TASTING ROOM & EVENTS MANAGER

Almost two years ago, I walked into Phelps Creek Vineyards for an interview and was greeted by Beth, the Tasting Room Manager, whose warm and friendly smile immediately made me feel at home. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of exploring the many facets of the wine industry and gaining invaluable knowledge from Beth, Bob, and Lynette. When the opportunity arose to step up into the Tasting Room Manager role, I felt confident taking on this new challenge, knowing that I had a supportive leader and friend who had paved the way for my transition. I am excited to bring my own experiences and ideas to the role and contribute even more to our fantastic team