Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards

Sun 3.14.2004


No, it's not in Napa, nor Willamette Valley.

Down south in where-the-heck-is-it Temecula Valley, roughly 90 miles south of LA, or 60 miles north of San Diego.

It's not known nationally and you definitely will not find it in The Wine Bible. Perhaps only Southern Californians come here for a taste of what we can make out here or for a weekend getaway.

In such a phase of our lives, my husband and I have just begun the attempts to understand the complex world of wines. With very basic knowledge and limited pocket power, we set out for our first Wine Country tour in California. (Well, we used to live in Oregon and had visited a couple of wineries in the Willamette Valley.) Where could be more perfect than Temecula?

As we drove through Rancho California Road, the thoroughfare of Temecula Wine Country, we saw vineyards, wineries and their restaurants, bed-and-breakfast, or spas. It's of such a small scale that some of the worldly wine lovers might snicker.

Frankly, we didn't know which winery to start. So, we simply let fate choose it course. Minutes later we pulled in Wilson Creek's parking lot.

Two baseball-cap-wearing college-looking kids were welcomed by a beautiful garden, gazebo, performance stage, and bustling patrons. We were also pleasantly surprised to learn that we stopped in the home of several California State Fair Gold Medallists. (Also, one of the most popular destinations in the valley.)

We "wrestled" through the gift shop and tasting circles and found our way to the "Barrel Tasting Room" in the back. It's a temperature-controlled area (60 F) where barrels of 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon stored on site. I wasn't sure if this was a real cellar or merely set up for the tasting event. Nevertheless, it delivered the ambience of a cellar and we certainly felt more comfortable with smaller crowd.

There were 2 bars: one occupied by a group of females; another, several couples. The wine steward at the "girls bar" casually introduced the flavors and characteristics of the varietals he served. I thought it was wonderful to learn about wines in such relaxing fashion. At the "couples bar," we were trying to decide what to taste.

"So, you are the man behind the Wilson Creek Winery," said the lady of the couple standing next to us.

I looked at nametag of the person she spoke to. It was Mr. Gerry Wilson, the MAN behind Wilson Creek. How about that! Mr. Wilson himself showed up and ready to present his wines.

For the next half hour we listened to this gray-haired man briefly on appellations, glassware, regulations, and his labor. The couple next to us got a few questions answered and we, the two youngsters, had the honor (mostly luck) to receive a memorable lecture from a wine producer.

On our way home, I took a final glance of the vineyards and wondered how these producers made them happened here. It seems to me that wines are labors of love. It begins with the love for them, then a dream of producing them, then realizing the dream, then sharing the love. For thousands of years, our palates satisfied and our lives enriched by these amazing beverages. Behind each wine, there are countless miracle workers to make it happen.

I don't know if any wine producer ever made Fortune's annual billionaire list, or became a millionaire for that matter. In Wilson family's case, we learnt from an article that they were in debt at some point and had to sell family land in Iowa. From their web site, I also found out Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards started out by taking chances. A retired couple and the whole family ventured into an unknown territory of building a winery from scratch.

Were we there to judge their efforts? Hardly. We were touched by the sense of fulfillment the Wilson family had created.

Thank you Gerry and family!


[Note]

About Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards, please see:
http://www.wilsoncreekwinery.com/Page.bok?template=about