
Richard and Sheila Perry planted their first vineyard in 1988 on their
20-acre ranch. This hillside vineyard is located in the Coombsville area
in the foothills of Mt. George, part of the Vaca Mountain range. Its
steep rolling hills required creative terracing done by Richard,
himself.
The Perry's, who are hands-on types, continued planting and now have
about 15 acres of vines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.
Until recently, they sold their grapes to other prestigious wineries.
A love of the land, and an appreciation for the region's potential led
Richard & Sheila into making "homemade" wine with family and friends
since 1994. It has been a great opportunity to entertain and get in a
few "bocce ball" games on their court.
In 1997, they decided to make a commercial product and produced their
first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon. The combination of terrain, soils
and marine-moderated temperatures provides "micro-climates" well suited
for growing Cabernet Sauvignon.
Richard develops and manages other vineyard sites as well as working
hands on with his own vineyard and winemaking responsibilities. Sheila
works as a management consultant for the Dental industry and handles
most of the marketing for the winery. Currently, a project is underway
for the conversion of their barn into a small winery and they will be
drilling caves into their hillside for barrel storage. Richard and
Sheila are the happiest in the vineyard and making wine and are thankful
for the opportunity to do something they truly love.
