Richard Perry, Biography

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.