Issue 44 - Wilson Creek Winery

“EXTENDED FAMILY”
WINE CLUB NEWS
October/November 2008
Issue 44
WILSON CREEK WINERY & VINEYARDS
“Quality Wines & Quality Times!”
1.
The CRUSH is ON
again at Wilson Creek. We’re finishing up with the
2008 harvest, and it appears that everyone in the Valley is
having a good year. Winemaker Etienne Cowper, speaking
like the scientist that he is, says “The fruit has been very good
in flavor for both whites and reds. Most of the reds have had
good color so far. The challenge has been mostly with the
move (into the NEW Event and Production Facility).”
Bill Wilson, a little more excitable then the stoic Etienne
says “This has been the best growing season this Valley has seen in years.
Everyone is very excited about the quality of fruit that is coming off the vines!
Could be the best vintage we have seen in a decade!” You know what that
means? MORE GREAT WILSON CREEK WINES!
2.
1. Etienne Cowper our Winemaker.
2. Our vineyard crew hard at work picking
Petite Sirah - your FUTURE wine!
3. Cellar Master Joe Vera works the destemmer.
4. Assistant Winemaker Benny Rodriguez on
the forklift.
5. Cambria and Sarah Wilson are involved
with many aspects of the winery but love
helping with harvest, plus child labor laws
do not apply to a family business .
5. 4.
3.

Craig Chaquico
Below:
Gerry and Rosie
get the crowd
roaring before
the concert.
Photos courtesy of Hulse Photography – www.hulsephoto.com
Marion Meadows
George Duke left
George Duke and Andre Delano rocked the vines at our
August 16th concert. We closed the Sunset Jazz in the
Vines concert season with an amazing show from sax
great Marion Meadows and opening act guitarist, Nick
Colionne. Our new concert venue was outstanding,
allowing us to accommodate more guests with great
views, great food and, of course, great wines! Best of
all, a portion of the proceeds from all of our concerts
benefit children with autism. We’re already planning
our Sunset Concerts in the Vines for next year, so keep
an eye out for more details and information.
Above: Rosie and Thunder
Left: Staff members Margo,
Brad, Kevin, and Diana
enjoying the game!
WC takes Lake
Elsinore by Storm
Recently the entire Wilson Creek employee “family” visited the
LAKE ELSINORE STORM, Class A California League affiliate
of the San Diego Padres! Rosie threw out the ceremonial first
pitch. Hayden Johns, Rosie’s grandson, got to do the
ceremonial sweeping of home plate! Everyone had a grand
time, and we’re proud that the Storm had such a great season!
The Sax Pack
Below:
Dave and Lisa Frisch
came from Colorado
for Sunset Jazz!
Neil Diamond
Tribute
WOW! What a night! Surreal Neil and
his bandmates in SUPER DIAMOND put
on an outstanding show! People were
singing along and dancing in the aisles!
We really enjoyed it, and our friends at
The Sunrise Rotary of Temecula are
so appreciative that so many “Extended
Family” and friends of the Winery showed
up to support their Safety Town project!
Above: George Duke with some
Wine Club fans.
Courtesy of Ceanone Photography
www.ceanone.com
The FULL MONTE CARLO!
The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce recently hosted their annual
Monte Carlo Night mixer here at the winery! What a FUN night! Over
500 TVCC members and guests were here for an evening of networking,
friendship and fun!

DAY OF WINE & CHOCOLATE
(what more could you ask for?!)
Hospice of the Valleys hosted their annual fundraiser,
A Day of Wine & Chocolate, here at the winery.
Friend of the Winery and “Extended Family”
member John Hunneman was the guest emcee of
this great event!
Bill pouring our “Decadencia”
Chocolate Port into chocolate cups for guests.
BUBBLES & HOOPS?
Recently NBA Hall-of-Famer (and as he quickly pointed out, father of current
NBA player Luke Walton) Bill Walton visited our winery with his lovely wife Lori.
We had such a nice visit, and Bill was so great about signing autographs and letting
us take pictures. We hope they’ll come back to visit us soon!
Our cashier Carol presenting
Bill with a bottle of Almond
Champagne.
The short(er) ones are (from left) our pourers John and Kevin and barback Erik.
BOTTLE SHOCK -
The Movie...
a true story of love, victory and
fermentation!
There are certain moments in history when
America has proven itself to the world: Neil
Armstrong setting foot on the moon, or the US
Men’s Hockey team defeating the Soviet
Union in the 1980 Olympics. One such
moment, however, never got the recognition it
deserved. In 1976 several small, relatively
unknown California wineries entered the
“Judgement of Paris” tasting competition
to celebrate America’s bicentennial. Napa
Valley’s Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay bested the
exalted French wines of the time, sent the wine
industry into a tizzy and put California wines on
the map for good! If you love America and
wine, you’ve got to see
this movie!
GALLERY
Recently Deanna Wilson
mentioned to all that there
was soon going to be a new
addition to their family! We
immediately started planning
a baby shower but soon found
that the shower gifts should
be rawhide chews and rubber
toys! Meet the newest
member of the Wilson Family,
SHERRY, Mick, Deanna and
Sarah Wilson’s new puppy!
Fox 11 News personality
Rick Lozano made his annual
pilgrimage to Wilson Creek
and Temecula Valley Wine
Country to report on this
year’s crush! Poor Rick had
to drink Champagne with Bill
at 7:00 AM in the morning!
Poor guy!
FOX
NEWS
RICK
LOZANO
LIVE
@ WC
In the wilds of Montana,
while Bill, Jenifer and their
family were vacationing,
someone saw the Wilson
Creek logo on the back
of their car in the
campground and raced
over to tell them how much
they loved our Almond
Champagne. Of course,
Bill & Jen had to share a
bottle with these nice folks!
Have Almond, will travel!
Recently members of our
local Riverside County Fire
Station visited the winery to
familiarize themselves with
our new facilities. While
they were here, other guests
connected with them, too.
Worlds collide here often!
The firemen were such good
sports about getting their
pictures taken! Oh, and
FABULOUS HATS,
LADIES! Thanks for
sharing
your
birthday
celebration
with us!

UPCOMING EVENTS – JOIN THE FUN!
There’s always something happenin’ at Wilson Creek!
Sip, Savor
& Stomp!
Sunday, October 19th
@ 5:00 PM
Don’t miss this! Our
annual harvest celebration
and grape stomping
extravaganza! We’ll enjoy
a wagon ride through the
vineyards to Merlot Mesa
where we’ll snack on
appetizers while we watch
the sun set over Wine
Country. Then we return
to the winery for a buffet
dinner, live music and dancing and GRAPE STOMPING!
A party like no other! Price for this extraordinary evening
of fun, food and friends is just $72/$64 Wine Club (and
guests). Call us TODAY at (951) 699-9463 for more
information and reservations!
JUST IN TIME for the HOLIDAYS
Sippin’ & Shoppin’!
(Two of our VERY favorite activities!)
FOUR select THURSDAYS @ 5:30 PM
Join us as we offer our “Extended Family” Wine Club
members great EXTRA discounts (just in time for the
holidays!), great food, barrel tasting AND GREAT
WINE! This year, by popular demand, we’ve
added shopping nights all through the holiday
season! Call for reservations and please plan to join us for
one (OR MORE!) of these great shopping opportunities!
JOIN
US!
CALL 951-699-WINE (9463)
TODAY FOR YOUR RESERVATION
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
1. November 20th
2. December 4th
3. December 11th
4. December 18th
Sippin’
shopper is
Margo
from our
shipping
department.

Come See
Us Soon!
Open Daily
11AM - 5PM
WINE
CLUB
Benefits
Include:
• 10% savings on food & wine by the glass
• 20% savings on wine by the bottle
• Preferred reservations and seating
• WINE CLUB WEDNESDAYS
1/2 price bottle of selected wines
with food purchase (one specially priced bottle per member)
• Happy Hour - Monday-Thursday 3PM-5PM
1/2 price appetizers
1/2 price champagne/sangria/beer
(no other discounts apply to Happy Hour pricing)
Special Happy Hour Menu
THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 27TH
OPEN 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Reservations Required
Join us as we celebrate our FIRST
WILSON FAMILY THANKSGIVING in our new event
facility! We’ll enjoy a classic holiday buffet and all the
trimmings prepared by our own Creekside Grille culinary
team! Seatings available throughout the day! Cost for this
fabulous feast: $50 per person/ $45 Wine Club; Children 6
through 12: $24.95/ $22.46 Wine Club; Children 5 and
under, FREE! Call for more information and
reservations!
GIVING THANKS FOR ALL OF LIFE’S BLESSINGS

Check out these
on-line
FREEBIES!
Shop Early!
Shop Often!
Buy a case of wine on-line
& we’ll ship it for FREE
That’s right! Visit our on-line store and purchase any
case of wine and we’ll ship it for FREE! Just remember,
our on-line store recognizes you as an “Extended Family”
by your e-mail address. Please make sure we have a valid
e-mail address on file so our system recognizes you
and gives you’re your “Extended Family” discounts!
(Offer valid from Nov. 1st - Jan. 31st. On-line orders
ONLY, unless specifically prohibited by your state.)
Stocking up on
Stocking Stuffers?
Add to your shipment &
we’ll pay the extra shipping!
Would you like us to add a little something to your
December Wine Club selections? Just give us a call and
we’ll be happy to add a bottle of bubbly or a flask of fun!
(OK we’re stretching it there...) but, if you contact us by
phone or e-mail to add to your December Wine Club
selections, we’ll pay for any additional shipping! Call
us by Monday, December 1st to insure receipt by
Christmas. We look forward to hearing from you!
(OK, here’s the “official” stuff... Offers of FREE
SHIPPING apply to standard FedEx or UPS ground
shipping. Any requests for “expedited” shipping will be
charged accordingly. Some restrictions may apply, etc.,
etc...)
CALL US at (951) 699-9463 TODAY!
POSTAGE
Hot Air Balloon Ride for 2!
As of this writing, the intrepid WCW
Hot Air Balloon team (which is
basically Bill and his best
friend Rusty Manning of A
Grape Escape Hot Air Balloons
and their wives!) is making
their way toward the 37th Annual
Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta! To celebrate our participation in
this GREAT event, check out this GREAT
FREEBIE!
There’s no better way to enjoy the majestic beauty of
Temecula Valley Wine Country than in a hot air balloon!
Our friends from A GRAPE ESCAPE are offering the
chance to win a hot air balloon ride for two (a $250 value!).
Experience peace and serenity while drifting over vineyards
as the sun rises. Take flight and view lakes, citrus groves,
wineries and estate homes from your unparalleled view. Once
back on the ground, we will toast your flight and new status
as “aeronaut” with Wilson Creek champagne, orange juice,
and a continental breakfast served picnic style in our gardens.
Visit the Freebies page in the Wine Club section of our web
site and click on the button that says “A GRAPE ESCAPE!”
Your name will be entered into a drawing for this GREAT
Prize! For more information about hot air balloon rides go to
www.agrapeescape.com or call 1-800-965-2122.
SEASON’S SURPRISE!
Just in time for the holidays! The lucky winner
will receive a holiday surprise package chock
full of holiday-themed wine gifts and
accessories worth $100! Simply go to the the
Wine Club section of our web site, click on
“Wine Club Freebies” and then find the button
that says “Season’s Surprise”. Your name will
Good
Luck!
be entered into a drawing to win this great holiday gift package!
AND THE WINNERS of our
previous great “freebies” ARE...
John Orr of Burnsville, MN is the winner of our Barkeeping
Bling gift package ($150 value)! Just in time for the holidays!
Isidro Delgado, Jr. of Murrieta, CA is the winner of two free
entrées ($50 value) from Shogun Teppan Steak, Sushi & Fine
Dining in the Promenade Mall, Temecula!

WINE CLUB
RAVING FANS
Member Judy Henderson of Temecula, CA wrote...
We had friends visiting from Tucson AZ yesterday, and we brought them
to your winery. We were in the barrel room visiting with Gerry Wilson
and shared Minnesota stories, as that is where we all originate from.
Gerry sold us and our AZ friends on becoming Wine Club members. We
signed up immediately... Gerry is such a smooth talker!!! We had a fun
time and look forward to taking part in a lot of the up-coming events.
Best to all of the Wilson Family... see you soon...
Pictured left to right:
Rick Hanson, AZ, Judy Henderson,
Gerry Wilson, Linda Hanson, AZ,
Jamie Henderson
Member Victoria
Rodriguez wrote...
Hello, I want to thank Mr. Wilson for
making my friend David’s first visit
memorable. After wine tasting,
David and I were walking around the gift shop area, and we had the
pleasure of meeting Mr. Wilson. He
was very gracious and gladly took a
picture with us. As we drove home,
all David talked about was Mr.
Wilson’s wonderful hospitality. We
both look forward to our next visit.
I am proud to be a member of the
“Extended Family” Wine Club.
Long-time member
Jim Townsend of Palm Desert, CA wrote...
I just have to tell you that I found the first bottle of wine that I
purchased from you. It was a 2001 Reserve Syrah that JR told me to
buy. I had it last night and WOW, WOW, WOW! If you have any
hidden away, DRINK IT! It is one of the best wines you have ever
made. Thank you for your efforts in the wine business. Again, thank
you. Wilson Creek is the best!
(Editor’s Note: Here’s hoping that the bottle of Estate Syrah that’s
included in this month’s selection holds up as well as Jim’s bottle did,
if you can wait that long to open it!)
A Different Kind of “WINE THIEF”
A true story set to rhyme by Wine Club Manager, Lisa Cherry
As you might know there is a tool called a “wine thief” that is a glass siphon tube used to draw
small amounts of wine out of larger containers for tasting and testing. You might have seen us use it for
barrel tastes and the like. Well, recently winery visitor Leo Rizzi of the Ventura, California area told us
the saddest story about a different kind of wine thief...
A burglar crept into his house
He surveyed the place, quiet as a mouse
TVs and stereos all through the place
The prospect of “loot” brought a smile to his face!
Maybe he heard the slam of a door
Maybe he heard a step on the floor
He stopped in his tracks, whatever the cause.
He knew in his heart he was breaking some laws!
He looked to his left, he looked to his right
He scanned for the most valuable thing in his sight.
All of a sudden he espied a prize
HOW TO SHOP ON LINE!
Have you visited our new and improved on-line store?
Don’t forget, our store recognizes you as
a member of our “Extended Family”
by your e-mail address with your
initial password as THE LAST
FOUR DIGITS of the primary
phone number that we have on
file for your member profile.
QUESTIONS? Call the
Wine Club office Mon - Fri,
9:00AM - 5:00PM and we’ll be happy to help!
Something quite special in front of his eyes!
What was this item, so temptingly there?
A prize worth the risk? Something costly
and rare?
A case of champagne from Wilson Creek
And what other valuable thing did he peek?
A case of our Zin, which won double-gold
A case which poor Leo had purchased to hold.
Two cases he grabbed leaving much in his haste
At least we can say that the thief had good taste.
THIS JUST IN...
Refer A Friend to Join Our Club,
you will get a bottle of champagne for just 5 cents! That’s right!
If one of YOUR friends or family joins our Wine Club because
you told them how GREAT it is, you get a bottle of Almond
Champagne or Grand Cuvée Champagne for just 5 cents! Just
make sure they mention YOUR NAME on the application
when they sign up so we can get YOU your
CHAMPAGNE! (Some restrictions apply. Call
Wine Club at (951) 699-WINE for more details!)
5 CENTS?!
Wine thief - Mike P.,
star of stage, screen
and our shipping
department.

WILSON CREEK WINERY & VINEYARDS
“Quality Wines & Quality Times!”
THIS SHIPMENT’S
FEATURE WINES
One red and
one white.
Two bottles of the same
white plus champagne.
Two bottles
of premium red.
Add a bottle of
Almond Champagne.
2007 MUSCAT CANELLI
Our popular 2007 Muscat Canelli, with its light straw color, is
very aromatic with tropical fruit, rose petals, apricot and tangerine
aromas. The clean ripe flavors fill your mouth with hints of sweet
apricot, tangerine and pineapple. In the finish there is a sweet
lingering exotic fruit flavor. Serve chilled.
Regular Bottle Price $17.95
Wine Club $14.36 - *Re-order price $12.56
Case Price $183.09
Wine Club $161.55 - *Re-order price $140.01
2006 ESTATE SYRAH Gold Winning Pedigree
Our 2006 Estate Syrah is a lovely example of one of our
favorite varietals! This one has a medium brick color and
aromas of ripe plum, vanilla and bacon (YES! We said BACON!)
The flavors include fresh plum, tart cherry and toasty oak. It
finishes with a lingering taste of sweet fruit. Medium-bodied,
good to drink now, it will age exceptionally well until 2015.
Regular Bottle Price $32.95
Wine Club $26.36 - *Re-order price $23.07
Case Price $336.09
Wine Club $296.55 - *Re-order price $257.01
2005 YOU BET SHIRAZ (psst... say it real fast!)
This 2005 Shiraz has a lovely dark garnet color and aromas of
dried cherries, walnuts and a touch of earth. Flavors of dark
cherry mix with peppery spice. The wine has a rich mouth-filling
texture and a long smooth finish. As you may know, Syrah and
Shiraz are the same varietal, just called different names in
different regions. It is believed that “Shiraz” was the original
name, after the city in Persia (Iran) where it probably originated.
It is believed that the name was altered to “Syrah” when a
returning French crusader, Guy De’Sterimberg, brought the
varietal back to his home in the Rhone River Valley. Shiraz
is the most widely planted grape in Australia, where it
has flourished for over 175 years. This bottle is good
right now but will age beautifully through 2015.
Regular Bottle Price $28.95
Wine Club $23.16 - *Re-order price $20.27
Case Price $295.29
Wine Club $260.55 - *Re-order price $225.81
CLASSIC CLUB
2007 Muscat Canelli
2006 Estate Syrah
Your price $40.72 - YOU SAVE $10.18
COLLECTORS’CIRCLE
2006 Estate Syrah
2005 You Bet Shiraz
Your price $49.52 - YOU SAVE $12.38
GREAT WHITES
2007 Muscat Canelli (two bottles)
Almond Champagne
Your price $38.71 - YOU SAVE $14.14
Prices shown are before applicable taxes and shipping. *Re-order prices are valid through 11/30/08
fabulous
FAMILY SPECIALS!
Membership has its privileges!
Re-order any of the still wines in this shipment and receive
30%OFF Bottles, 35%OFF Cases
(or mixed
cases!)
That’s right! When one of these great wines tickles your taste buds and you’ve simply GOT
to have MORE, just give us a call at (951) 699-WINE (9463) and you’ll receive a 30% discount on
re-orders! Need even MORE great wine? Buy a case or a mixed case of any of the still wines in this
shipment and receive a 35% discount! (*Re-order price valid through 11/30/08)
We’d love to hear from you! Call (951) 699-WINE, visit our web site at www.wilsoncreekwinery.com, or email us at wineclub@wilsoncreekwinery.com
35960 Rancho California Road • Temecula, CA 92591 • (951) 699-9463 • Fax: (951) 695-9463