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WINERY FEATURE | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKWOOD WINERYAll in the Familyby Mark StorerCool climate growing, with daytimetemperatures that don’t often exceed 80degrees, and cool nighttime fog set SanLuis Obispo apart from many other vineyardlands in California. Those conditions are thereason for the peppery, earthy Syrahs forwhich the area has become famous. And it’shere that Craig and Sheri Wood own an 80-acre ranch, 32 of which are vineyards.“We thought we’d plant grapes as ahobby,” says Sheri Wood. As it turns out,Wood Winery became much more than that.“It became a lucrative business for us as wellas a passion,” she adds.The vineyards the Woods have grown arenamed for the family. There’s Sheri’s vineyard,Gina’s vineyard and Jackson’s vineyard, thelatter two being the Woods’ two children.They purchased the land in the mid 1990sand planting a vineyard was the furthest thingfrom their minds. But a chance encounter at alocal restaurant changed the Wood family’sdestiny and by happy accident, Wild WoodWinery was born.“It was actually a great story,” says Craig.“We were out to dinner one night and mywife got to talking to the bartender who wasa Cal Poly viticultural student.” Eventually,that led to Cal Poly University’s KeithPatterson coming out to the Wood family’sranch. Patterson is a member of the viticultureprogram at the university. “He told us wehad to plant Syrah here and so, we did,” saysWood. And that began an education thatinvolved Wood picking up the books in theCal Poly viticultural program.Not a graduate of anyone’s wine oroenology school, Wood is self-taught andconsiders himself a winegrower, not a winemaker.Eventually, he began talking to winemakersin the area and they all wanted to buyfruit from his vineyards. He thought theremust be a reason why and so he began tomake his own wine. “It all starts there in thevineyard,” he says. “That’s where the wine ismade.”This fall and winter, the Woods areconcentrating on the tasting room in ArroyoGrande. “We’re available for private parties atthe tasting room and we’re holding Girls’Night Out on select Thursdays as well,” shesays. The Girls’ Night Out is part of the SLOVintner’s Association’s plan to have the eventat member wineries throughout the winter.The plan to rent out the tasting room toprivate parties, however, is a Wood familyoriginal. Renting the tasting room for aprivate party provides a secluded, classicatmosphere for people to enjoy the benefits ofa luxurious wine tasting bar without theregular crowds that can accompany a winetasting evening.Continuing the focus on lady winedrinkers, Wood Winery is also releasing itslatest 100% estate Syrah blend called, “Bling.”“The bottle is embellished with SwarovskiAustrian crystals and it’s really for the girls,”says Sheri. “You can never have too muchBling.” It’s perfect for any celebration.The Woods will also be bottling theirpopular Albarino, an Italian white varietalthat more and more people are discovering,as well as their Sangiovese. Both wines soldout when they hit the market and the Woodsare happy to have more coming out soon.Focusing on single-vineyard varietals,Wood is careful and thoughtful aboutproduction. Wood wines spend two years inthe barrel and a year in the bottle before theyare released. “I’m just now drinking throughsome of my ’02s and ’03s,” says Craig. Thisattention to detail and to taste is what sets6 www.WineCountryThisWeek.com