An opportunity to move to Seattle was met with smiles after the blistering Texas heat. There we began making wine from grapes obtained from Eastern Washington. We stepped up the wine making operation from a small closet to a cellar dug into the hill below our home (yes, we replaced the supports to the house with two 400-lb beams just to make this room). The temperature and the grapes were much improved. During our stay in the always green city of Seattle, we made several trips to Buhl Idaho to visit our friend Terry White. One such occasion we helped him plant an acre of Chardonnay grapes which started us thinking about a vineyard of our own. We’d have to wait since we couldn’t grow anything around our property that wasn’t snail and slug proof… We began producing some very good reds and finally some whites to be proud of. We entered and won 3rd place for our Semillon in 1998. We bottled under the Cougar Mountain Winery label.

Finally we moved to Fallbrook California. One of the conditions of the house we were searching for was that it had to have at least an acre that could be planted with a vineyard (or have an existing vineyard if lucky enough). Two years in the home and we have planted 669 vines with room for around 300 more if we’re so inclined. Along the Italian theme of the Sangiovese and Montepulciano we have planted Malbec. We'll be planting more Malbec and about 280 Cabernet Sauvignon plants early spring 2005. In order to grow the best grapes we can and make the best wine we can, we joined the San Diego Amateur Winemaking Society (www.SDAWS.org). We’re active members and enjoy the many educational and networking possibilities that the society offers. In 2003 we won a Bronze in the Orange County Fair for our Sauvignon Blanc. Check out the Awards link for our 2004 awards. We now bottle under the Cougar Vineyard & Winery label.

So there you have it. 2004 and 2005 harvests were good ones. We are making estate wines from our vineyard and also purchased grapes. For all the details check out our Current Harvest link.

In the words of our friend and mentor Lum Eisenman some words that motivate us to grow good quality grapes and make good wine… “You can't make good wine from bad grapes but you can make bad wine from good grapes”. Also, it takes a lot of beer to make good wine!