Wilson Winery

When Diane and Ken Wilson (of Wilson Winery, Healdsburg, CA) put their first Cabernet Sauvignon vines into the ground in 1989, they were already planning their winery and their product line. But, wisely, the young couple eased onto the wine scene by slow, careful stages. Neither had an agricultural background or came from a farming family. Neither was a dedicated wine buff either – until Ken bought a house that just happened to have some winemaking equipment in the basement. A friend, with a small vineyard in Sonoma County, offered to supply the grapes, and they became home winemakers. From that point on, the route was set, and Ken began learning everything he could about growing grapes and making wine.


Each year Ken and Diane added a little more vineyard – some Merlot and Cabernet Franc and, later (in 1995), a little Syrah and Zinfandel. Even today, most of the grapes go to Rodney Strong Vineyards, but starting with their first commercial release, a vineyard designate 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve for which Diane and Ken received a gold medal and Best of Class honors at the 2000 Sonoma County Fair, they have continued to grow, now producing about 3,000 cases of wine under the Wilson label.

Shortly after setting up their tasting room in March 2001, Ken and Diane created the W3C wine club. “It’s the in-house acronym for our Wilson Winery Wine Club,” explains Ken. “Because we make only small, hand-crafted lots of most of our wines, we are limiting the club to the first 100 people who sign up.

Tasting room hours are 11 am to 5 pm, Friday through Sunday. A convenient parking lot is located just west of the winery, and a pleasant walk to the back of the building leads to an overlook with a spectacular view of the Dry Creek Valley and hills beyond. For information about the wines or the winery call 707-433-4355.