Wiens Family Cellars Opens in Temecula
Temecula, California - "Making wine is a family thing," says Doug Wiens, winemaker and viticulturist for Wiens Family Cellars. "We love spending time together... even when you get all 35 of our extended family members together there is always fun... and we have amazing cooperation regardless of whether the gathering is for work or play."
Doug was born and raised in Southern California. He studied horticulture at Colorado State University, continuing with graduate work in Agriculture and Business Administration at Cal Poly and Golden Gate University. Doug's professional career includes 20 years in production, quality assurance, and information services for food & beverage companies including Del Monte Foods, Seneca Foods, and E&J Gallo Winery.
In 1996, Doug made a life change by moving out to farm country southeast of Sacramento, and with the help of family members planted a 7 acre vineyard. Eventually, he was joined by his brothers in opening Wiens Family Cellars in 2001. Today the winery is known nationally and internationally for its Gold Medal winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese wines.
Doug says the family mission is "To make the highest quality wine and provide it at a reasonable price. The winery seal contains the words Quality, Family, and Integrity. We stand firmly by those three words as our guiding principles."
The winery has enjoyed enough success over the past four years that it has grown beyond the capacity of the original family winery in Lockeford, California. Doug and his brothers, Jeff, George, and Dave, are now working together to expand Wiens Family Cellars with a new winery, vineyards, tasting room, amphitheater, and wedding facilities located on Rancho California road in Temecula Valley, California wine country.
A temporary tasting room is now open, with full facility opening scheduled for early summer, 2006. The new facility was designed by George, the eldest Wiens brother and architect/partner with WLC Architects in Rancho Cucamonga. Winery financials and facility engineering are provided by Jeff (also the Wiens Cellars LLC managing member) and Dave who is a construction executive for Centex Homes.
"We have a large and tightly-knit family with a broad range of talents, all contributing to the success of our business," says Doug. "We enjoy the company of friends, good food, and fine wines. We are building our new winery to be oriented around a relaxed, friendly, and rural lifestyle. Our goal is to create a place where people feel right at home - part of our family."
Located among the rolling hills and plateaus of Temecula Valley, Wiens Family Cellars is a short drive from Los Angeles and San Diego. The winery produces a broad range of California, gold-medal winning, estate-farmed varietal wines. The Wiens family is building a successful, family owned and farmed wine business. Wiens Family Cellars creates limited production wines for the enjoyment of people who appreciate a down-to-earth family lifestyle.
Visit the family at the tasting room, open 10-5 daily, 7 miles east of I-15 on Rancho California Road in Temecula. Contact the family by emailing Doug Wiens at doug@wienscellars.com, Jeff Wiens at jeff@wienscellars.com or by calling the winery at 951-694-9892.
