Mill Creek
   
Vineyards and Winery Established 1974

Winemaker Jeremy KreckMill Creek's winery sits on a knoll overlooking the vineyards. The main building was on the property when the Kreck family purchased the land in 1968 and was converted to a state of the art winery in 1976. The two main sections of the winery include temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks and small French and American oak barrels.

Winemaker Jeremy Kreck’s basic philosophy is to let the fruit shine in Mill Creek’s wines. “My goal is to have the winemaking process and components compliment and enhance the fruit.”

The whites are picked at optimum maturity, then crushed and pressed gently. The juice is settled, then racked and inoculated with yeast. The whites are fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and small oak barrels. The gewürztraminer and sauvignon blanc are bottled early the next year, while the chardonnay is allowed to age for a brief period.

The reds are crushed, then fermented in small stainless steel tanks while either being pumped over or punched down, two to three times daily. After fermentation, the must is pressed and the wine returned to stainless steel for a brief time to settle before being racked to 60 gallon barrels. Jeremy adds, “Barrels are the seasoning, if you will, of the wine world. Done properly, flavors are lifted and additional layers of complexity added, without being overwhelming in the finished product.” Reds age from 12-24 months depending on the wine.

“The fruit is both influenced by the cool nights and mornings of the Russian River Valley, but yet allowed to fully mature with the warmer climate of the Dry Creek Valley.”


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AND WE ARE OFF - - - AND PICKING!

Friday, August 29, 2008 we started harvest by picking the young-block Sauvignon Blanc. This was exactly one week later than the same block last year. With great numbers, Jeremy is a happy winemaker! Next came the old block of Sauvignon Blanc this morning. The Gewurztraminer will follow in a few days. For you lovers of Gewurztraminer – get the 2008 early, because it is another very short crop. Gewurztraminer is one of those grape varieties that is not reliable in set from year to year. Many varieties, most in fact, seem to be light this year. However, often these years light in fruit are the best in quality. 2008 is still a guesstimate, but so far, it looks like a real winner!

If you want to actually see harvest, come soon. The work in the winery will be persistent until at least Thanksgiving, but the grapes may all be picked by the first of October.

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