Winemaker: Etienne Cowper

“Great wine begins in the vineyard, but I have the opportunity to perfect it in the lab,” states Etienne Cowper, Wilson Creek’s new winemaker. “I don’t like to add too much to the grapes, only enough to bring out the personality of the juice to produce an enjoyable wine.” Wine is the blending of nature’s natural grape juice with proprietary ingredients, then “cooking” the wine to perfection in aged oak barrels or stainless steel tanks. “You must treat the grapes with respect and handle them gently,” notes Etienne, “Great winemakers, much like great chefs, have a vision for the taste, smell, and ultimately the enjoyment of delicious wine.” Etienne has been instrumental in our harvest and was involved in the entire process including determining the picking schedule. Etienne enjoys the process of bringing out the expression of the grape as it translates/develops into a fine wine. He has over 25 years of history in making award winning wines, including a 16 year stretch at Mount Palomar Winery in Temecula, La Vina Winery in New Mexico, as well as working with the famous Napa Valley winemaker, Jed Steel from Kendall Jackson Winery. Wilson Creek Winery is proud that Etienne has joined the family as our resident enologist and wine expert to enhance the already robust and flavorful wines that are produced. His reputation continues to grow as his exceptional winemaking methods consistently turn out extraordinary, award winning wines. A true artist, it becomes apparent once you sample the depth and intensity of his winemaking talent that he excels in his field. “With Etienne’s wealth of knowledge and uncompromising reputation as the Temecula Valley’s premier winemaker, he will definitely elevate our wine to the next level,” says Bill Wilson, General Manager and owner of Wilson Creek. Etienne has already made his mark overseeing this year’s bountiful harvest. Harvesting over 200 tons of grapes this season, Etienne will utilize his expertise, working diligently in the lab analyzing the raw grape juice to create the best wines Wilson Creek has ever produced. Working closely with Co-Winemaker, Mike Calabro, the team has developed viticulture practices that produce optimal flavor from their grapes, resulting in a delicious wine in the bottle. “Next year, we will be in our new production facility, which will allow us treat the grapes more gently, using the ‘delestage method’ of turning the grapes, and will result in more flavorful red wine,” believes Etienne. He expects a wonderful vintage of both red and white wines with the white wines available for purchase beginning in the summer 2008. Stop by and meet Etienne, he is always available to chat about the flavorful wines available both now and in the future.