Sponsor Spotlight "It has been an amazing journey and not just about wine"

by Gillian Larson

Wilson Creek has been a generous donor and patron of Temecula Valley’s non-profits since the Wilson family moved out to Temecula in 2000 and started its winery and Bill admits that it’s been an amazing journey.

 Bill Wilson,the Wilson family and Wilson Creek Winery and Vineyards have been long-time supporters and patrons of Reality Rally and for that we are eternally grateful!

Wilson Family 1 50resized 50x2

 

Wilson Creek Winery has always opened our Reality Rally event with such class and with a a most memorable evening, setting the tone for the rest of our event weekend. In addition Wilson Creek produced custom label wines and sparkilign wine labels for us for several years.  

 Wilson Creek has been a generous donor and patron of Temecula Valley’s non-profits since the Wilson family moved out to Temecula in 2000 and started its winery and Bill admits that it’s been an amazing journey.

We caught up with Bill and he took a few moments out of his busy schedule to reminisce and reflect with us about Wilson Creek Winery’s involvement with Reality Rally. Bill remembers Gillian, a bold woman with a vision, who had just finished her bout with the TV show, ‘Survivor,’ and she wanted to use her notoriety for good, so she had this brilliant idea to organize a scavenger hunt throughout Temecula to showcase the city, bring needed funds to Michelle’s Place for breast cancer awareness, which was a noble endeavor, and have some fun while doing it! In addition a full 3 days of events.

Now Bill sends a team of staff members from his winery to participate and is their most ardent cheerleader – albeit on the sidelines. He appreciates the mission of Reality Rally as it raises needed funds for breast cancer awareness, and does so using a unique approach that garners support from all ages but especially the younger leaders in the community due to its innovative approach to fundraising; it’s not the standard silent auction that everyone is accustomed to.

2017 Wilson Creek team 50Sparkling Winos

 Before the Reality Rally "Amazing Race"                                                                                              Cheering and smiling at the end with the Watson's, the founders of Michelle's Place !!!!

He applauds Kim Gerrish, Executive Director, for her work at Michelle’s Place and Wilson Creek “Toasts the Tata’s” which supports Michelle’s Place for enhancing the lives of others and Susan G. Komen as well.

‘FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS’
Wilson Creek Winery is the 4th longest surviving original ownership of a winery in Temecula’s Wine Country. At its inception it was #14 and now it is #4 due to attrition and retirements; Temecula’s wine business is not for the faint of heart.

Wilson Creek Winery is family owned and operated. He attributes their success to their passion for what they do – it’s all HEART combined with a love for family. Wilson Creek continually re-invests in its operation and its staff has 218 team members and growing.

What makes Wilson Creek’s wine sparkle? According to Bill, it takes a non-traditional approach to winemaking as it is not pretentious or snobby but appeals to the mainstream – offering a high quality product at reasonable prices. Bill says that its sparkling wines are for celebrating the everyday successes and not just major life events. Wilson Creek’s White Cabernet and Cabernet/Zinfandel combinations are among its most popular. In addition, Wilson Creek Winery hosts unique events that frequently sell out as soon as tickets go on sale. Its Josh Turner concert scheduled for June sold out in 1 week!

Bill is proud of Wilson Creek Winery as it is making world class wines, using sustainability, environmentally friendly farming techniques and works closely with the other Temecula wine country growers to share info and work together to strengthen the farming community as a whole by sharing applied knowledge.

According to Bill, “Audrey Cilurzo, Bella Vista Cilurzo Vineyards and Winery, John Moromarco, Callaway applauded us and supported us and gave us the advice needed to be successful; they supported Wilson Creek and cheered my family on.” Bill wants to ‘pay-it-forward’ and support other wine makers in the region who share his family’s passion for making best-in-class wines using Temecula grown fruit.

Winemakers from other regions and corporations that come to Temecula and expect to set up shop and import non-local wines are not welcome. Bill and other local winemakers are passionate about keeping Temecula’s wine region purely devoted to the integrity of the Temecula wine making region, thereby producing wines that are made locally utilizing locally cultivated grapes whenever possible.

“From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank the community for welcoming my family to Temecula Valley. We came out here thinking we were living in Hemet South and no one knew where Temecula was, the opportunity for wine making was there, but the icing on the cake was the wonderful people of Temecula and we want to thank the community for supporting wine country and Wilson Creek and my family. We love Temecula and what makes Temecula is the people.” – Bill Wilson, Wilson Creek Winery

Bill acknowledges that he is not the only winery that supports the community and states, “The entire wine country is a huge asset to the city of Temecula and the city is a huge asset to Wine Country.”

We, at Reality Rally, want to thank Bill Wilson, his family, and Wilson Creek Winery for their continued patronage of our event and as such, making a huge contribution and impact in the lives of others through the important work being accomplished every day at Michelle’s Place.

Wilson Creek Winery and Vineyards
35960 Rancho California Rd, Temecula, CA 92591
(951) 699-9463
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wilsoncreekwinery/
Twitter: @Wilson_Creek
LinkedIN: @wilson-creek-winery
Pinterest: @wilsoncreek

 For full Reality Rally 2018 details to enter your team to compete against the Wilson Creek Sparkling Wino's check out http://realityrally.com/the-event/ticket-sales/amazing-race-game-tickets

Thank you Denee Burns, our sponsor blogger for chatting with Bill Wilson and writing this Wilson Creek Sponsor Spotlight Blog   

 

Leave a comment

Comments

  • No comments found