Charlie Gilmore - In Charlie Gilmore’s world, simple is good, quality is critical and terroir is everything. Even before Charlie earned his Viticulture and Enology degree at UC Davis in 2000; he was already working in the wine industry, serving an internship at at Artesa Vineyards and Winery in Napa. From there he worked at some of world’s most respected wineries, including Cakebread Cellars, Gundlach Bundschu and Rosenblum Cellars, as well as with a wine consultant in the south of France.
When Charlie became Jekel’s winemaker in 2005 he dedicated himself to returning to the basics that first made Jekel great, producing wine that is not only considered the essence of Monterey but some of the finest wine in all of California.
Very much a hands-on winemaker, Charlie’s favorite times are spent in the vineyards, working with the vineyard team, harvesting the fruit and guiding the process from vine to bottle. That means days that can start at 4am and end well after dark during harvest.
Why such commitment?
“The Monterey climate, the soil, the long, cool growing season gives us fruit that is exceptional. It’s my job to make sure that unique quality shows up in every bottle and every sip of Jekel wine,” he says.
In his rare spare time Charlie enjoys baseball, hiking and fishing, but admits his heart is always in the vineyard no matter where he is. His winemaking philosophy is simple – always exceed expectations. Something we believe Charlie does on a daily basis.