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| Wild Horse Winery | Templeton, CA 93465 |
www.wildhorsewinery.com
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1437 Wild Horse Winery Court Templeton, CA 93465 (866) 577.3597 Fax : 707 251.4821 Email: customerservice@wildhorsewinery.com
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As a champion of the central coast winegrowing region for over 25 years, Wild Horse is known for producing a diverse selection of interesting, complex and extraordinary wines most notably our flagship – Pinot Noir. When you visit the winery you will be able to sample wines available only in the tasting room including the ‘Unbridled’ labeled reserve wines and an array of Heirloom varietals. Open daily from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 1437 Wild Horse Winery Court, Templeton, CA 93465. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Winemaker Clay Brock Clay Brock likes to kid that he was destined for a life in agriculture: at age seven his father, the vineyard manager for famed San Francisco confectioner Harry See, arranged for him to weed the sod roof of the See’s Napa Valley home. “I was paid handsomely,” Clay recalls with a chuckle. “Three dollars a day, I believe it was.” Through his teen years, Clay helped his father during the summers and holidays in the Christian Brothers’ St. Regis Vineyard, just down the road from Justin Siena High School in Napa, where he played football, basketball and excelled at track. Clay continued to follow in his father’s footsteps. He enrolled at Cal Poly to pursue a degree in Agricultural Business Management, and it was there that he fell in love with the splendor of the Central Coast. Though, it would be a number of years before he would have the opportunity to make his home there again. After earning his degree, he returned to the Napa Valley with the love of his life, Karen, who quickly started work at Robert Mondavi Winery. They married the following year and Karen’s love of the wine business inspired Clay to return to his roots. At first, Clay was uncertain of his career path and held a number of jobs in and around Napa Valley, including positions in agricultural biology, retail management, large equipment rental and banking. In 1985, he returned to the wine industry when he joined Corbett Canyon Winery in their tasting room. His education in winemaking had begun. “I realized that the coolest job in a winery is that of winemaker,” recalls Clay. His odyssey toward achieving that goal began by the old-world tradition of advancing within the industry, from hospitality, to bottling, to the cellar, to the lab. His mentors were the knowledgeable and generous winemakers at Corbett Canyon, and later at Ken Brown and at Byron Winery. His determination was rewarded with a position as Winemaker at Edna Valley Vineyards in 1997, which allowed him to return to his beloved San Luis Obispo with his wife and, now, two young daughters, Lindsey and Anna. In 2001, Clay accepted the appointment to Vice President, Winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery with the charge to assist them in perfecting their emphasis on Rhone varietals. “While the daily commute was daunting, it was an opportunity that I could not pass up,” he explains. “It was an occasion to put to use the culmination of my skills and make a valuable contribution to an iconic property.” In 2008, when he learned that Wild Horse Winery was seeking a Director of Winemaking, he jumped at the chance. “I knew [winery founder] Ken Volk from Cal Poly, and I admired both his wines and his work with organic farming, which is a more sensible way to grow grapes that reflect the terroir. Wild Horse Winery also happened to be twenty minutes away from my house,” he adds with a smile, “was also attractive.” Clay quickly began contributing to Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards growth, and has future plans for expansion and improvements to the cellars. “In addition to the opportunity to craft wines in small lots,” he explains. “I want to explore and refine every style that I can.” In addition to winemaking, Clay also enjoys the “instant gratification” of making beer, which he brews with fellow winemakers and neighbors as a hobby. “You boil up a batch and three weeks later you’ve got beer and, of course, a reason to have a barbeque.” Now “empty-nesters”—their daughters are grown and establishing their own lives—Clay and Karen look forward to opportunities for travel, both on behalf of the winery and on vacations. Their favorite destinations are cities, such as New York, with a vibrancy that can be lacking in the smaller towns where they have always lived. “I started a family at a much younger age than most of my friends,” he says. “The kids are grown and now it’s time for us to play.” |
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