Complex and flavorful grapes cover the 20 acre vineyard that makes up Balsall Creek, winding carefully on vines and growing to complete perfection. From Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, 14 different wines are made to stimulate and satisfy any and all wine devotees.
Jon and Lesli Owens, the owners of Balsall Creek Vineyards, started with a simple dream over 30 years ago. After packing up their life and moving across the world to reside in Europe, Jon and Lesli befriended a vineyard owner, sparking their everlasting interest in the wine industry. Shortly after retiring in 2020, Jon realized that he now had the time to build the business of his dreams. Emily Yensen, Jon and Lesli's daughter, decided to hop on the bandwagon and help her parents find a vineyard that aligned with their vision. Being a real estate agent at the time, Emily found Balsall Creek Vineyards with little trial and error, now the Director of Marketing and Sales for her family business. In February of 2021, the Owens bought the vineyard and started the process of making it their own. Fast forward to April of 2024 and their estate tasting room was open and ready to be shown to the public. The family team also includes Jon and Lesli’s son, James Owens, Director of Logistics and Facilities, and son-in-law, Zac Yensen, Director of Finance and Business Operations.
“We created this as a family and enjoy working together,” said Emily when asked about the dynamic of a family business. Having a shared dream as a family makes it easy for everyone to work together and work towards a common goal: to create wine and turn moments into memories.
Although the vineyard itself is pleasing to the eye, the Estate House takes the visual cake. The building was built in the shape of a "U" with each corner and room holding something different. The main tasting room has floor to ceiling windows with a wooden bar and wine racks, the 1850 lounge has a fireplace and French doors opening onto the center patio where you can view the vineyard and the mountains that surround it. For smaller and more private events, they have a room with a full scale kitchen and private dining, where guest chefs can be brought in to cook up culinary delights that pair wonderfully with the estate wines.
While some wineries make wine from purchased fruit, Balsall Creek does not. Everything that you see on the acres surrounding the Estate House is made into the wine that is offered.
Events, small and intimate to large and social, can be held at Balsall Creek. From small educational classes, to their Annual Harvest Dinner held in September, to their sparkling release parties, their holiday market held around Christmas time, and their Sips and Sounds summer concert series, Balsall Creek loves to do it all. They host their own yearly and monthly events but will cater specifically to any and all that want to put on their own party to enjoy the views and tastes that make up this vineyard.
Membership cost varies depending on the desires of the person owning the membership. With membership comes shipments of wine from the vineyard, discounts on wine and discounts on events that are held in the Estate House. They now offer a more social membership for those who don’t want regular wine shipments, but still want access and discounts on events.
Jon, Lesli, James, Emily, and Zac all have a future goal of getting their wine into stores and restaurants. As a fairly new business, Balsall Creek has no desperate desire to immediately expand but rather maintain the wonderful rapport that they have built and share the love that goes into their establishment.
Along with creating wine and hosting events, Balsall Creek partakes in sustainable practices throughout the vineyard and production. They are LIVE and Salmon Safe, are Bee Friendly Farming Certified, use organic farming practices, have a vegetable garden on site for culinary use, utilize animals for vineyard maintenance and have 150 feet of solar panels that can produce more electricity than the Estate House consumes when weather allows. For electric vehicle users, Balsall Creek has two electric charging stations that allow owners to charge while they gracefully indulge.
“We are trying to see a dream come true as a family team,” said Emily. This is something that she sees herself doing long-term. Creating delicious wine, maintaining sustainable upkeep of the large vineyard, hosting social events, and seeing just how many people they can satisfy is a goal that will make the family content for a lifetime.