Becker Vineyard

OK, I understand that this page is for waxing somewhat eloquently about a winery’s fantastic wines, its great tasting room, its eco-friendly vineyard practices, its summer concert series, and the stunning views. However, when it comes to Becker Vineyard, the storyline begins and ends with the proprietors of this marvelous winery — Charles (Charlie) and Peggy Becker. Sure, they offer a lovely line-up of wines in a gorgeous setting, but the chemistry of these two makes the difference. They are a such a cute couple, with loads of energy.

This is the story of two very hard-working people who met in midlife at a nature preserve and fell in love. They are still in love, despite the fact that launching and maintaining the winery/vineyard is all consuming. That’s in addition to keeping their day jobs, no less. During the week, Peggy works at a local healthcare clinic, and Charlie is a house painter. He’s also an accomplished builder and personally constructed their new tasting room. I suspect he also painted it. In addition, Peggy is a master gardener of sorts, and a quick inspection of the nearby gardens, which includes a rare big leaf magnolia tree, is a testament to her green thumb.

Together with their chocolate Lab, Moka, the couple produces small batches of premium wines, most of which are sold at the tasting room. Visitors will experience a yummy portfolio of wines, including pinot gris, pinot noir rosé, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah. That is, if they aren’t sold out. When done with the tasting, there’s a nature walk around the Beckers’ property that’s excellent for getting to know the flora of this great region.

Balancing camera and notebook in one hand, I shook their hands and said my goodbyes. Little did they know that I felt like hugging them, but given the fact that we had met just 45 minutes earlier, that might have been a little awkward.