Four generations of the Kreck family have built a rich history of grape growing, winemaking and hospitality in Dry Creek Valley. Charles Kreck, a farmer at heart, sold his share of the family hardware business in the late 1940’s and moved his family north to Healdsburg to explore real estate and farming opportunities. These were the early beginnings that eventually led to the inception of Mill Creek Vineyards. One of a handful of wineries in the region at the time, we are humbled and grateful for our history and longevity in Dry Creek Valley.
Timeline
The Kreck family began as grape growers in 1965 and planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon in Dry Creek Valley. They then purchased their current estate property, converting prune orchards to vineyards, and began their own wine production in 1974.
In 1976 an existing farming structure on the family’s Westside Road property was transformed into Mill Creek’s current winery, with the first production of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon coming from the Dry Creek Valley estate vineyards below.
Starting in 1977, Mill Creek began producing Merlot as a varietal. The grape thrived on the property and it quickly became one of the most popular wines in the portfolio. Along with numerous awards, their Merlot has been served twice at the White House.
In 1982, brothers Bob & Bill Kreck milled trees from their family property to begin construction on the Mill Creek tasting room. From foundation to roof and everything in between, Mill Creek is built on family ingenuity and very hard work.
The tasting room was modeled after the many wood mills popular in the area at the turn of the century. The Kreck brothers’ craftsmanship can be seen in the tasting room today, from the hand hewn tasting room bar to the water wheel turning in the pond.
Brothers Bob and Bill Kreck managed the vineyards and winery, respectively, while mom Vera and Bill’s wife Yvonne ran the tasting room... later Bill Kreck would begin a bottling line operation as well. Truly a family operation from grape to bottle to table.
Bill and Yvonne’s son, Jeremy took the helm of winemaking in 2004. He additionally oversees vineyard operations. Over the last 20+ years, he has added multiple wines to the portfolio and cultivated modern and sustainable farming practices in the vineyards.
In 2017, Mill Creek became a CSWA Certified Sustainable Winery. This certification reflects our commitment to sustainable, environmentally responsible practices in water conservation, energy efficiency, waste management, and many other areas.
Today, the second and third generations of the Kreck family work at the winery with the fourth generation learning the ropes at events and in the vineyards. We are truly a family operation and are humbled and grateful for our longevity and history in Dry Creek Valley.
