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Posted by: thepinetree on 06/16/2016 05:26 PM Updated by: thepinetree on 06/18/2016 06:23 AM
Expires: 01/01/2021 12:00 AM
:



Fete de la Fleur 2016! Stop By This Saturday & Celebrate The Flowering Of The Grape Vines With Milliaire!

Murphys, CA...Celebrate the Summer Solstice and flowering of the grapevines with us!
For $10 enjoy a glass of wine and keep the glass. Refills will only be $7. We will also have fantastic music by local act Magnolia Rhythm Trio from 2-5pm.



Our History by Liz Millier

"We balance each other, each partner brings their energy and talent to the winery. We discuss every detail of winemaking and share all the ups and downs of the creative process."
Steve Millier

It was October 4, 1975 in Santa Cruz and Steve was attending a dinner for local winemakers on the eve of the David Bruce Chardonnay harvest. This was the night where Steve and I met. I graduated from Santa Clara University with a history degree, but had an interest in wine and food. Before long I was hired to work in the office at David Bruce Winery. This began our lifelong partnership as husband and wife and winery owners. During our time at David Bruce, a daughter, Catherine, and son, Robert, were born. From their earliest years both Catherine and Robert have grown up in the wine business.

Stacks Image 65After seven years of mastering his craft at David Bruce, Steve was offered the winemaking job at the new Stevenot Winery in Murphys. This opportunity began our love affair with the Sierra Foothills. It was vastly different territory going from Santa Cruz's misty coastal mountains to Murphys' oak and conifer forests. Steve began exploring the many beauties of Zinfandel. During his time at Stevenot, he worked to supply the newly emerging White Zinfandel trend. A tradition which he continues today with our "Christmas Cuvee" made in a Rosé style. He also continued to make vineyard designated Zinfandel and Late Harvest. At Stevenot, Steve's 1986 Late Harvest Zinfandel from Clockspring Vineyards won the inaugural Best of Sierra Foothills Region award at the revitalized 1988 California State Fair.

The tradition of "Christmas Cuvée" began in 1986 with a truckload of fruit from Clockspring Vineyards. These grapes had been harvested at 21º brix and were very juicy because it had been a wet growing season. In order to concentrate the flavors and produce the dry red wine he had intended Steve drained off 55 gallons of juice and fermented the remainder with skins and seeds to produce his dry red wine. Ever practical I inquired what he intended to do with the extra 55 gallons of juice. Steve's response was to ferment the extra juice into a blush wine for the holiday season. He approached Tom Bender at the City Hotel and Restaurant in Columbia Historic State Park and Tom agreed to take 10 cases of the newly named "Christmas Cuvée" for the holiday season. Steve next approached Ken Bergot at the Sierra Hills Market in Murphys and he also agreed to take the final 10 cases to sell during the holidays that year. So, with the wine still unfermented Steve had sold the entire first vintage of his "Christmas Cuvée". Now each new vintage of our White Zinfandel is first labeled "Christmas Cuvée" and is released each year just prior to Thanksgiving.


In 1990 we had the opportunity to move our winery to an old Flying A gas station on Main Street in Murphys. Here we utilized the whole building; we stacked barrels in the repair bays, put wine tanks in the backyard, bottled in the front yard and on Memorial Day 1990 opened the tasting room in the office. We were teased a lot about what we had in "those tanks" and one friend dubbed us the "Roadside Chateau".

The Millier Family Tradition Continues
Stacks Image 7In 2003 we moved the winery to its current location at our home and the tasting room remains on Main Street in the Roadside Chateau. The new winery has a beautiful barrel room where we host special events. Now Steve can walk out the front door of his home, walk up the hill and into the winery.

Our son Robert, or Bob, as he prefers (pictured left), grew up amongst the vines and barrels. After graduation he began to take a more active part in the winery's day to day operations. Today he works full-time alongside his father, participating in every aspect from crushing grapes to bottling.

We hope that you will come and visit us, we are open daily and year round.



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