Hearts, Intert“wine”d

By Katy Doyle

“We’re high school sweethearts,” Jeannie Carpenter says of her 40-year relationship with her husband, Chris. “I went to Corvallis, and he went to Notre Dame. He was a friend of my cousin’s. I was 17 when we got married.”
Two children and five grandchildren later, the Carpenters make their home in a 77-year-old European country-style home in Newhall. Chris’s brother, Tim, lives in the Spanish-style abode next door. Their Labrador retrievers split time between the two properties, which also share a vineyard. The families tend, harvest and create their own wine from both the grapes they grow and those they purchase. “Collecting wine and winemaking is a hobby of ours,” Chris says, showing the barrels and bottles containing a recently made vintage. “Ours is called Compa Vineyards after a black Lab Tim owned,” Chris explains.
Eight local vintners brought their wines to the Sunset in the Vineyard fundraiser the Carpenters hosted in their backyard last fall. The local Assistance League, of which Jeannie is the president, held the event to raise funds for its programs including Operation School Bell®, the signature program for the national philanthropic organization. The Santa Clarita Chapter clothed 1,663 children in need this school year. The league’s motto is “Caring and Commitment in Action.” Jeannie says of the organization, “We’re all volunteers who are involved and hands-on. You see how the funds make things blossom right away.”
The couple has lived in Santa Clarita for over 30 years. Chris, who commutes to his job as a post-production sound mixer at Universal, says his initial impression of the valley was “Who would live out here? It’s the other end of the earth!” Jeannie remembers when Lyons Avenue was “the street” and the town ended at the hospital. Like many other residents, they moved for the schools – both of their children graduated from Hart High School. And though they’ve thought about moving closer to the coast, they love their current home, which, after some remodeling, became the perfect fit for their lifestyle. “We have a big family,” Jeannie says. “We entertain a lot.”
Entertaining is second only to traveling as one of their passions. Recent trips have brought them to Europe, Vietnam, Mexico and all over the United States. They plan trips the same way they keep their marriage strong. “We compromise,’ Jeannie says.
And, just like any good wine pairing, Chris maintains, “Our personalities complement each other.”