Wine A Little, Laugh A Lot – At Stephen Hemmert Wines

If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket to the 2022 Grape and Stomp Paella Party on October 15th, Stephen Hemmert Wines hosted their latest harvest with food and wine for the community and club members. With live music and a glass of local wine, you might have been brave enough to stomp your feet through the barrel of grapes and dance for a moment. Adult men and women alike rolled up their dresses and slacks so they could feel like kids again, dancing around and feeling ripe grapes squish under foot. If dancing wasn’t your thing, games and a paella big enough to feed sixty people might have made you more excited. This event wasn’t for making money or selling wine, it was for celebrating the community who have fueled the growth of this business. For Stephen and his partner Nicole, this party symbolized the nature of the beverage they have cultivated and bottled; as a drink which brings the community together.
In 1980 when Hemmert came to California from Oklahoma, he confessed he knew nothing about wine. His passion was music, but when a fellow band-member began working at a restaurant, Stephen started to develop an interest in wine. He started to educate himself and made connections within the winemaking world. After developing a friendship with Le Chene owner Juan Alonso in 2009, Stephen decided to start bottling his own wine. Prompted by the love of his partner Nicole, he was encouraged to keep pursuing this passion alongside his regular nine to five job, and in 2010 he produced the first small batch of wine labeled “Oasis”.
After years of testing and saving money as a couple, the Stephen Hemmert Wines brand was established in 2014 for the public and in 2018 they opened their own winery and tasting room in Lancaster for hosting small private parties and tastings (open Saturday and Sunday from 2-6 and on Friday 5-9). Their wine club boasts a membership over 100 people, and they specialize in small-batch varietals and local wines which arrive at your door four times a year. In the future, they have a goal of opening a tasting room in the Santa Clarita Valley and growing the wine club membership to at least double. Although still a small family-run business, the Stephen Hemmert Wine brand usually sells 400 to 500 cases of wine per year. They have grown on average 15% each year since the opening of the business, including during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Stephen and Nicole explain, wine is the lifeblood of their growing community. The events and parties they host are not to sell and expand the brand, they are to meet and interact with customers and the community. Participating in Vines to Wines and Sunset in the Vineyard are opportunities to meet and interact with people who are interested in wine as much as they are. By sharing a good bottle of wine with friends, they hope to contribute more than just a beverage; but an experience meant to be shared with others.
For more information please visit their website at: stephenhemmertwines.com

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