The Accidental Winemaker
I never dreamed that I'd be a winemaker! Several years ago, we came to California with our small herd of horses to escape the Florida summers. While my wife was fully involved with the horses, I became interested in the vineyards around our ranch. Met some good people, got interested. And now, in 2020, we've bottled the first of grapes that I helped source and blend, wines that have my input with the assistance of master winemaker, Steve Clifton.
Hopefully, you will enjoy drinking these wines as much as I've enjoyed making them.
Kent Mitchell
Happy Thanksgiving
It's been quite a busy fall around the farms and the winery. We've come out with our latest red, a Cab Blend, our Claret as well as our Grenache Rosè. Our Wellington FL and our Wilmington NC farms have sold, we've moved business offices from North Carolina to Florida and we're packing up the herd and relocating to Ocala, FL for the winter months. Not that our little corner of California isn't beautiful in the winter too.
We've spent the week in Texas for a family reunion, Thanksgiving holiday, welcome our three week old grandson and yes, enjoyed a fair amount of wine with family. We were happy to be sponsors of the Duke Jump For The Children Horse Show and customers have also shared photos of their holidays with our wines "on tap" so to speak.
We are grateful for our family and friends and this amazing life we lead. Hope that everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving.
Nov 26, 2021 at 3:07 PM
Permalink
Talk About Time Flying...
Cannot believe it has been over a month since I've checked in and we've been coast to coast to coast.....
September started off in North Carolina then down to Ocala, Florida then back to the ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, then down to La Jolla, CA for a family wedding and an awesome Boz Scaggs concert, on to Houston, TX for my 50th High School Reunion wrapping up with a wine tasting, and back to Ocala...all in under a month...
We're working with our winemaker, Steve Clifton, on opening up a small tasting room near home; working with folks in Florida for opportunities at the horse show venue and local clubs. Rona's again pledged a portion of sales to benefit wildife - September for Hurricane Ida assistance and October will go to Friends of Texas Wildlife in The Woodlands, TX. So, it's been pretty busy all around.
Hope that you all are having a great fall and looking forward to the holidays ahead.
Oct 7, 2021 at 10:11 PM
Permalink
New Wines At Last
So excited to have our newest wines ready, labeled, and licensed! We have a 2020 Grenache Rosè, a 2018 Malbec Reserve, and a Cab Sav blend, our 2018 Claret. Wine club members will be getting a bottle of each to try later this month along with their regular orders!
Sep 1, 2021 at 12:22 PM
Permalink
Hurricane Ida Donations
With the devastation coming to our Gulf Coast, we will be making the September WILD2525 discount in honor of National Wildlife Day focused on those areas. Use the code WILD2525 and get 25% off your order, 25% off shipping and we will donate 25% of all sales to Wildlife Rescue efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Ida. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the path of this horrendous storm.
Aug 29, 2021 at 9:43 AM
Permalink
Discount Days Ahead
While I've been spending a good portion of time in Florida, Rona's been back and forth for the horses, ducks, and wine stuff. This week I've been informed, by Rona, that we're doing discounts for National Red Wine Day (40%) Aug 24-31 with code RED40; National Wildlife Day (25% + 25% to charity) September 1-31 WILD2525; National Grandparents Day September 12 GRAND50 (50% off orders and 50% off wine); and GINGER50 on September 23 in appreciation of National Redheads Day for Rona and her Mom and our son Alex. 
Aug 24, 2021 at 9:31 AM
Permalink
Time Flies
Wow, cannot believe it is mid-August already. We're in the midst of changing farms in Florida - from Wellington up to Ocala, bottling new wines in CA, visiting family in NC, NY, and PA and relocating our "business" office to Ocala, FL as well. It's bittersweet that we've just sold the first "Long Creek" entity - our farm in NC where we had wholesale trees, hay, and hosted events. It'll be in good hands; the new owners have the Pine Valley Market in Wilmington, NC and they'll be hosting even more events at the farm, growing stuff to sell and serve at the Market, so we're super happy to see this "farm to table" use of the land.
Aug 18, 2021 at 11:22 AM
Permalink
National Lighthouse Weekend
While many places may be celebrating National Lighthouse Weekend in early August, we're kind of partial to the celebrations at "Old Baldy". Not just because they will be serving up our wines but because I spent over two decades working on and developing Bald Head Island, NC so I'm a little partial to that particular slice of paradise. Again, Rona talked me into discounts - 40% on product and 20% on shipping using the code LIGHT40 through August 15.
We spent most of July traveling around, visited the amazing Blue Mingo Inn on Otsego Lake, New York for a family get-away which provided some welcome down time for us both. While not a lighthouse, the "Kingfisher Tower" folly was our view every morning and made for a lovely kayak trip across the lake.
Good to be back home for a spell.
Aug 1, 2021 at 6:27 PM
Permalink
Independence Day Derby
This past weekend we did a little "in-house" sponsorship and had Kent's Cafe dishing up burgers at one of Rona's schooling weekends. And wow, we had double the number of participants from prior events with two full days jam packed with riders of all abilities. I had a fun time chatting with folks and dishing up food, Rona ran around like a crazy woman, totally in her element with horses galore and we both had a ball sharing our ranch with everyone. A little exhausting but oh so worth it...even in the almost 100 degree heat. Thanks to all who came out to play and practice.
Jul 11, 2021 at 8:00 PM
Permalink
Just June
After a visit to Pennsylvania to celebrate Rona's parent's 60th Wedding Anniversary, Rona's back in CA while I'm working in North Carolina. I definitely think she's got the better weather. We're meeting up in Ocala next week to start close on our new farm there. After that, back to CA where she's planning another fun schooling show for the weekend of July 9th (Code WINE50 is 50% off July 1 -12). This month in addition to our CASE25 discount on 12 bottles or more, we're doing a Father's Day Discount (Code DAD50) to offer 50% off in honor of Father's Day. All month the FOTWL10 gives customers an additional 10% off on most other discounts and we donate 40% of all proceeds to a wildlife non-profit - this month, Friends of Texas Wildlife in The Woodlands, TX.
We shipped out a case of wine to be enjoyed by a young couple in Texas in honor of a birthday (thanks to his Aunt Debbie) and folks are getting prepped for their corporate holiday gifting - contact Rona to ask about discounts and special notecards and stickers. Last year we handled all the corporate gifting via email so that gifts could receive maximum personalization and we are happy to do so again this year.
Jun 8, 2021 at 12:00 PM
Permalink
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Sounds so cut and dried. In reality, most of us cannot begin to imagine the sacrifice made by these folks and their families. We owe everything to them. So, take a few minutes, remember those who have sacrificed so that we can live the lives we lead. We are offering members of the military 35% off all orders and 10% off shipping. All the time, not just today. Please email Rona longcreekwines@gmail.com so we can get you set up in the system with the discounts.
It's also almost time for our Summer Wine Club shipments. Sign up or edit your choices by June 10th and we will be shipping (free to California) by June 15th (just in time for Father's Day). In addition to 15%, 20%, or 25% Club Discounts, use code CCWR10 for an additional 10% off your order AND we donate 40% of all proceeds for the month to a wildlife rehab center. That's up to 35% off (with our 6 bottle club) and even 25% off with our 2 bottle club.
May 31, 2021 at 6:00 AM
Permalink