Third Generation

Mark, Ken and Sandra—Dave and Erma Wilson’s children—are the third generation to work the land in Clarksburg. They learned the art and science of farming and ranching from their father and grandfather and are now taking the family business to the next level.

Mark’s Back

Mark started working on the farm as a boy of 10 when he was in fifth grade. "I started out raking hay,” he says. “I graduated to moving irrigation pipe and working in the fields as a teenager."

By the time he was in high school, Mark’s interests had turned to ranching and he went to work for his Grandpa George on his cattle ranch in Sloughhouse where he did a little bit of everything. He still raked hay and irrigated fields, but this time it was pasture for the cattle. He spent long days building and repairing fences, tending livestock, fixing vehicles, bailing hay, and doing anything else that needed doing.

Mark headed for college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and majored in animal science and agribusiness management. By 1976, he was back at his grandpa’s cattle ranch, but this time to take over management. In 1980, when his grandpa traded his ranch for other property, Mark went to work in the animal health industry and traveled all over the western United States representing animal vaccine and pharmaceutical companies.

After 20 years working for others, he started his own company in 1999. His clients included animal vaccine, pharmaceutical, and animal health products and services companies.

As the business side of Wilson Farms and Vineyards became more complicated, it became apparent that the family needed Mark’s particular expertise back home. The Wilson clan encouraged him to return to the farm and share his organizational skills.

Mark is now chairman of the board for Wilson Farms and Wilson Vineyards and is responsible for business organization and strategic planning. Like his grandpa before him, Mark is very active in local politics and the effort to get the Clarksburg Appellation recognized as a premium wine and wine grape region.

Ken Manages the Farms and Vineyards

Ken started working on the farm at age 12, mostly moving sprinkler pipe and siphons, and he continued in the fields throughout his teen years. When he graduated from Delta High School he headed for Sacramento City College.

In 1972 when his dad planted wine grapes he asked Ken to "watch over the vineyards." To do that, Ken figured he should learn more about the vines, the grapes, and the harvest. He promptly enrolled at UC, Davis, as an extension student to study viticulture. He thoroughly enjoyed his courses in viticulture and his experiences in the vineyard and happily took charge of that part of the business. He and his dad soon planted additional varietals like Gamay and Petite Sirah.

"Working the vineyards is hard work, but it is a challenge that I love," says Ken. "I like working with wineries like Mondavi and Geyser Peak and Chateau Souverain and being part of developing an excellent wine."

Ken says that he is especially proud that five fine California wines are produced exclusively from Wilson Vineyards’ fruit. All of them are selling very well: Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier; Dry Creek Chenin Blanc; Vinum Cellars Petite Sirah and Vinum Cellars Chenin Blanc (CNW); and Don Sebastiani White Knight Viognier.

As president of Wilson Farms and Vineyards, Ken’s focus is on quality in all that he does. His close working relationship with wineries and wine makers has earned Wilson Farms and Vineyards an excellent reputation in the industry. As his responsibilities have grown, Ken has trained additional managers to help oversee the grape operation so that he can devote more attention to selling wine grape contracts to premium wineries throughout California. He is still responsible for the grape growing operation and always demands quality control and attention to detail. To contact Ken, send messages to grapeinfo@wilsonvineyards.com

Sandra Handles Sales and Events

Like her brothers, Sandra also had her time working on the family farm as a child.

"I remember begging my mom to let me work on the tomato harvester when I was young. Finally, the summer before my freshman year in high school, my mother gave permission for my cousins and me to work on the harvester sorting tomatoes on our family’s Elk Grove ranch. We worked the next two summers and I thought it was great!" she says.

It was the summer before her junior year when Sandra’s dad planted wine grapes in the family’s first vineyard. Sandra recruited a few of her girlfriends from high school to help plant the grape vines. When she and her friends finished planting grapes that year, the girls headed for a friend’s pear packing shed at Stillwater Orchards in Courtland to pack pears. She, too, learned about farm life from the ground up.

Working on the family farms was the expected lifestyle for Wilson children. The youngsters worked for minimum wage and learned to appreciate what farm work was all about. They also got to know the employees on the farm and some of the same employees who work for Wilson Farms today also worked harvesting tomatoes with Sandra and her brothers 30+ years ago.

Sandra attended Sacramento State University for a year and a half and then traveled abroad in Europe and South Africa for a time. She returned to California in 1978, married, and had the privilege of staying home as a full-time mom to her three children. She devoted her time to her sons’ and daughter’s school projects and extracurricular activities.
After nearly two decades at home, Sandra found her way back to the joys of working on the family farm in 2000. When Wilson Vineyards produced its first wine—a 1999 Chenin Blanc—the family celebrated with a big kick off party in November 2000. That party was the impetus for Sandra and her brothers to restore their grandpa’s old dairy barn. The barn became a popular event center that is now a preferred location for parties and celebrations of all kind.

"We had so much fun at our own party, we figured others would enjoy our barn and vineyards, too," Sandra says. "And from the compliments we get, I can see that they do."

The third generation of Wilsons takes pride in continuing the family tradition of excellence in agricultural and customer service.

The Wilson Wine Label

The wine grape growing operation is the backbone of the Wilson family business. Although the family continued to farm up to 3000 acres of field crops until 2000, it decided at that time that growing premium grapes merited all of its attention. As a natural progression of its business model, the family established its own wine label—Wilson Vineyards—to take full advantage of the supply of premium varietals grown in the Clarksburg Appellation of the Sacramento River Delta.

In March 2001, as a tribute to their parents and grandparents—and to commemorate the 100th birthday of Grandma Isabelle Wilson—the second and third generations of Wilsons unveiled a special dessert wine called "Isabella" Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.