VERANDAH COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026 4 PM-5:30 PM THE RIVER HOUSE
VCU is pleased to present resident, Howard Babcock, as he, along with his son Brian, recount the history of how a fruit farm became a very successful winery, Suisin Creek, in the Suisun Valley in Fairfield, California.
40 years ago, Howard bought many acres of prune, cherry and pear trees in Fairfield. Over time, the trees developed a blight which ended its time as a fruit farm. Not to be daunted, Howard decided to plant his many acres with Merlot grapes. However, disaster struck when the very successful movie Sideways came out, and the characters vehemently disparaged Merlot as a horrible wine which caused a massive amount of people to turn from Merlot to Pinot and other varieties. Needless to say, Howard lost a small fortune. Again, undaunted, Howard planted all types of grapes, and Suisun Creek Winery was once again on top. Success! Now you can purchase several delicious wines from Suisun Creek Winery or enjoy wines under the Caymus Winery label made from Howard’s high quality grapes!
Brian, who now runs the daily operation of the winery, allows Howard to split his time between here and California. He loves living in Verandah, especially the people. Howard says, “I consider myself an ordinary guy-a farmer at heart.”
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There will certainly be some wine raffled and maybe even a wine tasting after the presentation! We look forward to seeing you at this fun event.
