Eagles Nest Offers a Spectacular View and Award-Winning Wines

As soon as I arrived at Dennis and Julie Grimes' Ramona property, I understood why it was called Eagles Nest 

At the top of a hill at around 1,700 feet, they command a stunning panorama of mountains and the valley floor, interspersed with lush green hillsides filled with vines.

The name has personal connotations as well.

“There were Golden Eagles living nearby when we first moved here,” said Dennis Grimes, who acquired the property in 2003.

Earlier in his life, Grimes also worked as an aviator, flying for the U.S. Navy. “We’ve got the airport nearby,” he pointed out.

Ramona Airport sits like a miniature from a model railroad set in the distance, allowing visitors to Grimes’ winery and guest cottage the added treat of watching aircraft take off and land.

Finally, Grimes said he chose the name of his business as “a tribute to free enterprise and the USA.”

Julie and Dennis Grimes are co-owners, and like many other couples in the valley wine community, they have “day jobs.” She teaches computer science at Southwestern College; he is a systems engineer for the government.

After buying the land, they began farming with the original intention of growing native plants. The designation of the Ramona Valley as an American Viticultural Area in 2006 led them to shift their focus to wine. Classes at UC Davis and work with the San Diego Amateur Winemaking Society followed.

Dennis Grimes serves as the winemaker, and Julie is the vineyard manager. Those roles are not hard and fast, as with any true partnership. After all, as they related to me on my visit, they worked together to build their estate. Only the house existed when they moved here. They cleared the land, terraced the hillside with vines, and built a striking octagonal cottage which affords spectacular views from its patio. The cottage is a deluxe wine-themed accommodation for guests. During harvest season, it's reserved for friends and family pitching in at the winery.

The partnership was on display during my visit when Dennis joined Julie in helping round up their flock of sheep.

“Babydolls!” yelled Julie, calling out the breed name which is also the word the flock responds to. It was late afternoon, time to call the sheep back to their quarters after a day spent doing their munching and pruning, clearing weeds from around the grapevines.

I pitched in with the roundup as well, earning a chance to pet the softest weed trimmer I’d ever touched.

The sheep are part of the Grimes’ conscious policy of sustainable farming methods.

“We don’t use pesticides or herbicides,” said Dennis. “We try to minimize our impact on nature.”

Dennis sees the winery as a logical extension of his engineering career.

“Systems engineers focus on how you get all the pieces working together,” he said.

In less than two hours conversation Grimes demonstrated his grasp of both the “micro” and “macro” aspects of winemaking. It’s knowledge he’s happy to share with visitors.

“We offer guests at the cottage total immersion in the wine experience,” he said.

Grimes said there were three keys to producing quality wine: “Growing good grapes, sanitary operations and temperature control.”

Red varietals grown at Eagles Nest include Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot. White varietals include Viognier and Picpoul Blanc.

The Grimes' methods and commitment to quality are reflected in the honors they’ve received. Eagles Nest wines have won 30 medals since 2009 at competitions locally and across the country.

Their 2007 Estate Ruby Port Cabernet Sauvignon won a gold medal at the 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in upstate New York, and silver medals at the 2010 National Women’s Wine Competition and at the Temecula Southern California Wine Competition the same year.

Their 2007 Estate Reserve Syrah won the gold at Temecula in 2009 and bronzes in 2010 at Finger Lakes, National Women’s and the Lum Eisenmann Competition in Ramona.

Those are just a few examples.

“One hundred percent of our 2007 and 2008 estate-grown-and-made releases and 100 percent of our total releases are medalists,” said Grimes.

They sell their wine through their website and out of their tasting room.

Eagles Nest Winery & Cottage is at 18261 Chablis Road. Tasting room hours are Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. until dusk. Weekdays by appointment.