Wilton is a town full of wine lovers: those who pour a glass to relax and unwind, those who sip socially, and then there are aficionados and connoisseurs whose primary hobby is discovering an endless variety to enjoy. What sets Wilton residents Dave and Shawn Kahal apart is that their enduring passion for wine has grown over 25 years and culminated in the realization of their shared dream: Kahal Family Vineyard.
Most people don’t equate dreams with work, but for more than 20 years the Kahals have invested time and resources to transform a beloved hobby for wine making into a working dream. This past summer Kahal Family Vineyards bottled its first vintage: a 2017 medium body Cabernet Sauvignon hand harvested from their hillside vineyard in Monterey County, California.
“For Shawn and me, opening a bottle of wine has always been about a moment in time. It is a reason to stop everything else going on around us to focus on each other, our family and our friends. It is a reason for us to pause and pay attention to what really matters. For us, wine is about creating shared experiences and memories that we will have forever. It is our hope that the wines we make will help you to create experiences that you cherish with the people you care about,” Dave says.
Before moving to the east coast 20 ago, Dave and Shawn lived in Monterey California and had begun looking for the perfect property for a future vineyard. While still on the hunt, Dave was transferred to the east coast for work. With two children in tow, the Kahal family settled in Wilton and their dream was relegated to the future.
So in January of 1999 the couple recorded their annual goals, which included a 20-year goal: selling their first commercial vintage in July 2019. The extraordinary accomplishment of such a goal in perfect time would be astonishing to most. But when speaking with Shawn, it is clear that their commitment was unwavering and rooted in humility and pride.
“We got our license on July 1, 2019. The amount of stuff that has to happen for that to actually occur: we had to identify a property, learn how to make wine, work towards making wine, work towards the licensing, get a facility to make and bottle the wine, and find distribution,” she marvels.
Though Shawn and Dave’s determination to make it happen was successful, it was not without its challenges. The economic crash in 2008, coupled with the responsibility of college tuition for three children would require the couple to make some adjustments. “This was our retirement plan. Dave was speaking to a life coach who said to him, ‘I know you have a vision about what your retirement looks like but what are doing to make it happen?’”
Eager to help facilitate their vineyard dreams, Shawn bought Dave a wine making kit for his birthday and he harvested his first wine. Shawn laughs as she recalled the first batch, “It was terrible. Just awful! But he learned the process. And by the following year he had the bug.”
Shortly thereafter they found a grape supplier out of Hartford and the rest is history. Using California and Chilean grapes they began to harvest twice a year. “We discovered early on that we loved every step of the process and we have learned to appreciate the act of letting the grapes become what they are while impacting them around the edges. We believe that less manipulation of the process results in a more interesting wine,” Dave said.
Finally, in 2016, Shawn and Dave purchased 80 acres in Indian Valley just outside San Miguel, California. Perched on the hillside of the property, Kahal Family Vineyard harvests from a small portion of the land that includes Cabernet and Merlot plantings.
“We fell in love with the beauty of the property. But what made us choose this area is knowing how collaborative the community is. We have assembled a great team of partners,” Shawn says. These partnerships make the distance from the vineyard manageable, and presently, Shawn and Dave have no plans to move out of Wilton.
Kahal Family Vineyard produced 113 cases of its 2017 Cabernet vintage, and is expecting to release 300 cases of its 2018 vintages this fall, which will include Cabernet, Merlot and a red blend. The 2019 vintages are projected to yield between 400-450 cases. Emboldened by the steady momentum, Shawn hopes to expand the varieties in the future. “I would love to add white wine. But my sales manager (Dave) told me I have to sell these first,” Shawn jokes.
The Kahals are so grateful to have realized their dream and want nothing more than to share it with others. “Again, we hope that our wine can help create those shared experiences that add richness to our lives. We hope that you share it with the people you love and focus for a moment on what is truly important to you.”
Kahal Family Vineyards sells its wine directly to customers, which can be ordered online. The wine is also served locally at Parlor and Schoolhouse restaurants in Wilton, at the Spotted Horse restaurants in Shelton and in Westport, and at the Gray Goose in Southport.