We are kicking off our first in a series of interviews with ‘Women in Wine Partners’. These are the women working together with their husband or partner to manage their estate winery together, whether in the vineyard, cellar, or out and about promoting and selling. Often these women in wine are ‘behind the scenes’ yet are fundamental to the winery’s day to day operations and management. Being that it is also Women’s History Month, it’s a great time to bring these strong women to the forefront, and to learn, taste and applaud their contributions to the artisanal wine world!

Gretel Meys Compton of Clos des Amis

Sandwiched in between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara is Ventura County, is Clos des Amis estate winery, where Gretel Meys Compton works alongside her partner and founder and winemaker of Clos des Amis, Bruce Freeman. Together Gretel and Bruce merge old and new worlds with their delicious terroir-driven wines (as we have touched on in a previous article about Ventura County Wines and a VeroTalk with Clos des Amis). Meaning ‘Circle of Friends’ in French, Clos des Amis draws from Bruce’s French ancestry and a long career winemaking at different wineries in Ventura County, before starting Clos des Amis. Bruce’s career-long mission has been to (literally) cultivate and elevate the local terroir of Ventura County. This spirit shines through on their labels, all featuring different local flora and fauna which they come across in their vineyards and on nearby hiking trails.

Now let’s turn to Gretel and get to know her, how her journey in wine developed, and what drives her passion behind Clos des Amis.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in Morristown, New Jersey and my family moved to Orange County, California when I was 5. After attending elementary and high school there, I became an art major at the University of Redlands. After a year I left and moved back to Orange County, then up to Ventura County, continuing my education as an art major at UCSB and Ventura College. Meanwhile I secured a job as a Graphic Designer, first at the City of Ventura, then the Ventura County Star, and finally running the Graphics Department for the Ventura County Office of Education for 37 years. I never finished my art major since I actually worked all my life as an artist anyway. I retired after I met Bruce Freeman who was licensing Clos des Amis and decided to embark on an encore career. 

I have been married twice, the second marriage producing three children, a daughter and two sons. They live in San Diego and Sonoma. I have two grandchildren, a daughter from my daughter and a son from my youngest son. Although my children all enjoy and appreciate wine, none work in the wine business.

What is your first memory involving your love for wine?

I can’t really say that there was one trigger or one certain memory. I have always enjoyed wine, especially with a meal. I was raised in a European-tied family that gave us youngsters a watered down glass of wine or a small glass of Manischewitz at big family dinners. It's never been something foreign to me. But as a mom, wine couldn’t be a big part of my life.

What is your favorite wine, and your favorite snack or dish to pair with this wine?

Several years ago I was wine tasting up north and had a glass of Albariño. I was hooked. Since then, I have tried several different wineries’/regions offerings. I like the Rias Baixas versions best. I recently planted a small vineyard, about 50 vines, on South Mountain where our winery and estate vineyards are located and believe this could be a very good spot. My first little harvest was just a carboy full, but I love how its showing. I can’t wait until all the vines are producing and I can actually have a cuvee! I think this could be a popular varietal for this area. It is of course fabulous with our local seafood. In Galicia, Spain, where Rias Baixas region is located on the Atlantic coast and where this grape is from, this wine is paired with all kinds of seafood dishes there.

Life in the ‘Clos des Amis’

How did you get involved in Clos des Amis?

After my kids had grown and I divorced in 2010, I started seeing Bruce and wine really came into focus. He had been making wine since 1994 and I had known him as a colleague, teacher, and friend back then. I remember as one of his students, helping harvest a vineyard one year. Once we began a relationship, I started to help him in every aspect of winemaking. He had been assistant winemaker for Adam Tolmach over at Ojai Vineyards and then became winemaker for Casa Barranca when we got together. After three years he went out on his own, found a small building for a winery and we really went to work.

What is your role in the winery? Has it changed since the beginning?

Certainly my role in the winery has changed considerably. From the very beginning Bruce wanted to share everything he knew about winemaking with me. It was exciting and there was quite a learning curve. But I don’t like being the general, I like being the soldier. So I am happy to do all the behind the scenes stuff. Bruce relies on me much more now and considers me a partner in winemaking.

How do you decide and share responsibilities with Bruce?

I feel that Bruce has an amazing “feel” for winemaking. His sense of balance in winemaking is something to which I aspire. His wines all have a beautiful acidity, palate, and interest. He does let me make some wines, but he makes most of the essential winemaking decisions. He respects my opinions and many times takes them. I have done a lot of our marketing and sales also.

In 2019 Bruce was diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma that appeared to be terminal. We got him into a clinical trial using experimental cancer treatments. Within two months he was on the road to recovery. It has been two years now and the cancer is gone. However collateral damage for the 2018-2020 vintages was severe. He had difficulty delegating jobs to me, couldn’t deal with anything besides his health, and truthfully he needed my help more outside the winery. He still has very low energy, much different than before the cancer, and we find we need to get assistance for more hard work around the winery and vineyards. But things are getting better all the time.

What are your favorite jobs in the winery and in the vineyard?

One thing that takes me to my happy place is working in the vineyards. After pruning the vines back to almost nothing, seeing them sprout back and watching the clusters grow and turn ripe. It's such a reward to taste wine from grapes you have cared for.

What are the tasks you prefer to delegate?

I’d love to find someone else to make sales calls. Not my forte. 

Tasting this Woman in Wine’s Work

Clos des Amis produces delicious wines from their South Mountain vineyards in Ventura County, California. From a Burgundy inspired Chardonnay, to a fruity Provence-Style Rosé, to flavorful reds like Grenache, Pinot Noir, or Malbec, a Rhone Style Red Wine Blend, and a fun extended skin contact, naturally fermented Chardonnay, Clos des Amis touches on a wide variety of flavor profiles and styles. Taste a selection of their wines in the Clos Des Amis Tasting Set. Shipping is included on all sets, as well as any wines you add on to the order, so stock up!

Watch Gretel from Caliofornia during our VeroTalk virtual winetasting. Burley Tuggle interviewed Gretel and guided us in a tasting of the Discover California Tasting Set as they discussed the role and impact of women in the wine industry.

Taste Gretel’s Touch in the Wines of Clos des Amis