Dave Helwig had a dream to move to the wine country upon retirement. After searching with his wife, Nancy, for the perfect wine region to relocate to from their home in Southern California, Dave couldn’t resist the charm and simplicity the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County had to offer.
Dave, Nancy, their son Scott, daughter-in-law Toni, and daughter Mary planted their roots (literally and figuratively) and are producing wines to be enjoyed with their friends, family, and great food.
Dave Helwig, Proprietor
Dave, born and raised in the Midwest, never imagined in those early years that he would develop a passion for wines and winemaking. After visiting his first winery on a trip through Southern California back in 1975, a "seed" was planted and a dream began to form. Throughout the years of visiting wineries across the country, tending his own vines in a backyard setting, and home winemaking kept his dream alive. After purchasing his first vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley in 2006, his dream was becoming a reality. Retiring from the corporate world, Dave finally had time to devote to developing the Helwig Winery project.
Nancy Helwig, Proprietor
Nancy, born and raised in Sacramento, feels like she has come home having been out of the area for the past 40 years. After being a full-time wife and mom, Nancy formed a small business and raised alpacas for 17 years, which helped fill her empty nest. Having now retired from raising alpacas, she is able to spend more time with the blossoming family business at the Winery and traveling at every opportunity. There is never a dull moment and every day is a blessing.
Scott Helwig, Winemaker
Mary Helwig
After living in Alaska for almost 14 years, Mary joined the Helwig team in January 2020. During her time in Alaska, Mary is most of proud of two things: the work she did and people she met through Covenant Youth of Alaska, and completing the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 2016 with the Alaskan Huskies she raised and trained. (Check out Helwig Winery’s IditaRed; a wine made by her brother, Scott, to honor her Red Lantern finish! You can also see the documentary of her journey to the 2016 Iditarod here)
Mary will mainly be focusing on “behind the scenes” roles at Helwig Winery, including assisting the Accountant and the Licensing & Government Compliance Manager, while also working on the website and CellarPass.
When not working in the back office at Helwig Winery, you can find Mary training her six Alaskan Huskies she brought with her from Alaska, tending to her garden, or enjoying the outdoors however she can.