July 16, 2026 (Alexander Valley, CA) — Garden Creek Vineyards , a private by-appointment Alexander Valley estate on the Mayacamas Range, celebrates 25 years of winemaking marking a quarter-century of dedication to family, tradition and viticultural heritage seeking the complexity in their land in Sonoma County since 1963.
Since releasing their inaugural 2001 Tesserae vintage in 2008, second-generation vintners Justin and Karin Wärnelius-Miller have built a devoted following through their commitment to patience in the cellar. Their flagship Garden Creek Tesserae, Red Wine emulates a traditional Left Bank Bordeaux wine and is cellared for eight years before release. Their second wine, Garden Creek Chardonnay, Estate Clonal Selection is an expression of eleven meticulously selected clones grown seeking purity, refinement and elegance and is aged four years. The approach is inspired by the European ex-cellar tradition, prioritizing the wine’s optimal expression over market timing.
This anniversary honors more than 25 years of winemaking. The Wärnelius-Miller family has farmed their Alexander Valley property with organic and regenerative methods for more than six decades. Justin’s father purchased the land from pioneering grower Robert Young in 1963, planting their first vineyard at Garden Creek in 1969. The family is among the founding members of the Alexander Valley AVA appellation, established in 1984. Nine distinct soil variations are found at Garden Creek from ancient alluvial to volcanic which have shaped their wines with precision and complexity, a geological diversity that draws academics and soil scientists from around the world.
“Twenty-five years feels both like yesterday and a lifetime,” shared Karin and Justin Wärnelius-Miller. “When we started the winery together and bottled our first vintage in 2001, we were young, full of passion and a vision for what this land could one day become. We have never wavered from our belief that great wines require time, patience, and an intimate understanding of every vine, every season and unique terroir. There is a connection to the land as family farmers that is only understood after decades of walking and tending your own land. This deep history and its present complex character suggest that the relationship between wine and place is everything. This anniversary is as much a celebration of the land, and our family, as it is of the wines we have crafted — together. With our children Elsa and Leif now raised on this ranch immersed in the vineyards, the succession of our vision has deepened.”
Garden Creek operates as true vignerons. Every wine is estate-grown; every decision from regenerative farming practices to extended cellar aging and to operations is led by Justin and Karin, as partners. Justin, who studied at UC Davis, brings decades of hands-on experience managing the estate’s complex vineyards into wine. Karin holds an international business degree. Her passion for wine took root in the 1980s at her family’s vineyard estate and winery in northern Geyserville and carried through to her family launching one of Sweden’s first wineries. Today, as co-winemaker and general manager, she shapes every aspect of the estate, from crafting the wine to directing sales and marketing.
The couple has extended their winemaking philosophy to Anderson Valley’s cool-climate elevations, establishing the Golden Fleece Vineyard at 1,000 feet above the fog line near Philo. Under this second vineyard, WärneliusMiller was launched. Karin and Justin combined their last names at marriage to signify their Swedish American heritage. This new wine signifies the strength of family and wines outside of their home ranch at Garden Creek. WärneliusMiller is today an age-worthy Pinot Noir with the exact discipline and reverence for site that defines Garden Creek.
Production remains intentionally limited. Wines are offered exclusively by allocation to a devoted list of collectors, a natural outcome of meticulous farming, extended aging, and an uncompromising standard that has never shifted across 25 years. As family and authenticity are the foundation, all wines carry ‘The Wines of Karin and Justin Warnelius-Miller’.
As Garden Creek Vineyards looks ahead, the founding principles that shaped the first vintage remain true with unwavering commitment: farming the land with integrity, aging wines until they are ready, and building a family legacy as the third generation prepares to join the well-established foundation.
About Garden Creek Vineyards
Garden Creek Vineyards is a family-owned, by-appointment estate in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, where second-generation vintners Karin and Justin Wärnelius-Miller craft wines rooted in the family’s winegrowing heritage in Alexander Valley since 1969. The strict focus on two wines at Garden Creek include the Garden Creek Tesserae, Estate Red Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon and Garden Creek Chardonnay, Estate Clonal Selection. With their expansion into Anderson Valley and the creation of the Wärnelius-Miller label, producing high-elevation Pinot Noir from the Golden Fleece Vineyard above Philo, their work reflects an enduring commitment to site, patience, and age-worthiness. All wines are released exclusively by allocation to members of the mailing list. For more information, visit http://www.gardencreekvineyards.com.
