The Wilhelm Winery Family
Gary Shilling
Gary Shilling is no stranger to being a part of successful business, having spent 21 years with a well-known local lumber and hardware company. Working hard is a way of life for Gary who first became interested in wine 18 years ago after sampling amateur wines. As his interest in wine grew, so did his desire to learn and thus began his adventure into the winery business.
As the popularity of their wines increased, so did the notion of a full-scale winery and in 1999, this brainchild found a home in the 100-year-old barn that now houses not only the winery but also Gary Shilling and his wife Trish.
Capitalizing on his desire to learn, Gary has pursued more formal education in wine-making over the last 10 years and continues to learn today, both in formal settings as well as the school of "everyday experience". Gary most enjoys "….meeting all kinds of people…" in the winery business.
Trish Shilling
Trish Shilling brings to Wilhelm Winery eleven years of experience in the area of accounting and the passion for wine shared with her husband Gary Shilling. Their marriage of 9 years completed the successful triune of Wilhelm Winery owners, adding its own dimension to the business. Her adept business nature and experience with computer consulting and training compliment the skills of "the Garys" nicely, but Trish holds her own with knowledge of wines and a seasoned palate worthy of compliment. Trish's attention to detail makes her the "Quality Control" expert and lends itself to keeping the winemaker's focused in their creativity.
Trish's creativity is evident in the creation of the many unique gift ideas and baskets available at the winery, with the personal touch to these gifts being of utmost importance. Trish enjoys dealing with customers as well as involvement in the wide array of tasks necessary to building a successful wine business.