After nearly 20 years as the Director of Winemaking for Stevenot Winery in Murphys, in the famed Gold Rush Country of California, Chuck Hovey’s professional reputation for quality, consistency and excellence is as well established as one of his vineyards.

Chuck started his career at J Lohr Winery in San Jose, where he worked for six years.

Having fallen in love with the Sierra Foothills on a quick visit through the area, Chuck was thrilled when he was offered a position at Stevenot Winery as Assistant Winemaker. Five short years later in 1988 he was promoted to Director of Winemaking in charge of all production, and so began a Golden Age for Stevenot Winery.

In the last two decades, Chuck, with his pioneering spirit, created some of the most impressive and innovative wines that this region has ever seen bringing such wines as Tempranillo, Albarino and Verdelho into the mainstream market. His style is unmistakable – his passion contagious.

The release of the 2007 Chardonnay in 2008 on his own Hovey Wine label marked the realization of a life-long dream, one dedicated to producing the finest wines the Sierra has ever seen … now with the Hovey name on the bottle!

With the addition of Hovey Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Barbera and Zinfandel, production and sales have doubled in less than a two-year period, even in a down economy.

Chuck is also the winemaker for Gianelli Vineyards in Jamestown and, coming back full circle, is the winemaker for Oliveto Distributing who now owns Stevenot.

Chuck has been involved in the wine industry now for 33 years, has lived in Calaveras County for more than 25 years and resides in Murphys with his wife, Jan, and son, Kyle.

Chuck feels that he has the ability to not only continue his winemaking legacy, but to surpass it, and when you taste Hovey Wine, we are sure you’ll agree.

Jan Hovey, co-owner of Hovey Wine and wife of Chuck, has owned Target Marketing for 19 years and has more than 30 years experience in the marketing and public relations field.

Her training began in marketing at Yosemite National Park as the conference and wedding coordinator, and she was the manager of two spas and a motel in Calistoga when she met Chuck on a blind date in 1985. Within months she moved to Arnold to be with her soon-to-be husband.

Under the tutelage of the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, she was the event coordinator for the Calaveras Grape Stomp and revamped the signature Murphys Irish Day.

More recently she co-wrote "The Guide to the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway" and is editor of Central Sierra Seasons Magazine. She also writes weekly columns for Sierra Lodestar and the Calaveras Enterprise and is very active in the community, especially with area non-profits.

Kyle Hovey was born the day after Christmas in 1994 and is a junior at Bret Harte High School. Besides helping out dad in the cellar, Kyle plays a mean guitar and is a cross-country runner who does web design and tech consulting on the side.