Doug Mryglod and Judy Phillips met in Florida, while Judy was working on a home improvement project at The Villages. Doug was a contractor there and got a call about the project. They met in 2012 but didn’t marry until four years later, after purchasing a distressed property in Petaluma that had been used as a goat farm for cheesemaking. After cleaning up the property, Doug and Judy planted 35 acres of grapevines, built their residence and installed two reservoirs while launching Deodora Estate Vineyard. Here’s their story.
Where were you born? Tell us about your childhood families. When were you first exposed to wine?
Judy: I was born in Fullerton, Kentucky. My mother and father were schoolteachers. I didn’t have much exposure to wine before meeting Doug.
Doug: I was born in the City of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada, and now have dual citizenship in the US. My first exposure to the wine industry was in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York, when I began working for Josephine Ford at the Estate Vineyard. It was there that I discovered Riesling and loved it.
How did the two of you meet and when did you get married?
Judy: We met in 2012 in Florida. I was involved in a property improvement project at The Villages, a 55+ community in the center of the state. Doug was a contractor working on various projects there. My sister, Jeannie, contacted Doug about the project and invited him over. We began seeing each other, but it wasn’t until 2016 that we got married.
Whose idea was it to plant a vineyard, and when did you begin pursuing this dream? How many acres of grapevines do you have, and what varieties are planted at Deodora? How did you find the property?
It was Judy’s idea to plant a vineyard. We purchased the property in Petaluma in 2012 after finding out about it through a series of conversations with a business owner Judy knew in Cincinnati. He was a rug gallery owner and had sold her several rugs. He told her that the property was in very poor condition and was for sale. It had been used as a goat farm to raise goats and make cheese, but the business failed. The property had great potential for agriculture, so we bought it. In 2013, after the purchase and cleaning it up, we began planting our vineyard. The property is 72 acres, with 35 acres of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.
We’ve also reconstructed the agricultural building, added a main house and a wine tasting tower, as well as two reservoirs. We feel very blessed that we’ve been able to do all this to save the property.
Do you ever plan to open to the public for tastings and tours?
Plans are underway to set it up for tastings, weddings, and corporate events.
Deodora is your passion project. But you have many other achievements in your careers. Tell us about your work and how you got to where you are.
Judy: When I was growing up, there were only two viable career paths: to become a teacher or become a secretary. I chose the latter and became a secretary at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, owned by the US Department of Energy. I spent the next 22 years of my career serving in administrative positions, but was the first woman to be promoted to a management position later in my career, after joining Columbia Hydrocarbon. Fast forward and today I am President & CEO of Stand Energy Corporation, an independent energy service provider. I started the company in 1984.
Doug: My father was a carpenter and contractor. My vision was much bigger—to be a builder and real estate developer—and I’ve worked hard. With some divine intervention and favor, it certainly has worked out! I’m now a builder-developer in central Florida and have invested in a few other projects in other states.
Is there one thing about either of you that most people don’t know, but that has been essential to making Deodora a success?
We’ve done a lot of praying!
What do you drink on special occasions – bubbles? Riesling? Chardonnay? Pinot? Or something else?
Doug: Riesling. Judy: Pinot Noir.
Winemaking is an art. You’ve had two outstanding winemakers – Ashley Holland, who was with you at the start, followed by Erica Stancliff, your current winemaker. How did you get connected with these two talented women?
We met Ashley through the renowned winemaker, Bob Cabral, and asked her if we could be among her first winemaking clients. Then, when Ashley decided to pursue another business opportunity, starting her own wine brand, she introduced us to Erica. Ashley and Erica were good friends. We were very pleased to welcome Erica as our new winemaker and to have her take over from Ashley.
Your Riesling is highly lauded and was recently awarded 99 Pts and Best White Wine at the North Coast Wine Challenge. And both your “Early Cask” and “Late Cask” 2018 Pinot Noirs were awarded Double Golds at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition last fall. How did you feel when you learned about these prestigious awards?
Doug: We felt very blessed and surprised! The Riesling is bottled exactly the way I wanted, and it’s my favorite, with our Pinot and Chardonnay right behind it.
As you look to the future, what is your vision for Deodora Estate Vineyard? What legacy do you hope to leave for your family, your wines, and the Petaluma Gap?
Judy and I are both going to be “Centurions,” to keep the vision going! When we got married, we created a 30-year renewable contract, and we intend to stick around and enjoy each other and all we have created–a beautiful estate and vineyard that shows the world that the Petaluma Gap AVA can produce the best grapes and the best wines.