In Our Own Backyard:  DeFalco Family Wines

Winemaking has long been a family tradition for Gus DeFalco. Growing up in Toronto, a young Gus remembers waiting at the train station for the precious cargo – California grapes – an event that became a family tradition.

His family hailed from Italy and relocated to the popular Canadian city. There, Gus learned the tools of the trade but it also instilled in him the communal aspect of the hobby he grew to love. There was the backyard crush, fermenting in the basement and then pressing the grapes before they were placed into barrels.

He eventually landed in Southern California as a teen, living with his aunt. So enamored with the area, he decided to stay and his family followed thereafter.

Gus and a friend opened a pizzeria in Alhambra before he was drafted into the Army. When he returned, his interest in winemaking only intensified – hence he joined home winemaking groups in the Orange County Wine Society and Cellar Masters.

He improved his skills at UC Davis and Fresno State. During this time, he connected with growers who he still has relationships with today.

“I’ve known some of them for 20 plus years and I get grapes from the same rows,” Gus said. “It really is about the people and who you know. That’s how it all begins.”

He credits the home winemaking groups for refining his craft and propelling his to another level.

“You can’t fail making wine with the OCWS home wine group; there’s like 500 years combined experience and when you combine that with getting great grapes, making wine is a piece of cake,” he said. “I would have made wine regardless but I wouldn’t have gotten to this point. The support has been tremendous.”

Gus decided to venture out on his own and started Orange Coast Winery in Newport Beach more than a decade ago. The winery has been a mainstay in Orange County and Gus is proud of what he accomplished. He later passed the reins to Doug and Debbie Wiens, who have their own well-known winery in Temecula.

Although Gus never thought he would be winemaking for a living, he still wanted to have a hand in the game. This past April, he and his wife, Jennifer, opened DeFalco Family Foods & Wines in Fountain Valley. He calls it a “winery with an Italian mini-mart,” equipped with homemade Italian foods and wines.

Winemaker Gus DeFalco shares his pride and joy with a group of customers at his Fountain Valley establishment.

Only open for five hours on Saturdays – similar to a farmers market — the store has an intimate tasting room that can hold 16 people around a large table in the center of the room. Gus is both winemaker and server as he tells guests about each of the 12 varietals – six whites and six reds – he pours.

“I love the people part of it and sharing what I made with them,” he said. “People are probably coming in here not thinking much of the wine but they are pleasantly surprised.”

One recent afternoon, a group of women were enjoying the wine and the camaraderie when Gus asked one of them as they left what they thought of the wine.

“I’d give the wine a 9 (out of 10),” she replied as Gus beamed in appreciation.

It would be hard to escape the tasting room without picking anything up from the store. There are a host of sauces, heat-and-eat entrees, pastas, salad dressings, cookies and even a limoncello tiramisu (see sidebar for recipe). The couple offer three wines, three sauces, three pastas and three packages of cookies for $125.

Gus says he plans to produce about 1,000 cases of wine in 2024 and hopes that word of mouth helps drive customers to his store. He envisions that reservations will be needed every Saturday for his intimate tasting room.

“I’m at my pinnacle right now,” he said. “This is exactly what I wanted.”

Story & Photos by Greg Risling

Pay one visit to the home of Betty Jo and Jay Newell in Yorba Linda and you will know why they enjoy hosting mini-tastings, parties and other events.

They have a sprawling and inviting backyard made for outdoor gatherings that once was home to a stable of horses and even a sand volleyball court. But it’s the large structure in the corner of the backyard that houses one of the couple’s favorite spots.

Jay Newell (above) punches in the code to enter his cellar. (Right) The 800-square-foot cellar stores up to 800 bottles.

Known as the “Birdhouse,” – affectionately named after Jay found a weather vane that now sits affixed at the top of what looks like an oversized garage – the building serves several functions but none better than the wine cellar tucked away in the corner.

When Jay, a retired investigator with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, he knew putting in a wine cellar was a priority “in case things didn’t work out.”

He got right to work, designing their dream cellar and doing much of the work himself. He arched the ceiling in an expressive manner, coated the space tightly with insulation (the cellar sometimes doubles as a backup refrigerator) and had the wine racks specially designed.

“I really researched it,” Jay fondly recalls. “I wanted it to be easily accessible and easy enough where you don’t have to search for that certain bottle. It is bigger than what I planned.”

The result is an 850 square-foot showpiece that can store up to 800 bottles. The rows are all numbered 1 to 46 and he meticulously keeps a binder of his inventory and cataloging that gives him quick access to find the right wine to serve to guests or to bring to their favorite restaurant.

“If we feel like drinking a certain type of wine, we go right to the cellar and grab a bottle,” Betty Jo said. “We always take a bottle with us to a restaurant. There is enough variety in the cellar that makes the decision easy for us.”

Mind you, the cellar isn’t completely stocked. Jay estimates there are somewhere between 400 and 500 bottles on average, worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000 to $20,000. The Newells most expensive bottle is a $400+ 2013 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon.

When the couple first joined OCWS about six years ago, they stuck to drinking Cabernet Sauvignon and other popular varietals. But that all changed once they got involved, attended OCWS events and met new friends. Now, any OCWS member who has the fortune to visit their home, will get an added bonus of marveling at their cellar.

“Joining the wine society expanded our appreciation of different varietals,” Betty Jo said. “We have a whole circle of friends who are society members thanks to joining.”

Many of us know Bruce as a key member of the Winemakers’ Group. But there is much more to know about Bruce.

The story starts more than 40 years ago. Bruce and his friend were out for a joy ride on his friend’s motorcycle. They came upon a girl in a Camaro, and to impress her, they popped a wheelie. Bruce fell off the back and she nearly ran him over. After she picked him up off the road, they got to chatting and she drove him home. A year later they were dating . . . she nearly killed him when they first met, now Bruce and Jeanine have been happily married for 39 years!

As a boy in Seal Beach, Bruce dreamed about cars and car racing. When he was older, he began working on cars, particularly Porsches, with local car mechanics. In the 1970s, Bruce raced in Sports Car Club of America events as well as Off-Road events.

While earning his engineering degree, he became an ASE Certified Master Technician. After graduating into a very tight economy and newly married, Bruce decided to open his own auto service business in Huntington Beach, Autowerkes. Jeanine handled the books. Autowerkes specializes in Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes. Attention to detail in auto repair and providing outstanding customer service have helped him grow his business with customers coming from all over Orange County. Bruce also helps run Autocross events and sponsors a Porsche Boxter in competitions.

Always athletic, Bruce has run over 30 marathons. Many family vacations were scheduled around key marathons. Bruce recently ran a 10K with the older of their two daughters – she won, we hear. Bruce’s athletic talents extend into coaching volleyball, as his two daughters played. He developed and published a primer on how to coach students entitled “Blueprint of a Champion” which is still available online.

Those who visit Bruce and Jeanine in their lovely Spanish style home are welcomed by a menagerie. There are currently three horses, including Genevieve who is blind, two ducks named Donald and Melania, three dogs, a cat, and most famously, Marcel the Donkey, who has been featured on their wine labels.

As a winemaker, Bruce has made several varietals over the years, most notably, Sangiovese (which he has planted at his home in Orange Park Acres), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, several Rosé wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and even champagne. He has received several Double Gold, Gold and Silver awards at the Home Wine Competition.

For the past 2 to 3 years, Bruce has also been the chief liaison for the Winemakers’ Group in sourcing grapes and juice from Chris van Alyea and has made several trips, along with Dave Wiegand, to Solterra Winery for pickup and delivery to Orange County.

Bruce also conducted a workshop for making Rosé wine to the Winemakers’ Group and during this year’s crush gave a handson demonstration of how to press off the juice before fermenting.

It is Bruce’s focus on service, assistance, and education that we are celebrating and featuring in this edition of The Wine Press. It is members like Bruce that make the OCWS a very special group of people!