She Came to Idaho for a Dog. She Stayed to Build a Vineyard.
From McDonald’s pioneer to Kerry Hill Winery, Mindy Mayer’s story of discipline, unthinkable loss, and moving forward
Jan de Weerd - Spoken Wines
This will hide itself!
She Came to Idaho for a Dog. She Stayed to Build a Vineyard.
From McDonald’s pioneer to Kerry Hill Winery, Mindy Mayer’s story of discipline, unthinkable loss, and moving forward
Mindy Mayer, owner of Kerry Hill Winery in the Sunnyslope Wine Region of Idaho never set out to become a winemaker. She came to southwest Idaho chasing dogs, sheep, and focus — not grapes. But when a neglected vineyard crossed her path, something familiar surfaced: the instinct to fix, improve and raise standards. She saw what this place could become — if someone was willing to do the work — and build something that could endure.
What followed was not a gentle unfolding. It was a deliberate act of reconstruction — of land, of purpose, and ultimately of self. Kerry Hill is not a passion project born of leisure. It is the product of discipline, systems thinking, and an unshakable belief that moving forward is a choice you make every day.
Moving forward out of trauma
Before Kerry Hill Winery existed, Mindy Mayer was already a proven builder. She was the first female McDonald’s franchisee who rose through a system famous for its rigor, consistency, and obsession with customer experience—eventually owning fourteen restaurants and earning the company’s highest honors. She learned early that trust is built through systems, details, and showing up every day.
Then her life was shattered.
A plane crash took her husband, her son, daughter-in-law and their twin three olds. What remained was unimaginable loss—and a choice. Mindy does not describe herself as having “overcome” tragedy. She describes herself as having to move forward.
Kerry Hill Winery is the result of that movement.
Mindy sharing her story of moving forward.
The accidental wine journey
Mindy sought focus. First through dog trials and sheep herding. Then through land and inevitably, through wine. She purchased a neglected vineyard in southwest Idaho in 2016, it was not because she had fallen in love with winemaking. It was because the land demanded order—and she took the challenge.
The vineyard had been allowed to drift. Dead trunks stood where healthy vines should have been trained. Flood irrigation let erosion decide outcomes. To Mindy, this wasn’t just poor farming—it was a failure of standards.
So she applied the same principles that had defined her McDonald’s career.
First came appearance, because appearance signals care. Dead wood was removed. Rows were restored. The vineyard needed to look like it belonged to someone who was paying attention.
Then came infrastructure. Flood irrigation was replaced with a modern drip system—expensive, complex, and precise. Soil moisture probes, filtration, and control systems followed. These weren’t romantic decisions; they were operational ones. Measurement mattered. Accountability mattered.
This was a "Gold Standard" mindset applied to agriculture.
And just as at McDonald’s, Mindy understood that consistency and credibility come from systems—not slogans. Sustainability followed the same logic. Habitat zones were planted not for marketing, but because they aligned with her belief that long-term success requires stewardship. Owl boxes, bat boxes, pollinator plantings, bees—even a McHive inspired by an initiative she once saw in Sweden—became part of the ecosystem.
The winery itself opened in December 2019—just months before the world shut down. Mindy stayed open. She adapted. She persisted. That instinct—to keep the doors open, to keep serving, to keep welcoming people—was not new. It was learned over decades in hospitality.
Kerry Hill became something she had hoped for: a place where people gather, linger, and return. Regulars began showing up every week. Strangers became familiar faces. Conversations unfolded over glasses of wine.
Connection, once lost, was being rebuilt—quietly, deliberately.
Mindy applied the same principles that had defined her McDonald’s career—appearance signals care.
Allison’s Song, and the discipline of moving forward
There is one wine at Kerry Hill, just released, that carries the full weight of Mindy’s story.
Allison’s Song is a traditional-method Blanc de Blancs sparkling Chardonnay made from estate fruit and aged more than two years on the lees. It is restrained, precise, and patient—nothing about it is rushed.
The wine is named for her granddaughter.
Mindy does not frame the bottle as closure. She frames it as continuity. Every bottle sold supports Ronald McDonald House Charities, extending care outward rather than inward. The label features a Syringa—the Idaho state flower—chosen because its delicate, bright, enduring image… reflected Allison.
This is how Mindy moves forward. She builds. She contributes. She stays engaged. She creates spaces where others can feel welcomed and cared for. She genuinely hopes her story can help other people learn to keep moving forward.
