Kerry Hill Winery stands out because it is not simply a winery built around a love of wine. It is the result of Mindy Mayer applying a lifetime of discipline, systems, and persistence to a neglected vineyard in Idaho’s Sunnyslope wine region.

When Mindy purchased the property in 2016, the vineyard needed structure. Dead trunks remained in the rows, flood irrigation had allowed erosion to dictate the land, and the site required far more than a new label or a fresh coat of paint. Mindy replaced the irrigation system, added soil-moisture monitoring, restored the rows, and created habitat for owls, bats, bees, and pollinators.

That practical attention now shapes Kerry Hill’s estate wines, and the experience of visiting the winery. The property is home to Kerry Hill sheep, welcoming outdoor spaces, and a community that gathers over glasses of Idaho wine. It is a place where farming, hospitality, and resilience are inseparable.

Mindy never set out to become a winemaker. She came to southwest Idaho for dogs and sheep. The vineyard came later, almost by accident. What she built from it was anything but accidental.

Moving Forward Out of Trauma

Before Kerry Hill Winery existed, Mindy Mayer was already a proven builder. She became the first woman McDonald’s franchisee in Oregon and eventually owned fourteen restaurants. Working within a system known for rigor, consistency, and close attention to customer experience taught her that trust is built through standards, details, and showing up every day.

Then her life was shattered.

A plane crash took her husband, her son, her daughter-in-law, and her three-year-old twin grandchildren. What remained was unimaginable loss and a choice about how to continue living.

Mindy does not describe herself as having overcome the 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. Mindy’s focus on soil, elevation, irrigation, and habitat connects naturally to our broader look at how Idaho’s soil and climate shape its wines.

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.

What Makes Kerry Hill Wine Different?

Kerry Hill’s estate vineyard is in Idaho’s Snake River Valley. The official winery site describes a roughly 30-acre property in the Sunnyslope area, with an older vineyard growing varieties that include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, Tempranillo, and Carménère.

The vineyard is managed with an emphasis on consistency, measurement, and long-term stewardship. That approach reflects the same mindset Mindy developed during her McDonald’s career.

Drip irrigation, soil-moisture probes, filtration, restored vineyard rows, and careful maintenance provide structure. Habitat areas, owl and bat boxes, pollinator plantings, and the McHive support the surrounding ecosystem.

These systems do not make Kerry Hill feel mechanical. They show that the beauty of the property is supported by constant, intentional work.

For a first taste connected directly to Mindy’s story, begin with Allison’s Song. This sparkling Chardonnay carries both the patience of the winemaking process and the memory of the granddaughter for whom it was named.

Allison’s Song and the Discipline of Moving Forward

When we spoke with Mindy, one wine at Kerry Hill carried the full weight of her story.

Allison’s Song was made as a traditional-method Blanc de Blancs sparkling Chardonnay from estate fruit and aged for more than two years on the lees. It was restrained, precise, and patient. Nothing about it felt rushed.

The wine was named for Mindy’s granddaughter, Allison.

Mindy did not frame the bottle as closure. She framed it as continuity. At the time of our conversation, she told us that every bottle sold supported Ronald McDonald House Charities, extending care outward rather than turning inward.

The label featured a Syringa, Idaho’s state flower. Its delicate, bright, and enduring character reminded Mindy of Allison.

“Syringa is just the sweetest flower I’ve ever seen, and it reflects my little granddaughter, Allison.”

This is how Mindy moves forward. She builds. She contributes. She stays engaged. She creates spaces where other people can feel welcomed and cared for. She hopes her story can help others understand that continuing forward does not mean leaving the people they loved behind.

The official Kerry Hill store currently lists the 2024 Allison’s Song Sparkling Chardonnay. Check current inventory and shipping eligibility through the Kerry Hill online shop.

Availability and shipping depend on the destination and current inventory.

“Syringa is just the sweetest flower I’ve ever seen and it reflects my little granddaughter, Allison.”

Planning a Visit to Kerry Hill Winery

Kerry Hill Winery is in Wilder, Idaho, within the Snake River Valley AVA. The property combines its estate vineyard with Kerry Hill sheep, habitat areas, outdoor seating, and expansive views across southwest Idaho.

The winery’s current visitor information describes Kerry Hill as family- and dog-friendly. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas when kept on a leash, and children are welcome with adult supervision. Visitors may bring a picnic, and the winery offers lawn games and outdoor spaces where guests can settle in rather than rush through a tasting.

Current tasting-room hours are Thursday through Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations are not normally required, but hours and event access can change.

Confirm current hours, directions, events, and visitor policies through Kerry Hill’s visitor page.

For a first-time Idaho wine traveler, Kerry Hill offers more than a glass of wine. It allows you to see the farming, animals, habitat, and hospitality that surround the bottle.

Kerry Hill Winery is ultimately a story about what happens when someone brings discipline to a piece of land and then allows that land to become something more generous than a business plan. The vineyard produces wine, but it also creates a place for people to gather, animals to thrive, and a difficult life to move forward with purpose.

As Mindy told us:

“Grief is not ‘overcoming,’ but moving forward with purpose.”

Mindy Mayer, owner of Kerry Hill Winery

To continue exploring Idaho wine families, read how the Pasculli family built Rolling Hills Vineyard around old-world roots and shared responsibility.

Continue exploring American wine through the Spoken Wines United States page, or subscribe to the Spoken Wines newsletter for more firsthand stories from the vineyards and cellars we visit.