California winemaker is vintage Youngstown From here to there

Molly Meeker’s journey from the Mahoning Valley to Southern California is not all that unusual, and in some ways is a story replicated in small communities throughout America. Small town kid goes off to California looking for a job in the movies or television.

A couple of twists and turns, including an unexpected adventure into the world of wine, make her story incredibly interesting, and she is a great example of Mahoning Valley success in two of America’s most beloved industries: entertainment and wine.

Meeker was born at Youngstown’s North Side Hospital and grew up at 4218 Stratford Road in Youngstown and graduated from Boardman High School in 1970, the first class to graduate from what was then the “new” building.

She is the daughter of John and Gertrude DeHethe, who were active members of the community, as John was the general manager of sales for Youngstown Sheet & Tube. The DeHethes were members of the Youngstown Country Club and the former Youngstown Club.

Meeker has fond memories of her childhood in the Valley. “We left the house at 9 a.m. and didn’t come home until Mom rang the dinner bell. We had a pack of neighborhood kids, but we all had a sense of individuality. No one ever felt unsafe. In fact, we would often ride our bikes from Statford Hill to Boardman Plaza.”

Once Meeker got to high school, she met someone she identified as a true mentor. William Dykins was the chairman of the English and Drama Department, and he inspired Molly to become involved in theater arts. She was involved in the summer theater project at the Youngstown Playhouse, which Dykins coordinated.

Meeker’s love of the theater helped lead her to Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. The college was considered one of the “seven sisters” to the Ivy league schools in those days. She graduated with a degree in sociology and mass communication with a minor in theater.

It was then that the California portion of her story began. Meeker moved to Los Angeles hoping to land a job in the entertainment industry. She found success at Tandem/TAT productions, which was responsible for hit shows such as “All In The Family,” “Maude,” “Different Strokes” and “The Facts of Life.” At one point, Tandem/TAT had 11 shows running on the three television networks.

The entertainment industry eventually led Molly to meet her husband, Charlie, who at the time was an executive at MGM Studios. He would eventually rise to become president of the company.

Molly and Charlie loved wine and eventually discussed buying some vineyard property in Sonoma County, which at the time was just emerging as a wine region. In those days, plums were the number one crop along with several other fruits and vegetables.

They purchased a 98-acre parcel of land from Ann Rafinelli in 1997. At the time, there only five acres planted with grapes and five planted with Kiwi vines.

“It was the one trip I didn’t go on with Charlie. When he got home he called his parents first, because we needed to borrow some money for the purchase. Next, he called me and said ‘We have to have one of those husband-and-wife talks tonight. I bought a vineyard today and we’re in the wine business.’

That decision set the Meekers on a course through the wonderful world of wine. The success of Meeker Vineyards has been well documented through the decades, including a listing on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year among other awards and accolades.

Molly describes the wine style as “authentic and old world; we have higher acid content, the wines are more tannic and are wonderfully food friendly.”

The food-wine connection is a huge factor in the Meekers’ winemaking strategy. “It’s really a matter of what you want to prepare, cook and eat,” she said.

The Meekers’ son, Lucas, has taken over as head winemaker, and he really embraces the old world approach that his family has projected for years. “People try to make the wine business mysterious,” she said. “The mystery is that you are dealing with Mother Nature, so it’s never the same thing each year. We embrace that equation.”

Here’s a look at three wines from the Meeker portfolio:

NV Meeker Code 2 Combination Red Blend

A blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah and Barbera with flavors of ripe plum and berries.

2012 Meeker Handprint Merlot

Full bodied with tannic structure and flavors of currant, cherries, toffee and caramel.

2013 FroZin Dessert Wine

Blackberry and raspberry notes with enticing acidity. Great with dark chocolate.

Meeker is looking forward to being back in her hometown for a wine dinner on Jan. 15. The event will take place at Youngstown Country Club, where her family belonged throughout her childhood. She remembers many fond meals and events at the club over the years.

She also identified Carosella’s Restaurant as a family favorite. “Everything was served family style, and a half order of spaghetti was enough for a grown man. The food was wonderful, really simple and authentic Italian,” she said. The Meekers also enjoyed pizza night at The Oven, the soda fountain at Dilt’s Pharmacy and dinners at The Youngstown Club for their evenings out on the town.