Fleming Jenkins Tasting Room Closing

The Los Gatoslocated in the heart of town, will close at the end of the year, its owners announced early this month.

The Tasting Room, at 45 W. Main St., will cease operations Dec. 31, said Greg Jenkins and Peggy Fleming, in an announcement they made Sept. 1 to 600 wine club members.

The closure of the small retail shop comes as Fleming and Jenkins have said they wish to shift priorities and spend more time with their family and friends and enjoy their life in Los Gatos.

However, the couple's small chardonnay winery, started in 1999, will continue operating on their ridge-top property in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, high above Los Gatos.

The couple said they would continue to farm and harvest their vineyard, and make new wines in the historic Novitiate Winery at 300 College Ave., alongside since 2004.

Until the end of the year, the Tasting Room will be open from noon-6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

The business has planned and announced a number of Wine Club member-appreciation nights for October and November. Other events are at the planning stage. The couple leases the property from Conover Building.

Asked how the Tasting Room has fared during the lagging economic downtown, Jenkins said the business has been strong, with its Wine Club membership quadrupling since opening the Tasting Room.

Jenkins recalled how he earned his medical degree 40 years ago from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School to begin caring for patients in the area. Fleming's professional career began when she won the Olympic Gold Medal as a teenager in 1968 in the ladies' singles competition. She's also a three-time world champion (1966–1968). Fleming has been a television commentator on figure skating for more than 20 years, including several Winter Olympic Games.

"As we reflect on our journey, we understand that time is a gift that you can't get back," they wrote in their announcement. "We feel it's the ideal moment for us to slow down a bit to enjoy our successes and accomplishments and take time to smell the roses, or better put, enjoy a chilled glass of Victories Rose."  

The business has produced and released 40 different varietals/vintages and thousands of cases since becoming a licensed winery in 2003, the couple said.

Jenkins said wine making has helped him express his creativity just as painting has helped Fleming share her ideas and feelings.

From the sales of the 2004-10 vintages of Victories Rose, the couple said they have contributed more than $50,000 in funding to breast cancer research and awareness charities. Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, on the 30th anniversary of her 1968 Olympic victory. The "Victories Rose" program has motivated many to have cancer screenings. The couple has also supported dozens of other nonprofit organizations through donations and volunteering.

In their announcement, the couple acknowledges that they've made many friends in the wine industry, because of their business, and thanked Rob and Diana Jensen, proprietors of Testarossa Winery, for inviting the winery to produce its wines within its facility and work with its wine production team.

Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ronee Nassi expressed sadness with the news of the tasting room closing. "We're sad to see them go. We understand they're retiring and wish them the best of luck, and we're sure somebody will snatch up the (retail) space."