I first noticed grapevines along County Road 462 during a search for inspiration while driving the lush backroads near my house. 

At Taste of Lake, I made the connection while marveling at some of the most beautifully designed wine labels I had ever seen.

“Oh my gosh, is that your winery?” I asked Keisha Santana-Doak.

“I was going to retire after COVID,” Keisha says. “Then our real estate guy called about this property. It was just too good to pass up.”

Her husband, Phillip Doak, has a different version of the story of how Wildwood Winery & Events began.

“She got bored and the next thing we know we own a vineyard on 10 acres and I’m making wine,” he says.

Phillip, an Army veteran with a hospitality background, learned winemaking from scratch with guidance from a few mentors and a lot of hard work.

Their first wine was a white cranberry blend cheekily named Kiss Me Down Under. 

Some grapes are shipped in, while muscadine grows right outside. Each wine is made in small batches, triple filtered and held to a standard they refuse to compromise.

Every wine is a blend and Keisha’s personality is reflected on every bottle — labels she designed with names like Cherry Noir, Life is a Cab, The Dark Affair and Intoxicating Merlot. 

“I always try to fly high and Phillip keeps me grounded,” Keisha says. “We couldn’t do this without each other.”

‘This’ includes a vineyard with a wine room, growing events calendar, wedding venue and a barn still in progress. Their vision has only begun to breathe. 

Photos: Nicole Hamel