For four years, Jade and Julie Work have been pursuing county permits to construct the Italy-inspired winery of their dreams. As plans are drawn and renderings revealed, the horizon is clearer than ever.
“We’re building Monserate Winery in a valley with a beautiful creek and 50-60 year-old mature Sycamore trees,” Julie Work told What Now San Diego on Wednesday. “It’s really the perfect spot for a winery, and we’re working on building out three different venues.”
The main venue will resemble an Italian barrel room, complete with an open courtyard. Julie Work describes the second, barn-like structure to embody “a rustic space you might see in the Italian countryside,” and the third space will feature a grassy area perfect for exhibitions like car and art shows.
The latter two venues will offer space for events, including weddings, reunions, quinceañeras and the like. As for an opening timeline, the Works are hesitant to announce specifics.
“So much of this project is still in the county’s hands that trying to give anything concrete is pretty much impossible,” Work said. “That said, part of the property will open to the public by 2022, and we’ll have our smaller venue open hopefully by the end of this year.”
For now, the Works are completing as much landscaping as possible, from grating the earth to moving in boulders and bridges for hardscaping.
The Works grew up in Fallbrook, and they came into the winery business with the purpose of rescuing the property. For a time, the golf course was at risk of being rezoned for residential property by a developer in L.A. When Fallbrook locals caught wind of that plan, there was community outcry. Jade Work, who owns a golf course construction company called Integrity Golf, decided to step in.
“The community was very vocal about wanting to keep it an open, green space, so we answered that call,” Julie Work said. “Jade didn’t see this space ever being profitable as a golf course, with so many other courses around and fewer people playing golf than ever. He had an ‘aha’ moment one day where he realized, oh this isn’t a golf course, this is meant to be a winery and event center.”
And so it will be. Monserate Winery has been harvesting since 2019, so when they open in 2022, they will already have wine in barrel. Following in line with the Tuscan theme, Julie Work said they plan to focus on Italian wine varieties.
For now, Monserate Winery is still working on lining up vineyard managers and chefs for the future restaurant ahead of their grand opening.
“We’re very excited to be opening up a winery in San Diego, but Fallbrook is a pretty unique bubble within the county,” Julie Work said. “There’s a country-type feeling here. We’re expecting a lot of tourism from San Diego and Orange County, and we’re looking forward to showing off Fallbrook.”
