Our Story
The Hobby Years
Making wine started as a hobby for Bill Fry in the mid 1990's. After sampling a friends homemade Rhubarb Wine, Bill was not only impressed, but hooked. Wine making at the Fry's house began as a few small glass carboys on the kitchen counter. Bill's wine-making hobby quickly outgrew the kitchen and was moved to the garage. He experimented with anything he could get his hands on: raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, rhubarb and more. He received such good reviews from friends and family he wanted to share his creations with everyone and so the idea of Bear Creek Winery was born.
The Early Years
Bill and Dorothy jumped in with both feet and put everything they had into starting Bear Creek Winery and Lodging. They opened their doors in 2003 and thanks to the support of friends, family, and the locals of Alaska they began to grow. Wine was batched in 5 gal carboys, labels were printed from the home computer, and fruit was purchased from neighbors.
The Next Generation
As word spread of Bear Creek's award winning wines and unconditional hospitality so did the popularity of their wines. With popularity came growth and Bill and Dorothy found themselves in need of more space and more help. Space came in the form of a new timber frame production facility that was finished in the summer of 2011 and help came in the form of their son-in-law, Louis Maurer, who moved to Homer with their daughter, Jasmine, in 2010. Louis worked alongside Bill and Dorothy, learning and collaborating, and in 2015 released his own brand of wines called Glacier Bear. As Bill and Dorothy transitioned into retirement years, Louis and Jasmine assumed ownership of the winery in 2019 and strive to continue their legacy of world class wines, unequaled customer service, and a community focused business.
The Current Years
Today we continue to provide a premium wine tasting experience and luxurious guest lodging. Our small batch wine making model ensures excellent wine quality and we offer 9 core varietals and 5 seasonal wines in our expanded, comfortable tasting room. We have grown from 5 gal batches to 250 gallon batches and from producing 600 gallons our first year to 20,000 gallons in a year but we have not forgotten our history. Thanks to all of our local supporters and traveling visitors who have helped us grow.
