Meet our Winemakers

JIM DOUTHIT

CO-OWNER, WINEMAKER

Jim Douthit began making wine at Grassy Creek Vineyards in 2003, but he has been enjoying the craft of winemaking since his childhood.

The son of a career Navy man, Jim and his family moved from one base to another across the United States and around the Pacific Rim during his childhood. Wherever they settled his father planted grapes. Even though they rarely stayed long enough to create wine from their own harvest, that didn’t stop Jim’s dad from finding grapes to make his own wine while his harvest matured. These early adventures in winemaking instilled a love for the craft in Jim early on.

After college, Jim entered the textile industry as an engineer, but through his more than 25 year career he never gave up his love for winemaking. He was always crafting something in his basement, his bathtub, his garage, or wherever he had room. The opportunity arose for Jim’s hobby to become something more in 2002. Leaving textiles behind, Jim planted a vineyard in Troutman, NC. Just one year later, Jim was approached by friends Derrill and Lori Rice with an opportunity to create a new vineyard and winery at the historic Klondike Farm.

As winemaker, Jim oversees production from planting of the grapes to harvesting to crafting the wine. A combination of an education in chemistry, years spent watching his father, and some time working with Portuguese winemakers during a stint at a textile factory in New England are primary influences for Jim’s talent. 

“The process of winemaking is fascinating to me,” Jim says. “There’s a word we use in wine-making, ‘terroir’, which sums everything up for me. It means the soil, the temperature, the wind, the rain, all of which influences your wine. Add in the talents of the winemaker, influenced by mentors and teachers over the years, and each winery produces a unique set of wines. I enjoy knowing that I grew the grapes and then the resulting product is something that people can enjoy.’

LYNN NYCUM

Co-owner, Assistant Winemaker

Lynn found her love for wine in the heart of Napa Valley. In the mid-90s, when her husband was stationed in southern California with the Air Force, the young family spent their downtime traveling throughout the region. Neither Lynn nor her husband Larry drank wine at the time, but they knew they couldn’t leave that area without having visited one of the region’s famous wineries. “We walked up to the tasting bar and the man behind the bar asked if we’d ever done a wine tasting before. When we said no, he took us down to the end of the bar where there wasn’t anyone else, and took the time to walk us through, explaining each wine,” Lynn said. “We were converts immediately.”

Fast forward to 2009, when Larry and Lynn became co-owners of Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery. Lynn jumped into the winery business head first, deciding to go back to school to learn the art of winemaking. She earned her winemaking certificate in 2012 from the University of California - Davis. Like Jim, Lynn also has a background in science that she brings to her winemaking. Before becoming co-owner of the winery, Lynn had worked for several years in pediatric cancer research. Winemaking provides a new and different way for Lynn to focus her energy and share her talents.

One of the aspects Lynn enjoys most about winemaking is the opportunity for experimenting. Recently Lynn took one of Grassy Creek’s popular barbera grape and was able to make a beautiful rosé. Her new goal is to make a white wine from a red grape.

“I love the combination of art and science that you find in winemaking,” Lynn said. “There are the technicalities to the process, but then it also is a little about patience, preferences, and what you like. When you combine all of that you end up with a really great product.”