About Us

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Screaming Chief is a premium wine that is grown, produced, and bottled in Escondido, California. The grapes are grown at JD Vineyard, which is the pride and joy of Jeff and Denise Bowman. Jeff (AKA Chief) served as Fire Chief of Oceanside, Anaheim, San Diego, and Orange County, as well as “Co-Chief” of the Bowmans’ estate vineyard in the gentle, rolling hills of northwest Escondido, where the long, mild growing season and mineral-rich soil provide ideal conditions for Malbec and Cabernet Franc to thrive on the vines. The grapes are tended by hand, and after harvest, the wine is handcrafted just a stone’s throw away at Belle Marie Winery, a family-run boutique operation that is one of Southern California's most respected wine producers.

 

The name, “Screaming Chief,” is an homage to firefighting in the 19th century. Without the luxury of modern electronics, a fire ground commander of the period would shout his orders through a “speaking trumpet,” so he was referred to as a “Screaming Chief.” Screaming Chief is a term that still applies, but nowadays, it generally comes after finishing a glass of this exquisite wine… and Screaming for more Chief!