Villa San Juliette

The story begins with a little show called Corkscrewed….. The reality show “Corkscrewed: The Wrath of Grapes” starred the owners of the vineyard Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. “Corkscrewed: The Wrath of Grapes” was a reality series following the trials and exploits of award-winning entertainment producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick as they make a major investment in a long held dream – owning their own vineyard.

From childhood friends in the backstreets of Liverpool to producing the huge US primetime hit, American Idol, Ken and Nigel are a phenomenal success story.

Nigel is currently executive producer and “judge” on FOX Broadcasting’s summer hit So You Think You Can Dance, and Ken is executive producer of the head to head ratings rival, NBC’s America’s Got Talent and they are both enjoying the rewards and Hollywood lifestyle that come with a string of prime-time US network hits. Originally the purchase of the vineyard was planned as a consortium of buyers including Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller, one by one the investors pulled out leaving Nigel and Ken to purchase the beautiful 168 acre vineyard in Paso Robles, California alone.

Ken Warwick

Nigel Lythgoe

Problems arose from the outset. Arriving at the vineyard dressed in designer clothing, Lythgoe and Warwick try to convince the jeans-clad owner of their interest in horticulture. From there the hilarities and struggles persist; business collaborations go south; wild boars cause chaos; potential profits dive; and vines become infested with rot. In 2007 the vineyard went into full transformation. Ken and Nigel hired Tony Domingos, a local vineyard consultant in the area. Blocks of the older vineyard are being replaced by new rootstock and slowly but surely the vineyard is being revitalized.

In May of 2008 the first Estate grown bottling was made. Adam LaZarre, "The mad scientist, sensitive artiste and intellectual winemaking machine," from nearby Hahn Estates, was hired and five wines have been released under the Villa San-Juliette Label.