How We Got Started
 Updated August 1, 2010






Steve & Lisa Fall 2008

 In 1995, the Thomsen family moved back to the village of Port Lions located on Kodiak, Island. Lisa was born and raised there and Steve moved there with his parents, who were school teachers,  in 1977. Steve & Lisa had completed their degrees in Biology and Education respectively and decided that they needed a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Anchorage. It was also an opportunity for their four children to see what 'village life' was all about. Unfortunately, jobs are scarce in the villages on Kodiak Island, and Steve's opportunities were limited to on call logging  and seasonal work with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, both of which took him away from his family. Steve and Lisa begin brainstorming of businesses they could start that could keep them together as a family. They were interested in starting a business that would utilize a natural, renewable resource and also provide additional income for local families. (Photo by Bruce Nelson, Port Lions)

When Steve first approached Lisa with the idea of a winery, she was extremely skeptical. Steve holds a Fisheries Research Degree and had never made wine before, except for his experiences while homesteading years earlier in Skwentna, Alaska (first stop on the famous Iditarod) , which consisted of making what locals affectionately called 'tater juice'. Steve started experimenting with salmonberry and blueberry wines first, and lo and behold, they were GOOD. With encouragement from many friends and family they decided to put their plan in motion. The first step was to visit several small wineries in Napa Valley California to see what kind of equipment they needed to run the business.

The next step was to draw up a business plan and get local legislation passed in order for wine to be produced in the village of Port Lions. In order to produce and sell wine in Port Lions we had to pass a local option to allow all alcohol sales with no exception. We did not feel that was appropriate in the village, so we pursued changes in state statutes limiting alcohol sales while allowing a winery to operate. In 1998, with the help of Alan Austerman's office, our State House Representative at the time,  the State Alcohol Board and others we introduced House Bill 411 which allowed a local option allowing the production of wine and sales only to those holding a liquor license. Steve & Lisa got the signatures necessary to put the local option on the ballot but lost by eight votes.  Undaunted by this, they moved to the city of Kodiak, bought a house and build a winery. It took several months of hard work, but by January 1, 2000, the winery was officially open for business!

 Steve & Lisa currently run the business and work 'day jobs' and look forward to the time when they can devote themselves fulltime to the wine business. Steve is a Fishery Biologist II with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and also runs the State Limnology lab. Lisa currently works at Kodiak College as the Faculty Assistant and part-time Adjunct Professor.

Alaskan Wilderness Wines

Steve & Lisa Thomsen

498 Shearwater Way

PO Box 543
Kodiak, AK 99615

(907) 486-1420

Cell: (907) 539-6328 or 539-6684

Email: alaskawildwine@gci.net