A thank you to my dad, Denis Brooks, owner of DCW

What do Google and my father have in common? They are both always there when you need it and they both somehow know everything.  And they both have a wonderful daughter.  I kid, I kid.

You might be wondering…who is my dad? Well, he is Denis Brooks, the owner of Deer Creek Winery in Shippenville, PA. He is the man that first had the vision to plant raspberries and then to open the Winery in 2009. He is the one who is building the beautiful new Inn one day at a time.  And he is the one who raised me to be the person I am (along with my mother, of course).  He has been a constant in my life.

My father is kind and loving, and is also the most devoted and determined person I know.  He puts his family first, and that includes the family at Deer Creek Winery – the people that work there and the people that come visit there. He might be more behind the scenes, but he’s there. He puts everything he has into DCW. He works all day, every day, and sometimes into the night.  If I need to find my dad, I look in his work office and then in the wine production building and he is almost always in one of those two places.  He is continuously showing me by example how hard work is always worth it.

All of my earliest memories of my dad are of him getting me to think – to open up my mind and to use it
for myself. From him trying to put my socks on my hands instead of my feet when I was little, to getting me to learn how to subtract using M&M’s, to disciplining me in a way that made me think and getting me to consider the bigger picture. I always knew that I needed to think for myself and I always know that he is there if I need him.  He has raised four children and the family has grown to be 14 people… And all of us know that dad will always be there for us each step of the way, while still giving us space to think for ourselves.

And so I want to thank my dad – thank you for being the man that you are and showing me how to fear not. Thank you for filling our home with love and laughter. Thank you for getting me to use my mind and then letting me fly out into my own dreams.

This week is when we celebrate fathers – all the effort, time, and love they have given us. Come celebrate with us at Deer Creek Winery.  Friday nights are now half-off appetizers and $3 drink specials!