San Antonio Winery is one with a rich history and deep roots in the wine industry. They date back to the early 1900\u2019s in the Los Angeles area and started getting involved in Paso Robles about 30 years ago by purchasing grapes from local growers. You can learn more about the history of this winery here as well as read the Q&A below to hear directly from the fourth generation of this family, Anthony Riboli.<\/p>\n
Matt: Clearly there is a ton of history with your family and wine, if you had to name a couple of standout points in your family\u2019s history\u2026what would they be?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: Certainly, the 100-year anniversary in 2017 is the big daddy.\u00a0 We are all very excited, especially since my grandparents are here to share it! Matt: What was it about the Los Angeles area that made for good wine grape growing?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: I honestly have never made wine from LA grapes.\u00a0 They were really gone before I was born!\u00a0 I firmly believe that the Central Coast is a superior region to Los Angeles for grape growing.\u00a0 Los Angeles was probably just established for convenience with all the local Italian immigrants in the area.<\/p>\n Matt: How long have you been involved with wine as a career?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: I started officially in 1998.\u00a0 I studied Biology at UC Santa Barbara and was on my way to medical school.\u00a0 Then, I really reconsidered and enrolled at UC Davis for my Master\u2019s Degree in Viticulture.\u00a0 I also completed the winemaking courses.\u00a0 I also worked the 1997 harvest at Groth Vineyards in Napa Valley.<\/p>\n Matt: Did you have a specific wine moment that made it such a passion for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: Once I arrived at UC Davis, I just realized that our family needed to make a lot of major changes in wine quality if we were to survive.\u00a0 Luckily, the family has been very supportive of all the changes.<\/p>\n Matt: Do you have a certain philosophy about wine? How about the overall family philosophy?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: Wine is certainly an amazing combination of art and science.\u00a0 I always try not to create a wine style that doesn\u2019t fit the region.\u00a0 For example, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon shouldn\u2019t try to emulate Bordeaux styles of winemaking.\u00a0 Let Paso Cab be its own animal: bright, bold fruit without green characters and the resulting alcohols over 14%.\u00a0 Why fight it! Matt: What made you want to go into the \u201cfamily business\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: My father actually wanted a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t push me into the business.\u00a0 Being at UC Davis really made me say \u201cThis is really interesting.\u00a0 I think that I can do this for the rest of my life.\u201d I also really saw that the family needed to make better wine.\u00a0 Our quality needed to improve.<\/p>\n Matt: When did Paso Robles become a place for San Antonio Winery?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: We began buying grapes 30 years ago.\u00a0 However, we didn\u2019t have a true presence in Paso.\u00a0 The first step was buying our tasting room nearly 10 years ago.\u00a0 Of course, owning estate vineyards and the new winery have cemented our true commitment to the Paso Robles region. Many locals think we\u2019re the new guys on the block, but we\u2019re really not.<\/p>\n Matt: What was it about Paso Robles that made your family want to set up shop here?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: Paso was the new frontier.\u00a0 It was a great adventure.\u00a0 Not as established and pretentious as Napa Valley.\u00a0 Our family has always wanted our customers to feel comfortable and unintimidated by wine. Paso has the same feel.\u00a0 Financially, Paso was also a great opportunity to buy land at reasonable prices.<\/p>\n Matt: What aspect of the wine business do you enjoy the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: When a tasting room customer has a sip, and their face just says it all.\u00a0 \u201cWow, this is really great wine!\u201d<\/p>\n Matt: Do you have a favorite variety to sip on or to play with in the winery?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: That\u2019s like asking which is your favorite child!\u00a0 However, Zinfandel has become a bit of an obsession lately. Finding balance with Zin is always a challenge.\u00a0 And I\u2019m not talking about 13.5% alcohol!<\/p>\n Matt: How about a favorite food and wine pairing?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: Another tough one!\u00a0 Our vineyard manager Lee Alegre raises his own local sheep in Paso.\u00a0 Grilled Alegre lamb chops with our new Stormwatch Bordeaux blend.<\/p>\n Matt: Do you have a favorite wine region other than the L.A. area or Paso Robles?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: We own estate vineyards in Monterey as well.\u00a0 Santa Lucia Highlands is just awesome for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.<\/p>\n Matt: What\u2019s your favorite thing about Paso Robles?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: The smell in the morning.\u00a0 Even in mid-August, the mornings are cool.\u00a0 That\u2019s so unique for Paso.\u00a0 The smell is hard to describe, but something like cool hay and dusty soil in a good way!<\/p>\n Matt: If you\u2019re not drinking wine you\u2019re drinking?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: I\u2019m not a wine only guy.\u00a0 Occasional beer drinker, but I\u2019m really into Japanese whisky right now.\u00a0 Also, Irish whiskey.<\/p>\n Matt: What do you do in your time away from work? Hobbies?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony: When you love what you do, working is constant.\u00a0 However, I enjoy traveling with my wife and daughters.\u00a0 Going to the beach, San Francisco, wherever.\u00a0 I enjoy cooking, especially BBQ.\u00a0 And I\u2019m a big sports fan \u2013 football, basketball, and I love World Cup soccer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" San Antonio Winery is one with a rich history and deep roots in the wine industry. They date back to the early 1900\u2019s in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","filesize_raw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-central-coast-wineries","8":"category-wine-makers","9":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nA second standout would be on a local level in Paso.\u00a0 We have purchased grapes from local growers for 30 years.\u00a0 In the last few years, we have planted 4 estate vineyards in the El Pomar and Creston AVAs. And we will be completing our new state-of-the-art winery in Paso for the 2016 harvest.<\/p>\n
\nThe family philosophy has always been to work hard and never be afraid to take risks.\u00a0 My grandmother always said that our company must constantly evolve.\u00a0 She was the one that started our restaurant inside the downtown LA winery in 1972.\u00a0 She saw an opportunity and took it!<\/p>\n