Here We Go

Matt and I have been going around and around about what "the blog" should be like. I've finally decided to chuck the master plan and just write- so, Hi!
My name is Maria and I am the middle of 3 kids. Justin is the oldest, and Breanna is the youngest. Bre is married to Steve and I am married to Matt. All three of us have children of our own. Our parents are Don and Charlene Stolo and we are all involved in TreViti Wines. (The dog is a family friend's)

Now that you've got the family tree, let's get to the basics. If you want indepth background info please visit our website. TreViti is my family's boutique winery. It stems from my parent's 2002 purchase of a parcel of land in Cambria, CA. The property had an existing 9 acre vineyard, a really cool but old farm house that we all think might be haunted (now under renovation), and a gigantic rundown dairy barn (now home to our tractor and two barn owls). The previous owner planted the vineyard and proceeded to sell the grapes to local winemakers. My parents decided to rework the vineyard and keep the harvest to create a family wine label. We renamed the vineyard Stolo Family Vineyard and created the label TreViti Wines. Our first vintage was in 2004. Sounds easy, right?

Well, first off- we are a family business (insert groans and tentative looks here). Actually, it's not as bad as it sounds. My brother, sister and I grew up in a family business atmosphere. My grandfather started a small cabinet business back in the day and my dad and uncle worked with him to help it grow. We, being the kids, used to work there during the summers- sweeping the shop, etc. Not glamorous, but we did have access to nail guns and industrial strength glue. As we grew, the business grew. It is still in operation today and going strong (my brother an sister still work with my dad). So, as far as mixing family with business, we have a little experience with it. Not to say that it's easy, but we know what to expect.

Second, we are growing grapes. I don't care how you pretty it up; large magnums, fancy labels, high prices. The wine business starts in the vineyard. We are at the mercy of nature; the frost, mold, excessive heat spikes, early rain, birds, and raccoons. All of which we have already had a taste of. Again, not glamorous, but worth it. Running up the vineyard with your fiance to feverishly hand pick the remaining few acres of Syrah before the giant looming storm overhead commences is exhausting and stressful. Tasting that same Syrah in the bottle a year later and thinking "wow, this is good" is rewarding.

Third, and finally, we are in the wine business. I started out working in a tasting room in Napa to learn the basics, moved on to work in a wine bar & shop in San Francisco to polish my skills, jumped to selling boutique wines to San Francisco restaurants and wine shops to toughen up, and was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to help craft my family's boutique label. I do love the wine industry. It is full of people who are open, honest, helpful, supportive, and fun. It is competitive, but not like you would think. Sometimes we bounce ideas off of others in the business and I always feel that we are getting an honest answer.

So, there it is. We are a family who gets along and enjoys working together. We are extremely proud of our vineyard and our wine. We are working hard to create a quality product that we can share with others. Here we go.....


I promise my future posts will be much shorter, but I am Italian.....