Our congratulations to Eberle Winery on the 40th Anniversary of the winery and to owner Gary Eberle who has contributed significantly to the wine history of San Luis Obispo County in four areas: grape varietals, the founding of the Paso Robles AVA, the production of fine red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon is his favorite) and the development of a culture of hospitality unlike any other wine area in California.
In the legend of Gary Eberle, you will find his story, which winds through the states of Pennsylvania and Louisiana, as he pursues college football, science, and fine wines shared with one of his professors in graduate school.
Gary’s decision to move to California to attend UC Davis in 1973 and seek a PhD in fermentation impacted our local history. As a UC Davis student, Gary had two introductions to SLO County. He collected soil samples in the country with two of his professors who soon predicted that San Luis Obispo County was the place to plant vineyards to produce the finest of the famous grapes we know well.
The second introduction was through his family with an older half-brother, Cliff Giacobine, who moved to our county from Southern California to develop a cattle ranch. Gary, and the local agricultural advisor, Jack Foote, were able to convince Cliff to partner with Gary to develop a vineyard and winery, Estrella River Winery. The 176 acres, known as the Quenzer Ranch on Highway 46 East, were acquired from a barley and safflower farmer for $50 per acre. Gary designed the winery, the vineyard and the irrigation system, supported by 17 partners. Gary was the first to plant Syrah vines in 1975 with cuttings from an isolated vineyard originally planted by UC Davis. Estrella River Winery had the first scientific laboratory in San Luis Obispo County; it became the largest commercial winery, and the gathering place for a new generation of winemakers.
Gary’s passion for fine wine soon changed his future plans. He decided not to pursue a career as a winemaker. He decided to establish his own winery and focus on producing small quantities of fine wines from his own grapes. Gary is a businessman with a superb marketing instinct. He credits Robert Mondavi for his talents and there is not a doubt that Gary learned a great deal from Robert but, had they never met, Gary would have still been the smartest marketing force in North County. By the late 1970s Gary was working with three other men, Tom Martin, Victor Hugo Roberts and Herman Schwartz on the application for the Paso Robles AVA.
In 1979 Gary, the business man, negotiated with Estrella River Winery and exchanged his ownership share for around 4,000 cases of wine produced in 1979. He was able to sell each case at a profit of around $130 which he invested in Eberle Winery. He also negotiated the right to put his own label on those bottles. Gary, the marketing genius, had his Eberle Winery labels ready to go. When the Paso Robles AVA was approved, he already had Paso Robles on his label.
Gary’s Legacy has been celebrated during his lifetime. He has received three major industry awards: The Wine Lifetime Achievement Award, The Mondavi Hospitality Award and the 21st Annual Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award.
In 2023 the Eberle Winery won 160 medals among 17 wine competitions. The majority were gold medals and 16 were “Best of Class”.
You will find Gary welcoming visitors at the front door to the tasting room at the Eberle Winery.
