Wyo. family turns property into winery

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The cup of Syrah juice fresh from the destemmer looked like purple gazpacho. Whole grapes, skins and a few stems floated in the cool, frothy soup.

To the palate, it was sweet, watery yet rich, textured with bits of chewable grape flesh. In the cool October air, it proved refreshing.

But most of all, it tasted alive — which it probably was.

Winemaker Anthony Schroth had just driven a Budget rental truck laden with freshly picked grapes from California to the Schroth family's 14-acre property in South Park.

Brother Ian Schroth shoveled purple bunches from crates in the back of the truck into the metal destemmer resting on a blacktop driveway. With an electric efficiency, the machine processed fresh fruit into what could one day be a bottle of Jackson Hole Winery's Rendezvous Red.

Father and proprietor Bob Schroth hovered in the back of the truck as family and friends worked and watched at the first winery in Teton County and the second in Wyoming. Curiosity abounded, but people also were having fun.

Anthony Schroth, who spent some of his youth in Jackson, was excited about the harvest.

"2011 will be an incredible year," he said, holding a few grapes in hand. The fruit was delicate and light, and the seeds were crunchy — just what he wanted.

The Schroths, awarded a winery license from Teton County on Dec. 7, 2010, are more than hobbyists. In starting a winery, they are starting a business.

"We are doing our own distribution and marketing," Bob Schroth said. "We have talked to a number of restaurants and liquor stores in the valley and the reception has been terrific. One thing we hear over and over again is people are always asking, 'Do you have a local wine?' "

As a boy, Anthony Schroth dreamed of playing professional baseball. The Schroths moved from San Diego to the west bank in 1990, and the Schroth brothers attended valley schools.

Halfway through high school, Schroth, now 30, moved back to San Diego, and baseball took him to Sonoma State University, in the heart of the northern California wine country.

That move proved fortunate for Schroth. While he didn't make it in the big leagues, he fell in love with the wine business.