Lobo’s Story

Like most elementary kids, I loved animals. I studied them and spent countless hours reading about them in encyclopedias and tracing their pictures. Wolves were a favorite. By age five, I knew Lobo was Spanish for wolf.

At age 7, our family moved to Almaden Valley in south San Jose. I’ll never forget my first day in my new school; I christened it with my first fight.

Our janitor, a migrant worker from Mexico, took me under his wing. One day, he called me into his office – more like a closet – and showed me three puppies that he had found whimpering and abandoned while off-loading his truck at a dumpsite. He offered me a pup and I said yes, but the principal had other ideas.

The principal offered these puppies to all students – provided they could get permission from their parents. Of course, I called my Mom immediately. She lent a sympathetic ear, but insisted she get permission from my dad. He worked construction and she promised to call the job site. I called back within the hour; it was down to two puppies. Still, no word from dad. I called back in another hour; one puppy was left. No word from dad. I begged; I pleaded; I sealed the deal – as a third grader – by offering to take the puppy back if dad didn’t like it. Well, dad didn’t like it but my family still got to keep the pup – a half Husky and half German Shepard that we named Lobo.

This winery might bear that dog’s name, but that name means more. Lobo represents the act of grace of a humble man who rescued abandoned puppies and gave them homes. It also allowed me to fight my first fight – for the puppy that became part of our family.

Fight good fights. Fight them to win. Drink good wine afterwards.

—Tony Dollar

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What is a balanced wine?

Good wine is like a string quartet, every instrument playing at just the right volume for the song. Except instead of violins and violas the instruments are acid, alcohol, sugar, tannin, and water. Some wines are too sweet and high-alcohol (you may have heard of “fruit bombs”), and others are too acidic or have out of control tannins. Our goal is not to make wine that blows away your taste buds like a rock opera, but something balanced that gives them something to enjoy and think about.

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