Make high quality wines at the base of the Teton Mountains in Jackson Wyoming? It sounded like a pie in the sky idea to me, and at first it probably was for Tony Schroth as well. But Schroth pursued the idea anyway.
Tony Schroth grew up on a farm a few miles south of the city of Jackson, Wyoming, playing baseball and raising 4H livestock in his dad’s barn. His love of baseball brought him to Sonoma State University, which recruited him to play ball for them. A shoulder injury sidelined his baseball career, and a winemaking course taken on a lark set him off in another direction. Schroth graduated in 2006 with a double major in marketing and wine business, and he started working at wineries in Sonoma.
Schroth first thought of making wine in his home town during a school internship. In 2009, he made the dream a reality. The one-hundred-year old barn that used to house his 4H livestock has been converted into a tasting room. It is still somewhat rustic (the only heat was from a space heater behind the bar), but it fits the ambiance of Jackson Hole perfectly.
And the wines? They were remarkably good. I broke the rule I had set for this trip of buying only a bottle or two at each winery I visit (space is limited in the RV). I had a half case sent home, in addition to the bottle we took with us.
If you’re into wine, or just want to learn more about this remarkable winemaker and his winery, there’s a more detailed article here.