Tony and Jane Spica at the Chateau Garage Winery

Tony Spica was born and raised in Michigan and moved to California after graduation from the University of Michigan in 1967 (GO BLUE). Tony spent the last 30 years in technical sales. Unlike the other members of Chateau Garage who came into winemaking late in life, Tony started at the ripe age of four…descending from many generation of Italian home wine makers. Tony first recalls making wine with his father and grandfather in Michigan. The grapes came by train from Napa Valley, so they obviously didn’t get them fresh off the vine. With this background his palate could best be described as earthy and unsophisticated being that it was developed drinking homemade wine in the Italian style. If you have never experienced it— to say the least — it is an acquired taste. He prefers wine with alcohol content of 13% or less which has become very difficult to find in California so he has turned to Sangiovese from Italy and Riojo from Spain.

Jane Spica calls the Midwest her incubation years. Born in Nebraska with stops in Des Moines, Chicago, Minneapolis, and several cities in Wisconsin. Beer, of course, being her first adult drink of choice. Her education took her to Atlanta, Florida and finally California. After raising three sons it was time to get a real job. She spearheaded the efforts to build the family log cabin which now houses the cellars of Chateau Garage. Marriage and Family Therapy and school counseling has kept her involved with communities in Oakland and Alameda for the past 20 years. Her first “ah ha” wine moment came on the Spica family trip to Italy in 1985 when she discovered that Italians really could make good wine.