Lauren was born and raised in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. Her love of art and science led her to the wine and viticulture department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she concentrated in grape growing. After graduating, she stayed in the area to explore the winemaking side of the industry. She joined ONX Wines in 2018 as an intern and quickly rose through the ranks, from Cellar Assistant to Enologist, then to Assistant Winemaker, and finally to Associate Winemaker of ONX’S Custom Crush program. Her years of working alongside Jeff Strekas and the Seashell program have perfectly positioned her to become our official winemaker! In her free time, she enjoys working on stained glass projects, tending to her plants, and getting coffee at her favorite local spot, Field Day in San Luis Obispo. You can also find Lauren on the beach, watching waves, rollerblading in an empty parking lot, or at your local karaoke bar absolutely nailing a Dolly Parton song!
Jeff, a general misanthrope and curmudgeonly spectator of the Theater of Life, was born and raised in small-town Connecticut. With the enormous amount of free time afforded by both the completion of a degree and professional stint in biochemical engineering, he naturally took frequent trips out to Napa Valley in supplement of his passion for wine. Discovering in short order that his current job bore a striking number of similarities to winemaking, he abandoned his other dream of becoming a CDC Virus Hunter and made a bee line to UC Davis for his MS. Insert placements at Merryvale Vineyards in St Helena, Franciscan Estate in Rutherford, Mollydooker in McLaren Vale, Australia, and most recently at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford and there you’ve got the makings of a true addict. He’s got it bad.
Given that he lists his heroes as Statler and Waldorf (from the Muppet Show), Dr. Bruce Banner (aka the Incredible Hulk), and Captain Quint (from Jaws), its no surprise that Jeff found his way to Paso Robles instead of rooting himself in a more traditional wine region. Not that he can’t frequently be found enjoying the much more classic combination of sushi and dry German Riesling…
Fifth generation resident of the Central Coast. Tony earned his B.S. degree at Cal Poly S.L.O. in Agriculture Business Management with a concentration Farm Management and a minor in Plant Protection. He got started in the vineyard business with Hampton Farming Company in Santa Maria. From 1992-1995 he was the viticulturist and pest control adviser on 3000 acres in Santa Barbara County. In 2005 he formed Tony Domingos Farming, Inc., where he currently manages and owns several vineyards.
Tony is a past board member of the CA Association of Winegrape Growers & Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association. Tony holds a firm belief in the promotion of California Vineyards and Wineries in the domestic market. A larger market share for California will ensure success for the Paso Robles Region as well as all other regions in the state.