Wines made by patient, creative winemakers.

Alex started his winemaking career unknowingly—earning degrees in Chemistry, Philosophy, and French Literature—while working in a lab building molecules and prepping for a career in medicine. In a truly extravagant act of self-sabotage, he gave up this budding career to move to New York City and dive into the standup comedy scene. This foray into entertainment ended when he opened a cafe and wine bar in the East Village.

Eventually, Alex made the transition from wine connoisseur to winemaker—moving to Oregon where he spends his days crafting new vintages of Silas Wines, visiting vineyards, and staffing The Bramble. He lives on the Oregon Coast, where he hunts mushrooms, surfs, and volunteers his time as an EMT and firefighter with the local fire department.

Tony’s great grandfather, a grocer in Dubuque, Iowa, made wine from whatever would ferment in his garden. Dandelions, fruit from an unruly orchard, and four rows of concord grapes all got the chance. Tony first introduced himself to wine with sips of these homegrown beverages. And even though they tasted terrible, they sparked his life-long journey to learn as much as he could about the wines of the world and how they are made. His travels took him all over Europe, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand.

After half a lifetime of sharing wine with friends, family, and wine professionals in living rooms, cafes, shops, vineyards, kitchens, cellars, and one catacomb worthy of Edgar Allan Poe, Tony left a perfectly good media career to pursue his passion for the wine styles he loves in the place—the Willamette Valley—most suited to them.