OUR STORY
Lasorda Family Wines is a family endeavor founded by Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda. We embody Tommy’s fearless spirit and passion in our winemaking, and in doing so, seek to honor and preserve his legacy as baseball’s true ambassador. Our collection of award-winning small production wines embraces the best of Paso Robles, a region known for its unique and diverse climate combined with distinct landscape.
A leader, family man and true icon of baseball, Tommy Lasorda led a life full of passion. Tommy won 1,599 games and two World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was regarded as one of the most engaging personalities in the sport. Not only was his love of baseball well-known, but his love of family and his Italian heritage was also very apparent; Food, wine, and family have always been symbiotic for the Lasordas. Family gatherings are a regular occurrence and are always accompanied by a home cooked meal and an excellent selection of wine.
Many people do not know that Tommy was introduced to the art of winemaking before he ever put on a baseball glove. His father, Sabatino Lasorda, was an Italian immigrant hailing from the small town of Tollo in the Abruzzo wine region. He was experienced in winemaking and continued the practice upon settling in Norristown, Pennsylvania. As a young boy, Tommy would eagerly observe his father’s hobby of winemaking at home, and would often help his father procure and press grapes before distributing the finished wine to family, friends, and neighbors.
Over the decades that followed, Tommy would develop a deep appreciation for wine that stemmed from the memories with his father. And when it came time to hang up the uniform, he carried his passion and desire for excellence from the baseball field to the winery. Tommy’s motivation behind introducing Lasorda Family Wines was the desire to create something special that not only tied together his greatest passions in life, but also that could be shared with family, friends, and fans.
A leader, family man and true icon of baseball, Tommy Lasorda led a life full of passion. Tommy won 1,599 games and two World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was regarded as one of the most engaging personalities in the sport. Not only was his love of baseball well-known, but his love of family and his Italian heritage was also very apparent; Food, wine, and family have always been symbiotic for the Lasordas. Family gatherings are a regular occurrence and are always accompanied by a home cooked meal and an excellent selection of wine.
Many people do not know that Tommy was introduced to the art of winemaking before he ever put on a baseball glove. His father, Sabatino Lasorda, was an Italian immigrant hailing from the small town of Tollo in the Abruzzo wine region. He was experienced in winemaking and continued the practice upon settling in Norristown, Pennsylvania. As a young boy, Tommy would eagerly observe his father’s hobby of winemaking at home, and would often help his father procure and press grapes before distributing the finished wine to family, friends, and neighbors.
Over the decades that followed, Tommy would develop a deep appreciation for wine that stemmed from the memories with his father. And when it came time to hang up the uniform, he carried his passion and desire for excellence from the baseball field to the winery. Tommy’s motivation behind introducing Lasorda Family Wines was the desire to create something special that not only tied together his greatest passions in life, but also that could be shared with family, friends, and fans.
OUR WINEMAKER
Terry Culton has been the winemaker at Lasorda Family Wines since it’s launch in 2016. With over 20 years of winemaking experience in California’s Central Coast and Oregon, he has a broad range of winemaking prowess and a proven record of producing highly sought-after wines with consistent 90+ ratings. Regarded as a “top-flight winemaker” by writer Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate, Terry continues to bring the best our industry has to offer.
His early story is one of many great mentors, beginning with Ken Volk at Wild Horse Winery. Ken was a gracious teacher and guiding force behind Terry as he quickly worked his way up to cellar master. With this experience under his belt, Terry then traveled the “Pinot Trail” working in the Anderson Valley (Edmeades) and Oregon’s Willamette Valley (Willamette Valley Vineyards) before moving to Hollister, CA to work with the iconic Josh Jensen at Calera. Jensen was a visionary of Pinot Noir, pioneering the varietal in the US and creating some of the most inspired and exciting wines from those plantings. From Calera, Terry returned to the Central Coast to work at Adelaida Cellars’ Hoffman Mountain Ranch. For 10 years he honed his unique style of vineyard driven, well-balanced wines before launching his own label, Culton Wine Co., in 2012. Most recently, Terry has made his home at Le Vigne Winery in Paso Robles as head winemaker. In his pursuits for greater creative freedom with his winemaking outside of Le Vigne, an introduction to the Lasorda family in 2016 ultimately developed into a fruitful collaboration. Together, they set out to bring Lasorda Family Wines to life. Under Terry’s lead, Lasorda Family Wines currently runs its winery operations in the renowned Paso Robles region.