In addition to the joys of a happy and fulfilling life , Al has enjoyed a long and fruitful marriage to Kathy , which has produced five children and several grandchildren , many of whom are following in their grandfather ’ s farming steps .
Al and his oldest son , Joe , jointly set in motion what would become Tank House in early 2007 . “ Our first vintage produced under the label was in 2008 ,” Joe said . Joe got his degree in Business from UC Davis and made his way into agriculture . Joe is friendly and outgoing , so it came as no surprise that he made many friends at college . A couple of these friends got Joe started on his current path , producing great wines while managing the distribution channels as the vice president of Tank House Winery . These college friends started a network of vineyards in the Borden Ranch AVA ( American Viticultural Area ), located in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties , and is part of the larger Lodi AVA . Both Al and Joe appreciate and respect knowing their suppliers , so this is a great fit . They currently purchase their Syrah , Cabernet Sauvignon , and Petite Verdot grapes from these vineyards .
In addition to overseeing the grape purchases , farming their estate vineyards , and making the wines , Joe works with carefully chosen teams in the areas of marketing , business development , and distribution to handle the business end of Tank House Winery .
But it all comes down to relationships , both business and family , in the end . The farmer ( Al ) and the winemaker ( Joe ) work together to produce vineyards and wines of quality that reflect their values of hard work , honesty , and a commitment to solid , trusting relationships , in their business and personal lives . There is no better example than when Al and Joe began to build their winemaking facility , tasting room and event area on Harding Avenue in San Martin . They needed to “ borrow ” a production and storage area until their facility was complete , so they called upon an old friend — and , some would say , a competitor — Gino Fortino . Gino opened his doors to the Caviglias , making room for them to complete and store their current vintages .
When asked what their biggest joy in establishing Tank House has been , both of them got a twinkle in their eyes . Al said , “ Watching my son make incredibly good wine with the grapes we ’ ve grown together .”
Joe nodded and smiled . “ For me , it ’ s been seeing my own kids appreciate the art of farming and production .” He explained that when planting some new vines recently , one of his children planted six by himself . When asked how old that “ little helper ” was , he replied , “ Oh , he ’ s four .” The next generation will be running the family business in no time .
Tank House Winery is all about family , relationships and trust . Al Caviglia grew up in Santa Clara Valley agriculture and now shares his love for farming with son Joe and Joe ' s four children . Joe has been making wine under the Tank House label since 2008 . The two have grown the brand by relying on the great relationships they have built over the years within the industry . Tank House is operated by Al , his wife Kathy , Joe , his wife Jessica , and a budding third generation ( Joe and Jessica ' s children ) providing as much hands-on assistance and consultation their little smiling faces allow . Visit the winery for tasting , you ' ll leave as good friends . tankhousewinery . com
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