About Bianchi Winery

The Bianchi Winery is the culmination of three generations’ dreams of creating wine in Central California. The long history began with Joseph Bianchi’s first foray into California winemaking in 1974 with an investment in a winery and vineyard on the banks of the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley of California. There the Bianchi Wine quickly grew to become an industry leader, producing award-winning wines using the most advanced farming and production technologies. His son, Glenn Bianchi, worked to continue building upon that legacy with his own lifelong ambition of producing ultra-premium wines, searching throughout California to find the finest terroir to meet his high expectations and requirements, settling on 40 acres in beautiful Paso Robles in 2000.

Where They Grow

Emerging as one of California’s premier wine regions, and conveniently located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, scenic Paso Robles boasts warm summer days, cooled by distant ocean breezes that can drop the temperature to as low as 50 degrees in the evening, as well as optimal soil for premium varietal grape-growing. These optimal Mediterranean climate/viticulture conditions inspired Glenn Bianchi to purchase 50 acres of vineyard land in January of 2000 for the new Bianchi Winery, breathing new life into his family’s legacy in the California wine industry. Situated on a gentle rise, Bianchi Winery looks west over undulating vineyards dotted with ancient oaks. The Tasting Room is the fulfillment of Glenn Bianchi's dream to provide a rousing sensory experience for visitors to the property. With its soaring glass walls, wine lovers can enjoy the peaceful surroundings from every angle. Nestled in the estate vineyards and overlooking a waterfall-fed lake, guests of Bianchi can enjoy patio tastings, events, and weekend getaways at the Vineyard House overlooking the lake and gently sloping, vine-covered hillsides.

Over the course of the last two decades in Paso, the dream continues to develop, now with Glenn’s son, Beau Bianchi, embracing the passion and commitment of his father and grandfather, refreshing the winemaking and visitor experience at the estate to make it a world-class wine destination, complete with a spectacular hospitality center on the property. Today, the state-of-the-art winemaking facility makes it possible for the winery to create limited production wines, and the barrel room allows blending and aging in small lots. The modern-meets-natural, cavernous tasting room serves these exclusive wines, as well as Bianchi’s most popular varietals that are available at restaurants and retail locations throughout the country.

Meet the Wine Maker

Todd R Weiher has had his hands on every vintage of Bianchi Wines since 2008. His passion for the art and science of winemaking is displayed in every bottle. Todd takes pride in being able to track and control variables with diligence, taking his craft to the next level with a dirt-up approach to winemaking, focusing on the quality of the fruit.

Todd left his hometown of Reno, NV, to attend college in San Luis Obispo. While completing a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts to pursue a career in teaching, he seized an opportunity to purchase a block of Syrah grapes from the east side of Paso Robles. Thanks to a friend in the wine industry, Todd carved out a small corner of a barrel room in Templeton and embarked on his journey as a winemaker. Since his first vintage in 2001, Todd has continued to hone his craft in vineyards and cellars throughout the Central Coast, including Edna Valley Vineyard and Wild Horse Winery.

Todd enjoys working with Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone varietals that grow beautifully in Paso Robles. He has also spearheaded sustainable vineyard practices at Bianchi to bring the need to work with the land as the center of attention. His implementation of an owl box program on the Bianchi estate property helps protect the estate vines from wild nuisance. This is just the first step in his plan to bring Bianchi to the next level of sustainability in practice.

Todd continues to grow as a winemaker, taking the “never stop learning” approach to winemaking. While there is no substitute to experience in the cellar, he has studied enology at UC Davis and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, giving him a strong science-based understanding of his trade. Todd has worked with both large and boutique wineries and was mentored as an assistant winemaker by several respected winemakers with vastly different approaches. Now it is his turn to bring his own approach to the craft.

“One might assume that the process of winemaking should be simple, but not all grapes are created equal,” Todd said, “With that in mind finding the highest quality fruit is half the battle as good wine comes from quality grapes, and that’s my focus. We work with some of the best growers from the best viticulture areas on the Central Coast. Focusing on picking at the exact right time, gives the grape the balance and complexity needed to make premium wine. I am a minimalist when it comes to my winemaking style, and I genuinely love acidity in wine. Anytime I am tasting wine it is always my focus. That is my thing, acid, and there is no better place than Paso Robles. Bianchi resides in the Geneseo District, which benefits from the cool evening breeze from the Templeton Gap. The warm days give us very ripe fruit while the cool evenings allow the acid to develop. I hope to continue the Bianchi Family legacy in making premium wines, while creating my own as one of the top winemakers in the Central Coast.”

Todd brings decades of experience and a lifetime of passion to his role as winemaker at Bianchi Winery. When he is not in the cellar or tasting room, you will find Todd with his wife hiking the local trails or traveling to explore new cities and cuisines.