Peninsula pair wins with wine
Phyllis and Bill Glantz of Rancho Palos Verdes stand in front of some of the wine casks aged each year at Eberle Winery of which they are co-owners
The opportunity to pair wine with community blooms with Peninsula couple
by Frank Brown
“Wait until you see the legs on this one,” says Bill Glantz to visitors at his Rancho Palos Verdes home. The “legs” in this instance are gentle lines slowly tracing down a glass of Sangiovese 2007 wine he swirls and then holds up for his guests to appreciate.
“The legs are an indicator of a wine’s stability and longevity according to wine makers,” he said, two adjectives that might be applied to Bill and Phyllis Glantz.
William Glantz and his wife, Phyllis Hansen Glantz, lead double lives. They have lived on the Hill for 35 years. When they’re not here they’re there. “There” is the Central Valley-Paso Robles winery they partner with Gary Eberle. Eberle’s name is on the labels of the wine the Glantz couple give to fund-raising groups in Palos Verdes.
When on the Hill, Bill and Phyllis may be found distributing Eberle wines poured at community fundraisers and to be auctioned off by groups that seek funds for different causes.
Phyllis said, “Bill and I personally poured Eberle wines for what was then called The Wellness Community event held at the South Coast Botanic Garden.”
This past September, the pair was present at “Sunday by the Sea,” the annual funder held for Providence TrinityCare Hospice. Those who attend these events know that the Eberle tent invariably attracts repeat visitors.
“I’ve been on the library board for eight years,” he said, “and president of that board, and also active in the Land Conservancy.” Bill was on the original board of H.E.L.P and involved with Peninsula Committee of the Los Angels Philharmonic, as was Phyllis, and with the Land Conservancy. He coached soccer for 15 years and he and Phyllis were both active in scouting for many years.
“We give wine to all those groups, so they can raise funds,” he said.
From Palos Verdes to Paso Robles
When did their love affair with wine begin? Bill started exploring the Paso Robles area in 1978. He stopped at a tasting room to try some of its wine and met a man named Gary Eberle.
His name sounded familiar. One thing led to another and the two men soon discovered that Gary played football at Penn State when Bill and Phyllis were students there. After presenting their bona fides to one another, Eberle and Glantz decided their skill sets could be linked together. Gary would build a winery, Bill would manage the money.
Eberle proved prescient. He had headed his family’s Paso Robles vineyards that produced a half million cases a year. In 1980, he co-founded the Paso Robles Appellation and in 1983, Gary opened the doors to his own Eberle Winery with the premiere of its 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Today, Eberle handcrafts 25,000 cases of wine each year from surrounding estate vineyards. And, after more than 25 years since the release of the Eberle label, the winery consistently remains one of the highest award-winning wineries in the United States.
“When we formed the Eberle Winery in 1983,” said Bill, “the population in Paso was about 7,000 and now it’s probably more than 30,000. In 1988, we bought acreage surrounding the winery and planted the vineyard. Back then there were only eight wineries in the county. Today, there are more than 300,” he said.
There can be no winery, however, without a wine maker. Ben Mayo makes Eberle’s wines, said Bill who describes Mayo as a quiet person who doesn’t want his picture taken, preferring instead to remain in the background.
“But of all the winemakers we’ve had, he’s my favorite,” says Bill. “He’s a good person, has a good family and he’s a great wine-maker. Ben is just the kind of person you’d like to have as your friend.”
Mayo’s wine making grabs the attention at annual competitions in the wine industry. Eberle has won many such awards. Some of them include the International Association of Someliers that holds a competition every year to name the Winery of the Year.
In September the Glantzes’ and Eberles’ winery won the 2011 Somelier Challenge Winery of the Year Award.
“Overall, there are probably eight or nine Winery of the Year awards given by different organizations,” said Bill. “It’s particularly nice to be recognized by people who are in the wine industry. It’s based not on just one wine, but on all your wines,” he said.
“In addition, there is the ‘Great Wine Competition’,” Bill said. “What they do is to take the 15 biggest competitions in the United States and add up all the points. Based on those numbers they select the top wines of each varietal. We, Eberle, had four wines that were in the competition, a first, second, third and fourth.”
The 2009 Cote de Robles Blanc was judged best in its category. The second place wine was a 2010 Muscat Canelli, a white dessert wine. The third place was won by its 2005 Zinfandel and the fourth by its 2008 Cabernet.
“There were probably more than 1,000 wineries in that competition and Eberle Winery placed fourth in the nationwide contest,” said Glantz.
“To the Eberle Winery,” he added, “the fourth place cabernet award is worth more than any of the other awards because cabernet is our flagship wine.”
From Paso Robles to Palos Verdes
But though they make many visits to their winery each year, the Glantzes’ roots reach deeply into the Peninsula.
Like many Peninsulans, the Glantz couple involves themselves in family and community affairs. By day, he is the respected owner of a thriving CPA firm where he provides commercial services for Peninsula families. They have a family themselves.
Sons Eric and Douglas, and daughter Christy, grew up in Palos Verdes. “They went from Vista Grande to Ridgecrest before graduating from Rolling Hills High School.”
Both Glantz sons and their son-in-law are Eagle Scouts. Bill’s father was an Eagle Scout. “My grandsons, if they persevere, will be 4th generation Eagle Scouts,” Glantz senior added.
Bill, Phyllis and daughter, Christy Beggans, C.P.A. are partners in their South Bay Accounting Services, LLP in Torrance. When they are working with clients, they use different names. Christy remains Christy, but she calls her father, “Bill.”
“When I worked in the office,” said Phyllis, “Christy called me Phyllis.” Driving back to the Hill, Phyllis and Bill became Mom and Dad.
Christy and her husband Jim, are a five minute walk from her parents. They live “right around the corner from us,” said Phyllis.
The Glantzes’ son, Douglas, has two sons. Son Eric works for a C.P.A. firm in Washington. D.C. The Glantz family represents four generations of a clan whose origins are in Scandinavia.
Hear those sleigh bells
With the Christmas season coming on, the Glantz family’s activities take on a whole new persona. Traditional food for them is sausage, beef, pork, potatoes and onions. Then there’s pickled herring, a delicacy. They hold this smorgasbord on Christmas Eve and serve turkey or prime rib on Christmas day.
The Glantz groaning board’s desserts include pecan balls in powdered sugar and apple cake. “There are certain cookies that we make and certain cookies that we buy,” said Phyllis.
Bill adds that, “Eberle makes a great wine to go with turkey. It’s a blush wine, a syrah rosé. Whenever we have turkey, that’s the wine we serve.”
One of the specialties they serve is Swedish Glogg. Yes, that’s the way it’s spelled including an umlaut, he stresses, over the “o” in Glogg. Glantz says he is willing to share the recipe with any Peninsulans who wish to try it on their own.
The Glantz pair got family, got tradition, got wine, got Glogg and got purpose.
When asked to sum up their philosophy, Bill said, “We believe in giving back. If everybody in the community picked one little area of interest to them and volunteered some time, then you’ve got a wonderful community to live in. That’s what we and our neighbors do.” PEN