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August Sebastiani on Gen Z, Wine Innovation & 100 Years of Sonoma Legacy

Wine Talks with Paul K.

Release Date: 07/03/2025

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If you have spent any time at all in the wine trade...even if you have just visited the wine section of your favorite market; you know, have seen and recognize the name Sebastiani. They are one of the original Sonoma county wine families and August is the 4th generation. He makes an interesting point that traditionally in the Italian culture, the firstborn son that gets the name of the founding family member, in this case, it was the 4th generation son.

But don't let the family history fool you into thinking this is old school, archaic thinking wine approach; nothing could be further from the truth.

Few winery names are as steeped in Sonoma lore as Sebastiani, but August Sebastiani himself is as approachable as a bottle of his family’s famed Zinfandel. Tune into this episode and you’ll discover why. You’ll be privy to a firsthand account of American winemaking’s intersection with immigration, family legacy, and relentless innovation, as August peels back the layers of his family’s journey from Tuscan stone mason beginnings to California wine empire. You’ll hear how his great-grandfather started with nothing but a trowel and a dream, made his fortune in rocks after San Francisco’s great earthquake, and how the generations that followed grew that spirit into an industry force—pivoting from stones to grapes, from bulk to premium, and always with a nod to their roots. August shares candid stories of sibling rivalry among winemaking families, the hard lessons learned from Prohibition, and the offbeat path that nearly led him away from wine. Whether wrangling city council duties in between harvests or tending to the next generation of wine drinkers, August reveals how both tradition and restless creativity fuel Three Badge Beverage Corporation’s quest for relevance in a marketplace that’s constantly shifting underfoot. You’ll learn why packaging matters as much as what’s in the bottle, what innovation actually looks like for a multigenerational wine business, and why sometimes, the key to success is simply listening—whether it’s to a bartender’s take on what’s trending or a customer’s unvarnished truth. Walk away from this episode with intimate knowledge of how the Sebastiani family has continually reinvented itself, how legacy and bold experimentation coexist, and why August believes you sometimes have to run to the front of the parade and pretend you’ve been leading it all along.

 

  1. Three Badge Beverage Corporation (Three Badge)

  2. Sebastiani Vineyards

  3. Don Sebastiani & Sons

  4. Wine of the Month Club

  5. B.R. Cohn Winery

  6. Constellation Brands

  7. Gallo (E. & J. Gallo Winery)

  8. Mondavi (Robert Mondavi Winery)

  9. Château Montelena

  10. Inglenook

  11. Pepperwood Grove

  12. Barefoot Wine

  13. Uncle Val’s Gin

  14. Crudo (Sushi restaurant in Oaxaca)
    This appears to be a restaurant, but not enough detail was given for an official website.

  15. Knox & Dobson (RTD Cocktails)

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