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Stew Lauterbach grew up in the Chicago area where he developed a love for the outdoors and became an accomplished swimmer. In college, he pursued aquatic sports and taught canoeing and kayaking – often running trips to Canada. During this time he also became a volunteer firefighter and paramedic, which led to his ambition to pursue a medical degree.

Barbara Swary Lauterbach grew up on a farm outside a small rural town in Northwest Ohio. She spent many days of her childhood driving the tractor on her family’s 40 acre farm where the primary crops were winter wheat, oats, alfalfa, soybeans and corn. In this small town, the primary occupations for girls were nursing or teaching – and Barb chose nursing, pursuing her degree in the much larger metropolis of Cincinnati.

Stew met Barb in Cincinnati where he completed his medical degree at The renowned University of Cincinnati. Here they began a 25 year relationship that encompassed their love of adventure, travel, medicine, and, eventually, wine. Upon Stew’s completion of medical school, a residency computer match sent the young couple to Highland Hospital in Oakland, California in 1981, where Stew completed his emergency medicine training.

In California, they soon discovered hiking in the Sierras and the Coastal Range and eventually took a sabbatical to explore the inland waters of Alaska by sailboat. On this trip, the Lauterbachs had a revelation that eventually led them to Sonoma County and Stew’s position in an Emergency Department at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

In this new paradise, Stew and Barb found a ranch in the Russian River Valley, an area famed for grape growing. Here they planted Pinot Noir and Syrah, varietals that flourish in the area.

While Barb enjoyed nursing, the desire for a more flexible schedule and the arrival of son Nathan led to her pursuit of a law degree. Now Barb combines both her medical and legal interests in her position as Director of Legal Services for the Council on Aging of Sonoma County.

Stew has taken on the role of grape grower and winemaker, while continuing to work 11 shifts a month in the County’s trauma center, a job he loves. This stressful medical role is balanced by the patience and tranquility necessary to produce world-class wines in one of California’s most popular wine producing regions. Barb and Nathan are at his side, enjoying the agricultural lifestyle while winning awards for excellent Syrah and Pinot Noir. For this adventurous family, winemaking remains a challenge with great rewards.

This combination of life’s pursuits is one that Stew shares often at medical conferences with his fellow emergency room physicians.

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