The kitchen has always been Justin Lewis’ sanctuary. He pours his heart and soul into his craft, supporting “all things local, sustainable, organic, and fresh,” according to the San Miguel-based chef.
Riboli raises the bar
Experience chef Justin Lewis’ innovative and sustainable cuisine at Riboli Family Wines establishments in Paso Robles and Los Angeles. For locations and hours, visit riboliwines.com and jadavineyard.com. Track Lewis’ menu drops and culinary adventures on Instagram @chefjlew.
His mantra—to put “intention and love into my food”—along with his 15-plus years of helming kitchens in Southern California and the Central Coast—helped him land the director of food services position at Riboli Family Wines in May.
“We are delighted to welcome chef Justin Lewis to the Riboli family,” said Anthony Riboli, fourth-generation winemaker at the Los Angeles-based enterprise. “After experiencing his food first-hand, I can say it brings people together in a way that feels both elevated and deeply personal.
“We couldn’t be more excited for our guests to enjoy the creativity, passion, and heart he brings to every dish.”
In the newly created role, Lewis oversees culinary programs and events at Riboli’s San Antonio Winery restaurants in Los Angeles and Paso Robles, the Riboli Family Winemaking & Events Center in Paso, and other local family holdings including Jada Vineyard & Winery and the upcoming San Simeon Estate Winery, slated to open in spring of 2026 at 7210 Vineyard Drive.
The new winery will include a production facility and tasting room, with elevated small plates accompanying Riboli’s San Simeon label.
“The menu is an homage to the Central Coast,” Lewis explained. “We’ll showcase local treasures like Grassy Bar oysters, Mighty Cap Mushrooms, Etto pasta, and other fresh, organic ingredients sourced locally.”
Jada will similarly benefit from a menu facelift beyond its artisan cheese and charcuterie boards.
Lewis said his culinary goals align with the Riboli family’s, which “began California’s wine story in downtown Los Angeles in 1917 with San Antonio Winery.”
“Being from LA and now living on the Central Coast, joining this family is meaningful to me,” he continued. “I was already familiar with Jada, and since the Riboli family acquired it, the wines have remained exceptional—now with a commitment to organic practices and enhanced hospitality spaces that honor the natural beauty of Willow Creek.”
Both Jada and San Simeon are Certified California Sustainable and regularly score 90-plus points with critics. Jada’s wines have particularly drawn industry praise. Its 2021 Hell’s Kitchen, a Rhone blend, achieved 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck and ranked 39th in the publication’s Top 100 Wines for 2023 list. It was Jada’s third time landing a spot on the coveted list.
The Riboli family’s portfolio of wine-centric businesses will benefit from Lewis’ deep hospitality experience, including a culinary arts diploma from Le Cordon Bleu Hollywood and stints as executive chef at the Malibu Inn and Simmzy’s Manhattan Beach; corporate executive chef for Firestone Walker Brewing Company; and culinary director for San Luis Obispo’s Nomada Hotel Group, including Granada Hotel & Bistro, Skyview Los Alamos, and Pozo Saloon.
When not overseeing Riboli’s culinary program, Lewis and his fiancée, Erin Barrett-Sparrow, operate Sheep Lux Farm in San Miguel.
In 2021, three years after moving to the Paso area from his hometown of Culver City, “we began taking in ‘bummer’ lambs—rejected by their moms—from our good friends at Outlaw Valley Ranch [in Santa Maria],” Lewis said.
“We started with two-bottle fed Navajo-Churro lambs, and we are now up to 21, with three pregnant ewes ready to add to the flock,” he added.
Navajo-Churro sheep originate from ancient Iberian Churra sheep that Spanish settlers brought to the Americas in the late 16th century.
“Our sheep are super grazers, so they are lawn mowers for us currently,” Lewis explained. “They are also a wool sheep, so we shear two times a year and utilize the wool in our gardens as well as plan to process and create products with the wool.”
In addition to the sheep, including three rams, the couple recently adopted five ducks, which will begin “working the land and integrating into the regenerative lifecycle,” Lewis said.
“The ducks are also grazers,” he explained, “and they follow behind the sheep and peck the sheep droppings into the ground, pushing nutrients into the soil as well as munching insects, etc.”
The property presently spans 10 acres but will soon expand to 20 as the couple aims to grow their flock of sheep to around 50 to 60.
They also hope to plant a vineyard in the future.
“Erin has been in the wine industry for the past seven years, working in both the cellar and on the hospitality side,” Lewis said. “The regenerative farm and vineyard are very aligned with the same end goals—treating the land and its abundance with the utmost respect, while restoring and improving the soil and biodiversity around us.
“She currently works for High Camp Wines in San Miguel. We had the opportunity to bring our sheep out and graze one of the blocks on the vineyard and have now set additional goals of renting out our sheep for boutique grazing operations.”
As the flock increases, they also may begin selling whole animals for consumption, Lewis added, but, “realistically, that’s my least favorite part of raising livestock.”
“The sheep we currently have are all named and are family,” he said. “Spending time with them is therapeutic and a blessing.” Δ
Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte will be dreaming of sweet lamb kisses and savory Lewis dishes at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sept 18-28, 2025.