Riley Roddick is a native of San Diego and the oldest of four siblings, several of whom, along with her mother, are now part of her wine project. She came to the wine industry by way of a major in Agriculture Business at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. She minored in viticulture there, earning her undergraduate degree in 2008.

After completing her degree, Riley was hired by L’Aventure Winery in Paso Robles, working in the tasting room, the cellar, and the vineyards. She spent the three years at L’Aventure, lived on the winery’s property, and shared her housing with interns from France. One of them encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree from the Vinafera Euromaster program in Montpellier, so after working a harvest at Torbreck Winery in the Australia’s Barossa Valley, she headed for France.

Her cohort at Montpellier was very diverse, comprising 32 students from 16 nations! While there, Riley worked at Domaine D’Aupilhac in Montpeyroux before heading for Udine in the Friuli region of Italy for the second year of the program. She worked for an organic viticulture consultant and completed her degree there.

Returning to the Central Coast of California, Riley was appointed as assistant winemaker at Law Estate Wines and Desparada Wines in Paso Robles. She established her own winery, Hubba Wines, in 2020. This despite the fact that “I was told early in my career that I would never have my own winery because I was not from a winemaking family, not wealthy, and a woman.” Overcoming these obstacles is a measure of Riley’s character.

Her winemaking philosophy is embodied in her own words, “I care about wine that is made with intention and make the wine I love to drink. I aim to be mindful every step of the way and make wine as naturally as possible. To me, that means choosing sustainable vineyards with viticulture practices I respect, making wine with minimal intervention and attempting to avoid dogmatism.” At Hubba, Riley crafts Chardonnay, Verdelho, Valdiguié, and red blends.