VINO - Wine Lifestyle Magazine

VVIINNOO Fall 2011 | Page 1

WINE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Table of Contents

Heather Young/VINO

Josh Petray/VINO

Josh Petray/VINO

Rock Star Winemakers................................................................4Tobin James of Tobin James CellarsJustin Kahler of Justin Kahler Wine CompanySteve Kroener or Silver Horse WineryPhilip Krumal of Asuncion Ridge VineyardsMike Sinor of Ancient Peaks WinerySherman Thacher of Thacher WineryChrissy Wittmann of Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards

Featured Artist: Ryan Adams .....................................................20

In the News: Harvest Wine Weekend preview ..........................22

In the News: Early frost economics ...........................................24

In the News: The cork debate ...................................................26

Local Winery Architecture ..........................................................28

Wine Tasting: San Simeon to Morro Bay ....................................32

Coast & Country Tasting Map ....................................................38

FOOD & WINE ...........................................................................41Featured Chef: Ian McPhee of McPhee’s GrillConsider the OliveHerb roasted chicken, paired with J. Lohr RoséFeature on J. Lohr Vineyards & WineryA twist on the traditional cassoulet, paired with Jada SyrahWhite bean and sausage soup, paired with Aron Hill Primitivo

In the News: Local Western Wine Award winners .....................56

The unsung art of the wine world: It’s all in the label.................58

Ambyth Wine Estate: Nuts for natural wine ..............................60

Education: Wine tasting experience ..........................................64

Education: Wine tasting 101 ......................................................66

Wine Event Calendar .................................................................68

Reference: North County Wineries & Tasting Rooms ................70

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VVIINNOOPage 2 | Fall 2011

2995 Pleasant Road,SanMiguel(805) 467-WINE (9463) | www.silverhorse.com

Tasting Room: Friday through Sunday 11am to 5pm

Specializing in Bordeaux and Spanish varietal wines.

SILVER HORSE WINERY

SILVER HORSE WINERY

October 1"Bacchanalia"

Grape StompingParty 4-7pm

October 16Sunday Funday

Pizza Party4-7pm

October 21-23Harvest Festival

COMEENJOY OURHOSPITALITYANDVIEWS!



Welcome to thesecond issue ofVINO. We are veryhappy to sharewith you the winelifestyle of PasoRobles Wine Country.

While I’ve beenan active wine taster since moving tothe area eight years ago, I have morethan doubled my education by doingthis publication. Every time I head outfor a wine tasting, which is often, I learnof a new varietal and discover some-thing new in relation to wine.

When we took our seven winemakersout to Santa Margarita Ranch for aphoto shoot, I enjoyed listening to thewinemakers talk to each other in “winespeak.” Like all professions, it has itsown language. With harvest nearing,they spoke of sugar levels, where har-vest this year is compared to last yearand how their vineyards fared in thefreeze early this summer.

I also learned for some of the wine-makers, the ones with larger productionand larger distribution it seems, thatthey spend less time in the field as theywould like and more time marketing andmeeting with people, including journal-ists and photographers for publicationssuch as VINO.

Inside this issue you will find articleson how to taste, more recipes to pairwith local wines, features on differentwineries and wine news.

We hope you enjoy this issue of VINOand would like to hear from you. Send your letters to VINO, attention:Heather Young, 5660 El Camino Real,Atascadero, CA 93422 or email [email protected].

Heather YoungVINO Editor

A Word from the

E D I T O R

Publisher:Jason [email protected]

Editor:Heather [email protected]

Contributors:Andrew BradfordAaron CrutchfieldMeagan FribergJosh PetrayLisa PrettyCreig P. SherburneJanis SwitzerHayley Thomas

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance has partnered with the

Paso Robles Press and the Atascadero News to publish VINO,

a local magazine focused on Paso Robles Wine Country’s

events, wineries, winemakers and the local community.

This unique publication showcases how the wine industry

impacts our local community, the people, businesses and

organizations. VINO also portrays how our local wineries are

weaved into the fabric of our community with many of the

winemakers, owners, employees and industry businesses.

Many of these people are integral to our friendship circles,

church congregations, organizations, board memberships and

club fellowships. Through these relationships, the Paso Robles

wine community helps make our great city a better place to

live, work and play.

*All editorial decisions are at the discretion of VINO staff. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s role is to assist the magazine in connecting with the wine community in support of the stories, articles, and features as determined by VINO.

FALL 2011

Published by the Paso Robles Press & Atascadero News805.237.6060

www.VinoPasoRobles.com

Atascadero NewsYOUR HOMETOWN PAPER SINCE 1916


Rock Star WINEMAKERS

This issue’s winemakers took the field with us

for our cover shoot early in September. The seven Rock Starwinemakers, Tobin James, Justin Kahler, Steve Kroener, PhilipKrumal, Mike Sinor, Sherman Thacher and Chrissy Wittmann,were great sports heading out into the Santa Margarita Ranchvineyard.

Ancient Peaks winemaker Mike Sinor gave us the tour ofthe vineyards, which included history of the ranch and the vineyards and a view of a new attraction not yet ready for the public.

The ranch is the longest running cattle ranch in California.The first grapes grown on the ranch were planted in 1780 by

VVIINNOO Fall 2011

Franciscan missionaries. It was not until 1999 that grapes weregrown again. Robert Mondavi Winery leased a section of theranch to plant what is now known as the Margarita Vineyard. In2005, the ranch’s owners, Rob Rossi, Doug Filipponi and KarlWittstrom, took over operation of the vineyards and that waswhen Ancient Peaks was started.

It was nice heading out into the vineyards with harvest near-ing. The grapes were getting closer to being ready to pick, butwere still on the vines.

I hope you enjoy learning about this issue’s winemakers asmuch as I enjoyed getting to know them.

– Heather Young, EditorHeather Young/VINO


WINEMAKER

Tobin James"Why Can't Wine Be Fun?"

Janis SwitzerVINO

Tobin James knew at the age of 18that he wanted to be a winemaker.So after growing up on a vineyard

in Indiana, he took a job working at hisbrother’s wine shop while attending theUniversity of Cincinnati. When Paso Rob-les winemaker Gary Eberle walked in onefateful day, he saw a rare opportunity topursue his dream.

“I’d like to learn how to make wineand I’d like to come out and work for you,”James told the winemaker.

When Eberle explained he wasn’t hir-ing, James told him he’d work for free.Eberle’s response? “Well, come on out!”

That year was 1980. This year Jameswas named Wine Industry Person of theYear by the Paso Robles Wine Country Al-liance. A fitting tribute for someone whonot only has been a visible and vocal pro-ponent of the Paso Robles wine communityfor more than 30 years, but who has one ofthe largest wine clubs in the country and isunique for bringing a sense of fun and ex-citement to what was once a very staid in-dustry.

“We wanted to be snobby, but we did-

n’t know how to do it,” James said with abroad smile.

Rather, he said, his philosophy is“make good wine, have fun and be nice topeople.”

His own label started with a lucky ac-cident. After having been promoted fromintern to assistant winemaker at Eberle’sEstrella Winery, James was offered a six-ton load of zinfandel grapes no one elsewanted. That 1985 Blue Moon Zin went onto win multiple gold medals and TobinJames Cellars was born.

In 1994 James purchased 41 acres atthe corner of Union Road and Highway 46


Heather Young/VINO

Tobin James was named Wine Person of the Year by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance this year.


East, a parcel once known to be an oldstagecoach stop. He built the winery andtasting room there from the ground up, andhe designed it inside and out to resemblean old western-style saloon.

With three large tasting bars, includ-ing an ornate mahogany bar dating back tothe 1860s, James has played up the rumorsthat Jesse James hid out in the area with hisuncle Drury in the early days of Paso. Thefact James shares the same last name, andthe same rebellious nature, is a lucky coin-cidence. Thus, his faithful customers andwine club members are known as the noto-rious “James Gang.”

“It’s fun,” James said. “Why can’twine be fun?”

His 22,000 wine club members cer-tainly think it is. They’ve even filled threeEuropean cruises of 300 each just this year.“We tried to create a place where if youcome in here once, you’re never going todrive by without stopping,” James said.

With Hank Williams and CharlieDaniels music in the background, andwestern regalia hanging everywhere, up to600 people can stop by to have fun andtaste wine on any given Saturday. He neverhas, and says he never will, charge a tastingfee.

“That’s one thing about Tobin JamesCellars — we’re lone wolves,” James said.“We do what we think is the right way todo something, and charging’s not one ofthem.”

Today Tobin James Cellars producesmore than 70,000 cases of wine a year.Half of it goes directly to his wine clubmembers, and the balance is sold in thetasting room and through distributors in 22states. He does no advertising, and says heno longer enters competitions so that he’llnever run short of wine for his dedicatedcustomers.

Now 53, James lives in Cayucos withhis wife, Ermie, and has four children, in-cluding a son majoring in enology and viti-culture at Fresno State. He describeshimself as “semi-retired” but still works ac-tively at the winery and to promote PasoRobles and its wines.

With no other major hobbies, the gre-garious winemaker said his idea of fun istalking to his customers.

“You know what I do when I want tohave fun?” he asked. “I go to my tastingroom. We have the best customers in theworld.”

As for the iconic sun symbol that’s onevery label of Tobin James wines, Jamesexplained it this way: “The sun symbol isbecause wine is liquid sunshine.” And henotes, “The sun does all the work, and Itake all the credit.”

Tobin James Cellars8950 Union Road, Paso Robles

805-239-2204www.tobinjames.com


Heather YoungVINO

Justin Kahler of JK Wine Company hasbeen making wine for eight years and isa first generation winemaker.Although he did not grow up in a wine

family, he knew going into college what hewanted to do. He went to California StateUniversity, Fresno and got a Bachelor ofScience degree in enology and chemistry.

“I got the wine bug working in restau-rants when I was young,” Kahler said.

Working in upscale restaurants, Kahler

said he was able to put together all the as-pects that came together to make the winepossible.

In college, Kahler got hands-on expe-rience running a winery through theschool’s on-campus winery.

“It was a really good opportunity tolearn the production side as well as the sci-ence said,” Kahler said.

After graduating from Fresno State in2004, Kahler spent eight months working atPeter Michael Winery in Sonoma.

“I really got to experience the productsof chardonnay and Beaurdox wines,” Kahler

said. “I spent a lot of time with the wine-maker. We’d start sampling at 6 o’clock inthe morning. It was like a winemaker bootcamp.”

From Sonoma, he headed to NewZealand to work on the North Island.

“That was a lot of fun,” Justin said andadded that New Zealand has a very “differ-ent profile.”

After five months of working in NewZealand, Kahler and his then-girlfriend,Katie, spent two and a half months travel-ing around the country before heading backto California.

WINEMAKER

Justin KahlerHands-on from start to finish

Heather Young/VINO

J.K. Wine Company owner and winemaker Justin Kahler sits atop barrels of his wine inside RabbitRidge Winery.



He said they went on skywalks, sky-diving, bungee jumping and other high ad-venture activities, which Kahler said theydidn’t have to sign waivers for.

Before leaving New Zealand, Kahlerproposed to Katie in the rain and fog.

“I had the ring with me the wholetime,” Kahler said.

Today, Kahler and Katie have two sons,Luke, 3, and Noah, 1.

When they returned to California,Kahler saw a sign for a viticulturist/wine-maker for a new winery in Paso Robles. Hestarted working at Calcareous Vineyards in2005. In 2007, Kahler started J.K. WineCompany.

“I’m glad I took the job and stayed inPaso,” Kahler said.

While Kahler grew up in San Diego,his grandparents on the Kahler side havebeen in Santa Margarita since the 1940s andhe spent a lot of time visiting Santa Mar-garita and Atascadero.

“I think it’d be pretty tough to leave thearea,” Kahler said. “California is a greatplace to make wines.”

Because J.K. Wine Co. is a small com-pany, Kahler buys his grapes from vine-yards, though he is very hands-on, startingin the vineyard.

He gets his grapes from the TempletonGap and Santa Margarita.

Kahler decided to name his wine com-pany using his nickname since he was a kid.The nickname “J.K.” came about whenthere were nine other people with the name“Justin” in one of his classes. He said thenext day, there was only Justin and every-one else had nicknames. He joked that hedidn’t name his company “Justin” becauseit’s already taken.

Under J.K. Wine Company, Kahler hastwo brands, Katin, which is a blend of Justinand Katie, and Arada, which is Spanish for“to blow,” which he found in an old missionbook. Katin has a Rhone focus and gets itssyrah from a single vineyard. He produces1,000 cases per label each year.

Kahler said his favorite part is the di-versity there is in being a winemaker.

He starts his day at 6 a.m. by visitingthe vineyards, then heads to the winery andthen to his tasting room, which is located in-side the Meritage Tasting Room in down-town Paso Robles.

In addition to J.K. Wine Company, hisfull time job is making wine for MichaudVineyard, which produces 35,000 cases ayear.

“I’m [the owner’s] right-hand man,”Kahler said.

He spends one to two days in Montereyeach week working for Michaud Vineyard.

“I stay quite busy,” Kahler said. “[Ihave] a lot of different hats to wear. I makeall the wines under one roof.”

Kahler leases space inside Rabbit

Ridge Winery just south of San Miguel.There, Kahler has his own space for mak-ing and storing his wine.

“I feel fortunate to live here and be ableto make wines here on the Central Coast,”Kahler said.

VINO photo courtesy of Justin Kahler

Heather Young/VINOVINO photo courtesy of Justin Kahler

J.K. Wine Company Tasting RoomInside Meritage Wine Tasting Lounge

810 11th St., Paso Robles805-238-9456

www.meritagelounge.com


Josh PetrayVINO

Silver Horse Winery winemaker SteveKroener remembers catching the“wine bug” at 7 years old, making

port and sweet wines — even a few drywines, fermented in the bathtub of hisgrandfather’s basement in Downey.

“That’s where I got the bug — thewine bug,” said 37-year-old Kroener, nowin charge of the roughly 2,000-case winerynamed after the 14 Andalusian horsesboarded in stables there by its former own-ers.

Silver Horse’s new tasting room —formerly a converted barn — is the brain-child of Kroener himself, whose roots inarchitectural design and construction man-agement were put to task. At the winery,Kroener crafts Bordeaux and Spanish va-rietal blends, described on its web site as“food-friendly, age-worthy and highlysought-after.”

Kroener started at Garretson WineCompany, part of a tight-knit crew of up-and-coming, young winemakers includingJustin Smith of Saxum Vineyards, LinneCalodo Cellars’ Matt Trevisan, Summer-

wood Winery’s Scott Hawley and JacobToft of Jacob Toft Winery. Kroener wouldlater work with Hawley to make his largestquantity of wine a year and a half after thatat Summerwood Winery.

Kroener’s first official vintage was re-leased in 2002, 450 cases total of tem-pranillo, cabernet sauvignon, and later“The Big Easy,” a syrah-cabernet blend.Production ramped up about 100 to 150cases per year each subsequent year.

Kroener’s approach to winemaking—letting wines “speak for themselves,” as hedescribed it.

WINEMAKER

Steve KroenerCrafting a stable of fine wines


Heather Young/VINO

Steve Kroener, winemaker at Silver Horse Winery, said he takes pride in making wine from the vineyards’hearty varietals — an approach he likened to letting the wines “speak for themselves.”

“I don’t add a lot to them, so maybe,au naturel,” he said.

Anyone familiar with the Amgen Tourof California has likely seen Kroener’scommemorative blend for the race, whichhas been handed out to team riders for thepast two years. The road and mountainbike enthusiast said he enjoys taking to thelocal trails offered along the Central Coast.

Grown on the clay, sandy loam andcobblestone soils and low-rolling hills atthe property are tempranillo, malbec, petitverdot, syrah, grenache, cabernet sauvi-gnon and coming next year, tannat, amongothers.

“We have tremendous views,”Kroener said as he scanned across thePleasant Valley, with a sweeping view oflush vineyards dotted with oaks. “We’renot super high, but we’re high. We likewhat we grow – more of the hearty vari-etals, and we stick to them.”

Silver Horse is just the beginning ofKroener’s involvement with local wine-making and event planning. First CrushWinemaking Experience, Kroener Wineand Wedding Services, Tassajara Cellarsand Way Out wines also operate out of thefacility, whose 5,000-case limit is met bythese other ventures.

Kroener embraces the family andfood-friendly approach to crafting winesand making guests feel at home. As a self-professed social “ham,” Kroener is athome “mixing it up” and tantalizing guestswith wood-fired pizzas, Santa Maria-stylebarbecues and old-fashioned barbecues.

“I love cooking,” Kroener said, “If Iwasn’t doing this, I would probably bedoing something on the restaurant side ofthings.”

Kroener describes his hand-craftedpremium wines at www.pasowine.com as“100-percent food-friendly.”

“As a family, we’re always looking tocombine our love of food with our love ofwine,” he said.

It’s likely that if visitors stop by theSilver Horse tasting room in the PleasantValley, they’ll be greeted by a member ofthe Kroener family.

“We still have that small, family feel,”he said. “I think it’s that family orientationthat really sets us apart.”

Kroener is also the first to admit thathe isn’t shy about “going big” on eventslike Thanksgiving, an 80-guest occasion.Food and wine has always been in the fam-ily, he said. Kroener attributes that to the“creativity,” the “mixing-and-matching”

appeal of the industry. “There’s production, farming, mar-

keting. Being a ham, not too many indus-tries out there are like the wine industrythat encompasses all fields,” Kroener said.

The foresight of his father, Jim, invineyard land investment is now paying offin wine production as Kroener takes pridein both the winery, the events it offers andmost of all, family.

In fact, Kroener named his 2008 blend(60 percent syrah, 40 percent cab sauv)after his daughter, Tori, niece and nephew.That’s not to mention the four labs that callSilver Horse home, too. Guests are invitedto do the same: kick back and enjoyKroener’s stable of fine wines and viewsat Silver Horse.


Silver Horse Winery805-467-WINE (9463)

2995 Pleasant Road, San Miguelwww.silverhorse.com

VINO photo courtesy of Steve Kroener

Steve Kroener, center, and his fiance, Jane, left, and daughter,Tori, right, take a boat ride.

VINO photo courtesy of Steve Kroener

Steve Kroener takes a moment to relax from winemaking.


Creig P. SherburneVINO

Philip Krumal may well embodyeverything that makes CentralCoast wine so good.

He’s only lived in North County forabout 10 years, and said that because hestill visits his many friends living in LosAngeles, coming home to Atascadero stillfeels special.

Krumal also did his research. He de-cided that rather than grow what’s popularor trendy, he’d grow the grape that would

do best in the area. But wine isn’t the only thing Krumal

does. When he’s not making wine forAsuncion Ridge Vineyards, he’s running abed and breakfast out on the vineyard.

And he’s openly gay.“I’m the only out winemaker I know

of,” Krumal said. “It’s never been an issue.North County is fairly conservative, butpeople in the [wine] industry are sociallyliberal.”

He went on to praise the traditionallyconservative North County for valuing

quality of character and product more thandiscriminating against something that hesaid shouldn’t matter anyhow.

Krumal said he’d wanted both a bedand breakfast and a vineyard since he wasin his early 20s.

“I’d gone up to Napa Valley when Iwas about 21 or 22,” he said. “I fell in lovewith the entire wine culture.”

But it would be nearly 20 years beforethat would happen.

First he had to go on tour with theBoss Coggs Band as a trumpet player.

WINEMAKER

Philip KrumalA bottle of pinot and a nice place to sleep


Heather Young/VINO

Philip Krumal, owner and operator of Asuncion Ridge Vineyards, enjoys a glass of pinot noir before be-ginning housework in his bed and breakfast.


Then he played trumpet in the Honoluluphilharmonic orchestra and as a backupplayer for greats including Frank Sinatra.

After that, Krumal said he spent morethan 10 years selling BMWs in SantaMonica.

“Everything you’ve ever heard aboutthe car business, it’s all true,” he said. “Ijust helped my ex negotiate a lease at myold dealership, and nothing’s changed. It’shorrible.”

From there, it was real estate inPasadena where he met his business part-ner, Michael Dilsaver.

Together, the pair looked for an areawith land suitable for both the bed andbreakfast and the vineyard they wanted.Though Krumal said they looked all overthe state, they kept coming back to PasoRobles.

“When we bought the property, therewere maybe 45 winemakers in Paso,” Kru-mal said. “We just knew it was going to bea boomtown. And now there are more than300 wineries.”

Krumal and Dilsaver bought the landin 1999 and started growing grapes in2000. While the grapes were growing,Krumal operated his bed and breakfastand worked at Windward Vineyards mak-ing wine.

Also while his grapes grew, Krumalparticipated in the Pinot and Paella Festi-val as a paella chef, which he said wasgreat fun.

Asuncion Vineyards got its namefrom the ranch it’s on, Asuncion Ranch.The ranch, Krumal said, was owned by anoil company, which parceled the ranch andsold it off in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

“We’re up on this nice long high ridgeand felt we wanted to keep the name of theproperty,” Krumal said.

Asuncion’s labels were designed in asimilarly prosaic yet solid way.

“I had [our artist] out here to get a feelfor the place,” Krumal said. “When he firststarted coming here, we had a lot of Texaslonghorns on the ranch. There’s a long-horn skull at the end of the driveway. He

really loved the idea of incorporating thatinto the label. So that’s what we did, webased the label on the cattle that weregrazing here on the ranch.”

Asuncion makes four wines: pinotnoir, pinot noir barrel select, and the twodeliciously named blends: 3 Sum, a syrahblend, and Swinger, a cabernet blend.

For all the time spent on the vineyard,making wine and working in the tastingroom, it’s obvious that Krumal’s heart andsoul are in the bed and breakfast.

“I have to give Michael more credit for designing the house,” Krumal said.

But it’s Krumal who cooks the break-fast and lives in a house near the bed andbreakfast itself so he can operate it on aday-to-day basis.

Paella is still a specialty, though thereare plenty of traditionally egg- and pan-cake-based dishes on the menu.

Whether working with wine or with

vacationers, Krumal’s philosophy is thesame.

“It’s part art and part science,” hesaid, “and you can’t force anything.”

Asuncion Ridge Vineyards Tasting Room805-267-3780

729 13th St., Paso Robleswww.asuncionridge.com

Creig P. Sherburne/VINO

Asuncion Ridge Vineyards winemaker Philip Krumal shows off the dining room of his bedand breakfast, located in rural Atascadero.

“I’d gone up to Napa Valley when I was about 21 or 22,”

he said. “I fell in love with the entire wine culture.”


Hayley ThomasVINO

On a dreamy Santa Margarita morn-ing, the sun is turning the vinesgolden, there’s a tickle of a breeze

in the air and Ancient Peaks winemakerMike Sinor is digging his fingers into thedirt, pulling up handfuls of chalky, whitefossils.

“This powder right here is all broken— down oysters,” he said, as the white dust

crumbled before our eyes. The winemaker grinned as he recalled

the time a group of college students dug upa ancient fossilized shark tooth right therein the vineyard, adding that the land alsoboasts a historic structure erected in 1772by Franciscan friars.

As Sinor describes the vineyard’s richhistory, as well as its unique soil propertiesin detail — the land boasts shale, sedimen-tary, ancient sea bed, vocalic and granitic

— it’s obvious that the vintner not onlyloves his job.

It thrills him to the bone.The self-made winemaker has earned

his fruitful career spanning nearly 20 vin-tages on the Central Coast. Raised inVisalia, Sinor worked his way through col-lege taking any winery job he could find.

“I always felt that all my experiencesbefore then had led up to that point. I amvery hands-on, growing up in the San

WINEMAKER

Mike SinorA self-made man with a fruitful career spanning nearly 20 vintages

Heather Young/VINO

Passionate winemaker Mike Sinor has been crafting award-winning wine at Ancient Peaks since the winery’s first2005 vintage.



Joaquin Valley with tractors and welding,”he said. “So very quickly, winemakingfound me. I met all these great people andI realized, ‘Wow, this is a really cool in-dustry,’ and it just captured my soul.”

In 1994, Sinor worked the harvest atRobert Mondavi-owned Byron Winery inthe Santa Maria Valley, eventually rising toassistant winemaker. A few trips to Franceand a couple years later, he went on to findacclaim as winemaker at Domaine Alfredin the Edna Valley.

The passionate vintner’s been craftingaward-winning wine at Ancient Peakssince the winery’s first, 2005 vintage.

Margarita Vineyard, which boasts 966acres, is located on the expansive 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch propertyowned by longtime ranching and wine-growing families, the Filipponis, Rossisand Wittstroms.

“We have great soil and weather, butyou can only go so far on that,” Sinor said.“In order to bring that to fruition, you haveto have good people and that’s definitelyour sense of priorities.”

Ancient Peaks owners Karl Wittstrom,Doug Filipponi and Rob Rossi considerthemselves honored to be stewards of thearea’s rich winegrowing legacy, whichbegan hundreds of years ago with Francis-can missionaries.

The vineyard is an outlier, as thesouthernmost vineyard in the Paso Roblesappellation, located in the Santa LuciaMountain range just 14 miles from theocean.

Overlooking the rows and rows ofvines from Oyster Ridge — perhaps themost photogenic spot of the morning — it’shard to imagine that eons ago, much of theland was under water.

Sinor said that history adds complex-ity and depth to his wine.

“When the vines grow in a soil that’shigh in calcium, [with] a high level ofporosity — the water goes right through it— he blocks tend to have a bit smallercanopies, smaller berries and the fruits aremore intense,” he said.

The sprawling, oak-studded vineyardboasts 16 wine grape varietals, from caber-net sauvignon to rousanne, muscat blancand grenache noir.

“We really design around the diversityof blocks and soil and being able to makea diversity of wine,” Sinor said.

The vineyard is SIP Certified and eachblock is micromanaged for optimal flavor -fitting, as the winemaker is a self-pro-claimed “fanatic” when it comes to hiscraft. The hard work keeps paying off forAncient Peaks.

Among other sparkling accomplish-ments, Wine Enthusiast magazine recentlyplaced three Ancient Peaks wines - the ‘07Oyster Ridge, ‘06 Zinfandel and ‘08 Mer-lot — in the 90- to 93-point range. When itcomes to success, Sinor said it’s simple.

“It’s not something you just phone in -you need to be in tune with [the process]

and be in touch with it — and not just withthe blocks, but with sub-parts of theblocks,” he said. “The attention [AncientPeaks Winery] has gathered really comesdown to the attention we put in. We’refarmers first and foremost, and from there,we go on to make the wines.”

Ancient Peaks tasting room805-365-7045

22720 El Camino Real, Santa Margaritawww.ancientpeaks.com

Hayley Thomas/VINO

Ancient Peaks is steeped in ancient andCalifornia history. Relics hang from thewall at Ancient Peaks Winery's tastingroom in downtown Santa Margarita.

Hayley Thomas/VINO

Ancient Peaks serves up a glass fortasters in its tasting room, located indowntown Santa Margarita.


Janis SwitzerVINO

Compared to many winemakers onthe Central Coast, ShermanThacher might still be considered a

novice. He opened his winery and tastingroom just three years ago on property hepurchased in 2004, and his first vintage wasthat same year.

Yet years don’t always tell the wholestory. This relative newbie to the local wineindustry took home the coveted Red

Sweepstakes award at this year’s San Fran-cisco Chronicle Wine Competition for his2007 reserve zinfandel and Best of Classfor his 2007 Rhône blend. Five monthslater, he won two out of the only four goldmedals presented for syrah at the CentralCoast Wine Competition. He is having agood year.

Thacher, 44, actually began makingwine 18 years ago, when he was brew mas-ter for Los Gatos Brewing Company. Hebought some zinfandel grapes with a friend

and started experimenting. He made smalllots of wine for the next 10 years, but did-n’t seriously think about changing careers.

Then he and his wife, Michelle, wereinvited to a wedding in 2003 on a historicranch in the Adelaida area of Paso Robles.Though they had been to the area before,the impact that ranch would have on themwas powerful. That ranch was the KentuckyRanch and when it went on the market ninemonths later, the Thachers snapped it upwithout hesitating.

WINEMAKER

Sherman ThacherGolden Results for "Novice" Winemaker

Heather Young/VINO

Thacher winemaker Sherman Thacher loves the “amazing diversity” the fruit provides from neighboring west sidevineyards.



The couple has been working full timeever since. They have planted a 4 1/2-acrevineyard on the 52-acre property, placed260 apple trees along their long curvingdriveway, and built a winery and tastingroom that opened in the fall of 2008.They’ve done it all with no formal educa-tion or training in viticulture or farming,and they have done most of it themselves.

“You go through definite waves ofcomplete horror, to feeling like you’re ontop of it for a brief moment,” Thacher saidof the last few years. “But it’s definitely sat-isfying — no matter what.”

During this time, the couple has alsobeen raising three young children, ages 8,5 and 2.

It’s not surprising their namesake zin-fandel is “Controlled Chaos.”

“We thought it depicted our life,”Michelle said.

It must have seemed divine justice thattheir 2007 received a double gold medal atlast year’s San Francisco Chronicle WineCompetition.

While their young vineyard has beengrowing, they have been buying most oftheir grapes from neighboring westsidegrowers, including Halter Ranch, HastingsRanch and Willow Creek. Up to now theirannual production has been less than 2,000cases, but growing demand will likely re-sult in 2,300 to 2.400 cases this year.

“We’re really excited about havingsome estate fruit, but buying grapes fromother farmers down here is also just a reallynice way of expressing what is done withall the microclimates around here,” Thacherexplains.

He said it gives him “amazing diver-sity” in making his wines.

The couple has kept their historic barnthe focal point of the property, with thelarge KR initials fading on the front of the90-year-old structure. Originally built forhorses, and named by its former owners forits resemblance to rural Kentucky, it nowhosts winemaker dinners and wine clubevents.

One of the most recent events was their

Kentucky Derby Party, where more than150 guests dressed up in flamboyant hats,bow ties and seersucker suits to watch thehorse race on television screens in the barn.

“It kind of gave me goose bumps wheneveryone was in the barn, screaming at therace,” Michelle said. “You got the feelingthat the people who built the barn in the‘20s would be really happy.”

One question the couple is constantlyasked is, “why the grasshopper?” The ab-stract depiction of a grasshopper on theThacher label is actually a nod to theThacher family crest, which was createdfive or six centuries ago.

“We like to think they were a whimsi-cal, irreverent reaction to the griffins andlions that were common in the grandheraldic displays of generations past,”Thacher said. “At any rate, the humblegrasshopper with his perpetual smile nowgraces our label.”

Humble as it is, that grasshopper is get-ting a lot of attention right now. With acco-lades accumulating, the Thachers are livingtheir dream.

Thacher Winery805-237-0087

8355 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robleswww.thacherwinery.com

Janis Switzer/VINO

Sherman and Michelle Thacher have kepttheir 90-year-old barn and its fading K.R.initials.

VINO photo courtesy of Thacher Winery

The new winery and tasting room built bythe Thachers in 2008 is situated on 52sprawling acres.


Aaron CrutchfieldVINO

If one or two things had turned out dif-ferently, Wild Horse Winery wine-maker Chrissy Wittmann wouldn’t be

featured in VINO. Instead, she would befeatured in a magazine about people whodo environmental impact reports.

“When I went away to school at Cal

Poly, I was originally a P.E. major and thenwent to environmental science,” Wittmannsaid. “I wanted to do environmental impactreports, and there weren’t many positionsin the area that were paying positions. SoI did environmental chemistry for this onelab, and in that lab was a little wine lab thatserviced the Edna Valley wineries. Whenthat guy went on vacation, he asked me tofill in, so I filled in and that was my foot in-

side the door of the wine industry. Then Isaw an ad for Meridian and applied forthat, and eventually got hired on. That wasin ‘98, and I never looked back.”

After Meridian Vineyards, she becamelab manager and winemaker at CourtsideCellars in San Miguel before moving on tobecome the assistant winemaker at ScheidVineyards in Monterey County. Four yearsago, she saw an ad for Wild Horse’s assis-

WINEMAKER

Chrissy WittmannLife out in the vineyards a refreshing alternative to environmental impact reports

Healther Young/VINO

Chrissy Wittmann very nearly ended up writing environmental impact reports, but some time in a wine lab changedall that.



tant winemaker position. A year later, shewas promoted to winemaker.

“To me, the most important piece thatgoes into making the wine is the grapesthat you source,” Wittmann said. “For us,we source 98 percent of our grapes fromoutside the estate. Sourcing is the key toour existence. Having been on the CentralCoast for almost 30 years now, we’ve def-initely got some specific vineyards andareas dialed in as to what makes our blendtop to us.”

She said Wild Horse takes a mini-malistic approach to winemaking, mak-ing the quality of the grapes the priority,giving them a home and some nutrientswithout a lot of additives, and then giv-ing them the environment they like to fer-ment in and then age in, with good oak inthe barrels and the monthly TLC of main-taining them.

“There’s a lot of time invested,”Wittmann said. “It’s a product that canspoil, and we don’t want it to spoil. Wewant to make something people want todrink. It is ultimately our livelihood andout existence, so we want to put the bestout there.”

Prior to her work in the lab at Cal

Poly, she said she knew very little aboutwine. She was born and raised in Burbankand she said didn’t really know muchabout wine, other than the Tyrolia wine herdad would drink. She came to Cal Polyoriginally as a physical education majorbefore changing to environmental science.That’s her bachelor’s degree, and she laterwent back to Cal Poly for a master’s de-gree in agriculture.

“Fifteen or 20 years ago, yeah, I wassetting myself out to do physical therapyor environmental impact reports,”Wittmann said. “I didn’t know much aboutthis industry, but I think I definitely got init at the right time. I’m very happy to beinvolved.”

She lives in Paso Robles with her hus-band of 11 years, Jeff Wittmann, alongwith her 4 1/2-year-old son, Joe. Her par-ents moved to the area in 1997, meaninghome for her has basically moved to SanLuis Obispo County.

“We visit my brother every once in awhile, but home is pretty much here now,”Wittmann said.

As for her job, she said some of herfavorite things are the variety, with somedays spent indoors, some days in the vine-

yards and some days out showing thewines.

“I really enjoy the logistic of makingeverything happen, and I really like work-ing with consumers or trade, getting thewine out there and providing informationon the wine,” Wittmann said. “A lot oftimes, I think people get caught up in theeveryday of being at the winery, and whenyou go out and you show your wine topeople and it becomes very rewarding.”

She also said she enjoys the wine cul-ture.

“It’s the one thing that family andfriends look forward to and brings peopletogether,” Wittmann said. “You don’t seetoo many wine bar fights.”

VINO photo courtesy of Chrissy Wittmann

Chrissy Wittmann with her boss, Clay Brock.VINO photo courtesy of Chrissy Wittmann

Chrissy Wittmann, right, and a coworker have fun during the2009 harvest.

Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards805-788-6300

1437 Wild Horse Winery CourtTempleton

www.wildhorsewinery.com


Ryan Adams provided the artwork for VINO’s first edition

Atascadero artist’s work featured in VINO

Heather YoungVINO

Ryan Adams, a1989 Atas-cadero High

School graduate, hadone of his paintings de-picting wine country onthe cover the first issueof VINO, which waspublished in May.

Adams got his startin art as youth.

“I was really inter-ested in art from the be-ginning,” Adams said.

He said he startedout as an illustrator andthought he could easilygo from drawing topainting.

“I assumed I couldpaint because I coulddraw with a pencil,”Adams said. “But thatwasn’t the truth.”

He added thatpainting is much moredifficult. He starts hispaintings, which have adistinct flavor unique toAdams, by drawing onthe canvas and thencovering it with paint.

“I just follow mypencil lines,” Adamssaid. “If I lost the pen-cil line, I’d lose what Iwas painting … it kindof changes the wholepainting.”

Out of high school Adams went to Cuesta College where hereceived his AA degree. From there he went on to Humboldt StateUniversity where he was an art studio major. He returned to Atas-cadero about six years ago. Since then he spent two years living at

Ragged Point in BigSur painting. To paythe bills as he built hisinventory of work, heworked as a cashier ata market.

“I needed to accu-mulate a lot of work,”Adams said.

In August 2010,Adams started A-Town Artists GalleryCo-op on Entrada Av-enue where his workwas been on exhibitand for sale. His stu-dio is called A-TownGallery 41 and is lo-cated at 7010 MorroRoad in Atascadero.

He has worked ondisplay at Haven WineBistro, 6155 ElCamino Real and heARTery, 5890 TrafficWay, both located inAtascadero.

He will be produc-ing limited editionwine labels using avariety of his paint-ings related to art.

This is not the firstpublication thatAdams’ work hasgraced the cover. Hispainting of the CityAdministration Build-ing and the fountain inSunken Gardens wasfeatured on the cover

of Savor Atascadero, a publication on Atascadero distributed atSunset’s Savor the Central Coast in October 2010.

Adams can be reached at 805-464-9181 [email protected].

Heather Young/VINO

Above: Atascadero artist

Ryan Adams adds some color

to his painting of the Carlton

Hotel in his studio.

Right: This painting

was featured onthe cover of

VINO last May.

ART



Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and

one of the most natural things of the world that has

been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a

greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any

other purely sensory thing which may be purchased.

– Ernest Hemingway, American author

Ifeel sorry for

people who don't

drink. When

they wake up in the

morning, that's as

good as they're going

to feel all day. – Frank Sinatra,American singer

“”

“Wine in California is still in the experimental stage; and when youtaste a vintage, grave economical questions are involved. The begin-ning of vine-planting is like the beginning of mining for the precious met-als: the wine-grower also "prospects." One corner of land after anotheris tried with one kind of grape after another. This is a failure; that is bet-ter; third is best. So, bit by bit, they grope about for their Clos Vougeotand Lafite. Those lodes and pockets of earth, more precious than theprecious ores, that yield inimitable fragrance and soft fire, those virtuousBonanzas where the soil has sublimated under sun and stars to some-thing finer, and the wine is bottled poetry.”– Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish author

“There are no standards of taste in wine... Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for himor in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.” – Mark Twain, American author

“Good wine carrieth a man to heaven” – Anglo-Saxon Saying

“With wine and hope, anything is possible.” – Spanish Proverb

“”

“Wine to me ispassion. It's family

and friends. It'swarmth of heart andgenerosity of spirit.

Wine is art. It's culture. It's the

essence of civilizationand the art of living.”

–Robert Mondavi, American winemaker


Submitted article

Paso Robles Wine Coun-try will celebrate the2011 vintage with Har-

vest Wine Weekend, Oct. 21 to23. Wine enthusiasts are invitedinto the vineyard and onto thecrush pad for a hands-on Har-vest experience which wine-makers and winegrape growerslive and breathe, night and day.This three-day celebration is acombination of individualevents held at more than 150wineries throughout Paso Rob-les Wine Country. Winery andevent details are now availableon www.pasowine.com.

Harvest in Paso RoblesWine Country is a sensationthat can only be experiencedamong the vines. Although aphotograph or stained glasswindow can paint a picture,you cannot feel the depth,warmth and camaraderie thatflourish without a trip to PasoRobles during the most idyllictime of year. Wineries offer aplethora of activities unique tothe Harvest season includingspecial barrel tastings, harvest

demonstrations, vineyard andwinery tours, art, live music,and much more. Experiencevineyard practices in motionand take part in a blendingseminar or jump feet first intoa one-ton grape stomp.

“Harvest is a time full ofanticipation, excitement andhope that Mother Nature deliv-ered a quality bounty of fla-vors,” said Stacie Jacob,executive director of the PasoRobles Wine Country Alliance.“The 2011 season has been oneof challenge and perseverancein Paso Robles Wine Countryas spring frosts followed by arather cool summer has setripening back a few weeks. Weanticipate Indian Summer tem-peratures will help achieve fullripening as we prepare for abuzz of activities during Har-vest Wine Weekend.”

Go to www.pasowine.comto request a Harvest WineWeekend brochure and tocheck out the most up-to-datelistings from area wineries.Visit www.pasowine.com for acomplete list of activities,events and more.

Celebrate the 2011 VintageOctober 21 through 23, 2011

Indulge in HarvestWine Weekend

FEATURE

VINO magazine is distributed in thePaso Robles Press and Atascadero News

three times per year (March, May and September).Additional copies are available at local businesses,

wineries and hotels.The full magazine is also available online.

A local magazine geared towardPaso Robles Wine Country events, wineries

and the local community.

Upcoming Issues:Call your advertising representative today

to schedule your space for the next issue of VINO.Sign up for all three issues and receive a 15% OFF discount.


– 10,000 Unique page views per month– Average time on site per visitor = 10 minutes– 2,500 Unique visitors and climbing

March 12, 2012Advertising Deadline:February 8, 2012

September 21, 2012Advertising Deadline:September 2, 2012

May 12, 2012Advertising Deadline:

April 5, 2012

Take a look…

VINO is published and distributed by Paso Robles Press andAtascadero News three times per year (March, May and September).Additional copies are available at local businesses, wineries and hotels.


�

805.237.6060www.PasoRoblesPress.com

Paso Robles Press805.466.2585

www.AtascaderoNews.com

Atascadero News

FEATURE


Anticipated grape shortage has caused wine price to go up

Frost hurts crops and ups prices, but jury still out on extent of damage

Heather Young and Aaron CrutchfieldVINO

With the Paso Robles Wine Coun-try experiencing a grape croploss of anywhere between 20 to

50 percent, the cost of wine has gone up.“There was a significant frost that

caused real damage,” Turrentine BrokerageCentral Coast broker Matt Turrentine saidlast month at a seminar. “Anywhere from 20to 50 percent, probably 30 percent [of thegrape crop was lost]. Because of that de-crease [in crop], prices have gone up. Andprices were already going up, but this accel-erated that, at least temporarily. In general,the industry is moving into a period of short-age. In the next three to five years we shouldexperience an increased amount of pricing.”

The exact extent of the loss won’t beknown for quite some time.

“The late freeze did damage quite a bitof vineyards out there, but some were still indormancy anyway and so it really didn’t doanything to them,” said Christopher Tarantowith the Paso Robles Wine Country Al-liance. “Those that had bud break definitelyare going to experience lower yields. Exceptonce again, we don’t really know where thatis and we’re not going to know where that isfor a while.”

Taranto said the full extent won’t be re-ally known until the harvest is all done,which could be after Thanksgiving.

“It’s unfortunate there was as muchcrop lost as there was,” Turrentine said. “Butthe industry in Paso is pretty healthy.”

Turrentine explained the cycle that thewine industry goes through at the Independ-ent Grape Growers seminar. When prices arehigh, he said, it stimulates more planting, butthere is a lag time before those new vines are

producing grapes and then more time forthose grapes to be made into drinkable wine.

“People will continue to drink wine re-gardless of the price,” Turrentine said.“When prices go down, consumption staysthe same.”

While Turrentine said prices have goneup, he said that customers tend to buy thevalue wine that is the big seller. With thattrend, restaurant sales have slumped. He saidthat in general most people don’t spendmore than $15 on a bottle of wine. He saidthat throughout the recession consumer salescontinued to grow, “but many consumerstraded down to less expensive bottles andmany luxury brands saw their sales falter.”

“In general, the globalization of thewine industry ... has had a big impact,” Tur-rentine said. “People don’t care where thewine is from. There’s nothing we can do

about it but make good wine. If California’sshort, everybody’s short.”

Turrentine said that the 25 largest vine-yards account for 50 percent of the produc-tion.

“We saw a lot of demand for grapes andwine, but it was at a lower price point,” Tur-rentine said. “We aren’t where we were pre-recession, especially in the restaurants.”

Turrentine said that grapes and bulkwine are in short supply.

“We’re starting to see a little bit ofpanic, which may subside after this harvest,”Turrentine said. “We’ve moved in to a pe-riod of short supply.”

He said that prices will moderate atsome point.

“The next few years are likely to begood ones for the wine industry,” Turrentinesaid.

IN THE NEWS

Heather Young/VINO

Mark Turrentine of Turrentine Brokerage speaks at a seminar.



IN THE NEWS

Aaron CrutchfieldVINO

The battle of the bottle stoppers continues with the an-nouncement by Nomacorc, a manufacturer of syntheticcorks, that year-over-year sales are up 10 percent in the first

half of 2011 worldwide, 20 percent in the United States.“A number of factors are supporting our business growth in

2011: the strength and growth of brands using Nomacorc, geo-graphic expansion of our product offerings, and industry consoli-dation,” Nomacorc CEO Lars von Kantzow said in a release. “Also,organic growthe — fueled by the introduction of our new high-per-formance Select Series corks, which provide the most sophisticatedlevel of oxygen management to date — has contributed to our con-tinued steady growth.”

According to the release issued at the start of September, No-macorc has achieved record sales volumes during the first half of2011. On the heels of a very successful 2010, Nomacorc also sawmore than 10 percent year-over-year global growth during the firsttwo quarters of 2011, while in the U.S., sales increased by more

than 20 percent over 2010 numbers, improving on a market sharethat, at the beginning of 2011, already approached 40 percent. Thecompany has attained double-digit growth in 10 out of the last 11years.

According to the release, Nomacorc closes bottles for 51 per-cent of the top 100 bottled wines in the U.S., up from 42 percent in2010, while the numbers for wines closed by natural cork and screwcaps remained flat.

“Nomacorc closures are favored by winemakers and consumersalike,” said Malcolm Thompson, vice president of global marketingand innovation for Nomacorc. “Our closures deliver consistent,taint-free wines and an overall positive experience that allows winesto shine.”

Meanwhile, the natural cork industry continues to push for-ward, even going so far as to buy a billboard along Highway 101 be-tween Paso Robles and San Miguel touting the benefits of naturalcork.

In May, the Sommelier Society of America, the nation’s oldest

Synthetic cork maker claims sales increase, but so does natural cork industry

Debate continues between cork and alternative bottle stoppers

VINO photo contributed


professional wine teaching organization, endorsed natural cork asthe preferred closure for wine.

“As a sommelier I know there is nothing that can replace thepleasure of hearing the iconic ‘pop’ when you extract a natural corkfrom a bottle of wine,” Robert Moody, the Society’s chairman, saidin a release. “Natural cork plays such a distinctive role in the preser-vation and presentation of wine. It is an integral part of the romanceof wine, and it remains the gold standard for wine closures.”

Moody also noted natural cork’s wine preservation and envi-ronmental benefits.

“It allows just the right amount of oxygen to mix with the wineover time so that it ages properly, and it provides a durable and re-liable seal,” he said. “The environmental advantage that naturalcork has over alternative closures, especially when it comes to sus-tainability, is the icing on the cake.”

The natural cork industry also claims increased sales.“The top 100 domestic wines sealed with cork are selling much

better than those with alternative closures and they’re fetching ahigher price,” Peter Weber, executive director of the Cork QualityCouncil,” said in an April release. “Cork is on a comeback.”

According to the Cork Quality Council, of the top 100 do-mestic premium wine brands in America, sales of wines sealed withcork totaled 8.7 million cases during the 12 weeks ended Feb. 5, e— a 13.8-percent increase compared to the same period a year ear-lier. Case sales of brands closed with screw-caps and plastic stop-pers tumbled 13.1 percent during the same comparative periods.The data were derived from a survey of retail outlets by A.C.Nielsen.

Revenue from the top 100 brands sealed with cork jumped 12percent to $1.1 billion during the same period. But revenue forwines finished with alternative closures, defined as screw-caps andplastic stoppers, plummeted 10.3 percent to $700.4 million.

“The fact is, Americans overwhelmingly prefer cork, andwineries are responding to that demand,” Weber said. “Meanwhile,the quality of cork has improved dramatically while drawbackshave emerged for alternative closures. With these trends only ex-pected to intensify, the future of cork looks very promising.”

NORTH COUNTY LIFEis a monthly publication delivered via mail

to every home in the North Countywhose yearly household income is $100,000 and up.

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LifeNORTH COUNTY

L


The bold and the beautiful in wine countryLocal wineries boast amazing architecture

FEATURE

Meagan FribergVINO

Driving through the lush,ripe hills of Paso Robles,Templeton, Atascadero

and the surrounding areas, visitorsand locals alike are invited to par-take in the beauty and elegance ofa vast variety of stunning vine-yards, wineries and tasting rooms.With new wineries opening yearly,the chance to peruse these amazingstructures is a fun way to take inthe unparalleled beauty of thiswine country.

Overlooking the lush SantaLucia Mountains in west PasoRobles, the towering and bold ar-chitecture of Eagle Castle Winerystands out among the vineyards.This amazing structure was thedream of the founders and is basedon their many travels to Europe.The castle brings old world charmto the new world of this astoundingwine country. The medieval designof the winery boasts heavy woodendoors and even has a moat sur-rounding the entire structure.

Meagan Friberg/VINO

Robert Hall Winery.

Meagan Friberg/VINO


Once past the doors leading to the cas-tle, a shiny suit of armor welcomes guestsinto the tasting room and a world of me-dieval romance and charm.

Up the road a bit from Eagle Castle,the history and charm of the land continuesat Turley Winery on Vineyard Drive. Thetasting room at Turley is home to a 21-footbar fashioned out of a black oak tree whichhad fallen in nearby Atascadero. In the cen-ter of the tasting room stand six stunningwooden poles, all original from the earlydays of the former Polenti vineyards.Crown molding along the inside of the his-torical building was crafted from old sta-dium bleachers obtained during a remodelof a school south of San Luis Obispo.

A journey to the east side of Paso Rob-les highlights additional creative designs in-cluding the Robert Hall Winery onHighway 46 East. The architecture of thebuildings at Robert Hall combines a rusticfeel with a modern edge. A striking foun-tain greets guests as they take in the sur-roundings of the gorgeous brick exteriorand interiors. Artisan stained concretewalkways complement a stunning reflect-ing pool, while the floral gardens highlighta picnic area and bocce ball court.

The stunning outdoor brick patioopens to an immense amphitheatre, whilethe interior boasts a slick tasting room fullof innovative and creative design. Designedby architect Tim Woodle, the tasting roomwelcomes visitors with a relaxing environ-ment in which to enjoy the wines. Two sto-

ries into the ground, the structure opens upto an indoor cavern featuring a curved ceil-ing and art deco lighting that are sure to en-

tice any visitor to return for another visit.Just up the road from Robert Hall is the

beautiful site of the Vina Robles HospitalityCenter on Mill Road. Vaulted ceilings and alarge picture window offer sweeping views

of the surrounding vineyards. Designed byPults & Associates of San Luis Obispo,Vina Robles draws its amazing design from

many sources including the historic Cali-fornia missions. A triangular island barfaces a picture window in the tasting room,

see ARCHITECTURE continued on page 31

VINO file photo

Eberle Winery’s Wild Boar room.

VINO file photo

Eberle Winery’s vineyard deck.Meagan Friberg/VINO

Eberle Winery’s boar.


Meagan Friberg/VINOZenaida Cellars

Meagan Friberg/VINOVina Robles Vina Robles Meagan Friberg/VINO


ARCHITECTURE continued from page 29

and nearby, a large stone fireplace welcomes guests to sit and enjoywines in the surrounding comfortable chairs.

Situated on a knoll along Highway 46 East, Eberle Winery hasa bronze boar greeting every guest who visits the tasting room. Thestaff at the winery explains the German translation for Eberle means“boar” and their statue is a replica of the original bronze Porcellinocast by Tacca in 1620, which can be found in Florence, Italy. It’sconsidered to be good luck, and guests are invited to rub the boar’snose and toss a coin in the water below. All money collected at theEberle boar fountain is donated to local children’s charities. Thestained glass French doors complement the stunning redwood ar-chitecture. Inside, the structure boasts 16,000 square feet of under-ground caves located below the winery, and according to the tastingroom staff it is “the perfect place to age our wine.”

From the towering castle of Eagle Castle Winery on the westside to the underground caves of Eberle Winery along the east, theunique architecture of these amazing structures reflects the beautyand elegance of the Paso Robles wine country.

Above and Right, Turley WineryBelow, Eagle Castle Winery

Meagan Friberg/VINO


FEATURE

From harbors to Harmony, there’s plenty to experience along this unique stretch of coast

Wine tasting: San Simeon to Morro Bay

Josh PetrayVINO

San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos andMorro Bay garner a notable reputa-tion as attractive coastal tourism des-

tinations – idyllic beach communities setharmoniously between the hustle-and-bustle of suburban life in the polarities ofLos Angeles and San Francisco.

In a coastal haven where cars seem-ingly whizz by at a light-speed pace ascows stand motionless along its main arte-rial – Highway 1 – a bevy of tasting roomsare establishing themselves, offering afresh, coastal spin on the standard inlandwine tasting experience.

For some, heading to the coast couldmean the last romp on the Paso RoblesWine Country Alliance map. For others,the coast is a destination location to and ofitself. Coastal communities of San LuisObispo County from Morro Bay to SanSimeon have a wealth of wine and foodieexperiences to offer the wine country en-thusiast. Though it may feel miles from anyvineyard, the wines may feel, and besourced, from close to home.

Escape the heat, peruse the many arts,crafts and artisan stores on Main Street in

Josh Petray/VINOThe modern interior of STAX has subtle lighting and views of the Morro Bay harbor.


Cambria, poke your head in the door atCayucos Cellars to chat with family mem-bers who pour there, or take the long haulto Sebastian’s at San Simeon to taste whatCentral Coast Wine Competition award-winning Hearst Wines have to pour — op-portunities abound.

At STAX Wine Bar, 1099 Embar-cadero in Morro Bay, owner Giovanni De-

Garimore seeks to create a high-class,modern and unique experience for thosenot wishing to taste exclusively in PasoRobles. At this harbor-side jaunt wherewine barrels mix with fishermen’s BostonWhaler buoys, DeGarimore offers guestsweekly wine tastings (which change everyweek), along with fresh, local eats —seafood included.

“Instead of having to drive to Paso tohave the experience, you can do it here,”DeGarimore said.

He described the renovated space as“small, intimate and a little darker - just acool place to sample imported wines andget some cool bites of food.” DeGarimoresaid he “wanted to bring a little class to thewaterfront, the location in a sense.”

“It’s a labor of love, and it’s been fun,”he said. “We’re creating a unique experi-ence every week.”

At STAX, DeGarimore and his crewstrive to create a food and wine experiencefor under $20. The menu is catered to sus-tain its healthy base of loyal, local cus-tomers. The menu varies weekly.

That value — and the view of MorroBay harbor, where she sipped wine — wasenough to put a huge smile on the face ofMorro Bay resident Sally Kessler. Kesslertook to the $5 taste and acted on her urge toenter the facility, driving around it for alength of time before finally coming to theconclusion that, “It’s about time that Iwalked in there.”

“The coast is open for numerousamounts of people, and we’re also educat-ing ourselves on these wines,” Kessler said,“That doesn’t happen unless you get out

SCENIC COAST WINERIES

Hearst Ranch Winery442 SLO San Simeon Road, San Simeon

805-927-4100www.hearstranchwinery.com

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

—

Red Poets/Skyhawk Lane821 Cornwall St., Cambria

805-350-5049Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Wednesdays

—

Black Hand Cellars760 Main St., Cambria

805-927-9463www.blackhandcellars.com

Open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

—

Moonstone Cellars801 Main St., Cambria

805-927-9466www.MoonstoneCellars.com

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

—

Harmony Cellars3255 Harmony Valley Road, Harmony

805-927-1625www.harmonycellars.com

—

Cayucos Cellars131 N. Ocean Ave., Cayucos

805-995-3036www.cayucoscellars.com

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Winter hours: Closed Tuesdays

—

La Belle Winery307 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay

805-771-9175www.labellewinery.com

Summer hours: Thursday through Mondayfrom 1 to 6 p.m.

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Josh Petray/VINOThe modern interior of STAX has subtle lighting and views of the Morro Bay harbor. see COASTAL continued on page 35


Josh Petray/VINO

Sally Kessler drinks a glass of wine at STAX wine bar in Morro Bay. Kessler said it’s the “beauty of the place, the people,” and now thewine tasting experience that draws her to the coastline.

Josh Petray/VINO

Chicken Florentine panini was part of the rotating menu at STAX wine bar in Morro Bay.

Josh Petray/VINO

Harmony Cellars, situated midway between Cayucos and Cambria, offers award-winning wines and bucolic views.

COASTAL continued from page 33

and try this on your own.”Just north in Cayucos, all-around cowboy

Clay Selkirk tends to the wine bar at CayucosCellars, 131 N. Ocean Ave. Behind the hand-crafted Monterey pine bar, Selkirk pours itsportfolio of pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, zin-fandel, syrah and one white, chardonnay. Thebrand sources its grapes mostly from WestsidePaso Robles and the Templeton gap, and thefamily grows pinot noir on the hills of theirSanta Rita Road ranch. The family originallystarted the brand under a partnership with PasoRobles wine mogul Neil Collins.

The site, a former shirt shop, has beencompletely transformed into a modern winebar, complete with Italian/Tuscany bold blueand yellow hued exterior accents. An intimateexperience awaits inside as guests gatheraround the wrenched pine bar.

Quaint California coastal towns perhapsdon’t always conjure images of wine tasting,but it’s by no means an unpleasant surprise totourists looking to relax and sip a glass of winewhile cooling off at the coast.

“We’re not in the mainstream of winecountry by any means,” Selkirk said. “There arenot many people coming here specifically forwine tasting. But we’re part of the Paso RoblesWine Country Alliance, so there’s people follow-ing the map over here, and a lot of people staying intown or cruising up and down the coast.”

From Morro Bay, coastal wine tasters can head northalong Highway 1, passing by the several active cattle ranchesand the Abalone Farm in Cayucos before heading inland to thequaint coastal enclave of Harmony, whose sign reads population18. Harmony Glassworks, which offers contemporary glass art, andHarmony Pottery call the place home, along with a few dwellingsamidst the restored Harmony Chapel.

During the summer and early fall, coastal temperatures canvary upwards of 30 degrees from the greater Paso Robles area. AtHarmony Cellars, there’s a respite from the heat. Harmony CellarsManager Kim Mulligan said that following the scenic coastal winetrail is an all-out beautiful experience, not to mention a retreat fromsummertime highs in Paso that can range upwards of 100 degrees.

“To go tasting on the coast is a good way to cool off during thesummer,” Mulligan said.

Coastal communities from San Simeon to Morro Bay alsooffer their fair share of wine-centric events. Join Morro Bay for theannual Morro Bay Harbor Festival, Oct. 1 to 2 with a wine andseafood faire; Cayucos for the annual Cayucos Wine & Food Fes-tival at the Cayucos Vets Hall in November (date TBA); and Cam-bria for the annual Art & Wine Festival Jan. 27 through 29, amongother highlights.

Scenic coast wineriesA group of wineries/brands/tasting rooms has banded together

in an effort to boost marketing. Scenic Coast Wineries stretchesfrom Morro Bay to Cayucos, Harmony to Cambria and offers “awine tasting experience like no other, where you can enjoy thebeauty, relaxation, and cool weather of your coast year-round.”

The group offers various promotional opportunities throughoutthe year including a Passport program, and collaborates to presentspecial tastings, food pairings, winemaker dinners and other deli-cious events.

For more information, visit www.sceniccoastwineries.com. Adownloadable brochure with map is available on their website.


Map only includes member wineries;some coastal wineries are not represented.


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1336-A Railroad Street

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WE SHIP EVERYWHERE!

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SeasonedFirewood

Jardine Ranch Country Nut StoreSeasoned Firewood

www.jardineranch.com | Open everyday 8:30am-6pm

(805) 238-2365910 Nacimiento Lake Drive, Paso Robles – Just 1 Mile West of Town

Check out the local band

PKat

pkband.comfor a FREE CD Download!

ODYSSEY World Café

COZY,CASUAL,COMFORTABLEBREAKFAST – LUNCH – DINNER

Open All Day 8:00am until 8:30pm • Friday & Saturday until 9pm

1214 PINE STREETDOWNTOWN PASO ROBLES

805-237-7516Near the Park — odysseyworldcafe.com

Locals Love Us!

Delicious Sandwiches,Wraps & Gyros

Homemade Soup & SaladsAngus & Lamb BurgersPasta & Stir Fry Bowls

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Rib Eye SteakPrime Rib Dinner

on Saturday & Sunday

Start Your Day with OurDelicious Breakfast Menu!

Open All DayBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Let Us Prepare Your Picnic To Go!

Paso Robles Wine List

A tiny placeserving up BIG flavors,local wine, and beer!

Favorites!Fig Chutney& Brie

Peruvian Chicken Salad

Cuban Pulled Pork

Citrus Glazed Rotisserie Chicken

Take-out and Catering Available

5945 Traffic Way, Atascaderowww.figgoodfood.com

Tuesday thru Friday 11am-8pmMonday and Saturday 11am-3pm

Closed Sunday

PEACHY CANYON RD

ADELAIDA

WILLOW

CREEK

NID

ERER

LI VE OAK

KILER CANYON

PACIFIC6TH

SPRING24TH

CHIMNEY ROCK

AD

ELAIDA

VINEYARD

YORK MTN

SANTA RITA

RAYMONDM

AIN

TEMPLETON

LUPI

NE

CRESTON

LAPA

NZA

NEAL SPRINGS

NO

RTHRIVER

UNION

MILL

BUEN

AVI

STA

AIR

PORT

RIVE

R

BRA

NC

H

ESTRELLA

RIVE

R

Templeton

WELLSONA

San Miguel

EL POMAR

CHAROLAIS

PEN

MA

NSP

RIN

GS

PLEA

SAN

T

WELLSONA

CRESTO

N

ARBOR

UNION

To Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo

To San Luis Obispo (26 miles)Santa Barbara (133 miles)

To Monterey (108 miles)/San Jose (150 miles)/

San Francisco (195 miles)

41W

41E

R OSS

I

Santa Margarita

58

OLD

GROVE

N.G

REEN

VALL

EY

S. EL PO

MAR

RAN

CH

I TA

CAN

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TOWER ROAD

46E

JARD

INE

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PL

CAMP 8

ALMOND

RED

ON

DO

VINE

BU

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N

SAN MARCOS

DRY CREEK RD

ADOBE

CAMBRIA

ARLINGTO

N

6TH

Paso Robles

1

46W

NACIMI EN

TOLA

KE

IND

IAN

VALL

EYRD

CROSS CANYON

MIS

SIO

N

LINNE RD

Cayucos

Cambria

OLDCR

EEK

To Hearst Castle(36.6 miles)

Not to Scale

BETH

EL

VON DOLLEN RD

HOG CANYON

SEE INSET

101

101

101

1

KLAU

MIN

E

SAN

SIM

EON

RD

SLO SAN SIMEON RD

VINEYARD

LAS TABLASWIN

ERY

INDEPENDENCE

RANCH

SAN MIGUEL RD

OLD MORRO RD W

BUCKHORNRIDGE PL

12TH STREET

13TH ST

14TH

15TH STREET

10TH STREET

SPR

ING

STR

EET

PIN

EST

REE

T

RAI

LRO

AD

OAK

STR

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101

CITY PARK

RIV

ERSI

DE

AVEN

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PAR

KST

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T

OAK

STR

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9TH STREET

8TH STREET

7TH STREETPA

RK

ST

HIG

H R

IDG

E R

D

To Fresno, Bakers�eld& I-5

Atascadero

Morro Bay

EL CAMINO REAL

TRAFFIC W

AY

TOWNSHIP RD

CLA

RK RDCRIPPLE C

REEK RD

RD

RD

RD

LINN

E RD

GENESEO RD

RD

RD

RD

RDRD

ST

MUSTARD CREEK

DRA

KE

RD

RD

RD

RD

ST ST

AVE

RD

JACK CREEK RD

RD

RD

DR

LN

LN

RD

RD

OA

KD

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RD

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PA

SO

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BL

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DERSO

N

Ortman Family Vineyards

Paso WineCentre

Clayhouse Wines

Pithy Little Wine Co.

Pianetta Winery

Bear Cave CellarsChristian Lazo

Vinoteca Wine BarOrchid Hill

JK Wine CompanyVilla Creek

Arroyo Robles

Meritage

Parrish FamilyVineyard

Anglim

D’Anbino Cellars

JustinCarmodyMcKnight

Rangeland

Halter Ranch

Tablas Creek Vineyard

Whalebone

Thacher

Hammer Sky

Oso Libre

ChateauMargene

Opolo

Per Cazo Cellars

Jack Creek

Dover Canyon

Hearthstone

Hunt Cellars Cypher

Croad

Linne CalodoRotta

Turley

Red Soles

Donatoni

Changala

Dunning

Pipestone

Midnight

CalizaZenaida

Peachy Canyon

Edward Sellers

Summerwood

Eagle Castle

GreyWolf

Dark Star

Booker

Niner Kenneth Volk

Castoro Cellars

Lone Madrone

L’Aventure

Venteux

Windward Fratelli Perata

Minassian-Young

Adelaida

DaouVineyards

ThunderboltJunctionTwilight

Cellars Wild Coyote

CarinaCellars

MondoCellars

Vines on the Marycrest

ChronicCellars

Vistadel Rey

San MarcosCreek

RN Estate

Pretty Smith

Locatelli

Riverstar

Villa San Juliette

Ranchita Canyon

Tackitt Family

SilverhorseTassajara

GraveyardVineyards

J Lohr

J. Paul Rosilez

Derby WineEstates

Greg NormanCalifornia EstatesMeridian

ChumeiaTobinJames

Rockin’ R Winery

BianchiSteinbeck

Maloy O’Neil

PearValley

Paso Port Wine Co.

Robert HallMitchella

San Antonio

Sextant

Eberle

Barrel 27Hug Cellars

PenmanSprings

ClautiereVineyard

Cass

Sculpterra

Victor Hugo

Clavo Cellars

Bella Luna

Wildhorse

AncientPeaks

Frolicking Frog

PozoValley

FS Cellars

Hidden Oak

AugustRidge

B & E Vineyards

Loma Linda

Stanger

Rio Seco

J&J Cellars

CinquainRabbitRidgeCaparone

Villicana/Alta Colina

Calcareous

Stacked Stone

Écluse

TerryHoage

JadaDenner

Bodegas/Asuncion

Ridge

Herman Story Wines

Kiame

Dubost

Starr Ranch

Le Cuvier

Moonstone Cellars

HearstRanchWinery

Red Poets/Skyhawk Lane

Tolo

NormanVineyards

PoalilloVineyards

Epoch Wine Estates

Rocky Creek Cellars

Cayucos Cellars

La Belle Winery

Harmony Cellars

ZinAlley CrossLynnEstate

VerisCellars

Shale Oak

WestbergProulx

Austin Hope/Treana

Tasting Cellar/Candor

Stephen’sCellar

Doce Robles

BrianBenson

Sharp’s HillVineyards

Nadeau Family Vintners

Villicana

First Crush WinemakingExperience

Le VigneWinery

Nichols

Ronan

Via Vega

SkyhawkLane

EOS Estate Winery

BrochelleVineyards

WCP Cellars

Kukkula

Falcon Nest GelfandVineyards

Still Waters

15 degrees C Wine Shop & Bar

Laraneta

McClean Vineyards Sarzotti

Haven WineBistro

Pomar Junction

Madison Cellars

Tarrica WineCellars

Kaleidos AJB Vineyard&Winery

Donati FamilyVineyard

Zoller Wine Styling

Black HandCellars

Aaron HillVineyards

meKiam

at MeritageJKCerro PrietoMichaudLine ShackRoxo Port

Alta Cresta

Carriage VineyardsOlivas de Oro

Olive Company

Olea Farms

Pasolivo

We Olive

Wine Country Olives

Fig Good Food

Robin’s Restaurant

Odyssey World Café

Robert’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

Thomas Hill Organics

Wineries/Wine Tasting

Legend

Olive Oil Tasting

Suggested Restaurants With Local Wine Lists

PEACHY CANYON RD

ADELAIDA

WILLOW

CREEK

NID

ERER

LI VE OAK

KILER CANYON

PACIFIC6TH

SPRING24TH

CHIMNEY ROCK

AD

ELAIDA

VINEYARD

YORK MTN

SANTA RITA

RAYMOND

MAIN

TEMPLETON

LUPI

NE

CRESTON

LAPA

NZA

NEAL SPRINGS

NO

RTHRIVER

UNION

MILL

BUEN

AVI

STA

AIR

PORT

RIVE

R

BRA

NC

H

ESTRELLA

RIVE

R

Templeton

WELLSONA

San Miguel

EL POMAR

CHAROLAIS

PEN

MA

NSP

RIN

GS

PLEA

SAN

T

WELLSONA

CRESTO

N

ARBOR

UNION

To Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo

To San Luis Obispo (26 miles)Santa Barbara (133 miles)

To Monterey (108 miles)/San Jose (150 miles)/

San Francisco (195 miles)

41W

41E

R OSS

I

Santa Margarita

58

OLD

GROVE

N.G

REEN

VALL

EY

S. EL PO

MAR

RAN

CH

I TA

CAN

YON

TOWER ROAD

46E

JARD

INE

DRESS

ERRANCH

PL

CAMP 8

ALMOND

RED

ON

DO

VINE

BU

RTO

N

SAN MARCOS

DRY CREEK RD

ADOBE

CAMBRIA

ARLINGTO

N

Paso Robles

1

46W

NACIMI EN

TOLA

KE

IND

IAN

VALL

EYRD

CROSS CANYON

MIS

SIO

N

LINNE RD

Cayucos

Cambria

OLDCR

EEK

To Hearst Castle(36.6 miles)

Not to Scale

BETH

EL

VON DOLLEN RD

HOG CANYON

SEE INSET

101

101

101

1

KLAU

MIN

E

SAN

SIM

EON

RD

SLO SAN SIMEON RD

VINEYARD

LAS TABLASWIN

ERY

INDEPENDENCE

RANCH

SAN MIGUEL RD

OLD MORRO RD W

BUCKHORNRIDGE PL

12TH STREET

13TH ST

14TH

15TH STREET

10TH STREET

SPR

ING

STR

EET

PIN

EST

REE

T

RAI

LRO

AD

OAK

STR

EET

101

CITY PARK

RIV

ERSI

DE

AVEN

UE

PAR

KST

REE

T

OAK

STR

EET

9TH STREET

8TH STREET

7TH STREET

PAR

KST

HIG

H R

IDG

E R

D

To Fresno, Bakers�eld& I-5

Atascadero

Morro Bay

EL CAMINO REAL

TRAFFIC W

AY

TOWNSHIP RD

CLA

RK RDCRIPPLE C

REEK RD

RD

RD

RD

LINN

E RD

GENESEO RD

RD

RD

RD

RDRD

ST

MUSTARD CREEK

DRA

KE

RD

RD

RD

RD

ST ST

AVE

RD

JACK CREEK RD

RD

RD

DR

LN

LN

RD

RD

OA

KD

ALE

RD

EST

DO

WN

TO

WN

PA

SO

RO

BL

ES

AN

DERSO

N

Ortman Family Vineyards

Paso WineCentre

Clayhouse Wines

Pithy Little Wine Co.

Pianetta Winery

Bear Cave CellarsChristian Lazo

Vinoteca Wine BarOrchid Hill

JK Wine CompanyVilla Creek

Arroyo Robles

Meritage

Parrish FamilyVineyard

Anglim

D’Anbino Cellars

JustinCarmodyMcKnight

Rangeland

Halter Ranch

Tablas Creek Vineyard

Whalebone

Thacher

Hammer Sky

Oso Libre

ChateauMargene

Opolo

Per Cazo Cellars

Jack Creek

Dover Canyon

Hearthstone

Hunt Cellars Cypher

Croad

Linne CalodoRotta

Turley

Red Soles

Donatoni

Changala

Dunning

Pipestone

Midnight

CalizaZenaida

Peachy Canyon

Edward Sellers

Summerwood

Eagle Castle

GreyWolf

Dark Star

Booker

Niner Kenneth Volk

Castoro Cellars

Lone Madrone

L’Aventure

Venteux

Windward Fratelli Perata

Minassian-Young

Adelaida

DaouVineyards

ThunderboltJunctionTwilight

Cellars Wild Coyote

CarinaCellars

MondoCellars

Vines on the Marycrest

ChronicCellars

Vistadel Rey

San MarcosCreek

RN Estate

Pretty Smith

Locatelli

Riverstar

Villa San Juliette

Ranchita Canyon

Tackitt Family

SilverhorseTassajara

GraveyardVineyards

J Lohr

J. Paul Rosilez

Derby WineEstates

Greg NormanCalifornia EstatesMeridian

ChumeiaTobinJames

Rockin’ R Winery

BianchiSteinbeck

Maloy O’Neil

PearValley

Paso Port Wine Co.

Robert HallMitchella

San Antonio

Sextant

Eberle

Barrel 27Hug Cellars

PenmanSprings

ClautiereVineyard

Cass

Sculpterra

Victor Hugo

Clavo Cellars

Bella Luna

Wildhorse

AncientPeaks

Frolicking Frog

PozoValley

FS Cellars

Hidden Oak

AugustRidge

B & E Vineyards

Loma Linda

Stanger

Rio Seco

J&J Cellars

CinquainRabbitRidgeCaparone

Villicana/Alta Colina

Calcareous

Stacked Stone

Écluse

TerryHoage

JadaDenner

Bodegas/Asuncion

Ridge

Herman Story Wines

Kiame

Dubost

Starr Ranch

Le Cuvier

Moonstone Cellars

HearstRanchWinery

Red Poets/Skyhawk Lane

Tolo

NormanVineyards

PoalilloVineyards

Epoch Wine Estates

Rocky Creek Cellars

Cayucos Cellars

La Belle Winery

Harmony Cellars

ZinAlley CrossLynnEstate

VerisCellars

Shale Oak

WestbergProulx

Austin Hope/Treana

Tasting Cellar/Candor

Stephen’sCellar

Doce Robles

BrianBenson

Sharp’s HillVineyards

Nadeau Family Vintners

Villicana

First Crush WinemakingExperience

Le VigneWinery

Nichols

Ronan

Via Vega

SkyhawkLane

EOS Estate Winery

BrochelleVineyards

WCP Cellars

Kukkula

Falcon Nest GelfandVineyards

Still Waters

15 degrees C Wine Shop & Bar

Laraneta

McClean Vineyards Sarzotti

Haven WineBistro

Pomar Junction

Madison Cellars

Tarrica WineCellars

Kaleidos AJB Vineyard&Winery

Donati FamilyVineyard

Zoller Wine Styling

Black HandCellars

Aaron HillVineyards

eK a

at MeritageJKCerro PrietoMichaudLine ShackRoxo Port

Alta Cresta

Carriage VineyardsOlivas de Oro

Olive Company

Olea Farms

Pasolivo

We Olive

Wine Country Olives

Fig Good Food

Robin’s Restaurant

Odyssey World Café

Robert’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

Thomas Hill Organics

Wineries/Wine Tasting

Legend

Olive Oil Tasting

Suggested Restaurants With Local Wine Lists

Coast & Country Tasting

Open Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm & Sun 10am-4pm816 13th Street on the corner of Park, Paso Robles805.227.6124 — www.JandJJeanCo.com

Over 15 different brandsand over

40 different styles!

Come visit us whileyou’re walking around

Downtown Paso Robles.

�� …

From Our Farm to Your TableOur menu features fresh, organic produce

grown on our farm and changes often accordingto availablity and season. Unique, local wines shape

our wine list and a local winery is featured everyWednesday night for our special Wine Pairing Menu.

1305 Park St., Paso Robles(entrance in the alley)805.226.5888

thomashillporganics.com

Open for Lunch and Dinner. Sunday Brunch.Closed on Tuesdays.


FOOD & WINE


FOOD & WINE

VINO photo courtesy of McPhee’s Grill


Chef Ian McPhee’s got an unyielding passion for the next big bite

Imaginative, down-home eats

Hayley ThomasVINO

Chef Ian McPhee radiates a conta-gious energy that goes beyond agreat conversation. You can find it

emanating from his restaurant, pouring outof his bustling kitchen and, most impor-tantly, you can taste it in every bite of hisflavorful food.

It’s been 17 years since McPhee’sGrill opened in downtown Templeton andMcPhee still overflows with excitementwhen he talks about his craft.

“It seems like we opened just yester-day,” he said with a bright smile. “I stillwalk into this building and love the look ofit, love the smell of it and love the feel ofit.”

The restaurant is a mix of clean ele-gance and country casual, serving up allUSDA prime beef — from thick steaksladen with crumbly blue cheese to tasty,barbecue sauce-smothered tri-tip.

“The [USDA prime] beef’s got a lot

more marbling and, to be blunt, it’s got alot more fat,” McPhee said with a chuckle.“But hey, that’s what we like.”

The kitchen offers up more than a fewmeaty, lip-smacking comfort dishes (casein point: The drool-inducing duck andcheese quesadilla) — but McPhee is noone-trick pony.

The imaginative menu boasts every-thing from baby greens paired with water-melon and goat cheese to peanut chickenpizza, blackened Ahi tuna, Cajun-inspiredJambalaya pasta and more.

In other words, whether you’re in themood for a light, fresh fish tostada pairedwith mango and avocado salsa, cotijacheese, citrus slaw and black beans or anoak-grilled half-pound American Kobeburger dripping with all the fixin’s,McPhee’s your man.

“I’m not very good at staying the samefor very long,” he said, adding that at anygiven time he’s got 20 or so menu ideasfloating around in his head.

Of course, local favorites have becomereliable menu staples, but there are alwaysa few culinary tricks up McPhee’s starched,white sleeve.

Currently, the chef is dabbling inSous-vide cooking, a French method pop-ular in top kitchens spanning the culinaryspectrum. The result? A more perfectly-cooked, juicer entrée.

Take any cut of meat — say, rack oflamb — and vacuum seal it. For a mediumrare order, McPhee said the lamb would beplaced in about 131-degree water for abouttwo hours, allowing it to cook evenly.

“[With sous-vide], the method wouldcook the meat to medium rare from oneend to the other, top to bottom,” he said,adding that he’s currently educatingkitchen staff on the new techniques.

The meat is then placed in a chilledbath. Once an order is placed, the entréesimmers on the grill to utter perfection.


please see MCPHEE continued on page 45


At Venteux Vineyards, we are dedicated to producing exceptional wines.

From soil to bottle, our hands-on approach allows us to uphold the highest

level of care in all aspects of the winemaking process. Our extremely small

productions of Rhone wines showcase a style of balance, elegance, and

finesse. The purity of our 100% varietals and the bold flavors of our unique

blends is a testimony to our dedication and passion for the art of viticulture.

We invite you to visit us at our 22-acre dry-farmed estate located in the

Templeton Gap. Picnic on the grounds, explore the vineyard, and taste

our hand-crafted wines in our rustic and inviting tasting room.

Open 7 Days a Week from 10am to 5pm and by appointment

1795 Las Tablas, Templeton | 805.369.0127 | www.venteuxvineyards.com


“I can make a lamb rack delicious andjuicy and succulent,” said McPhee. “Theslow cooking makes [the meat] more ten-der, more flavorful and you’re able to putwhatever marinade you want in the bag.When you start thinking about all thethings you can do with it, it gets really ex-citing.”

McPhee’s been busy experimentingwith all kinds of sous-vide entrees, includ-

ing veal chops, hamburger patties and shortribs.

Then there’s fried chicken, a home-style staple.

Recently, the chef cooked half achicken for two hours in the sous-vide at148 degrees, chilled it, cut it into piecesthen added seasonings, flower and butter-milk.

After a five-minute visit to the fryer,McPhee had improved the classic favorite.“It was crispy-brown and when you cutinto it — the juices — it was just so juicy,”he said dreamily.

For the chef, it’s never been hard tostay excited about food.

Back in ‘83, McPhee opened his firstrestaurant, Ian’s in Cambria. Even then, hisgears were constantly churning.

“For the first two years, I changed themenu every week. I was trying to teachmyself,” he said. “I thought, ‘I can do the10things I know, or I can learn.’ I didn’t knowhow to make a ber blanc sauce and I wasted

a lot of food burning it, but I taught myselfhow to do all these things. That’s neverchanged. I’m willing to learn, I’m willingto teach myself and I am always askingmyself, ‘How can I make my product bet-ter?’”

It’s no wonder McPhee’s has growninto a premier North County restaurantdestination where family, friends and food-ies mingle over imaginative, down-homeeats. For the chef, the only constant hasbeen change, and that’s been a blessing.

“I’ve always changed the menus, thewine list is always changing and I think thecommunity really responds to that,” hesaid. “It’s never [felt like] a job to me.Cooking is part of my life and I just lovedoing this.”

McPhee’s Grill is located at 416 S. MainStreet in Templeton. Lunch is served dailyfrom 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner isserved at 5 p.m. For more information, call805-434-3204.

MCPHEE continued from page 43



FOOD & WINE

Exploring Olea Olive Farm’s culinary wonders

Consider the Olive

Andrew BradfordVINO

Consider the olive — a small andunassuming little fruit whose func-tions for many years has not gone

far beyond tapenade or providing decora-tion for one’s fingertips at Thanksgiving.

Olea Olive Farm however, has takenthis little bundle of joy and brought it to alevel of culinary greatness with its orchard,located just outside Templeton.

I arrived at Olea Farm, on a bright andwarm morning. After gathering my effectsand pausing for a moment to take in thebeauty of the silvery trees spread out overacres and acres of gently undulating hills, Iwas soon greeted by a cheery womannamed Clotilde, who welcomed me to the

farm and ushered me into a small shopwhich sat at the top of the farm hill and wasneatly filled with shelves of glistening oilsand velvety award ribbons. She was eagerto introduce me to her husband Yves, andfill me in on what they do — namely, cre-ate gourmet oils from their orchard of morethan 40,000 trees.

Having started out in 2002, Yves andClotilde Julien have gone on to expand inboth size and fame, with many of their oilswinning multiple awards and their productsbecoming highly sought after by manylocal wineries and restaurants.

What is the reason for their success?Olea is providing the Central Coast withdarn good olives.

There are many factors which are al-

lowing Olea to produce fruit and oil that isfar superior to anything else we can obtainelsewhere. For example, Yves and Clotildewere the first growers to plant Spanishtrees, which yield exceptional fruit.

Secondly, the Central Coast hosts amagnificent climate, which allows olivetrees to flourish. The Templeton Gap, forinstance, provides a beneficial breeze,which is ideal for the trees. And finally,perhaps the most important factor in thesuccess is the simple quality, which theyare able to provide. It is perhaps not wellknown that the United States is not veryself reliant when it comes to olive oils.

In fact, Americans import more than96 percent of our oil, leaving Europe toprovide us with most of what we consume.

Andrew Bradford/VINO


The rub, however, is that Europe will notreadily export its best oils and they send usinstead the second-rate product.

This is the factor where Olea excels.They are able to provide the best fruit fromthe most beneficial of climates and are ableto then sell it directly to the consumer.

Their philosophy is simple: To providean unwavering commitment to freshness,quality and education about their products.They explained to me how olive oil tastingis, in many ways, similar to wine tasting —a hobby, which many of us here on theCentral Coast are no doubt familiar with,and they hope that perhaps enjoyment ofolives could reach the same popularity.

Yves went on to explain how, in hisdesire to educate the public about his prod-ucts, he hopes to show that a good oil willbe judged upon four main qualities —namely the fruitiness, bitterness, pungencyand aftertaste. I was able to taste their fea-tured oils and the Arbequina oil was espe-cially superb, an embodiment of what aCalifornia oil should taste like. I wouldstrongly recommend it.

While Yves did comment that buildingtheir dream had been a relatively painlessendeavor, he did mention that the struggleshe and Clotilde have endured have mostlyinvolved obtaining good quality trees andthe education of orchard workers on howto properly care for and prune olive trees.Care for the trees was an especially largeissue in the early days of their farm, forwhen they began planting in 2002, theywere only the second olive growers in theregion. There are now more than 40 andcompetent help has become much easier tofind.

They work together quite well, both asbusiness partners and as a couple, withYves overseeing orchard care, productionand the mill and Clotilde taking the reinswith distribution, contacts and education.Theirs is truly a match made in heaven.

With the market for olives making athrilling ascent, Olea hopes to soon startplanting more trees and bring down pricesfor oil, which will help them to better com-pete with Europe and provide us all with abetter culinary experience.

They have already begun to featuretheir products at local restaurants such asVilla Creek and Artisan in order to show-case the variability of olive oil in cooking.Coltilde mentioned a recent dessert sam-pling, which showcased some of her basilinfused oil. It was paired with a chocolatetorte and parmesan sorbet, and met with ro-bust approval from the fortunate samplers.Perhaps basil olive oil might not be the firstthing one might think of to pair with

dessert, but that is the magic of what Oleais able to create. They hope that throughtastings such as these, they will be able toeducate the public to how olive oils can beremarkably useful in many aspects ofcooking.

For more information, go towww.oleafarm.com. The tasting room islocated at 2985 Templeton Road, Temple-ton and open every Saturday and Sundayfrom 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Andrew Bradford/VINO

Starting out in 2002, Yves and Clotilde Julien of Olea Farm have proven their olive oilprowess. Many of their oils have won awards and their products are highly sought afterby wineries and restaurants.


Lisa PrettyVINO

Pink wine. Those two words, yearsago, brought images of very sweetwine and little old ladies sipping

large glasses. Thankfully, times and wineshave changed, and today a nice, dry roséon a warm afternoon or evening is what alot of us wine people crave. With theweather heating up, I find my wine tasteturning a little toward the pink side. Istopped by J. Lohr’s tasting room and washappy to see the winery had released itsgrenache rosé.

The 2010 J. Lohr Gesture GrenacheRosé is a limited release wine sold only inthe tasting room. The entire Gesture lineof wine is a winemaker’s pick and is cre-

ated as a token of thanks for the visitors tothe wine center.

The rosé has a beautiful color, aromasof Asian pear and cranberry. The wine iscrisp and refreshing and a nice choice toserve with light appetizers late in the af-ternoon. The wine will also go well withgrilled seafood or Bouillabaisse. I decidedto try it out with a good old-fashionedroasted chicken. Every now and then on aSunday evening I like to cook the kind ofmeals my grandmother made me when Iwas a little girl and a roasted chicken withsimple dry herbs is comfort food that all ofmy friends enjoy.

The grenache rosé paired excellentlywith the simple supper. If it is too warm toroast a chicken, grilled chicken would beanother great pairing with this wine.

paired with J. Lohr Rosé

Herb roasted chicken

FOOD & WINE

1 five-pound chicken 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1/2 tablespoon dried sage Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups of chicken stock 1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry.

Rub olive oil on chicken thensprinkle with herbs, salt and pep-per. Pour chicken stock in the bot-tom of a roasting pan largeenough to fit the chicken withplenty of room for the chicken tobrown. Add the chopped onion tothe chicken stock, place chicken inpan and insert into preheatedoven.

Cook chicken for 1 to 1.5hours, basting every 20 minutes.The chicken should be removedfrom the oven when it reaches 160degrees (it is best to stick thethermometer in the center of thethigh to test). Let the chicken restfor 10 minutes prior to carving.The chicken should then reach atemperature of 170 degrees andbe nice and juicy.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Lisa Pretty/VINO


Janis SwitzerVINO

It is hard not to be amazed at how muchthe wine industry here has grown inthe past three decades. But for one vi-

sionary winemaker, the emergence of Pasoas one of the world’s great wine regionshas just been a matter of time.

Jerry Lohr and his namesake wineryJ. Lohr Vineyards & Wines have been ahuge influence on the growth of Paso Rob-les and the Central Coast in ways bothquantitative and qualitative. For its “trail-blazing accomplishments” in the areas ofquality, ethics and sustainability, Wine En-thusiastmagazine named J. Lohr the 2010American Winery of the Year — a first forany winery in Paso Robles.

Today the company is the 16th largestwinery in California, making more than 1million cases of wine annually, and man-aging more than 4,000 acres of vineyards.J. Lohr’s wine production is split betweenits white winemaking facility in Montereyand its red winemaking facility in Paso.With 193 employees — all shareholdersthrough an employee stock ownership andprofit sharing plan — J. Lohr continues topromote the idea that fine wine can be af-fordable, and that the production of winedoesn’t have to negatively impact the en-vironment.

An unlikely beginningLohr didn’t plan for a career in wine-

making. After growing up on a SouthDakota farm he went on to earn a Ph.D. atStanford in civil engineering. He then be-came a scientist at the NASA Ames Re-search Center in the Bay Area until starting

Winery of the Year

J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery

VINO photo courtesy of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wineryplease see J. LOHR continued on page 51



his own building development company.All the while, wine was a passion, and inthe mid-1960s he started looking at thepossibility of buying land for a vineyard.

When he first started investigating theCentral Coast as a possible wine growingregion, it was hardly considered the bestplace to create a winery. But through ex-tensive study of the climate, the soils andthe long growing season, Lohr determinedthat the cool Arroyo Seco region in Mon-terey County would be ideal for growingcool climate grapes like chardonnay, Ries-ling and petite syrah. He started plantinghis first 280 acres in 1972, and producedhis first vintage in 1974.

Realizing that Monterey was too coldfor most red grape varieties, he headedsouth to the little known town of PasoRobles.

“I saw the tremendous untapped po-tential of Paso Robles for cabernet, merlotand other red varieties,” he told Wine En-thusiast, “and realized Paso Robles was aplace we had to be.”

A partnership with natureIn Paso, J. Lohr now owns 2,000 acres

of red wine grapes in Paso Robles and thered wine production facility that makesmore than 600,000 cases of wine eachyear. A driving force both in the vineyards,in the winery and throughout the culture ofJ. Lohr is a dedication to what they de-scribe as “a true partnership with nature.”In the vineyards that means water conser-vation, pest management, composting andminimal use of chemicals. In the winerythe use of environmentally sensitive pack-aging, recycling programs and solar en-ergy serve as a model for other wineriesaround the country. In fact the three-acresolar facility is the largest in the industry.Both the Arroyo Seco and Paso Roblesvineyards have earned the Certified Cali-fornia Sustainable Winegrowing recogni-tion and have been members of the CentralCoast Vineyard Team for more than 18years.

Sense of family“Being a family-owned vineyard and

winery we’re interested in not just being

here for a decade or two,” Jerry’s son,Steve, explained. “We want to pass this onfor generations.”

The sense of family is very strongwithin the J. Lohr team. Steve is vice pres-ident of planning and development, Jerry’sdaughter Cynthia is vice president of mar-keting and son Lawrence is director ofwine education. Winemaker Steve Peck,who runs the red wine facility in Paso, hasbeen with the company since the start ofthat project, and vice president of wine-making, Jeff Meier, has been with him formore than 27 years. In fact, many of the J.Lohr employees have been with the com-pany for decades and are considered partof the extended family, giving the winery aboutique-like feeling despite its size.

Over the years, the accolades Lohr hasreceived are truly too many to mention,and his contributions to the industry havebeen enormous. Among them, he haschaired the Wine Institute, MontereyWinegrowers Council and Paso RoblesWine Country Alliance — not once, butthree times. He is a founding member of

the National Grape & Wine Institute andearlier this year was presented with a life-time achievement award from the Califor-nia Association of Winegrape Growers. Healso recently made a $1 million pledge toCal Poly for the development of a $20 mil-lion teaching winery and is an active advi-sor for the project.

Lohr’s initial reaction to learning ofbeing named Winery of the Year was atfirst “jubiliation,” he said. “However thatreaction quickly morphed into one of grat-itude.”

In a characteristically humble way heexplained his success to Wine Enthusiast:“When you’re 73 years old and have beenas active as long as I’ve been, you’re boundto achieve something.”

J. LOHR continued from page 49

VINO photo courtesy of J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery

J. Lohr, Paso Robles Tasting Room805-239-8900

6169 Airport Road, Paso Robleswww.jlohr.com


paired with Aron Hill Primitivo

White bean and sausage soup

FOOD & WINE

Lisa PrettyVINO

Aron Hill’s gorgeous eight-acre vineyard on Highway 46 westis planted in cabernet sauvignon and primitivo. Both estatewines are extremely good; however, given the controversy

over the relationship between the primitivo and zinfandel grapes, Idecided the estate primitivo was a fun wine to use for pairing.

If you are not familiar with the debate, on and off throughout theyears people have believed that zinfandel and primitive are in fact thesame varietal. DNA has proven that zinfandel, once believed to haveoriginated in Italy is in fact of Croatian decent. U.C. Davis has foundthat the two grapes do indeed share some DNA and the debate ap-pears to still go on regarding if primitivo is the sibling or the father ofzinfandel. History does show that back in the 17th century it was theBenedictine monks who first named the varietal “primitivo” due tothe early maturity of the grapes. Several wine experts say that prim-itvo has more blackberry and spice than zinfandel, it is generally su-perior, has earlier fruit maturity and lower bunch rot susceptibility.The department of TTB has declared that in the USA the two vari-etals are indeed standalone and should not be considered synonyms.

I definitely found the Aron Hill 2007 Primitivo to have morecomplexity than most zinfandels in the area. The wine is dark red,bold and bursting with blackberry flavors and aromas. The finishhas a slight hint of leather along with loads of spice. I gave Italyclaims to primitivo and decided to pair the wine with a white beanand sausage soup recipe. Whenever I make this soup it takes meback to some very fun times in Italy. The spicy sausage and the richbeans are an excellent pairing with the Aron Hill 2007 Primitivo.

1 pound dried white beans3 bay leaves1/2 teaspoon dried sage2 tablespoons olive oil5 links spicy Italian sausage1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped4 carrots, coarsely chopped3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped5 cups chicken stock1/2 teaspoon each dried sage, dried thyme, white pepperSalt and pepper to taste1 cup aged parmesan cheese, grated

Rinse beans and place in pot. Fill pot 1 inch above beanswith water, cover and soak for 6 hours to overnight. Drainbeans, add six cups of fresh water, bay leaves, dried sageand a little salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.Place lid on pot to almost cover and simmer for 1.5 hours. Note: if you want to save time you can simply use cannedwhite beans although the flavor will not be as good and thesodium will be a little higher.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and brown sausage on all sides(approximately 10 minutes.) Remove sausage and let cool alittle, then cut into quarter-inch slices.

Using the same pot and oil used to cook the sausages,sauté onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Stir inchicken stock and bring to a boil. Add dried sage, thyme,white pepper and sausages.

Remove bay leaves from bean pot and add half of the beanswith liquid to the soup pot. Puree the remaining beans andliquid in the pan with a blend stick or use a blender. Addpureed bean mixture to soup pot and stir (this will give thesoup an nice hearty consistency). Reduce heat and simmerfor 30 minutes.

Add salt and pepper then serve garnished with gratedparmesan cheese.

White bean and sausage soup

Lisa Pretty/VINO



paired with Jada Syrah

A twist on the traditional cassoulet

FOOD & WINE

Lisa PrettyVINO

When Ryan Messina’s fatherasked her to move to Paso Rob-les to help with the family’s

winery, she didn’t hesitate in making themove to the Jada estate, located on the PasoRobles west side.

After 15 years working as a trainedchef, she brought her culinary skills withher and put them to good use at the winery.Ryan developed a series of pairing menusfor Jada Wine Club members included intheir newsletters, summer twilight tastingseries and each wine club shipment.

I am always interested in trying outother people’s recipes and wine pairings, sogiven Ryan’s collection of recipes devel-oped to pair with the Jada wines I asked her

to select a pairing for me to try. She selectedher cassoulet recipe paired with the 2008Jersey Girl Syrah.

Cassoulet is a rich, bean stew that orig-inated in the south of France. The stew isnamed after the “cassole,” a deep, round potwith slanted sides in which the dish was tra-ditionally slow-cooked. While the dish willalways have white beans and pork, variousareas of France tend to use different meats— and you can find sausages, pork, goose,duck and lamb. The stew is often toppedwith breadcrumbs and herbs prior to bak-ing.

Cassoulet has become very popularoutside of France as well, and each cheftends to create his or her own version.Ryan’s recipe is a little different in that shedoes not put all the ingredients into a pottogether to bake. The recipe is really three

different components that are layered for avery pretty presentation. The base level is,of course, the white been stew with smokedham and sausage. Then a meat stew is lay-ered on top and topped with duck. This ver-sion of the dish is much more appropriatefor dinner on a warm Paso evening than thetraditional French method.

The recipe has many ingredients anddoes take a fair amount of time to prepare,so if you plan to make this dish I wouldhighly recommend planning ahead, visitingyour butcher and inviting all your favoritefriends over the night you plan to serve thisvery impressive dish.

I tried it out on a few of my friendswith the 2008 Jersey Girl, and it had the“wow” factor. We tried it with another syrahand two pinots noirs and all agreed the Jadasyrah was the perfect pairing.

Lisa Pretty/VINO


1 1/2 pounds white beans3 quarts chicken stock13 ounces smoked ham, diced1 pound lamb or other sausage6 ounces onion, chopped1 clove garlic, chopped1 1/2 pound pork butt, cut into bite size cubesSalt and pepper to taste1 ounce olive oilMirepoix (4 ounces each of chopped onion, celery, carrots)6 ounces white wine1 pound diced tomatoes2 quarts beef stock

Bouquet Garni (diced)4-inch carrot stick4-inch leek1 sprig fresh thyme1 bay leaf

Sachet1 bay leaf1/2 teaspoon dried thyme1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, cracked8 parsley stems2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 whole duck (cut into 8 pieces)

Bean stew – To make the bean stew, soak the white beansovernight. Drain and mix with the white stock, ham andBouquet Garni. Simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Brownsausage on all sides in a medium frying pan with a littleolive oil. Slice the sausage and add to the bean stew alongwith onions and garlic. Simmer until the beans are tender.

Meat stew – Brown the pork in olive oil with salt and pep-per to taste. Remove and reserve the meat. Add the mire-poix to the pan and sauté, using the white wine to deglaze.Add the diced tomatoes, beef stock, pork and sachet.Cover and simmer until tender (approximately 45 minutes).Remove and reserve the meat. Discard the sachet. Continueto simmer until thick and then return the meat to the sauce.

Final touches – Roast duck in a pan at 350 degrees for 20minutes until hot and the skin is crisp. Place a portion of thehot beans in a soup bowl taking care to include sausage ineach serving. Then add a portion of the meat stew on topof the beans. Place a piece of duck in the bowl and top witha little more of the meat stew. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Cassoulet (recipe by Ryan Messina)

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Western Wine Awards winners will be revealed at awards gala on Sept. 30

Five county wineries are finalists for Western Wine Awards

Staff report

For the second year in a row, Sunsetmagazine will host its annual West-ern Wine Awards in San Luis Obispo

County.Thirty-two of the West’s best wine-

makers are one step closer to receiving thehighest honor in Western wine.

The finalists will be celebrated and thewinners revealed exclusively on Friday,Sept. 30 at the Sunset Western Wine AwardsGala, one of the events at Sunset SAVORthe Central Coast, a food and wine eventthat will be held throughout San LuisObispo County from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.

At this festive dinner and awards cere-mony, emceed by Emmy-winning TV andradio personality Liam Mayclem, attendeeswill have the exclusive opportunity to bethe first to discover the winners of the West-ern Wine Awards while sipping the West’sbest wines and rubbing shoulders with ac-claimed winemakers and Sunset editors.Category winners will be announcedthroughout the evening as attendees enjoylocally grown fare paired with wines fromthe 32 finalists.

“Sunset’s awards program has becomea one-of-a-kind vetting of Western wines,”said Sara Schneider, Sunset wine editor.“We ask our judges to dig deep and thinkabout all the wines they’ve tasted in the lastyear or so that represent the best in theWest. We’re so excited to be able to invitethe public to join us at the Western WineAwards Gala, so that they can taste thesefantastic wines in such a grand setting.”

The Western Wine Awards finalists areselected by Sunset’s panel of professionaljudges, which includes Western wine writ-ers, sommeliers, and wine instructors, who

nominate wines they have tasted in the pastyear in a variety of categories. Categoriesinclude:• Steal ($15 and under)• Good Value ($16 to $25)• Connoisseur ($26 to $40)• Special Occasion ($41 to $60)• Deep Pocket (everything over $60)

The winners in each category are se-lected by the judges during a blind tasting atSunset’s headquarters in Menlo Park. Thisyear, more than 500 nominated wines weretasted before narrowing the field to the 32finalists, which represent wine regions thatspan the 13 Western states, from New Mex-ico to Oregon, Washington to California.

In addition to the wine categories,which are determined by the judging panel,

Sunset editors will select the winners ofSommelier of the Year; Winemaker of theYear; Lifetime Achievement Award; BestNew Wine Bar of the Year; and WineryTasting Room of the Year.

The Western Wine Awards winners willbe featured in the November issue of Sunsetmagazine, the premier guide to the West.

For tickets or more information onSunset Savor the Central Coast 2011, go towww.SavorCentralCoast.com. Tickets arealso available at Farm Supply outlets. Sun-set magazine has partnered with the SanLuis Obispo County Visitors & ConferenceBureau to launch Sunset Savor the CentralCoast 2011. For event information and tick-ets, go to www.SavorCentralCoast.com orcall 800-768-6653.

IN THE NEWS

Heather Young/VINO

Tablas Creek’s 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc was nominated for an award in the $25to $40 white wine category.


Sunset Western Wine Awards2011 finalists$15 and underWhite: Clayhouse 2010 “Adobe Pink” (Central Coast)

Gruet Blanc de Noirs (Lower Rio Grand, New Mexico)Liberty School 2009 Chardonnay (Central Coast)

Red: Hahn 2009 Syrah (Central Coast)Project Paso 2009 Grenache Blend by Don Sebastiani & Sons(Paso Robles)Waterbrook 2008 Merlot (Columbia Valley)

$16 to $25White: Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 “Eroica” Riesling (Columbia Valley)

King Estate 2009 Domaine Pinot Gris (Oregon)Navarro 2010 Estate Dry Gewürztraminer (Anderson Valley)

Red: Beckmen 2009 “Cuvée le Bec” Grenache Blend (Santa Ynez Valley)Porter Creek 2009 Old Vine Carignane (Mendocino County)Qupé 2009 Syrah (Central Coast)

$26 to $40White: Ponzi 2008 Reserve Chardonnay (Willamette Valley)

Robert Sinskey 2010 Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard “Abraxas” Vin deTerroir (Los Carneros)Tablas Creek 2009 “Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc” (Paso Robles)

Red: Andrew Murray 2008 “Espérance” Grenache Blend (CentralCoast)Saddleback 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel (Napa Valley)St. Innocent 2009 Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir (Eola-Amity Hills,Willamette Valley)Stone Edge Farm 2007 “Surround” Cabernet Sauvignon (SonomaValley)

$41 to $60White: Shafer 2009 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay (Carneros, Napa

Valley)Suacci Carciere 2008 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian RiverValley)Woodward Canyon 2010 Chardonnay (Washington State)

Red: Chehalem 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir (Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley)Peay 2008 “Les Titans” Syrah (Sonoma Coast)Villa Creek 2009 “Willow Creek Cuvée” Grenache Blend (PasoRobles)

$61 and overWhite: Bergström 2009 “Sigrid” Chardonnay (Willamette Valley)

Robert Mondavi 2009 To Kalon Vineyard “I Block” Fumé Blanc(Napa Valley)Schramsberg 2004 “J. Schram” Brut (North Coast)

Red: Anomaly 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena, Napa Valley)Domaine Drouhin 2007 “Laurène” Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)Gramercy 2009 “John Lewis” Syrah (Walla Walla Valley)Rubicon 2007 Cabernet Blend (Rutherford, Napa Valley)

(877) 82-CRUSH – (805) 434-2772www.firstcrushwinemaking.com

“Few wine experiences allow participants to be hands-on inevery facet, from harvesting to bottling and tasting.”

— Ann Tatko-Peterson, Travel Editor, San Jose Mercury News

Harvest Grape EscapesFall harvest and crush is a spectacular time to visit thePaso Robles Wine Country. Go behind-the-scenes for adistinctive, hands-on, berry-to-bottle wine adventurefeaturing popular Paso Robles wineries, fabulous wine countrycuisine and award-winning Paso Robles wines.

Exclusive ExcursionsFirst Crush Grapes Escapes are exclusive, fun-filled tours.You’ll meet growers and winemakers and see and learnfirst-hand how wine is made.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW! Space is LimitedHarvest Grape Escapes are seasonal and only available inSeptember and October.

Year Round Wine ExperiencesFirst Crush also offers fun and educational wine seminarsand tours throughout the year including:– Blending Seminars– Educational Wine Classes and Events– Berry-to-Bottle Wine Tours

All First Crush experiences are great for family gatherings,groups of friends, girlfriend getaways, bridal parties,

couples and corporate teams.

Pick, Crush, Sip& Stomp

Complete winemaking adventures that takeyou beyond the tasting room.

in Paso RoblesWine Country


ART

Niner Winery’s use of type and color stand out in the world

The unsung art of the wine world


Many wineries and tastingrooms double as art gal-leries, featuring the work of

local artists.But each and every bottle of wine

— local or not — features a piece of artthat that fights for your attention: thelabel.

One obvious example is Paso-Port’s hand-painted pinup girls. Own-ers Steve and Lola Glossner wantedsomething unique and eye-catching —and if the pinups aren’t eye-catching,nothing is.

But a less obvious example isNiner Wine Estates’ labels.

A study in elegant modernism, thelabels feature no paintings or render-ings, no drawings. Indeed, there’s noth-ing a layman might identify as art at allon the label.

But to a designer or font afi-cionado, the labels are inarguably art asthey are more than the sum of theirparts.

At first glance, the labels are de-ceptively simple. Two colors — blackand silver — and two typefaces —Adobe Jenson Pro and Akzidenz-Grotesk — arranged both neatly andidiosyncratically in a variety of sizesand spacings.

Alli Addison, Niner’s marketingmanager, said the labels are largely un-changed from the first design Ninerwent to market with.

“We have an awesome graphic de-signer,” Addison said.

Kraftwerk is the San Luis Obispo-based design firm, and the team put to-gether what Addison said was theperfect label for Niner: simple, mod-ern, elegant and sleek.

“The owners didn’t want a labelwith a picture in the background,” Ad-dison said.

“They wanted something a littlemore modern.”

Kraftwerk and Niner worked to-gether in what Addison said was an ex-cellent creative collaboration beforecoming up with the label in use today.

“[Owner] Richard Niner is a veryreserved person,” Kraftwerk CreativeDirector Thomas Reiss said. “Somepeople in the wine business are veryshowy, but he is a very reserved person.We had to convince him to use hisname on the label. So we made thelabel simple, clean and understated.But at the same time, it’s very impact-ful.”

Reiss went on to say that the labelthey developed was something he isvery proud of all these years later —and he wouldn’t change a thing.

“A big honor for us and Thomas isthe museum of modern art in San Fran-cisco did a display depicting the evolu-tion of wine,” Addison said. “Theychose Niner to help represent label evo-lution. It was such a pleasure to call upour design team and let them know.”

Reiss was indeed very pleased thewine was on display.

“That understatement with im-pact,” he said, “is one of the reasons itmade it into the Museum of ModernArt. Those things are where I think adesigner is really brilliant: if you canachieve huge impact with very little.”

For more information on NinerWine Estates, go towww.ninerwine.com or call 805-239-0033. For more information aboutKraftwerk Design, go towww.kraftwerkdesign.com.


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Josh PetrayVINO

Biodynamic pioneers Mary andPhillip Hart’s Templeton hilltopestate originally planted with vine-

yards in 2004 has become more of a farm.For the owners, it’s a lifestyle choice. And a healthy one at that, they said.

The Harts, owners of Paso RoblesAmerican Viticultural Area’s only certifiedbiodynamic/organic vineyard and winery,say they never undertook the niche certifi-cation for the money or the marketingboost it would provide in a culture ar-guably intrigued with sustainable buzz-words like biodynamic and organic, buttheir wines happen to be both.

Witnessing the growth of the vinesand evolution of farming practices on theirestate — situated in the Templeton Gapand cooled by Pacific coastal breezes — ispart of what characterizes the “new an-cient,” as Phillip coined it, for Ambyth Es-tate Wines.

“Huge,” Phillip said as he stoodperched looking at the two cows mowing

Ambyth Wine Estate crafts fine biodynamic wines out of Templeton Gap

Nuts for natural wine

FEATUREFEATURE

Josh Petray/VINO

Phillip and Mary Hart tend to the sunflower garden at their hilltop Templeton estate, home of Ambyth Estate Wines, a certified biodynamic winery in the Templeton Gap.


weeds on the estate vines in response tothe question: How has the growth been onthe vineyard since it was planted?

The vines — stronger. Grape clusters— more organized. From a wine-growingperspective, advancement as one couldhope, according to Phillip.

Sixty-five apple and pear trees, morethan 60 fruit and nut trees and eight bee-hives adorn the property. Chickens beareggs that the family eats. Two sheep thatroamed the property, fertilizing it, are nowin the freezer, awaiting an epicurean twist.Rabbits are reared for weed-eating andeventual consumption.

“We’re not just a vineyard,” he said.“We have become much more of a farm.”

The couple’s love of the land is visibleat every step of the way at Ambyth Estate.Olive-oil lovers have been known to makethe trek all the way to Ambyth to pick upwhat Phillip described as fine an olive oilas one can get. Five-hundred-and-fortyolive trees adorn the property, producing atwo-and-a-half-ton harvest last year.

In addition to the dry-farmed olives,the Harts make their own honey from bee-hives situated throughout the Templetonproperty.

“That was outstanding — just to haveour own extra virgin olive oil,” Phillip said.“In my opinion, it’s as fine of an olive oilas you can find on this planet. It is pur-chased by people just the same as honey— it’s just good stuff. Here, right out of thewinery.”

He’s quick to point out that wholefarming/biodynamic component wasn’tnecessarily in the couple’s master plan. Itwas just “the path that just keeps openingup.”

“When I think by being biodynamic,the path has opened up more because itdoes tend to make you read more to un-derstand what you’re doing,” he said.

What follows is a learn-and-do-through-reading approach that’s allowedhim to see what others have done success-fully on their properties, and then emulateit.

“There’s a gas that apples give offthat’s great for all other growing plants,”

he said, offering up a theoretical example.“You go, ‘Ooh, I have a west fence that thebreeze comes through every day — thatwould be a great idea.’ That kind of stuff.Really, that’s how it happens.”

“It was never a marketing plan,” hesaid. “It was a choice of a way of life, butthere seems to be a nice peripheral sidesthat go with that.”

In fact, the proprietor and Persian rugaficionado said he’s not heavy on thewhole certification side of things. Al-though Ambyth carries the heavy organicand biodynamic certifications, it blends innicely with the natural approach alreadybeing undertaken at the farm.

Despite any preconceptions about themysticism steeped in biodynamic farming,Hart professes that biodynamic pioneerRudolf Steiner “is no guru,” nor a“prophet,” simply someone who took in-

formation from the past and spoke about itin a way that people could understand in-tellectually and move forward.

“It’s not a mystical way of farming —it’s actually an old-fashioned way of farm-ing,” he said.

The “natural way” of farming biody-namically appeals to Mary, too.

“It’s a safe environment that we’vecreated here on our property, not only forour family but for our animals, any benefi-cial predators or insects that we have. Vis-itors, if people come and eat at my tablethey’re going to get food that is healthyand clean for their bodies, and wine aswell,” she said.

At Ambyth, Phillip handles the vine-yard and winery. Mary takes charge of thegardens, fruit and nut trees, small animals.

“We’re trying to create a closed sys-tem,” Mary said. “Things just keep going— it’s circular.”

That’s not to say that biodynamism

isn’t something that’s misunderstood bythe vast majority of farmers and wine en-thusiasts.

“Some people are wide open to it, andof course as with everything else in life,other people are absolutely closed shut,

“It’s not a mystical way of farming— it’s actually an old-fashioned way of farming.”

see AMBYTH continued on page 63

Josh Petray/VINO

Josh Petray/VINO



AMBYTH continued from page 61

and that’s fine, I don’t have a problem with it,” Hart said.According to the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Asso-

ciation, the movement laid its roots in the 1920s with a group ofpracticing farmers who were concerned with the decline in thehealth of soils, plants and animals, and sought the advice ofSteiner, founder of anthroposophy. The movement embraces a“unified approach to agriculture that relates the ecology of thefarm-organism to that of the entire cosmos,” according to thegroup.

It’s an approach, from the preps to the harvest that the Hartsbelieve in. From planting the vines to making the wines, all facetsof winemaking occur onsite at their estate.

Among natural approaches, the Harts do not fine or filter anduse only native yeasts. Lower alcohol level wines are sought after.

“Take a look at the property,” Phillip said, offering evidenceof the success of biodynamism. “Look at the vines.”

Wines harvested from Ambyth vines are oftentimes describedas “interesting,” said Phillip. That — and they’re “very pleasing.”

“I typically hear that they’re all different,” he said. “I thinkthat’s what you get when you go this way. The question of do I re-ally believe in it? Well, it’s self-evident.”

Just this year, the couple purchased quartz from an exclusiveNew York distributor to be buried in the vineyard, among otherprep work undertaken.

Varietals grown on the property include grenache, grenacheblanc, mourvedre, syrah, viognier, Rousanne and Cuonoise.

Last year’s vineyard crop was good, in part due to the rain,according to Phillip. This year, the couple has decided to take astep back and sell about half the fruit in order to take a breath andtend to some of the other things around the farm.

Hart comfortably described the zero growth statistic in salesfor Ambyth wines in 2010 from the year prior, which he describedas “pathetic,” and “a horrible year business-wise.”

“You should have growth in those early years,” he said,adding, “This year we’re on target for where I thought we werelast.”

People do travel the beaten path to seek out Ambyth, the cou-ple said. For Mary and Phillip, it’s always kind of fun to see visi-tors seek out their estate-grown wines, from places near and far.They’ve grown to learn just how many natural wine enthusiasts

there are out there. Though limited (and admittedly not providingan exciting business climate due to its limited range), they’re adedicated bunch that will single Ambyth out for a taste of some-thing distinct and different.

“I didn’t quite realize how many biodynamic wine nuts therewere out there,” Phillip said. “Natural wine nuts — and I say thatin a friendly way because I’m a natural wine nut.”

Josh Petray/VINO

The Hart family gathers around a device used to separate honeyfrom the honeycomb.



For some, wine tasting is a relaxingand fun way to spend time withfriends and family while showing off

the beauty of the Central Coast — espe-cially if the friends and family are out-of-towners.

But what if your wine tasting beginsand ends with Coors? What if your idea ofdressing up means a plain black T-shirt in-stead of one with Lemmy from Motörheadon the front? What if you just don’t knowwhat you like and don’t know what you’relooking for?

It’s stressful, that’s what. If you’re notenjoying it, the best you can hope for froma bout of wine tasting is a headache.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.Wine tasting is all about taste, and there’sno wrong way to do it. Or, as Daniel PatrickMoynihan said, “everyone is entitled to hisown opinion, but not his own facts,” andthere are precious few facts when it comesto tasting wine.

Chief of Conviviality Teresa Burke isin charge of Ortman Family Wine’s tastingroom in Paso Robles. She said that anygood tasting room should walk a guestthrough the process.

“And they’ll be super friendly,” shesaid. “You should feel comfortable. Itshould feel good, going to a tasting.”

The tasting room attendant will talk tohis or her guests about the winery and thetypes of wines being served.

To make things easier for all involved,Burke said that most wineries serve wine inthe same order it’s listed on the menu —usually with the lighter, sweeter wines firstand the heavier, drier wines later on.

A session of tasting usually takes about30 minutes at Ortman’s tasting room, butlarger wineries with a wider variety maytake longer.

“It gives us the opportunity to get toknow you,” Burke said.

Paso Robles Wine Country AllianceMarketing Director Chris Taranto said thatmany tasting rooms have a tasting fee —ranging up to approximately $10 — butmany of them, especially on the more ex-pensive side, will waive that fee if a tasterbuys a bottle of wine.

Wine tasting is easy. Real easy. As easy as tasting wine.

Don’t be afraid of a few ounces of wine

EDUCATION

Heather Young/VINOParrish Family Vineyard


And what a taster is looking for de-pends on the person doing the tasting. Re-member, it’s taste, not truth, that you’relooking for.

Burke said the wines of San LuisObispo County are uniformly good, whichmeans regardless of what you may like, youcan rest assured that it’s a quality wine.Which in turn means that criteria you mayuse to judge a wine only means you likethis characteristic over that characteristic,not that you have good or bad taste.

And she stressed that tasting wine is afull-sensory experience and a taster shouldnot leave any sense out.

“Swirl the wine in the glass,” she said.“Admire the color. And swirling brings aro-matics out.”

Indeed it does. Pour any two things —beer, cranberry juice or motor oil — intotwo glasses. Allow them to stand untouchedfor approximately five minutes. Pick oneglass up and swirl it and take a big whiff.Next, stick your nose in the glass that re-mained untouched. It’ll have less smell thanthe first glass and what you do detect willbe flatter and less interesting.

Plus, when wine tasting, you’ll see the“legs” — streaks of wine that coat the glassas the swirled wine collects in the bottomof the glass again. Not that legs are a sign ofquality. They’re not. They’re strictly a signof viscosity.

Viscosity is a measure of how thick afluid is. The legs made by swirling a moreviscous wine will linger on the inside of theglass longer than those of a less viscous,thinner wine.

While smelling, Burke said, pay atten-tion to the types of smells you detect. Com-pare the smells to fruit or spices. All winessmell like something, but again, what theysmell like is not a sign of quality. And whatyou like is strictly up to you.

Smelling wine can be called the “nose”or “sampling the bouquet” or any of a dozenother terms that may seem needlessly com-plex. But remember, a wise man once said:“when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

When done examining the legs and thenose, it’s time to sip the wine. Burke saidthat most wineries pour enough for two

solid sips. The first one acts as a sort ofpalette cleanser, but it’s the second sip thatlets you know if you like the wine or not.

“Swirl the wine in your mouth,” Burkesaid. “Your tongue has lots of different tastereceptors. Let them all taste it.”

She also said that how the wine feelsin your mouth matters. And that “mouthfeel” is “actually one of those wine termsthat actually makes sense.”

She and Taranto also advised potentialtasters not to let the idea of wine tasting in-timidate them.

“We have a range from everyday Joe

rooms to those oriented around connois-seur,” Taranto said. “We have it all, but eventhe connoisseur rooms will be open andwelcoming.”

It all comes down to individual taste,and many of the winemakers in NorthCounty are cowboys who like drinking —and making wine is a great excuse for aglass or two on a weekday.

“Most people in the wine industry arejust normal people who know a little moreabout wine than the average Joe,” Burkesaid.

And now you know more than you did.

Nichols Winery Heather Young/VINODaou Winery Heather Young/VINO

Daou Winery Heather Young/VINO


Wine tasting 101Jessica Tubb, C.S.

VINO

Whether you are tasting wine forthe first time or the thousandthit can be helpful to learn some

tips to further examine the wine in yourglass.

Wine tasting can seem intimidating if itis new to you, but it is important to remem-ber you are the expert of your taste buds.Whatever level wine taster you are, payingattention to your individual sense of sight,smell and taste are the most importantthings you should worry about when winetasting.

Sight – Pick up your glass and gently tilt iton its side to view the wine from above.Looking at the clarity, color and concentra-tion of the wine are clues as to how it wasmade, aged and even how old or young thewine is today. The color of a wine can eventell us what type of grape it is made from.And how slow or fast the wine slides downthe side of the glass is helpful in determin-ing how much alcohol it contains.

Smell – Resist the temptation to swirl yourwine glass at first. Picking up your glass,take a deep breath through your nose, open-ing your mouth slightly. Dig deep into yourmemory bank as this will often make it eas-ier to identify certain smells. Do you smella particular type of fruit or vegetable? Is itearthy or mineral-like? What about spices?Now swirl the glass of wine in a circularmotion and sniff again. Exposing the wineto some air will release more aromas andhelp you examine it more in depth. Care-fully examining the “nose” of the wine isimportant because smell enhances oursense of taste greatly.

Taste – Take a sip of the wine in yourmouth, open your mouth slightly and letsome air gently rush over your tongue. Thiswill help to aerate the wine, or open it up

exposing more flavors to your palate.Things to examine while the wine is in yourmouth are the texture of the wine, amountof dryness or sweetness, alcohol, tannin,acid and finally the finish or aftertaste. Eachof these factors help to determine the qual-ity and characteristics of the wine makingstyle, varietals and region of the particularwine.

Most importantly you should ask your-self if you like the wine. As you use thesetips to help you taste wine in the future, youmay choose to buy a small notebook torecord your reactions to the wine whichover time can help you analyze what it isexactly that makes you like the wines youtaste.

Now you are ready to taste wine like aprofessional.

Editor’s note: This is only a segment of Jes-sica Tubb’s article. To read the full article,go to www.pasoroblessommelier.com.

Jessica Tubb’s biography: Tubb grew up inPaso Robles and has been working in the

wine industry for close to a decade. Herfamily has been growing premium syrahgrapes on their five-acre vineyard for thepast 11 years. Tubb’s experience workingfor several Paso Robles wineries and herparent’s vineyard have provided a widebase of knowledge in wine production, win-ery and tasting room management as wellas wine club and small events coordination.

Seeking to further her wine education,Tubb attended a wine sommelier programat Professional Culinary Institute in Camp-bell in 2008. She received her diploma forwine studies and appreciation. Tubb passedthe Level I Introductory and Level II certi-fied exams in March 2010.

Currently, Tubb is the tasting roommanager and wine educator for Pithy LittleWine Co. in downtown Paso Robles. Tubbowns her own small wine education busi-ness, Paso Robles Sommelier, in whichwine education classes and consultationservices are offered for small or large pri-vate groups, winery or restaurant staff. Formore on Tubb and her business, go towww.pasoroblessommelier.com.

EDUCATION

Heather Young/VINO



UPCOMING

SEPTEMBER 2011

Sunset: Savor the Central CoastThe second annual Sunset: Savor the Cen-tral Coast will take place from Sept. 29through Oct. 2 around the county. The mainevent will take place at the Santa MargaritaRanch on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct.2. For more information, go to www.savor-centralcoast.com.

Donati Wine DinnerDonati Family Vineyard will hold a winedinner at The Range, 22713 El CaminoReal in Santa Margarita, on Thursday, Sept.29 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $80 each or$60 for Paesanos. Tickets are available atwww.donatiwine.com or by calling 805-238-0676.

OCTOBER 2011

First Saturday — Paso RoblesThe first Saturday of each month, down-town businesses and wineries hold artistsreceptions with live music and wine tasting.Many wineries offer free snacks and someoffer free wine tasting. In October, it willbe held on Oct. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. For moreinformation, call 805-238-4103 or go towww.pasoroblesdowntown.org.

Calypso Crush Encounter I & IIFirst Crush Winemaking Experience onSaturday, Oct. 1 at Silver Horse Winery,2995 Pleasant Road in San Miguel. Theone-day wine grape escape will let atten-dees pick, crush, sip and stomp while learn-ing about wine. Get a first-hand look at howwine grapes are harvested and crushed dur-ing Crush Encounter I from 9 a.m. to noonand 4 to 8 p.m. In Crush Encounter II,which is a two-day grape escape that willinclude Crush Encounter I, but adds in abottle of wine to take home. It will be on

Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon and 4to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2 from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. Registration for Crush EncounterI is $255 and for II is $465. For more infor-mation, call 805-434-2772 or go to www.firstcrushwinemaking.com.

Wine & Roses Bike RaceThe Wine & Roses Bike Race will beheld on Saturday, Oct. 8. Registration islimited to the first 230 who register on-line. The ride sold out in 2009 and 2010.Registration is $55 per rider. For more in-formation, call 805-434-1789 or go towww.templetonchamber.com/wine-a-roses-bike-ride.html.

J. Lohr 10th anniversary open houseThe J. Lohr family will celebrates its 10thanniversary of the J. Lohr Paso RoblesWine Center on Sunday, Oct. 9 from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. at J. Lohr Vineyards andWines at 6169 Airport Road in Paso Rob-les. The event is free and will include deli-cious food and wines, winery tours givenby Lohr family members, barrel tasting anda silent auction that will benefit the DonnaVan Noy Breast Cancer Care Fund. Tenpercent of the day’s revenues and $2 fromeach bottle will be donated to the fund. Formore information, call 805-239-8900.

Picture Perfect Sunday at Still Waters Vineyard Concert SeriesStill Waters Vineyard will present MostlyMonica in concert at the winery, 2750 OldGrove Lane in Paso Robles, on Sunday,Oct. 9 from 1 and 4 p.m. The concert is freeand barbecue and wine will be available forpurchase. For more information, call 805-237-9231.

Paso Robles Harvest Wine WeekendThe Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekendwill be held Oct. 21 to 23 in Paso RoblesWine Country. The three-day annual cele-bration is a combination of individual

events held at more than 150 wineriesthroughout the region.

Poker Run with the wineries of Highway 46 EastThe wineries of Highway 46 East will hostthe second annual Halloween Poker Run tobenefit Hospice of San Luis Obispo CountySaturday, Oct. 29 through Monday, Oct. 31.Donate $20 for a poker game board andthen have fun pulling a card from each win-ery visited. Receive complimentary winetasting at each 46 East participating winery.Visit five wineries to make a hand, or visitall 10 wineries over the weekend and dou-ble the chances to win. Wear a costume andget a discount on wine purchases at all win-ery locations! For more information, go towww.pasorobleswinerieseast.com.

Haunted Caves at Eberle WineryEberle Winery, 3810 East Highway 46 inPaso Robles, will hold its annual HauntedCaves Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29from 5 to 9 p.m. Decorated and lit by ateam of professionals, Eberle Winery’s16,000 square feet of underground caves isturned into one of the spookiest tickets intown. Brave souls 10 and older are recom-mended for this Halloween fun, but therewill be plenty of games for the little onesabove ground as well. A $5 donation goesdirectly to children in need in San LuisObispo County. The tasting room will beopen for complimentary wine tasting aswell for the parents. For information, call238-9607 or go to www.eberlewinery.com.

NOVEMBER 2011

First Saturday — Paso RoblesThe first Saturday of each month, down-town businesses and wineries hold artistsreceptions with live music and wine tasting.Many wineries offer free snacks and someoffer free wine tasting. In November, it will

Calendar of Events


be held on Nov. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. For moreinformation, call 805-238-4103 or go towww.pasoroblesdowntown.org.

Paso Garagiste FestivalForty cutting-edge artisan ‘garagiste’ wine-makers will pour at the first Paso GaragisteFestival: Celebrating the Artisan Wine-maker on Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday,Nov. 12 at Paso Robles’ Windfall Farms.The event will raise funds for the Cal Polywine and viticulture program. Participatingwineries are Aaron Wines, Alta Colina, Cal-iza Winery, Jalama, J Dusi, J.K. Wine Com-pany, Stanger, Symbiosis, Storm Wines,Tercero, Vines on the MaryCrest and more.A winemaker after party will feature coun-try singer Stephen Rowe and Firestonebeer. Seminars from top winemakers in-clude a Cypher barrel tasting. Tickets from$45, available at www.pasogaragiste.com.

Picture Perfect Sunday at Still Waters Vineyard Concert SeriesStill Waters Vineyard will present The JDProject in concert at the winery, 2750 OldGrove Lane in Paso Robles, on Sunday,

Nov. 13 from 1 and 4 p.m. The concert isfree and barbecue and wine will be avail-able for purchase. For more information,call 805-237-9231.

DECEMBER 2011

Atascadero Art & Wine TourThe next Atascadero Art & Wine Tour willbe held on Friday, Dec. 2 from 5:30 to 8:30p.m. The Atascadero Art & Wine Tour willinclude local wineries pouring at many ofthe participating galleries and businesses.While the event itself is free, wine tastingcosts $5 a person. For more information, goto www.atascaderomainstreet.org or call462-0177.

First Saturday — Paso RoblesThe first Saturday of each month, down-town businesses and wineries hold artistsreceptions with live music and wine tasting.Many wineries offer free snacks and someoffer free wine tasting. In December, it willbe held on Dec. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. For moreinformation, call 805-238-4103 or go to

www.pasoroblesdowntown.org.

Black tie holiday in the cavesEberle Winery, 3810 East Highway 46 inPaso Robles, will hold a black tie event inthe caves on Saturday, Dec. 3. AcclaimedChef Michel Richard will prepare the meal.For more information. For information, call238-9607 or go to www.eberlewinery.com.

Holiday Open House at Eberle WineryEberle Winery, 3810 Easy Highway 46 inPaso Robles, will hold its holiday openhouse on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to5 p.m. and the festivities will include car-olers, free appetizers and Gary’s famousbarbecue. Experience the holidays “winecountry style” and de-stress from the hustleand bustle of the season. The winery’sfriendly elves in the Tasting Room will behappy to help you finish your shopping listwith great ideas, free gift wrapping, andpre-made or custom gift baskets. For moreinformation, call 238-9607 or go towww.eberlewinery.com.

Heather Young/VINO

Attendees at Sunset's Savor the Central Coast event in 2010 at Santa Margarita Ranch walk through the marketplace, where CentralCoast wineries and restaurants gave samples to visitors.


NORTH COUNTY Wineries & Tasting Rooms15 degrees C Wine Shop & Bar — 1121 Rossi Rd., Suite A. Templeton • (805) 434-1554 • www.15degreescwines.com

Adelaida Cellars — 5805 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-8980 • www.adelaida.com

Albeno Munari Vineyard & Winery — 725 12th Street, Paso Robles • (805) 239-9176 • www.munariwinery.com

AJB Vineyards — 3280 Township Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-9432 • www.ajbvineyards.com

Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery — 2725 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-4191 • www.altacolinawine.com

Ancient Peaks Winery — 18798 El Camino Real, Atascadero • (805) 365-7045 • www.ancientpeaks.com

Anglim Winery — 740 Pine St., Paso Robles • (805) 227-6813 • www.anglimwinery.com

AronHill Vineyards — 3745 HWY 46 W, Templeton • (805) 434-3066 • www.arondhillvineyards.com

Arroyo Robles Winery — 739 12th St., Paso Robles • (805) 226-5454 • www.arroyorobles.com

Asuncion Ridge — 729 13th St., Paso Robles • (805) 461-0675 • www.asuncionridge.com

August Ridge Vineyards — 8790 Hwy 41, Creston • (805) 239-2455 • www.augustridge.com

Austin Hope/Treana Tasting Cellar — 1585 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4112 • www.austinhope.com

B&E Vineyard — 10000 Creston Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4815 • www.bevineyard.com

Barrel 27 Wine Company — 2323 Tuley Ct. #110, Paso Robles • (805) 237-1245 • www.barrel27.com

The Barrel Room — 5985 Traffic Way, Atascadero • (805) 462-9000 • www.thebarrelroom.biz

Bear Cave Cellars — 840 13th St., Suite G, Paso Robles • (805) 238-4329 • www.bearcavecellars.com

Bella Luna Winery — 1850 Templeton Rd., Templeton • (805) 434-5477 • www.bellalunawine.com

Berardo Vineyards and Winery— 3280 Township Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-9432 • www.berardovineyardsandwinery.com

Bianchi Winery — 3380 Branch Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9922 • www.bianchiwine.com

Bodegas Paso Robles — 729 13th St., Paso Robles • (805) 237-3780 • www.bodegaspasorobles.com

Booker Vineyard — 2640 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-7367 • www.bookerwines.com

Brian Benson Cellars — 2985 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 296-9463 • www.brianbensoncellars.com

Brochelle Vineyards — 2323 Tuley Ct., Paso Robles • (805) 237-0519 • www.brochelle.com

Calcareous Vineyard — 3430 Peachy Canyon Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-0289 • www.calcareous.com

Caliza Winery— 2570 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-1480 • www.calizawinery.com

Candor— 1585 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4112 • www.hopefamilywines.com

Caparone Winery — 2280 San Marcos Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 467-3827 or (805) 610-5308 • www.caparone.com

Carina Cellars — 3525 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-7724 • www.carinacellars.com

Carmody McKnight Estate Wines — 11240 Chimney Rock Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-9392 • www.carmodymcknight.com

Cass Winery & Vineyard — 7350 Linne Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-1730 • www.casswines.com

Castoro Cellars — 1315 N. Bethel Rd., Templeton • (805) 238-0725 • www.castorocellars.com

Cerro Prieto Vineyards & Cellars — 810 11th Street (at Meritage), Paso Robles • (805) 674-0826 • www.cerroprietovineyard.com

Changala Winery — 3770 Willow Creek Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9060 • www.changalawinery.com


Chateau Margene — 4385 La Panza Rd., Creston • (805) 238-2321 • www.chateaumargene.com

Christian Lazo Wines — 840 13th St. #B, Paso Robles • (805) 226-8820 • www.christianlazowines.com

Chronic Cellars — 2020 Nacimiento Lake Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 237-7848 • www.chroniccellars.com

Chumeia Vineyards — 8331 Hwy 46, Paso Robles • (805) 226-0102 • www.chumeiavineyards.com

Cinquain Cellars — 6404 Independence Ranch Pl., San Miguel • (805) 400-5978 • www.cinquaincellars.com

Clautiere Vineyard — 1340 Penman Springs Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-3789 • www.clautiere.com

Clavo Cellars — 315 Main St., Templeton • (805) 226-0174 • www.clavocellars.com

Clayhouse Wines — 849 13th St., Paso Robles • (805) 238-7055 • www.clayhousewines.com

Croad Vineyards — 3700 Vinedo Robles Ln., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9899 • www.croadvineyards.com

CrossLynn Estate — 1436 Brambles Ct., Templeton • (805) 434-9838 • www.crosslynnestate.com

Cypher Winery — 3750 Hwy 46 West, Templeton • (805) 237-0055 • www.cypherwinery.com

D'Anbino Vineyards & Cellars — 710 Pine St., Paso Robles • (805) 227-6800 • www.danbino.com

Dark Star Cellars — 2985 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-2389 • www.darkstarcellars.com

Daou Vineyards— 2777 Hidden Mountain Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-5460 • www.daouvineyards.com

Denner Vineyards — 5414 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 239-4287 • www.dennervineyards.com

Derby Wine Estates — 5620 Hwy 46 East, Paso Robles • (805) 238-6300 • www.derbywineestates.com

Diamond Jem Vineyard — 7290 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 237-1424

Doce Robles Winery — 2023 12 Oaks Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 227-4766 • www.docerobleswinery.com

Donati Family Vineyard — 2720 Oak View Rd., Templeton • (805) 238-0676 • www.donatifamilyvineyard.com

Donatoni Winery — 3225 Township Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-0620 • www.donatoniwineryandvineyards.com

Dover Canyon Winery — 4520 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 237-0101 • www.dovercanyon.com

Dubost — 9988 Chimney Rock Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-8463 • www.dubostwine.com

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery — 1953 Niderer Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4763 • www.dunningvineyards.com

Eagle Castle Winery — 3090 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-1428 • www.eaglecastlewinery.com

Eberle Winery— 3810 W Hwy 46, Paso Robles • (805) 238-9607 • www.eberlewinery.com

Ecluse Wines — 1520 Kiler Canyon Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4998 • www.eclusewines.com

Edward Sellers Vineyards & Wines — 1401 Highway 46 West, Paso Robles • (805) 239-8915 • www.edwardsellers.com

EOS Estate Winery — 2300 Airport Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 591-8050 • www.eosvintage.com

Epoch Estate Wines— 7505 York Mountain Rd., Templeton • (805) 237-7575 • www.epochwines.com

Eros Cellars — 14490 San Miguel Rd., Atascadero • (805) 466-0779 • www.frolickingfrogwine.com

Falcon Nest Vineyard and Winery — 5185 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-0227 • www.falconnestwinery.com

First Crush Winemaking Experience— 2995 Pleasant Rd., San Miguel • (805) 434-2772 • www.firstcrushwinemaking.com

Fratelli Perata Winery — 1595 Arbor Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-2809 • www.fratelliperata.com


Frolicking Frog Winery — 14490 San Miguel Rd., Atascadero • (805) 466-0779 • www.frolickingfrogwine.com

FS Cellars— 1337 Vendels Circle, Paso Robles • (805) 431-8146 • www.fscellars.com

Gelfand Vineyards — 5530 Dresser Ranch Pl., Paso Robles • (805) 239-5808 • www.gelfandvineyards.com

Graveyard Vineyards — 6990 Estrella Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-2043 • www.graveyardvineyards.com

Greg Norman California Estates— 7000 Hwy 46 East, Paso Robles • (805) 226-7000 • www.gregnormanestateswine.com

Grey Wolf Cellars— 2174 W Hwy 46, Paso Robles • (805) 237-0771 • www.greywolfcellars.com

Halter Ranch Vineyard— 8910 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9455 • www.halterranch.com

HammerSky Vineyards— 7725 Vineyards Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 949-7813 • www.hammersky.com

Haven Wine Bistro— 6155 El Camino Real, Atascadero • (805) 468-4880 • www.havenwinebar.net

Hearthstone Vineyard & Winery— 5070 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 238-2544 • www.hearthstonevineyard.com

Herman Story Wines— 1227 Paso Robles St., Paso Robles CA • (805) 714-9966 • www.hermanstorywines.com

Hidden Oak Winery— 4671 S. El Pomar, Templeton • (805) 237-9315 • www.hiddenoakwinery.com

Hug Cellars — 2323 Tuley Ct., Ste. 120, Paso Robles • (805) 226-8022 • www.hugcellars.com

Hunt Cellars — 2875 Oakdale Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-1600 • www.huntcellars.com

J. Dusi Wines — 635 North Main Street, Templeton • (805) 451-7944 • www.jdusiwines.com

J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines— 6169 Airport Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-8900 • www.jlohr.com

J. Paul Rosilez Winery— 4889 Dry Creek Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-0550 • www.jpaulwinery.com

Jack Creek Cellars— 5265 Jack Creek Rd., Templeton CA • (805) 226-8283 • www.jackcreekcellars.com

Jada Vineyard— 5620 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 226-4200 • www.jadavineyard.com

JK Wine Company— 810 11th St., Paso Robles (in Meritage) • (805) 226-7514 • www.jkwinecompany.com

J&J Cellars — 2850 Ranchita Canyon Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-2891 • www.jjcellars.com

Justin Vineyards & Winery— 11680 Chimney Rock Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-6932 • www.justinwine.com

Kaleidos— 3770 Willow Creek Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-0828 • www.kaleidoswine.com

Kenneth Volk Vineyards— 3101 Hwy 46 West, Paso Robles • (805) 237-7896 • www.volkwines.com

Kiamie Wine Cellars— 1111 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles • (805) 226-8333 • www.kiamiewines.com

Kukkula— 9515 Chimney Rock Road., Paso Robles • (805) 227-0111 • www.kukkulawine.com

L'Aventure— 2815 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-1588 • www.aventurewine.com

Laraneta Winery— 2602 Templeton Rd., Templeton • (805) 434-5090 • www.laraneta.com

Le Cuvier — 9750 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-5706 • www.lcwine.com

Le Vigne Winery at Sylvester Vineyards— 5115 Buena Vista Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 227-4000 • www.sylvesterwinery.com

Liberty School — 1585 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4112 • www.hopefamilywines.com

Line Stack Winery — 810 11th St., Paso Robles (In Meriage) • 805-238-6970 • www.linestackwine.com

Linne Calodo— 3030 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 227-0797 • www.linnecalodo.com

NORTH COUNTY Wineries & Tasting Rooms


Locatelli Vineyards & Winery— 8585 Cross Canyons Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-0067 • www.locatelliwinery.com

Loma Linda Vineyards— 5155 Rancho La Loma Linda Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 227-7172 • www.lomalindavineyards.com

Lone Madrone— 2485 Hwy 46 West, Paso Robles • (805) 238-0845 • www.lonemadrone.com

Madison Cellars— 4540 Hwy 41, Paso Robles • (805) 237-7544 • www.madisoncellars.com

Maloy O'Neill Vineyards— 5725 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-6430 • www.maloyoneill.com

McClean Vineyards — 4491 El Pomar Dr., Templeton • (805) 237-2441 • www.mccleanvineyard.com

Meridian Vineyards— 7000 Hwy 46, Paso Robles • (805) 226-7133 • www.meridianvineyards.com

Meritage Wine Tasting Lounge— 810 11th Street, Paso Robles • (805) 238-9456 • www.meritagelounge.com

Michaud Vineyard— 810 11th Street, Paso Robles (in Meritage) • (805) 238-9456 • www.michaudvineyard.com

Midnight Cellars Winery & Vineyard — 2925 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-8904 • www.midnightcellars.com

Minassian-Young Vineyards— 4045 Peachy Canyon Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-7571 • www.minassianyoung.com

Mitchella Vineyard & Winery— 2525 Mitchell Ranch Way, Paso Robles • (805) 239-8555 • www.mitchella.com

Mondo Cellars Winery — 3260 Nacimiento Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 226-2925 • www.mondocellars.com

Nadeau Family Vintners— 3860 Peachy Canyon Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-3574 • www.nadeaufamilyvintners.com

Nichols Winery & Cellars — 4615 Traffic Way, Atascadero • (805) 466-7278 • www.nicholswinery.com

Niner Wine Estates— 2400 Hwy 46 West, Paso Robles • (805) 239-2233 • www.ninerwine.com

Norman Vineyards— 7450 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 237-0138 • www.normanvineyards.com

Opolo Vineyards— 7110 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 238-9593 • www.opolo.com

Orchid Hill Vineyard — 1140 Pine St., Paso Robles • (805) 237-7525 • www.orchidhillwine.com

Ortman Family Vineyards— 1317 Park St., Paso Robles • (805) 237-9009 • www.ortmanwines.com

Oso Libre — 7383 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 238-3378 • www.osolibre.com

Parkfield Vineyards — 70502 Vineyard Canyon Rd., San Miguel • (805) 463-2316 • www.parkfieldvineyards.com

Parrish Family Vineyard— 1120 Park Street, Paso Robles • (805) 286-4028 • www.parrishfamilyvineyard.com

Paso Port Wine Company— 5940 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-2229 • www.pasoportwine.com

Paso Wine Centre— 1240 Park St., Paso Robles • (805) 239-9156 • www.pasowines.com

Peachy Canyon Winery— 1480 N. Bethel Rd., Templeton • (805) 239-1918 • www.peachycanyon.com

Pear Valley Vineyards — 4900 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-2861 • www.pearvalley.com

Penman Springs Vineyard — 1985 Penman Springs Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-7959 • www.penmansprings.com

Per Cazo Cellars— 5325 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles CA • (805) 227-4949 • www.percazocellars.com

Pianetta Winery — 829 13th St., Paso Robles • (805) 226-4005 • www.pianettawinery.com

Pipestone Vineyards — 2040 Niderer Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-6385 • www.pipestonevineyards.com

Pithy Little Wine Co. — 1244 Pine St., Paso Robles • (805) 546-1059 • www.pithywine.com

Poalillo Vineyards — 7970 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 238-0621 • www.poalillovineyards.com


Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery— 5036 S. El Pomar Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-9940 • www.pomarjunction.com

Pozo Valley Wine — 22202 El Camino Real Dr., Santa Margarita • (805) 438-3375 • www.pozovalley.com

Pretty Smith Vineyards & Winery— 13350 River Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-3104 • www.pasowine.com

Proulx— 5424 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 706-0425 • www.proulxwines.com

Rabbit Ridge Winery— 1172 San Marcos Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 467-3331 • www.rabbitridgewinery.com

Ranchita Canyon Vineyard— 3439 Ranchita Canyon Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-9448 • www.ranchitacanyonvineyard.com

Rangeland Wines — 10425 Klau Mine Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 674-9232 • www.adelaidasprings.com

Red Soles Winery— 3230 Oakdale Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9898 • www.redsoleswinery.com

Rio Seco Vineyard & Winery— 4295 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-8884 • www.riosecowine.com

RiverStar Vineyards— 7450 Estrella Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-0086 • www.riverstarvineyards.com

RN Estate Vineyard— 7986 N. River Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 610-9802 • www.rnestate.com

Robert Hall Winery— 3443 Mill Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-1616 • www.roberthallwinery.com

Rockin’ R Winery — 8500 Union Rd. #C, Paso Robles • (805) 835-8529 • www.rockinrwinery.com

Rocky Creek Cellar— 8687 Apple Rd., Hwy 46 West Templeton • (805) 238-1919 • www.rockycreekcellars.com

Ronan Cellars— 6305 Buena Vista Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 238-0833

Rotta Winery— 250 Winery Rd., Templeton • (805) 237-0510 • www.rottawinery.com

Roxo Port Cellars— 810 11th Street, Paso Robles (in Meritage) • (805) 464-0922 • www.roxocellars.com

San Antonio Winery — 2610 Buena Vista Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 226-2600 • www.sanantoniowinery.com

San Marcos Creek Vineyard— 7750 Hwy 101, Paso Robles • (866) PASO-WINE • www.sanmarcoscreek.com

Sarzotti Winery— 180 Bella Ranch Rd., Templeton • (805) 226-2022 • www.sarzottiwinery.com

Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden— 5015 Linne Rd,. Paso Robles • (888) 302-8881 • www.sculpterra.com

Sextant Wines— 3502 Dry Creek Rd Ste 9-11, Paso Robles • (866) 833-WINE • www.sextantwines.com

Shale Oak Winery — 3235 Oakdale Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-4800 • www.shaleoakwinery.com

Sharp's Hill Vineyards— Ambush Trail Pl., Paso Robles • (805) 237-2005 • www.sharpehill.com

Silver Horse Winery— 2995 Pleasant Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-WINE • www.silverhorse.com

Skyhawk Lane— 6305 Buena Vista Dr., Paso Robles • (213) 200-4661 • www.skyhawklane.com

Stacked Stone Cellars— 1525 Peachy Canyon Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-7872 • www.stackedstone.com

STANGER Vineyards— 5255 Highway 41, Paso Robles • (805) 238-4777 • www.stangervineyards.com

Starr Ranch Vineyards & Winery— 9320 Chimney Rock Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-0144 • www.starr-ranch.com

Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery— 5940 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-1854 • www.steinbeckwines.com

Stephen's Cellar & Vineyard— 2485 Hwy 46, Paso Robles • (805) 238-2412 • www.stephenscellar.com

Still Waters Vineyards — 2750 Old Grove Ln., Paso Robles • (805) 237-923 • www.stillwatersvineyards.com

Summerwood Winery— 2175 Arbor Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-1365 • www.summerwoodwine.com

NORTH COUNTY Wineries & Tasting Rooms


Tablas Creek Vineyard— 9339 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-1231 • www.tablascreek.com

Tackitt Family Vineyards— 6640 Von Dollen Rd., San Miguel • (805) 467-9490 • www.tackittfamilyvineyards.com

Tarrica Wine Cellars— 111 Clark Rd., Shandon • (805) 237-8693 • www.tarricawinecellars.com

Tassajara Cellars (at Silver Horse)— 2995 Pleasant Rd., San Miguel • (805) 239-8511 • www.tassajaracellars.com

Terry Hoage Vineyards — 870 Arbor Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-2083 • www.terryhoagevineyards.com

Thacher Winery — 8355 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 237-0087 • www.thacherwinery.com

Thunderbolt Winery— 2740 Hidden Mountain Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9907 • www.thunderboltjunction.com

Tobin James Cellars— 8950 Union Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-2204 • www.tobinjames.com

Tolo Cellars— 9750 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-2282 • www.tolocellars.com

Treana and Hope Family Wines— 1585 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-4112 • www.hopefamilywines.com

Turley Wine Cellars — 2900 Vineyard Dr., Templeton • (805) 434-1030 • www.turleywinecellars.com

Twilight Cellars— 2740 Hidden Mountain Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9907 • www.twilightcellars.com

Venteux Vineyards — 1795 Las Tablas Rd., Templeton • (805) 369-0127 • www.venteuxvineyards.com

Veris Cellars (Home of Jan Kris & Ben Hogan Wines)— 1266 N. Bethel Rd., Templeton • (805) 434-0319 • www.veriscellars.com

Via Vega Winery — 2378 Adobe Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 423-2190 • www.viavega.com

Victor Hugo Winery— 2850 El Pomar Dr., Templeton • (805) 434-1128 • www.victorhugowinery.com

Villa Creek Cellars— 5995 Peachy Canyon Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-7145 • www.villacreek.com

Villa Creek Winery & Restaurant — 1144 Pine St., Paso Robles • (805) 238-3000 • www.villacreek.com

Villa San-Juliette Winery— 6385 Cross Canyon Rd., San Miguel • (805) 550-0522 • www.villasanjuliette.com

Villicana Winery— 2725 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-9456 • www.villicanawinery.com

Vina Robles Winery— 3700 Mill Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 227-4812 • www.vinarobles.com

Vines on the Marycrest— 5076 Mustard Creek Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 237-0378 • www.vinesonthemarycrest.com

Vinoteca Wine Bar — 835 12th St., Paso Robles • (805) 227-7154 • www.vinotecawinebar.com

Vista Del Rey Vineyards— 7340 Drake Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 467-2138 • www.vdrvineyards.com

WCP Cellars— 1335 Vendels Circle, Paso Robles • (805) 239-1568 • www.wcpwines.com

Westberg Cellars— 3180 Willow Creek Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 238-9321 • www.westbergwine.com

Whalebone Vineyard— 8325 Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles • (805) 239-9020 • www.whalebonevineyard.com

Wild Coyote Estate Winery— 3775 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 610-1311 • www.wildcoyote.biz

Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards — 1437 Wild Horse Winery Ct., Templeton CA • (805) 788-6310 • www.wildhorsewinery.com

Windward Vineyard— 1380 Live Oak Rd., Paso Robles • (805) 239-2565 • www.windwardvineyard.com

Zenaida Cellars— 1550 Hwy 46, Paso Robles • (805) 227-0382 • www.zenaidacellars.com

ZinAlley— 3730 W Hwy 46, Templeton • (805) 238-0959 • www.zinalley.com

Zoller Wine Styling— 525 Pine St., Paso Robles • (805) 226-9707 • www.zollerwinestyling.com

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