The Corison Winery, in its timeless Victorian-style barn, is situated in the heart of Cathy's beloved Kronos Vineyard. With eight acres planted exclusively to St. Georges rootstock, Kronos is a historic treasure. As one of the last old Cabernet Vineyards in the Napa Valley, it is one of the few vineyards to have produced world class fruit continuously for more than four decades. Farmed organically and growing on gravelly loam soils, the gnarly old veterans produce scant yields that result in wines of rare concentration and refinement. They are juicy with blackberry and plum fruit and complex with a mineral note and exquisite violet perfume.

Patrick Elliott-Smith, owner and winemaker at Elan Vineyards, was born in the United States to a French mother and an American father. His appreciation for fine wines began early, influenced by his grandfather René's extensive wine cellar filled with pre-World War II Bordeaux wines. As children, Patrick and his siblings were allowed just a few drops of red wine in their water—a practice that led Grandmother Madeleine to exclaim, "René, you will make them drunk!" This early exposure cultivated Patrick's taste for fine wines.

After completing high school in France, Patrick returned to the United States and earned a B.A. in philosophy. He found that his philosophical studies provided an excellent foundation for addressing the climatic challenges of agriculture. Following college, Patrick was drawn to Napa Valley by its resemblance to southern France, with its familiar topography and climate evoking fond memories. Deciding to make it his home, Patrick and his brother Dennis, an artist, acquired a parcel of land. Over the next four years, they raised horses, sheep, and goats; produced goat cheese; and grew gourmet herbs and vegetables for upscale Napa Valley restaurants. They also explored French intensive gardening techniques and bio-dynamic farming, which takes organic farming to an advanced level, sharing the 1960s ideal of living off the land.

In 1979, Patrick discovered his ideal property at the top of Atlas Peak Road. Situated about 2,100 feet above sea level—roughly 1,900 feet higher than the average Napa Valley vineyard—the site was perfect for viticulture. Patrick entered the wine industry by developing vineyards for prominent wineries such as The Hess Collection, Liparita, Dominus, and Beaulieu Vineyards, along with various private hillside estate vineyards. In 1980, he constructed a small stone house on the property and lived in a teepee on the future winery site while clearing manzanita brush from five acres. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon on 110R rootstock using a French-style trellis, which was uncommon in California at the time. For the first seven years, Patrick sold the fruit to Caymus Vineyards.

Croze Wines is operated by Gary Wooten, a long time resident in the Napa Valley. He has worked as winemaker with several smaller area wineries during their formative stages and helped them become established. He currently runs two labels; Croze wines which includes a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc and the second label, Smith Wooten featuring a 100% Cabernet Franc (he originally made a barrel of Cabernet Franc to use for blending purposes but after tasting, found this wine to be excellent as a stand along varietal and ended up bottling it) and a Syrah. Croze ages their wines longer than many area wineries and as a result the current vintages are typically several years older than what you usually find on the market. The barrel aging program usually runs up to 40+ months and all the wines are tasted during this time and are removed from barrel when they are ready, in other words the barrel aging program is not locked into a certain amount of time like you may find with some of the larger wineries.

Changala Winery is a boutique family-owned and operated winery located in the Willow Creek District on the West side of Paso Robles.

Our winemaker specializes in creative red blends and offers unique single varietals. The wines are sourced from local Paso vineyards as well as our own Willow Creek Estate fruit for over 20 years, with a focus on making wines that represent the best of Paso Robles.