Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah

Midnight Cellars Winery

wine corks and glass

Their wines were good, and actually moderately priced. The one that really stood out was their Gemini a Zinfandel-Syrah blend?  We also picked up a bottle of their Full Moon a Zinfandel, Syrah and Cab Franc blend. Worth a stop if you are in Paso.

 

Midnight Cellars had its origins in a slightly tipsy, laughter-filled moment on the back patio at Domaine Carneros during the summer of 1993. While enjoying a family getaway to Napa and Sonoma and after several winery visits, Rich made a whimsical statement that would later prove to be life-changing: "Hey old man, when you retire you should buy a place like this and have us run it for you."

Initially laughed off and soon forgotten, the idea resurfaced years later when Robert, ready to retire early from his career as a patent attorney, still brimming with energy and passion, recalled Rich's suggestion. He approached Rich with the proposition, "If you were serious about this winery idea, I'm in."

At the time, Rich was newly married and living in Chicago with his wife Michele, and their first reaction was a firm "no way, Dad." However, after considerable reflection and several glasses of wine, Michele and Rich decided to embrace the unconventional plan. They sold their new house, one of their cars, and made the move to California to start anew. Despite how improbable it sounded, they followed through with the plan. They arrived in California on July 31, 1995, and immediately immersed themselves in country life—one that lacked bars, restaurants, and shopping. The city dwellers from Chicago experienced a significant culture shock.

Each family member took on a specific role and began learning their responsibilities: Robert and Mary Jane focused on the overall operations, Michele managed the tasting room and later took on bookkeeping duties, while Rich learned the intricacies of planting, maintaining, and harvesting the vineyard, as well as winemaking.

After 29 years of steep learning curves, the family remains committed to making wine accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for everyone.

Optima Wine Cellars

Optima began as a dream producing just 400 cases in 1984, now, the winery is continuing their tradition of producing premium, world class wines. Optima specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel Port, and Chardonnay. Stopped by for Passport weekend. Amazing wines! Hard to find but well worth looking for.

Dunning Vineyards

lable of wineries 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon

Find this "Best Kept Secret" winery at the end the road on Niderer Road. The winery is Just 3 miles off Hwy 46 in the Willow Creek Area of Paso Robles. Why not visit and enjoy this 40 acre estate and some wonderful wines that have been produced at Dunning Vineyards.

Battaglini Estate Winery

grapes

This place is tiny and quaint. The wine room has a sign to knock on the door of the house. No need, Joe has already spotted us and beaming, walks over to let us in.He is warm, amazing host. Asks about your background, shares about his family. After we try many wines, he gets a twinkle in his eye, and reaches into the fridge, retrieves a unmarked bottle, pours a taste. Its sweet, bright, and dissolves yummily on the tongue. He seems surprised I can't place it...its homemade limoncello. However its made from home made grappa, not vodka, for the infusion liquor. Wow.

Charter Oak Winery

wine grapes and glass - Pixabay

Charter Oak Winery is a small boutique producer of the most exceptional Napa Valley red wines made by winemaker Robert Fanucci.

Charter Oak wine is unfined and unfiltered, with the grapes fermented using natural yeast. The winemaker employs tools crafted by his grandfather (Nonno in Italian) to punch down the cap three times a day, working the must into a foaming lather. This unique method sets their wine apart. The winemaker believes that the key to their success lies in the natural fermentation process and the meticulous punch-down of the cap with handcrafted wooden tools, a ritual performed with dedication. Witnessing the sun illuminate the purple grape juice as it bubbles to the surface is a sight the winemaker cherishes deeply, as it nurtures the soul.

After three to four weeks in the fermentation tank, the time comes to separate the skin from the juice, all done by hand using a 100-year-old basket press. The wine is then transferred into barrels using buckets. Although this method is not the most efficient, it adheres to the winemaking tradition passed down from the grandfather. The result is wine that is truly handcrafted, and each bottle reflects a distinct difference from mass-produced alternatives.

Qupe Wine Cellars

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

In contrast to the Old World, Qupé focuses on cool climate expressions of Rhône varietals due to a distinctive geographical feature that sets them apart from most other regions of California, as all vineyards are all located in East-West valleys (vs North-South) which function as open windows to the cool Pacific Ocean. The benefit to the vineyards of being along the coast and running East-West is that the cold, moist air gets pulled in and creates a layer of morning cloud cover over the vines which reduces temperatures and sun exposure on the grapes. This is why cool climate varieties excel in the coastal regions of the Central Coast and allows Qupé to focus on cool climate expressions of Rhone varietals.

Mettler Family Vineyards

Swirling glass of red wine - Saman Teher - Pixabay

For over five generations, our family has been growing premium wine grapes in California’s famous Lodi appellation. We are stewards of the land with our organically farmed winegrowing estate and our ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah which are the signatures of family pride and over 100 years of grape growing excellence.

Image - Swirling glass of red wine - Saman Teher - Pixabay

Zenaida Cellars

grape cluster - ai generated - Pixabay

It all started back in 1988 when Eric’s parents purchased the land where the winery and vineyard sit today. Eric was still attending Cal Poly earning his BS in Ecology and Systematic Biology at the time but helped his dad by designing and planting the vineyard. After getting the vineyard planted and producing, Eric began to expand his wine knowledge. Biologist as his day job, Eric went back to school, attending UC Davis’s enology extension courses. Eventually, landing his first wine job with Ken Volk at Wild Horse Winery in Templeton and then moving into a position with Kendal-Jackson Winery. Eventually in 1998, Eric made the first official vintage of Zenaida Cellars and has been working on developing the wines ever since.

D'Art Wines

red wine pouring into glass

Helen and Dave Dart started their dream as home winemakers with a passion for great wines. After winning several awards in that category, they decided to make small lot commercial wines to share with like-minded enthusiasts.

What does a Spanish dancer have to do with a winery that has a French name? Absolutely nothing and everything. It was one of the first artworks created by Dave around the same time he and Helen began making wine at home. This piece has served as the winery's logo since their days as garagistes. Their journey began when they took Best of Show at the Sacramento Home Winemakers wine competition with their very first wine, a 2000 Syrah, igniting their passion for winemaking. Although Helen has French heritage, the name Dart is purely English.

Now residing on their Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, where the winery is located, the tasting room is a feast for the eyes. Dave and Helen have adorned the space with Dave's photo art, reflecting their travels around the world. Most days, Helen is present in the tasting room, eager to share her special wine-pairing recipes and insights into winemaking.

Through the tasting room lies the barrel room, where Dave and his daughter, Jessie, handle the winemaking process. They divide their responsibilities, with Jessie managing fermentation and barrel aging while Dave focuses on master blending and bottling.

The d’Art team is their most valuable asset. Visitors are warmly welcomed in the tasting room, where the couple loves getting to know their customers.

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