Jason Bushong grew up in Southern California in the 80s, doing what most kids were into—collecting vinyl, jamming to Duran Duran, and exploring his passions. Over time, one passion stood out: wine.
With over 20 years in the winemaking industry, Jason’s love for the craft led him to open his own tasting room, Bushong Vintage Company, in November 2017. It’s here that he shares his unique vision and experience with wine enthusiasts.
On a trip to Paso Robles years ago, Douglas Ayres was awed by the beauty of the land, the warmth of the people and the promising wine region. While later traveling through some of the most celebrated wine and cultural areas of the world, the memory of Paso Robles inspired him to return with a vision of owning vineyards, making world-class wine and developing a destination driven wine country resort.
Painting by Agata Zaborowski
Dover Canyon Winery is nestled on Vineyard Drive in the Willow Creek appellation of Paso Robles. Owner and winemaker Dan Panico has long believed that the calcareous soil along Vineyard Drive is ideal for cultivating Zinfandel and Rhône varieties. The estate vineyard showcases Organic, Dry-Farmed Zinfandel and Syrah, reflecting the winery's dedication to sustainable practices.
Focusing on small lots of artisanal wines, Dover Canyon often produces vineyard-designated selections that highlight the unique characteristics of each site. With a passion for the heritage grape of Paso Robles, the winery actively seeks out Dry-Farmed, Mountain Grown, and Old Vine Zinfandel from local vineyards, ensuring a commitment to quality and tradition in every bottle.
people enjoying wine - wine artist Agata Zaborowski
Chateau Margene, now celebrating its 26th year, is the realization of a dream brought to life by Michael and Margene Mooney. Back in 1997, they envisioned planting a vineyard, crafting a winery, and establishing their home in the beautiful Paso Robles area. By the summer of 1998, the family settled into their property, where they still reside, and kicked off their adventure by planting the estate vineyard that fall.
With annual production ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 cases—thanks to the whims of Mother Nature—Chateau Margene embraces a "quality over quantity" mantra. The estate boasts two charming vineyard blocks: Stella’s Vineyard, named in honor of Margene's mother and their granddaughter, Jon's daughter, showcases two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, planted in 2014. Meanwhile, the front vineyard, Michael's Vineyard, pays tribute to Michael and Margene's older son and grandson, featuring a delightful mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Sangiovese.
Their farming practices are all about being organic and sustainable, with Michael taking the reins on vineyard management and winemaking alongside his son Jon. Meanwhile, Margene steers the day-to-day operations and works her magic as the winemaker for their exquisite Cabernet Franc. Cheers to this vibrant family legacy in the heart of Paso Robles!
Painting by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski
This place is great! The people that work here are always extremely nice and are very educated on their product! Mike is always such a pleasure to sit and chat with.
The Barton Family Estate is the only site on the 46 West corridor in Paso Robles that offers Wine, Food, and Spirits all in one location. What more could you ask for when looking for a genuine Paso Robles tasting experience like no other.
Today, Barton and his wife Jenny run the family business as a husband and wife-team. Joe’s mom, Shirlene, is also an integral part of the day-to-day operations still and they are a completely owned and operated family business to this day. Together they have modernized their family brand and added a beautiful urban farmhouse tasting room to the property. They added Barton’s Kitchen in 2013, offering farm-to-table, casual cuisine, and in 2022, Grain+Vine Craft Distillery was born.
Located in the small, historic town of St. Helena (yes, part of Napa Valley) Bressler like many of its neighbors is a small lot, premium producer of Cabernet Sauvignon. Bressler was started as many wineries do in Napa, with the retirement of an executive from nearby Silicon Valley. Bob Bressler spent his career at Sun Microsystems where he was a visiting scientist and advised the Sun executive team. Bob's wife Stacey is also intimately involved with the day to day operations of the winery and comes to the wine business after her own successful career in the Bay Area high tech market, although her focus was more marketing than it was the technology itself. Small production winery of approx. 500 cases.
The history of Boyd Family Vineyards began in 1998 with the purchase of a property on Big Ranch Road in Napa, driven by a vision to create exceptional wines and memorable experiences. Since then, over 20,000 vines of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Cabernet Sauvignon have been planted, tended, nurtured, harvested, crushed, and transformed into fine wine.
Situated in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley, the vineyard benefits from the area's slightly cooler climate and heavy clay soils, which are ideal for producing ultra-premium Merlot and Syrah. These conditions contribute to the creation of some of Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines.
Today, while Boyd Family Vineyards continues to sell over 50% of its grapes to other premium wineries, it also produces limited quantities of ultra-premium wine. These wines are crafted with meticulous attention to the best materials and practices, aiming to reflect a full-bodied style that showcases the finest attributes of the land.
Just ten minutes up from Highway 29 and you have the view - of Napa Valley. Then, if you book a tasting tour, instead of standing at a bar, or a cold cellar, you will be seated in a room streaming with sunshine. From there a generous sampling of their current releases will be poured, alongside a nice place of cheese, nuts and chocolate. Time to consider the tasting...and what you will buy to have at home. I know that one of my Cabernet favorites.
This little hidden gem is very easy to miss while whizzing past on Silverado Trail. But don't overlook this one. You won't be disappointed. Some of the best zinfandel and very good cabernet sauvignon. It is a great value wine that will hold its own against some higher priced wines. This is a very small winery with limited production and only offers a few wines. You won't find this in too many stores so you will need to make a trip out there of go on-line.
