Reviewing local vineyards from a different perspective.
For those that are interested in ‘OLelo Wine, today’s woot has it on sale.
http://wine.woot.com/offers/lelo-paso-robles-merlot-6?ref=w_gh_wn_10_d_ph
I have never tasted nor reviewed this wine so this one is outside of any recommendation that I may have.
I have talked about this before, but I don’t mind mentioning again that preserving wine for the VERY casual wine drinker is hard, it would almost be better to only ever taste a winery’s to ensure that the wine your drinking isn’t to old and that you consume only the amount that you mean to.
Today Woot, mentioned before here has a deal on wine preservation spray, I cannot recommend this as I am not a user of this style of preservation, however if you are maybe the following link will be of interest to you. Remember this is a one deal for one day type of site so if you don’t happen to pick this up today April, 14, 2016 the deal will be gone.
If anyone is a fan of Sextant you may be interested in today’s WOOT.com deal. Click the link below to view/buy sextant wine, potentially at a discount. I’m not able to recommend this wine as I haven’t yet tasted at Sextant, maybe that will be the next on my list.
http://wine.woot.com/offers/sextant-mixed-zinfandel-6?ref=w_gh_wn_10_d_ph
If you see this after the woot has closed, it is a one day deal, check out Sextant Wines site at the following link, wherever woot wine got their discount figure doesn’t add up ordering direct is always fun.
http://www.sextantwines.com/
Realizing the content produced on this website I have to say you may think the author a bit of a lush, I hope that this is really not the case, in all practical nature wine isn’t a part of my every day experience and due to some family situations not usually a part of any event as well. Wine is something that I like to experience for the tastes and experience at the winery it self.
Sure a good wine with a good meal is nice, however when my electric cellar is near empty after 3-4 years of storage of a bottle that I know I once liked has been stored and finally enjoyed. It’s so hard to open the wine that I have in my collection, for one reason and one reason only. I don’t drink more than 2-3 ounces in a night and never finish the wine that was even poured for me at a tasting room. Why not? I just don’t like the feeling of loosing even a little control.
That said I still would love to be a wine club member at a couple of locations without risking my resolve to never have more than 2-3 ounces in a night. Finishing a entire bottle of wine is nearly impossible to do before it starts tasting more like vinegar and a lot less like the wonderful bottle of wine than I purchased and brought home to enjoy. Why do all of the bottles of wine have to be so big?
Tasting room design I feel has much to do with the over all acceptance of that winery in the community. Who wants to go and see a place that is also the place that the wine is made in? If I’m on a tour the answer is yes I would love to see the winemakers workplace. Often however people are out tasting for the atmosphere and if anything is learned about winery design I hope that the lesson isn’t to little to late.
When opening a winery it is absolutely necessary that a good looking tasting room also be designed. Something removed although not far removed from the large stainless steel vats in which the wine that you are enjoying is made.
In Oregon I’ve been to a couple of winery’s built into the side of the hill that have the grape processing room viewable through some glass structure wise offering a great view of the processing room, its machinery and steel drums often used for white wines neatly organized even when in use.
Summer Wood winery in west Paso Robles offers the same type of view on the winemaking room, though not quite a much of a birds eye. It’s tasting rooms like these that combine the experience of the making and the tasting of the wine that have it right. Wine is an art not a science, lets have a space to celebrate the art instead of looking at the science of all the drums and vats that are used.
For the last couple of years Tobin Jams has been one of those weird places that I wanted to try wine at, but just got the opportunity recently. Their decor is quite different than the lush landscapes that are put together at other winery’s and their choice of colors for their buildings are not indicative of other wineries, using bright colors that are quite noticeable compared to the landscape. One of the other major things that I find different is their lack of a large tasting room building, with vaulted ceilings or other interesting design ideas.
Tobin Jams reminds me more of an old western town bar than a winery, don’t get me wrong, they certainly know their business, it’s just very different to not walk into the almost sterol environment that is most tasting rooms. The staff is very nice and their wines were actually fun to taste, I’m not sure though that the quality matches some of the other wines that I’ve tasted.
Will I be back to Tobin James? Actually this isn’t likely as there are many other winery’s that I have yet to taste in the Paso Robles area.
Did I find a wine that I would stop in and take to a party or special event? Actually the only wine that I was completely impressed with was their desert wine.
Thanks Tobin James for a great location and an inexpensive tasting experience.
One nice thing about small, nearly non-commercial winery’s, is the amount of attention they give their customers however I fear that without fresh staff the family staff of winery’s often grow tired or the winemaking process or at least the process of selling their hard labor. Grey Wolf winery is nice and small, I’m sure that they do plenty of business, but the tasting room is really a converted small home with a very nice patio with a east looking view in west Paso Robles area. This is a dog friendly winery so long as the dog is friendly to other dogs, make sure out of respect, to keep your dog leashed.
I was told to taste wine at this winery by another person who found the wine delectable. I am often trying to make sure that my taste aren’t limited to the much more commercial winery’s so I thought that this would be a great place to try as the one winery that I would try on my way through Paso Robles this time.
For those that don’t know a whole lot about wine, such as myself, I very much appreciate the names of wines remaining much the same between vineyards and winery’s. When I’m having a Zin it would be nice if the wine was labeled zin. My preferences aside though a unique name with a unique taste makes the wine memorable allowing more memory of the wine and name recognition.
Wines Tasted
“The River” 2011 – 56% Grenache Blanc, 44% Viognier – Over all I was excited about this wine since I have recently found that I like Viognier in a more pure form, this wine however did dissapoint a little as the taste didn’t end up as I had expected. The wine though was nice and dry, if you like a good dry taste with a little bit of sweet this may be a good wine for you.
“Pretty Girl Pink” – To me had a very white zin type of taste, also though very dry.
“Zinful Cab” 2011 – 60% Zin, 40% Cab – This was a very nice wine and one of the closest in tastes that I have had to the Chumia Barbara, I will probably always be comparing a good red to the Chumia Barbara as it was honestly the best glass of red that I had ever had and hope to find a near exact replacement as soon as the style of the Barbara comes back into style. This wine “Zinful Cab” I’m sure was meant to sound like “Sinful Cab” as it is a Cabrinet with an almost sinful taste, I would suppose. The wine itself would be great with a red meat, as many red wines are, however it would also be a good wine to have with a good cigar or around a billiard table.
“Kashmir” 2010 – 100% Syrah – Caliza Vineyard Woody and nice. Great Syrah would come back for this wine as well to take a bottle for a great rich dinner, and may also go well with a desert rich in flavor.
“Watch Tower” 2010 – 65% Syrah 35% Grenache Blanc – Much more smooth than the Kashmir more woody taste than the Kashmir as well, I can see this being a great taste with a smoked meat. After tasting the “Watch Tower” I would have to recommend it and its taste over the Kashmir, bearing in mind that it is a different blend.
“Lineage” 2010 – 60% Cabrnet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenere, 15% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc. – Good bouquet, good front pallet, and an amazing finish. Good dark red wine perfect with a steak or curry type of meal. I feel however that this wine needs to wait a year and it’s for that reason that I purchased a bottle and have shelved it until next year.
Banter amongst the staff in the tasting room wasn’t to my tastes, they were talking about the people coming to taste. How drunk they were, or how they would send a scout in to test the waters of the tasting room before bringing the whole group in. The would do this with the other staff right in front of the other patrons tasting their wine. I prefer to be in an environment that’s not talking about other patrons, maybe the weather, maybe the wine but definitely not the other patrons.
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Best place to be when wine tasting should be outside as much as it is inside. So much time and energy is spent by vineyards to show their attention to detail after all it is that same attention to detail that makes their wine the taste that you have come to know and appreciate. There is so much time spent in the detail in the vineyards as well.
Many winery’s are situated to allow you a view across a valley, a vineyard, great lawn or a botanical garden usually having large decks decorated and furnished with immaculately kept furniture. While it’s easy to “saddle” up to the bar for a tasting there’s often more to be seen. Eagle Castle, Niner Winery, Vina Robles, Peachy Canyon and Pear Valley, Harmony Cellars all have features that are becoming of their winemakers hideout and often worth the drive through the estates.
It’s easy to become consumed with trying to find the right wine and tasting through the flight as quickly as possible and only looking at the ribbons that the wines have won and watching the tasting room staff, don’t let this be your experience there’s often so much more to a winery than their staff. When purchasing a bottle of wine you’re actually taking home a memory of the experience and hopefully a great wine.
It’s hard to find and try new wines without just happening on the location along the road. Thus far we have to yet really get off of the highway much and explore new winery locations. In Paso Robles, if your not on the main roads you may as well forget it unless you have someone out promoting you someplace. All wine and winery’s that I’ve tried away from major thoroughfares we’re suggestions given by other enthusiast.
Pear Valley is almost the only winery that I have tried that was really off of 41, though it really wasn’t that far down Union from Tobin James, another winery that I had yet to try at the time. Pear Valley was recommended to me by a friend who really enjoys their desert wine, Orange Muscat, which I continue to return for and enjoy on very rare occasion.
There are many winery’s down Union just east of Paso Robles I would encourage you, along with myself, to head down Union sometime, there are even touring maps for Union that you can pick up at many of the local winery’s.
Returning to a favorite I went back to Vina Robles, where wine tasting got started for me, again due to their whites, having just picked up a selection of reds and rose from Niner I wanted to off set that a bit with some whites and knew just the place. Generally it’s been the Sauvignon Blanc that I have been after when going to Vina Robles so when I walked in I knew that I was going to come away with a White 4 and hoped that the current tasting of the Sauvignon Blanc would be worthy of taking home as well.
Being the July 4th weekend even entry to Vina Robles was a bit sketchy due to the fact that they were opening their new amphitheater with it’s very first crowd. I just wanted to taste and buy some wine so I made it clear that I would be leaving as quickly as I had come as soon as I had tasted a couple of wines.
In the tasting room I approached the counter and told the host that I just want to try the Sauvignon Blanc and the White 4 before I took them home to enjoy. He was taken back by my request and applauded my effort to only faste the wines that I was interested in, instead of a complete flight, keep that in mind next time you go tasting, you may be treated to some extra wines that are off the menu but in the same category.
Starting correctly the host poured the Sauvignon Blanc first, it was impressive but wasn’t quite what I was looking for. It had a beautiful fruity bouquet and a nice smooth opening and a nice dry finish. Would be a great wine with a desert such as a cheesecake or some sort of a cream based food, maybe even a curry if prepared correctly.
Second we were given a taste of the “White 4” one of the staples of Vina Robles, and it did not disappoint at all, in fact it quickly overshadowed the fast of the Sauvignon Blanc, at this point I was certain that the White 4 would be the bottle of wine that I would be going home with. The “White 4” is a very consistent wine year to year, though it would be possible for you to just drop in and walk out with a bottle of “White 4” wine to take home. I always like to make sure that I test the wine before it makes it’s way out of the tasting room. Much better bouquet than the last and much better finish.
As a side note White 4 get’s it’s name from the blend of four wines that are used to make white four in this instance; Viognier, Vermentino, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc.
Following those two wines the host asked next if we had time to taste some other wines that were in the same category. Of course I would like to taste outside of the list when given the opportunity so we were treated to two other wines. 2011 Alberino and 2012 Vermentino. The 2011 Alberino wasn’t something that I appreciated and wasn’t going to be taking home, I had also just the same category at Niner and was much more impressed with the Vina Robles Version.
Last for the tasting was Vermentino an amazing wine honestly ready to enjoy as soon as it’s chilled in the fridge, given the opportunity I will make sure to keep a bottle available until the year changes and another tasting is necessary to ensure the quality I have come to expect.
