Compiled by Libbie Agran, featuring local growers and winemakers who shaped the wine history of San Luis Obispo County as of January 10, 2019.

Introduction

California viticulture history, distinct from other areas of the United States, is unique in its origins, its geographical isolation, and the diversity of widely planted grape varieties. California viticulture originated with the Spanish crown seeking new lands to conquer and sending explorers to map what is now coastal California. The grapevines, Vitis vinifera, were brought by ship from Spain and became known in the New World as Mission Grapes. They have been identified as Listán Prieto in recent years. Although the Mission San Miguel was founded on July 25,1797, the first evidence of grapevines is documented in the early 1800s. Two prosperous vineyards were established in Vineyard Canyon under the leadership of Father Juan Martin.

Records of grape growing in San Luis Obispo County rank the areas of San Miguel, Paso Robles, and Templeton as the oldest viticultural areas. They are located in North County. Although grape cultivation started with Mission grapes, California’s Central Coast has the geography and terroir to support the Mediterranean climate in which many grape varieties thrive. All through the 1800s, there were small plantings of winegrapes throughout Northern San Luis Obispo County. Early county assessor records show that in the period from 1873 to 1883 there were in excess of 80,000 grapevines planted.

Between 1900 and 1960, five major events shaped the wine history of San Luis Obispo County: World War I, the Prohibition Era, the emergence of home winemaking, World War II, and the continuity of small family-owned vineyards and wineries.

Every glass of wine contains local history.

North County

Adelaida Cellars (1981): the name derives from the nearby settlement, Adelaida, established in the 1870s by pioneers who settled in the hills west of Paso Robles. The Adelaida Cellars winery was founded in 1981 by John Munch and his wife Andree Guyon. It was purchased in 1991 by the Van Steenwyk family. They established two important vineyards – the HMR and Viking Estate, from which they produced site-specific wines. The HMR vineyard has some of the oldest Pinot Noir Vines and is important historically.

2. Ancient Peaks (1774): the vineyards are located on the site of land farmed by the Franciscan missionaries in the late 1700s. The site includes the Ascencia Ruins from the Mission era and a small private museum. Cattle were introduced on the Santa Margarita Cattle Ranch by the padres, and today it is one of California’s oldest continuously operated cattle ranches. The land is known for five types of soil, including the ancient seabed, shale, volcanic, rocky alluvium, and granite. It is the southernmost vineyard located in North County and is located in the historic town of Santa Margarita. This is the vineyard where Robert Mondavi planted his first vineyards in SLO County. The local contact on Mondavi Vineyards is Neil Roberts, Vineyard Manager for Mondavi.

YORK MOUNTAIN WINERY Est. 1882 and EPOCH ESTATE WINES Est. 2004

James Robert Anderson – Shipwreck Survivor, Viticulturist and Winemaker – the first on York Mountain. James Anderson and his family immigrated to the United States from Australia in 1855. James pursued a formal education in agriculture, studying climate and soils, which was very unusual in that era. He was one of the founding viticultural pioneers of San Luis Obispo County. He selected York Mountain (then known as the Ascension District) to buy property from Farmer Dunn in 1879. He had studied viticulture and was the first to plant his vineyards to Zinfandel and a white variety, Burger. James was the first to build a winery with the best equipment money could buy, including a 16,000-gallon redwood storage tank. James was highly respected and died in 1921. He is buried in the Cayucos Cemetery. His son Frank joined him in the vineyard and winery and ran the ranch until his father’s death. The tradition of multi-generational farming is found throughout San Luis Obispo County from the 1850s to the present. The winery closed in 1921.

4. Bella Luna (1998): the vineyards and winery are located in the scenic hills of the Templeton Gap. It was established by two lifelong friends, the late Kevin Healey and Sherman Smoot. It is now in the hands of the second generation. In 1998, they planted and dry-farmed Carly’s Vineyard with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ruby Cabernet. The owners are among the early Italian families who lived and worked in vineyards alongside the Pesentis, Rottas, and Nerellis. They have a collection of old photographs dating back to the 1920s and a vineyard manager with many stories to tell. They represent multiple generations of farming and the Italian legacy.

5. Caparone Winery (1980): Dave Caparone is the pioneer of Sangiovese and Aglianico in the United States. He was the first to plant Nebbiolo in Paso Robles. The grapes are dry farmed, and the red wines are unfiltered. Caparone has an unusual background. After graduating from UCLA, he worked as an environmental planning officer for Caltrans in the four Central Coast Counties. He visited every vineyard he could, learning which grapevines thrived. He started making wine in 1973, with grapes sourced from old vine Zinfandel. He made over 35 different wines from grapes grown in SLO and Santa Barbara counties during the next 10 years. Caparone feels that grapes grown on the Central Coast provide classic quality due to climate and microclimates that equal the premium wine-producing areas in France, Spain, Germany, and Northern Italy. A small vineyard surrounds his winery, which is located on San Marcos Road in North County. By 1983, he had planted Brunello vines and 800 Nebiolas. Dave is focused on Italian grape varieties and has worked on researching varieties with UC Davis. Dave was the first in SLO County to introduce his wines to Trader Joe’s in Pasadena, California. Trader Joe’s sold Caparone wines for over 20 years. The Caparone Winery is a multigenerational winery. Father and son are jazz musicians.

6.Carmody McKnight (1985): Gary Conway was introduced to the farms on Chimney Rock Road in the old Adelaida District in a helicopter crash. No one was hurt, so Gary and Marian Conway purchased 320 acres in Adelaida in the late 1960s. The property had an 1860s farmhouse, which they made their home. Years later, starting in 1995, they planted their first vineyard and decided to become winemakers. The name Carmody – McKnight, which is a blending of Gary and Marian’s names, was created for the bottling of the 1995 vintage. Their winery is unique – the straw bale construction completed in 2005. Gary has used no chemicals (pesticides or fertilizers) in the vineyard for over 20 years. The soil produces excellent vegetable and grape harvests without chemicals and pesticides. The soil has been the focus of a 20-year study shared by Cal Poly, John Deere Corporation, Motorola, and Earth IT. The tasting room is in the old farmhouse. Gary is a painter, known for his remarkable vineyard portraits.

7. Clarence and Mel Casteel Family Vineyards (late 1800s): These vineyards are very important for their historic vines. The Casteel family arrived in SLO County in 1887 and settled in Dover Canyon. They purchased a ranch west of Paso Robles, located in the hills east of Vineyard Drive. Four generations worked in cattle ranching, dairy farming, grain production, tanning buckskin, and selling animal pelts. The property had a vineyard with old Mission grapevines planted by the original owners in the late 1800s. Mel planted his first Zinfandel vineyard as a child in 1933. Three generations of Casteels have grown Zinfandel grapes on this property. The Casteel Vineyards are important because they include some of California’s oldest known Zinfandel clones. Mel Casteel inherited the ranch from his father. He cleared the land and expanded the Zinfandel grape vineyards. Mel became the expert on Zinfandel clones and designed vineyards in North County from the 1960s until his death in 1980. The terroir in the hills of the Adelaida District is noted for the large rocks in the landscape. There is a story that links the Casteel family to Alex Madonna, the man who built the iconic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. It is said that the huge rocks on Mel’s ranch and the surrounding area were hauled away by one of Mel’s brothers and used to build the famous Madonna Inn.

8. Castoro Cellars (1983): This winery was founded by newlyweds Niels and Bimmer Udsen with a simple concept of making affordable wine. The word Castoro is Italian for “Beaver.” The name was chosen by a family friend who knew Niels as “Beaver” when he was growing up. The Castoro Cellars philosophy of winemaking and the name created their motto, “Dam Fine Wine.” In 1983, they started their business in a garage in Templeton. Niels was a graduate of the Cal Poly Department of Agriculture. Niels had an unusual business plan. He had worked with Gary Eberle at Estrella River Winery and learned the craft of winemaking from winemaker Tom Myers. Niels developed the custom crush business before planting his own vineyards. It required far less money to invest in the winemaking (custom crush) than to buy acreage and tend a vineyard.

In 1991, Niels and Bimmer purchased 200 acres east of Paso Robles. Tom Myers became Niels’ winemaker and is still making fine wines for Castoro Cellars today. They focused on sustainable farming and organic practices, a ten-year process. Tom continually worked in the vineyard to watch the grapes develop. He continued to make wine for Niels’ custom-crush clients and to learn from and evaluate each wine at every step. Tom has an amazing palate and a memory for the taste of each wine he has ever sampled. He has been a mentor to many!

Niels and Bimmer developed a tasting room on Highway 46 West, surrounded by vineyards, long before they built their winery. They purchased the El Paso de Robles site from Cal Poly professor/winemaker George and Tommie Mulder, early growers and winemakers in the 1970s. They expanded the venue, creating a destination for the entire family. They have hosted musical events in the area surrounding their tasting room for over 30 years, and are one of the first wineries to incorporate entertainment, including outdoor games, on a regular basis. The second generation, two sons, are working at the winery. “They make Dam Fine Wines.” They founded the Bethel Road Distillery in 2016.

The Documentary – Tom Myers – Made in Paso

Tom Myers is recognized as the expert on the science of making wine in San Luis Obispo County. As of 2019, he was also the man who has filled over 190 million bottles with San Luis Obispo County wine, following his 42 harvests. Winemakers describe him as a problem solver, mild-mannered, and all talent without the ego. He is described as “Tom Myers is the awesome winemakers’ winemaker, according to his colleagues and local winemakers.” Tom talks about his start in the wine industry and his scientific approach to crafting world-class wines. This documentary film is narrated by Tim Clott and produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media in 2020.

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

A conversation with John Munch, world traveler, student of seventh-century English Poetry, renovator of Victorian houses, musician, free spirit, and founder of two wine labels – Adelaida and Le Cuvier – and two friends, Neil Collins and Tom Myers. This documentary film is narrated by Tim Clott and produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media in 2023.

9. Cass Winery (1999): The Cass Winery is historically significant for its support of the Paderewski Festival, an annual musical event held in Paso Robles each November. Young musicians celebrate the talents of Polish composer and pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The Festival also provides concerts for young, talented musicians to perform classical works for attending audiences.

The four-day event recognizes Paderewski as the pianist who sought treatments for his painful hands during a concert tour in San Francisco in 1914. The healing waters in Paso Robles were recommended by his doctor. During his stay at the elegant Paso Robles Inn, Paderewski purchased land and planted fruit trees on two “ranchos” nearby. Paderewski hired a staff of gardeners, studied the land with consultants from the University of California, and planted his first Zinfandel vineyard in 1923. His Zinfandel vineyard became famous when he hired the York Brothers Winery to make his Zinfandel wine in 1934. The wine won a gold medal at the California State Fair. The Paderewski legacy still brings visitors to Paso Robles.

Steve Cass is also known for creating a new vision of hospitality in the Paso Robles vineyards. He worked with James Smoot to plant 12 grape varieties on 145 acres east of Paso Robles. He created a winery that became a weekend destination with a comfortable Inn, a fine chef, a kitchen with unique cuisine, and a landscape for hiking and horseback riding among the vines. Cass wines are made in the South African style. Steve’s son is expected to join his father as a winemaker.

10. Chateau Margene (1998): This small winery focuses on small luxury hand-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Michael and Margene Mooney moved to the six-acre site near Creston in 1998 and planted a low-yield estate vineyard in the fall. Their mantra is quality over quantity. The farming practices are organic and sustainable. There are two labels, the Chateau Margene and the Mooney Family. The annual production is 2,500 to 3,000 cases. Grapes are also sourced from three other low-yield vineyards in Paso Robles. As a winemaker, Michael Mooney uses old French-style techniques. Varieties include two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Sangiovese. The Mooney family label was started in 2004 and focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with grapes sourced from the San Lucia Highlands AVA and the Santa Rita Hills AVA.

11. Neil Collins, A Brit from Bristol Finds Paradise at a Café in Santa Barbara. Neil attended culinary school in Bristol at the age of 16 and developed a palate for fine cuisine. Miscadet introduced him to fine wine. He traveled to Santa Barbara to visit his sister and decided to stay on the Central Coast. He founded a catering company in Cayucos but soon moved to Templeton with his wife and settled in the York Mountain Appellation. He was tired of the relentless pace in catering and decided to learn about wine. His first job was with Ken Volk at Wild Horse working the 1991 harvest. He soon met winemaker John Munch and started working with him at Adelaida Cellars. As a duo, they were a perfect match: unconventional, experimental, fearless, and lots of fun. John encouraged Neil to make his own wine, to purchase his fruit from a local grower (Carver Vineyard) and make his own wines under his own label, Lone Madrone in 1996. Neil and his family continue to make their own wines.

Neil met Robert Haas and the Perrin Brothers who were planting the Tablas Creek Vineyard while working with John Munch. The following year, 1997, Neil and his family moved to France to work at the Chateau De Beaucastel, owned by the Perrins. It was a wonderful year. In 1998, Neil accepted the job of winemaker and vineyard manager for Tablas Creek, and a new chapter of winemaking in San Luis Obispo County began. Neil was voted winemaker of the year in 2013 and wine industry person of the year in 2019.

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

12. Dellaganna Winery (1890): The Bianchi Vineyard was planted around 1890 on the old trail running from Templeton to the Pacific coast. This route had been used since the early 1800s to travel from the fields and cattle pastures of North County to the coast. The padres at San Miguel Mission often walked the trail to sell wine and animal hides to sea merchants moored near Cayucos.

The Zinfandel vineyard was purchased from the Bianchi family after 1900 by Alberico and Josephine Dellaganna. The exact date is unknown. The Dellagannas built a small winery which produced both Grappa and Zinfandel wine. They sold their wines to the Portuguese and Swiss families who planted crops and established dairy farms on the coast in Cambria and Cayucos. George Dellaganna shared his fond memories of the orchard, the vineyard, and the old stone winery with local historian Vicki Dauth. He described a beautiful wooden arbor supporting healthy old Mission grapevines at the front of their home. Legend has it that the vines once produced a thirty-pound cluster of grapes! An old photo of the winery can be found in the collection of the Pioneer Museum in Paso Robles.

13. Donatoni Winery (1978): Hank Donatoni was a winemaker for 40 years. He started making wine in the basement of his home in Topanga Canyon in 1970. Hank’s family comes from a village in Northeast Italy. They moved to Santa Monica in the 1930s to escape facism. They became gardeners, and Hank grew us loving plants and trees. The Italian community was centered in downtown Los Angeles. Hank has a historical link to the winemaking history in Los Angeles. Most areas in the city were not zoned for wineries or wine production. The San Antonio Winery was the only legal winery in operation in the city in the 1970s. This historic winery was established in 1917 and made the wines for the Catholic Church. It continues to thrive in downtown Los Angeles and in San Luis Obispo County. Hank became a pilot for United Airlines. He dreamed of owning his own winery. He found a small plot of land adjacent to LAX zoned for a winery. He acquired it and could walk to his winery after parking his plane at the airport terminal. Hank’s first vintage was made in Los Angeles but not at his own winery. He was missing some crucial equipment. Hank convinced Steven Riboli, the founder of the San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles. to allow him to make his first vintage at the Riboli Winery. Mr. Riboli agreed but only if Hank worked all night and was finished by dawn. Hank was thrilled to accept the challenge.

Hank became a winemaker following a typical path in the 1970s. Hank took winemaking classes from John Daume and joined The Cellar Masters Club in the San Fernando Valley. At least 50 well-known California winemakers launched their careers as members of this club. When Hank retired from United, he moved to San Luis Obispo County and purchased a property in the Templeton Gap with a home and winery on the premises. He was known for his excellent Zinfandel wines, made with grapes purchased from grower Rickard Sauret. He acquired extensive knowledge of wine history in California and a collection of winemaking tools and presses. He died on September 23, 2021.

14. Benito Dusi Ranch (1924): This is the oldest continuous Zinfandel old vine grape-producing vineyard in San Luis Obispo County. It was purchased by Sylvester Dusi, who saw the potential for growing grapes to sell to home winemakers during Prohibition (1920 to 1933). His youngest son, Benito Dusi, loved working in the vineyard and is also remembered for his work as the winemaker and for hosting the first Tasting Room on California Hwy 101. It was a gathering place for the Italian community and the Military stationed at a nearby base during the 1950s and 1960s.

The Benito Dusi Ranch was the first vineyard to have a contract with Ridge Winery. Ridge identified the vineyard as one of the finest old Vine Zinfandel in California. The Dusis continue to sell 95% of their Zinfandel harvest to Ridge Winery, producing award-winning Zinfandel wine. This contract was finalized in 1967 with a handshake with Caterina and Benito Dusi over a dinner of Polenta Stew in the Dusi kitchen. Five generations of the Dusi family have worked this vineyard.

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

The documentary, 91 Harvests, tells the story of the Dusi Ranch where the first Zinfandel Vineyard was planted by Sylvester Dusi and his wife Caterina in 1924. At the end of World War II, Sylvester Dusi purchased more land nearby and worked with his three sons to clear the property, burning the wood into charcoal, which was a side business of the Dusi family. Old vine Zinfandel was planted in this new Dante Dusi Vineyard. Grandson Mike Dusi has developed new vineyards featuring multiple grape varieties over the last 15 years. Great-granddaughter Janell Dusi established her own winery, J Dusi, in 2006. Each wine she makes tells the story of one of her family members. This documentary film is narrated by Tim Clott and produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media in 2020.

15. Dante Dusi Ranch (1946): The land was purchased and cleared at the end of World War II by the Dusi family, including father Sylvester and sons Guido, Dante, and Benito. They cleared the land by cutting the trees down and making charcoal from the wood chopped and slowly roasted in the Italian style on the property. Charcoal making was used by the Northern Italian immigrants to clear many acres of oak tree forests in the Paso Robles to make room for new vineyards. The newly planted Zinfandel vineyards were dry-farmed; the grapes were sold to winemakers throughout California.

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

The documentary, 91 Harvests, tells the story of the Dusi Ranch where the first Zinfandel Vineyard was planted by Sylvester Dusi and his wife Caterina in 1924. At the end of World War II, Sylvester Dusi purchased more land nearby and worked with his three sons to clear the property, burning the wood into charcoal, which was a side business of the Dusi family. Old vine Zinfandel was planted in this new Dante Dusi Vineyard. Grandson Mike Dusi has developed new vineyards with multiple varieties of grapes over the last 15 years. Great-granddaughter Janell Dusi established her own winery, J Dusi, in 2006. Each wine she makes tells the story of one of her family members. This documentary film is narrated by Tim Clott and produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media in 2020.

16. J. Dusi (2006): Janell Dusi is the second winemaker (after great-uncle Benito) in the Dusi family to make wine from their Zinfandel harvest. Historic Dusi vineyards are the source of her grapes. Janell founded her own winery in 2006. Each J Dusi wine is named after a family member or a specific moment in the Dusi Family History. The winery is located on Highway 46 West.

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

The documentary, 91 Harvests, tells the story of the Dusi Ranch where the first Zinfandel Vineyard was planted by Sylvester Dusi and his wife Caterina in 1924. At the end of World War II, Sylvester Dusi purchased more land nearby and worked with his three sons to clear the property, burning the wood into charcoal, which was a side business of the Dusi family. Old vine Zinfandel was planted in this new Dante Dusi Vineyard. Grandson Mike Dusi has developed new vineyards with multiple varieties of grapes over the last 15 years. Great-granddaughter Janell Dusi established her own winery, J Dusi, in 2006. Each wine she makes tells the story of one of her family members. This documentary film is narrated by Tim Clott and produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media in 2020.

17. Eberle (1979): Gary produced the first vintage for his own label, Eberle Wine, in 1982. He is known as the Godfather of Paso Robles, one of the most important historical figures from the 1970s to the present day. Gary’s first job making wine was at his family’s winery in the Estrella Valley. (See Estrella River Valley Winery). The winery and vineyards were designed as a large production facility. In the late 1970s, Estrella became the largest winery in SLO County. Gary was interested in making high-quality wines in small numbers, and his dream by the late 1970s was to open his own winery.

The Eberle winery gave Gary complete control over the quality and quantity of the wines he wanted to make. He quickly realized that the secret to selling fine wines was to develop a marketing strategy and a winery that would attract guests and winelovers. His policy is not to charge his guests for wine tasting. He is an expert at marketing, mentored by Robert Mondavi. Gary still greets each visitor at the front door to the tasting room. Gary developed one of the first wine clubs and organized the first wine dinners with Chef Ian McPhee served in the tasting room. Gary elevated hospitality to a profession. He taught his staff about hospitality and showed them how to create a friendly environment in the tasting room. One of his earliest marketing strategies was to become a pilot and fly to cities around the United States and introduce his wines to restaurants and wine stores.

Gary also worked with many hotel and motel owners and restaurants to increase tourism and make Paso Robles a quality destination. Gary was one of the groups who organized and applied for the Paso Robles AVA in Northern San Luis Obispo County. Eberly Winery was established in 1983 and is known for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties. He hired Chris Eberle (no relation) to be his winemaker while Gary spends his days greeting and sharing his wines with guests.

Documentaries – Conversations with Gary Eberle

Six Documentaries – Gary Eberle with Tobin James in the Winery and Caves; The Tasting Experience with Jeff Penick and Dennis Cassidy; Grapes in the Eberle Vineyards with Tom Myers and Howie Steinbeck; The Eberle Wines; Wine, Food and Hospitality with Ian McPhee and Larry Shupnick; Gary and Philanthropy. These documentaries were produced by The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media (2018).

18. William and John Ernst (1885 and 1886): Patriarchs of Seven Generations of Winemakers. These twin brothers immigrated with their parents from Germany, following friends and family to the German Lutheran settlement in Geneseo, Illinois. They successfully farmed there before visiting San Luis Obispo County in 1884 to look at farmland adjacent to a new Lutheran community of farmers. The twin brothers and a younger brother moved their families in 1885. They named the area Geneseo and were very active in developing successful vineyards and winemaking in the area. They planted over 25 varieties of grapes and planted fruit trees near their grain fields, based on research provided by the Agricultural Experiment Station, established by the University of California as a resource to provide plants and education. The Ernst brothers made award-winning wines which were among the first to be exported to Europe. Barbara and William Ernst were the first to produce sparkling wines, Champagne, and Sparkling ToKay, in North County. Today, the seventh-generation owners of the Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery continue the winemaking traditions of the Ernst family.

19. Estrella River Winery (1973): Gary Eberle partnered with his half-brother Cliff Giacobini to design and build the Estrella River Winery. Gary studied viticulture at UC Davis and established a close relationship with his professor, Dr. Harold Olmo, an expert on soils. Dr. Olmo advised Gary to plant grapes in the Estrella River region, the same area where the San Miguel Mission padres had planted Mission grapes.

Gary’s brother purchased the land and financed the building of a state-of-the-art winery, scientific laboratory, and tasting room. In 1974, Gary planted a large vineyard of 700 acres on the property with 12 grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Barbera, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscat Canelli, and White Riesling. He also designed the irrigation system. Gary planted the first commercial vineyard with Syrah cuttings from UC Davis; he was the first to make a 100% Syrah wine in SLO County. The Estrella River Winery was built at a cost of $2 million and completed in 1977.

The Estrella wines received international recognition and developed a strong market in Japan. The first release of the 1978 Chardonnay won a gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. The production plans included a goal of producing 110,000 cases per year. Estrella River Winery became the largest winery in the county and the launching pad for many successful winemakers, including Niels Udson, Tom Myers, and John Munch. Gary left in 1979 to start his own winery. Estrella River Winery developed financial problems and closed in the early 1980s.

20. The Far Out Wineries of Paso Robles: A number of small wineries and vineyards, one by one, were established in remote areas on narrow mountain roads west of Paso Robles starting in the 1980s. Each location was unique and many did not yet have tasting rooms. The owners gradually came to know each other and decided to work together to market their wines by inviting wine lovers to their wineries.

They described themselves as “We are far out, but not that far away. We once were chefs, photographers, investment bankers, far out hippies, actors, international financiers, studio drummers, wine importers, engineers, developers & alas! Even an attorney, but we are now winemakers with a mutually shared passion for the wide spectrum of flavors arising from vineyards planted in the gnarly limestone hills west of Paso Robles. Take the Far Out trail & experience broad diversity & unique wines plump with intense character. We are indeed far out, but not that far away.”

In 2006, they developed a descriptive brochure highlighting each winery with a detailed map as a marketing strategy to invite customers to roam the landscape and taste a variety of wines. No food was served, but picnic tables were provided, adding to the sense of adventure. The members included Adelaida Cellar, Carmody McKnight, Dunning Vineyards, Halter Ranch, Justin Vineyard & Winery, Le Cuvier, Minassian-Young, Nadeau Family Vintners, Norman Vineyards, Opolo Vineyards, Pipestone Vineyards, Poalillo Vineyards, Tablas Creek Vineyard, and Villicana Winery. More than half the wineries are still producing fine wines.

The Far Out Winery Brochure 2006 is in the archives at UC Davis.

21. HMR (1972): Dr. Stanley Hoffman, a cardiologist, bought a 1,200-acre ranch in the Adelaida Hills west of Paso Robles in the 1960s. His property bordered the old vineyards of the pianist and composer Paderewski. He studied wine and the vines and decided to plant grapes native to the Burgundy region in 1965. The geography, the soil, and the climate on his ranch reminded him of Burgundy.

Stanley Hoffman consulted with the viticulture departments at U.C. Davis, Cal Poly, and Fresno State University. He built a modern winery in 1976, the first new one in Paso Robles in 40 years. He became known as the “Godfather of the Central Coast” at the time. Stanley hired the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff to advise him on the design and purchase of state-of-the-art equipment. Andre also mentored winemaker Michael Hoffman, Stanley’s son.

HMR was the first to use the French technique of cold fermentation and stainless steel tanks in his winemaking. He designed his vineyards with the two-wire trellis system, and imported a drip irrigation system from Israel. Hoffman planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Franken Riesling at a high elevation in the hills of Adelaida with the advice of agricultural advisor Jack Foote. He was able to buy cuttings from the legendary Paul Masson, who had left his Burgundian homeland at age 19 when Phylloxera wiped out the French Vineyards. Paul Masson traveled around the horn to bring his cuttings to America. He kept them alive by placing his cuttings in a box of potatoes purchased from a fellow passenger. The moisture in the potatoes kept the vines alive. Stanley Hoffman claimed that his vines were descendants of those vines. Hoffman also purchased Zinfandel grapes from Richard Sauret in the 1970s and won awards for his Zin wines.

Hoffman, with advisor Andre Tchelistcheff, brought a new level of winemaking skill to the region. Stainless steel tanks were used for the first time.

He was the first SLO County winemaker to win international awards in England. This remarkable feat brought the foreign press to San Luis Obispo to publicize California wines prior to the Blind Tasting of 1976 in Paris.

Stanley Hoffman started the tradition of holding fundraisers to support the arts at his new winery. The guests were the first to tour HMR and enjoy his latest vintages. The first event raised funds for the annual Mozart Festival, which continues to provide concerts throughout the county year-round. It is now known as the Mosaic Festival, and recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

The book celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Festival Mozaic, with the list of San Luis Obispo County wineries that have supported the Festival for 50 Years, is archived in the Special Collections of Food and Wine in the Library at the University of California, Davis Campus.

22. Home winemaking: This activity began thousands of years ago with families working together to make a fermented beverage using a variety of ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, honey, and rice in a specific style to preserve their cultural and dietary traditions. The oldest evidence was found in a clay vessel e in China. The vessel was analyzed for fermented ingredients, which included rice, grapes, honey, and fruit.

Today we think of it as a process of turning fruit juice, most commonly grape juice, into wine through fermentation. Yeast consumes the natural sugars in the juice and produces alcohol, carbon dioxide, and flavor compounds.

During Prohibition, the demand for red grapes grew as home winemaking became popular. Home winemaking kits were manufactured and promoted throughout the country. Books, wine bricks, grape concentrate, and raisin cakes were sold in every city. The San Francisco Bay area alone used over 2,000 carloads of grapes to make wine each year of Prohibition. As the demand for grapes grew, so did the size of the vineyards in San Luis Obispo County. The most popular were red grapes, specifically Alicante Bouschet, Zinfandel, Carignane, and Mourvèdre. These hardy grapes were preferred for shipping by truck and by rail. The consequences of this trend would be felt in the California wine industry for decades. Many fine grape varieties disappeared from production in the 1920s as growers removed these vines from their vineyards and planted those varieties in demand.

In the 1970s, home winemaking became a serious hobby using basic science and good quality fruit. John Daume was known for his classes and seminars in the San Fernando Valley. Students included airline pilots, sailors, lawyers, doctors, and aerospace engineers. John Daume also introduced winemakers to growers in San Luis Obispo, including the famous Benito Dusi and Mel Casteel, who mentored new winemakers and sold them Zinfandel grapes each fall. Many of those with talent abandoned their day jobs and joined the California wine revolution. They planted vineyards and either hired experts to custom-crush and make their wines, or worked with mentors and learned the winemaking craft in the winery. Some of the men were accepted to viticultural and enology programs at California Universities and State Colleges. Seminars and workshops were taught at UC Davis on weekends.

The home winemakers were often resented and ridiculed by those winemakers who received degrees in viticulture. However, almost all the early settlers in San Luis Obispo from 1870 on learned to make wine with their neighbors and by trial and error. In the 1970s, many home winemakers moved to San Luis Obispo County and became successful winemakers, including John Munch, Tobin James, Justin Baldwin, Dog Beckett, and Neil Collin. Tom Myers was the first winemaker with a degree in Enology from UC Davis to be hired in San Luis Obispo County. He became the assistant winemaker at Estrella River Valley Winery in 1978. This newly constructed winery was the first to have a scientific laboratory with the latest equipment on site.

23. Gerd and Ilsabe Klintworth (circa 1883): First Licensed Winemaker of Jug Wine. Gerd and his wife immigrated from Hanover, Germany, after his military service was completed in 1881. Gerd wanted to grow grapes in California. He arrived in Southern California to work in the German Anaheim Colony vineyards just as they were dying from Pierce’s disease.

The Klintworths saw advertisements for agricultural land located east of Paso Robles. They contacted the German Lutheran population to explore the area. They purchased 80 acres in the Geneseo area. Gerd was an experienced farmer who helped establish grain farming in the Geneseo District. He was also an educated viticulturalist. Gerd built the family home, barn, and a blacksmith shop. He planted grains and bought cattle. He prepared a vineyard of 10 acres and Zinfandel and Tokay. The crops were dry-farmed. He was the first licensed winemaker to produce Jug Wine. Gerd was famous for Zinfandel, Port, Claret, and Muscatel. He made wine until Prohibition laws were enacted in 1920. He continued to grow grapes and sell them to local wineries. Multiple generations continued to grow grapes until the property was sold in 1997.

24. The Italian Migration from Northern Italy – They Changed the Landscape on the Hills of Paso Robles: The Italians who immigrated to San Luis Obispo County in the late 1800s and early 1900s were typically from educated middle-class families. They came from small villages in the steep mountains of Northern Italy, near the Swiss border. Ethnicity was important and highly sensitive in these years. The Italians used their ethnicity to establish an ethnic niche for themselves in San Luis Obispo County. They were not winemakers. Many grew up on dairy farms and worked as woodcutters in the charcoal industry.

The rolling hills of North County in the Templeton Gap were covered in dense oak forests. The early American, French, English, Australian, and Swedish settlers wanted to plant vineyards, grains, and gardens as well as build their homes and barns. They had no way to remove the dense oak trees. The enterprising Italians tackled the “removal business” and hired their countrymen to clear the forests. As they chopped the trees down, they made charcoal, which became important for heating during winters on land and in railroad trains. The Italians had no experience in growing grapevines or making wine; they watched closely as vineyards were planted and wine was produced. The Italian immigrants were hired to work in the vineyards and wineries, and they learned well. They saved their money and purchased land in the Templeton Gap.

In the Templeton Gap, the Italian families worked together planting crops and vegetable gardens. They raised chickens and cattle, established dairy farms, and built their homes and barns. During Prohibition, the Italians realized that “home winemaking” was spreading throughout the country. They began to plant vineyards with Zinfandel vines, which they harvested and shipped throughout the nation to home winemakers. The Nerelli, Dusi, Busi, Pesenti, Martinelli, and Dellaganna families were among those who changed the landscape on the hillsides, planting vineyards and other crops. They brought Italian culture, food, and wine to North County.

25. Justin Vineyards and Winery (1981): Justin and Deborah Baldwin founded Justin Vineyards, followed by the winery, the Inn, the Restaurant and a separate building with Wine Club Meeting Rooms on their property. Justin spent years studying and tasting wines while working in the premier banking industry in the United Kingdom and from coast to coast in America. He purchased 160 acres on Chimney Rock Road from Gary Conway in 1981. Justin cleared the land and planted his first vineyard. Justin and his wife, Deborah, built a winery and hired winemaker Steve Glossner. The first harvest in 1987 produced the Justin Reserve that won the Sweepstakes Award at the Los Angeles County Fair in 1988. The 1994 ISOSCELES- a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot – won the trophy for the best red wine in the world at the 2004 London International Wine and Spirit Competition’s Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. This organization hosted the competition won by Stanley Hoffman and his 1973 HMR Chardonnay. In 2000, Wine Spectator magazine chose Justin’s vintage 1997 ISOSCELES as the Sixth-Best Cabernet in the World. Justin sold his winery in 2010 but continues to travel and host 150 wine events a year.

26. L’Aventure Winery (1998): French winemaker Stephan Asseo arrived in Paso Robles in 1998 with his classic viticulture and artisan winemaking skills from Bordeaux. He was impressed with the terroir and bought 127 acres to create a vineyard and winery to make wines that expressed the character of Paso Robles. The winemaker is the story here.

27. Le Cuvier Winery (1978): John Munch and his first wife, Andree Guyon, founded Le Cuvier high on a hill in the Adelaida. John built their home and took on research for a group of Frenchmen who wanted to make Champagne in SLO County. The wine was successful, but the partnership failed. John, the winemaker, is the story here. John Munch is one of the best winemakers in SLO County. He was a colorful guy, mentored by Andre Tchelistcheff. He made wines in a very unusual style. His philosophy was nonintervention: let the grapes do the work. Each vintage expressed his unique approach. He purchased his grapes grown in limestone soils from local growers. He established unique relationships with growers so he could control the growth of each vintage.

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

28. Luna Matta Vineyard: This was located at a high elevation in North County. It was planted with the best Italian varieties in the area. Viticulturist Stephanie Terrizzi leased the vineyard and farmed it from 2006 to 2021. It was sold to the Daou Brothers in 2021, who immediately bulldozed all the rare vines and planted Cabernet Sauvignon. The tradition in the North County has been to work with the young growers and winemakers by making grapes available and affordable to support their winemaking and to give them the chance to be an active part of the North County community. The wine community was outraged by this break in tradition. The rolling hills and dense forests were located in intimate microclimates partial to planting small vineyards. These affordable properties and the friendly growers and winemakers created a strong sense of community. Newcomers were mentored and seen as welcome additions to the local communities rather than competitors. Sharing the work and nurturing the new growers was an important story in San Luis Obispo County.

The Documentary – The Last Harvest

In October of 2021, Giornata Winery and grape grower Stephanie Terrizzi had their last harvest of Italian varieties at the Luna Matta Vineyard. This documentary is a tribute to the unique varieties once grown in this historic vineyard. The Last Harvest is produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partner 2 Media (2021).

29. Martin Brothers (1981) now closed: Martin Brothers Winery was founded by siblings Tom, Nick, Mary, and Ann Martin, children of Edward T. Martin, a marketing manager in wine distribution and the editor of a wine trade magazine. It was located on 83 acres on 4230 Buena Vista Drive in Paso Robles. The land had been used for raising dairy cattle. The Martin Brother Winery was one of the first contemporary wineries in America to grow the Nebbiolo grapes, the principal grape in the Piedmont region of North West Italy. They also were one of the first contemporary wineries to plant Sangiovese. They made wines from both grapes. This winery became a significant producer of Italian varietals in the 1980s. The winery was sold to Martin Weyrich in 1998. Tom Martin worked with Gary Eberle and Victor Hugo Roberts and many community members to submit the application that resulted in the creation of the Paso Robles AVA in 1983.

30. Amedeo Martinelli (1924): Amedeo was born in the province of Teramo, Italy, in 1881. He immigrated to the Templeton area around 1920. Amedeo joined his fellow Italians working in the charcoal industry after World War I. He bought his own property, 25 acres on Ridge Road, in 1926. He planted a vineyard of Zinfandel and Burgundy grapevines. He also planted cherry trees in his vineyard, honoring Italian tradition.

Amedeo built his own winery and was well known for producing fine wines, which he sold locally. He was popular with everyone and known for skill at playing cards with Joe Dusi. He fell in love with a widow, Rina Fossati, mother of five children, whom he met on a trip to Italy. They married in 1958; Amadeo adopted her children and moved everyone to Templeton. Unfortunately, he died three years later in 1961.

With almost no experience, Rina and Bruno maintained the vineyard and sold grapes and cherries for four decades. They were mentored by Joe Dusi. The vineyard was purchased in 2014 by Larry Turley, founder of Turley Wine Cellars. Turley Wine Cellars is famous for producing fine Zinfandel wines from vineyards planted in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Turley maintained the vineyard and encouraged the Martinelli family to share their early history. In 2026, Turley sold the Martinelli Vineyard, home, and winery to new owners who are committed to maintaining and protecting this historic vineyard.

31. Mastantuono Winery (1977): Pasquale Mastantuono, better known as Pat Mastan, lived in Los Angeles and was well known as a custom furniture maker. He had a studio on Sepulveda Blvd in West Los Angeles. He also had a hobby of winemaking. He always bought his Zinfandel grapes in San Luis Obispo County. He knew all the Zinfandel growers, including Dante Dusi. He was a member of the Cellarmasters Club, a group of winemakers in Southern California who studied winemaking but still worked their day jobs. After 15 years of good reviews and winning blue ribbons in competitions as an amateur, Pat made a career change from craftsman to winemaker in 1975. Pat and his wife, Leona, bought a 65-acre ranch just west of Templeton and moved to San Luis Obispo County. They built their own winery and tasting room. Mastantuono Winery was bonded in 1977.

Pat continued to buy his Zinfandel grapes from local growers. Pat’s first three Zinfandel releases, Rosa, Nuovo, and Dusi, made him famous. His 1978 Zinfandel, made from Dusi grapes, won a gold medal at the 1980 Orange County Fair, followed by a silver medal at the San Jose Mercury News tasting competition. These were very impressive wins at the time. Pat Maston’s Zinfandels were noted for their big extract without the high alcohol. He described them as intensely berry-like and soft on the palate, noting that his Zinfandels age well. Pat planted 14 acres of his own estate Zinfandel vines around 1979.

His tasting room was full of antiques and music sung by Mario Lanza. There were 4H animals wandering about. Pat invited tour buses to stop at the tasting room. He was a great supporter of all the new Zinfandel growers and winemakers who settled in the area in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. When he retired, the vineyard and winery were sold to the Donetti Family.

32. Tom Myers, winemaker for Estrella River Winery and Castero Cellars (1978 to the present): Tom Myers graduated from UC Davis with a Master’s Degree in Enology. He focused on the science of winemaking and was the first winemaker with these credentials to be employed in San Luis Obispo County. He was hired by Gary Eberle to work in the new modern facility, which featured the first professional laboratory with the latest equipment in the County. Tom has an amazing memory; he is able to recall every wine he has ever tasted. The encyclopedia of his experience has changed all winemakers he has mentored. He is uniquely able to answer questions and to solve problems.

The wines Tom has made have served as the prototypes for the trends and styles of the Paso Robles AVA, including Estrella River Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and Castoro Cellars Zinfandels and red blends. Tom is recognized as one of the great Zinfandel winemakers. He explains, “The distinctive and amiable characteristics of Zinfandel entitle it to rank among the noble varieties of the world. It is our heritage grape.

Tom was promoted to head winemaker in 1982. In 1990, Tom joined his friends Niels and Bimmer Udsen at Castoro as their winemaker, making wines for their brands and the many Custom Crush clients for almost four decades. He is celebrated for having filled over 220,000 bottles with local wines.

The Documentary – Tom Myers – Made in Paso

33. Lorenzo Nerelli (1917): Lorenzo was born in the region of Puglia, Italy, in 1883. He was raised on a farm and educated in Italian schools. He immigrated to the United States in 1906 when it became impossible to support his family in Italy. He worked his way across the United States and arrived in San Luis Obispo County in 1915. He found work as a charcoal worker but soon realized he had the talent to hire and supervise his own fellow Italians. Lorenzo and his crews cleared most of the land around Templeton and Paso Robles. Lorenzo also worked in the vineyards with both Andrew York and James Robert Anderson, developing a love of viticulture and winemaking. Lorenzo and his new bride purchased 104 acres at the base of York Mountain. They planted their own vineyard with Zinfandel. They built the Templeton winery in 1917. The winery was the first built by an Italian winemaker in SLO County. The Zinfandel wine they produced was sold in jugs to the local population.

During Prohibition (1920 – 1934), they continued to make wine. They were raided by the Feds several times. Templeton Winery was the second winery to be bonded in 1934. Lorenzo began making high-quality wine that was made in bulk to be shipped in bulk to wineries in Northern California, which then shipped Lorenzo’s wine to the markets in the eastern United States. He was very successful until war was declared against Japan in December 1941.

Lorenzo was forced to close his winery when all three of his sons left home to fight in WWII. Lorenzo and his wife, Cesarini, abandoned their ranch and their winery; they moved to Paso Robles, where they planted a small vineyard. Lorenzo continued to grow Zinfandel grapes and sell them to local winemakers until his death in 1968.

34. Norman Vineyards (1971) now closed: Grower Art Norman was known as the “Weekend Warrior.” This “warrior” discovered and explored the road now known as Vineyard Drive. Vineyard Drive passed through fertile farmland, but no one was growing grapes on either side of this road. Art’s curiosity led to serious study of the area; he discovered the area had been farmed since the 1860s. The winding road traveled north through agricultural land from Highway 46 West to Adelaida Road, passing through fields of wheat, oats, barley, and safflower. There were orchards of cherries, walnuts, and almonds. This land had been home to cattle. chickens and dairy cows for over 100 years when Art discovered it in 1971. Why were there no grape growers?

There was no answer other than no one had considered it. The “weekend warrior” decided to buy land and pursue his dreams. This was a personal sacrifice for Art and his family. The “weekend warrior” worked as an aerospace engineer in Southern California during the week. But he had always celebrated his other passion, viticulture, on the weekends starting in the 1950s and 1960s. Art Norman drove to the famous winery of Louis M. Martini in Napa to work in the tasting room and wine cellars on weekends. His mentor, wine/grower Louis M. Martini, taught him that winemaking begins in the vineyard, with the harvest of the finest quality grapes possible.

Art Norman became the first grower to purchase land for growing grapes in the area now distinguished by the name Vineyard Drive. He bought 40 acres in 1971 and planted his first vineyard on ten acres in 1972. Art did hire Mel Casteel to design his vineyards. Art grew the finest red grapes: Zinfandel, Barbera, and Cabernet. He sold his premium red grapes to local winemakers who made award-winning wines with his fruit. This was a bold move. It was unusual for small growers to provide local winemakers with high-quality grapes to produce 100% pure varietal wines. Most grapes were sold to make blended wines.

Art did not build a winery for 20 years. It opened in 1992. He waited until he could retire and spend full time in his vineyard and winery.

35. Peachy Canyon (1988): This winery was established by Doug and Nancy Beckett. This is a multigenerational family winery. They are famous for their Zinfandel. As an artist, Doug considered winemaking an art. He moved to San Luis Obispo County in 1982, purchasing a ranch with a walnut grove on Peachy Canyon Road. He met the legendary grower Benito Dusi and two extraordinary winemakers Tom Myers and Ken Volk, all of whom became his mentors.

In 1983, Doug met Pat Wheeler, who had relocated to Templeton from Long Beach; they became partners and formed the Tobias Winery. He planted his first vineyard with budwood from the Benito Dusi Vineyard. Nancy and Doug formed the Peachy Canyon winery in 1988. Doug became an award-winning Zinfandel winemaker early in his career. He was on the 1991 and 1992 Wine Spectator lists, recognized with the top two Zinfandels two consecutive years. Peachy Canyon Winery was the first winery in the Paso Robles area to receive this recognition. Doug has sold the Peachy Canyon wines in Europe, Asia, Mexico, Canada, and every state in the United States.

Doug is a founding member of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) in 1991. He focused on identifying and saving old vine Zinfandel and Heritage vineyards. He is a founding member of the first Paso Robles Wine Festival in 1983, and cofounder of the Zinfandel Festival in Paso Robles. His sons, Jake and Josh, work at Peachy Canyon Winery. It is a multigenerational operation.

36. Pesenti Winery (1923): Famous for Zinfandel and generic red table wines sold in gallon jugs. The grapes were sourced from their Estate vineyards. As business expanded, additional Zinfandel grapes were purchased from Amedeo Martinelli and other local growers in Templeton. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon were added in the 1960s. They were also available in jugs and bottles.

Frank Pesenti and his sister traveled to San Luis Obispo County with the Busi brothers from their small village in Brembilla in Northern Italy in 1914. He was trained as a mason’s apprentice but joined the Giovan Busi crew clearing the oak forests and making charcoal. He was 18 years old. It took him five years to save the money to buy the Ward Ranch he had first discovered on arrival. He sent for his wife, Caterina, to join him. They planted their first Zinfandel vineyard in 1922 on the steep hills. Three years later, Frank was making his first vintage Zinfandel wine, crushing grapes and letting them ferment naturally in redwood barrels.

Caterina and Frank raised six children, five daughters and one son. During Prohibition, Frank sold his grapes to the Basque population in Central California. They became lifelong customers, using Pesenti grapes to make their own wines. Frank used his skills as a mason to build his own winery, and Pesenti Winery was the first to be bonded in San Luis Obispo County in 1934, following the repeal of Prohibition.

Frank was both grower and winemaker until 1946. After World War II ended, his son Victor married and joined as a second-generation grower. Daughter Sylvia married Aldo Nerelli, Lorenzo’s son. Aldo joined the winemaking and management team. Both young men worked together as winemakers from 1946 to 1969. Aldo’s son, Frank Nerelli, joined the staff and became a well-known winemaker. Pesenti Winery was always famous for Zinfandel and the generic red wines sold in gallon jugs. Grandson Frank Nerelli worked as winemaker, adding many fine wines to the inventory, until Larry Turley purchased the winery and old vine Zinfandel vineyards around the year 2000.

The winery was run by three generations of the Pesenti family. Frank and Victor were very successful at marketing Pesenti wines. They sold wine to restaurants and wine shops throughout California. Pesenti wines were the favorites of Basque communities in California. Pesenti also established a special relationship with sheep herders. The winery provided weekly rations of cheese, wine, and bread to sheep herders who moved their flocks on their way to grazing grounds through San Luis Obispo County.

Frank Nerelli, third-generation winemaker, brought the winery into the 21st century with his quality winemaking. He also decided to purchase land from a relative on the north side of Highway 46 West to plant his own Zinfandel vineyard and build his home and winery. ZinAlley Winery reflects a blend of two families and three generations of fine-quality old-vine Zinfandel from Frank Nerelli, winemaker and grower, grandson of Frank Pesenti and Lorenzo Nerelli.

37. Prohibition in San Luis Obispo County (1920 – 1934): The real story behind Prohibition in California is remarkable, quite the opposite of the rest of the United States. The Eighteenth Amendment was the culmination of almost a century of growth in the Temperance Movement and religious revivalism that swept through the United States starting in 1830. However, during this time period, California was experiencing a dramatically different set of events. Starting in the 1830s, the Spanish Missions were secularized; Mexico won the war against Spain, and land, buildings, crops, and animals were transferred to new owners, and Indigenous populations were freed.

In 1880 Kansas was the first state to vote to become “dry”, to establish a statewide ban on the manufacture of alcohol. The same year, the California State Board of Viticultural Commissioners was formed to educate and support the wine industry. As the move toward prohibition grew, California rejected the legislation in four state elections between 1914 and 1920 as they enjoyed their jugs of wine. So when the legislation and Eighteenth Amendment passed, California winemakers were stunned. In many counties in California, growers and winemakers abandoned their vineyards and their winemaking. But not so in San Luis Obispo County. Local farmers made the choice to increase vineyards and winemaking.

In San Luis Obispo County many Californians chose to break the law. They made large amounts of wine in self made stills located in the mountains and aged their wines in barrels buried in vineyards or under chicken coops. They sold their wines directly to bootleggers and or smuggled wines to the black market. Many “Speakeasies” were opened in San Luis Obispo County and they were busy every evening.

However, the Italians saw a business opportunity. They knew that millions of Italians had immigrated to the United States during the previous 25 years and that each one enjoyed a glass of wine with his meals. It made sense to plant vineyards and sell grapes to immigrants across the country.

New prohibition legislation allowed each household to make 200 gallons of wine annually for their household. It was illegal to sell or transport wine. In San Luis Obispo County the Dusi family, Frank Pesenti, Lorenzo Nerelli, Amedeo Martinelli, the Rotta family and many others began to plant Zinfandel vineyards on their farms and ranches. The flavorful red grapes were perfect for home winemaking. During harvest the local Italian wineries shipped their grapes to home winemakers in cities across the country. Some growers made Zinfandel wine to sell on the black market.

Prohibition was an exciting time. The Italians partnered with other ethnic groups, such as the Swiss Dairymen who helped distract Federal Officers with car wild chases while the winemakers drove their wines to Los Angeles and San Francisco to be sold to customers on the black market. Local farmers paid bribes to the Feds to escape prosecution and traded wines to the Catholic Churches to pay for tuition for their children to attend Catholic Schools. Each winery was prepared to produce wine in large quantities when Prohibition ended in 1933.

At the end of Prohibition, a new demand for Zinfandel wine kept the Italian wineries in Templeton and A. York and Sons on York Mountain very busy. Many wineries had abandoned their vineyards in California during Prohibition. As individual wineries developed plans to move forward, many in the Lodi area decided to rebuild and reopen. These wineries purchased Zinfandel from San Luis Obispo County winemakers to sell under their own labels for the next three to five years. This created income and made it possible to replant vineyards and store wineries between 1934 and 1938.

38. Victor Hugo Roberts: He represents the essence of the small high-quality producer that shaped the wine history of the county in the 1980s and 1990s. He continues to do so. Gary Eberle described him as one of the finest winemakers in San Luis Obispo County.” He is a quiet and thoughtful man, but he is also a leader, a visionary, and a man who takes responsibility. He is known for getting the job done thoroughly and efficiently, whether it’s the Paso Robles AVA application or making wine for a United States President’s inauguration.

In 1982, his first year as a winemaker for Creston Manor Vineyard and Winery, Victor’s first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc won gold medals. Wines created by Victor have received well over 600 medals in competition. In the same year, 1982, Victor stepped forward as a newcomer to join the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce and local winemakers to help research and write the application for the Paso Robles AVA. He was among the founders of the first annual Paso Robles Wine Festival, which helped develop Paso Robles as an important wine region in California. This Festival grew to become the largest in the United States with his support and leadership. He was instrumental in founding the first organization of growers and winemakers in the Paso Robles region. To quote Gary Eberle, “Victor Hugo Roberts was at the nucleus of every important stage of development in the Paso Robles wine region.”

39. Rotta Winery and Vineyards Established by Swiss Italians (1907): Gerome (Joe) Rotta immigrated with his brother, Clement, from their family’s dairy farm located in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. They first traveled to Northern California in 1905, finding work in the dairy industry. Joe decided to travel to San Luis Obispo County with his savings to find farmland. He met French grower and winemaker, Adolphe Siot, in the Templeton Gap. They struck up a friendship and discussed Adolphe’s retirement and his land and winery, which were available for purchase. The deal was reached. Joe purchased the land, planted grains and vegetables, and raised chickens, cattle, and dairy animals.

The Siots planned to stay in the Templeton area and offered to train Joe to care for their Zinfandel vineyard and to teach him to make wine. Joe and his wife, Anitta accepted. By 1919, they were planting their own vineyards on the steep rolling hills. The cuttings came from Adolphe’s vineyard, and the labor was shared between Joe and his mule. Joe continued the tradition of dry farming the vineyard and head-pruning in the Old World Style. However, farming and maintaining the vineyards took a great deal of time and energy. Joe and Anitta invited his brother Clement and wife Romilda to join them in Templeton on the farm. Adolphe found a student in Clement; he loved the vineyards and the art of making wine. Adolphe trained them and assisted in the harvests. Soon after Adolphe’s death in 1925, Joe sold the farm and vineyard to Clement and Romilda Rotta and moved on to new ventures.

For the next 50 years, Clement and Romilda worked vineyards and enjoyed making and selling wines. The vineyards were cultivated by a mule-drawn plow. They expanded their vineyards. During the Prohibition years, they sold both their grapes and juice to home winemakers; Clement also made wine for the Catholic Church and possibly Mission San Miguel. They developed a plan for making and marketing their wines after Prohibition ended. They were the third winery in San Luis Obispo County to become bonded after Prohibition ended.

They built their new winery in 1937. Grapes were pressed on the winery’s top floor in the new ratchet-operated grape press. The juice was fermented in concrete tanks with a 30,000-gallon capacity and stored in eight-thousand-gallon redwood tanks for aging. Romilda and their son Mervyn worked in the expanding wine business, buying grapes from outside sources and selling wine. A large supply of jugs and screw tops were on hand for buyers who came to the winery to buy their wine. There were no set hours so buyers could ladle the wine out of the barrels into the glass jugs or into their own unique containers and leave coins in a jar for payment. The price was $2.25 per gallon. Clement made four types of Zinfandel, including a dessert wine called “Old Zinfandel,” which he aged for 17 years in the redwood casks. They eventually added a tasting room made from an old seven-thousand-gallon redwood tank. Clement died in 1963, and Mervyn joined his mother full-time in the winery. Romilda died in 1976. The winery was sold to new owners.

The Rotta wines were especially popular in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. Mike Giubbini, the grandson who worked with his grandparents in the summers, remembered day-long trips to Santa Barbara delivering wooden cases of wine and vinegar to restaurants, hotels, churches, and private homes.

40. San Antonio Winery (1917): The winery was founded in downtown Los Angeles behind City Hall in 1917 by the Riboli family. During Prohibition, they were able to sell their wines to the Catholic Church in Los Angeles. There was little room for grapevines to grow in downtown Los Angeles. Vineyards were acquired in Los Angeles and Monterey County as the winery expanded. The Riboli established a tasting room and winery on Highway 46 East in Paso Robles in 2016. Four generations of the Riboli have worked in the winery.

41. Sauret Vineyards (1950): The Sauret family Zinfandel vineyards were located in Oak Flats west of Paso Robles. In the 1970s, Richard purchased land north of San Marcos Road adjacent to Camp Roberts. He was mentored by the Rotta family starting at age nine and became a prize-winning grape grower in his late teens. He started picking grapes in the neighborhood vineyards at the age of seven and packed them in crates for shipping to Los Angeles. He was mentored by Andre Tchelistcheff in his mid-thirties, who told him that he had perfected the flavorful Zinfandel grape and suggested he should not change anything he was doing. He was the second farmer in SLO County to have Zinfandel wine labels include the source of the grapes, Sauret Vineyard. Richard sold his grapes to all the great winemakers in San Luis Obispo County, including Stanley Hoffman and Gary Eberle.

Richard had a twenty-year contract for his entire harvest with winemaker Kent Rosenblum, whose winery was located in Alameda. Kent was affectionately known as the King of Zin in California and was famous for pioneering the state’s urban winery movement. Richard Sauret was famous for his premium Zinfandel grapes until his death in a car accident on September 30, 2017. He was a supporter and educational consultant to the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County.

42. Adolphe Siot: The first Viticulturist in Templeton (1858 – 1925). The town of Templeton, located within the former Rancho Paso de Robles Mexican Land Grant, was developed by the West Coast Land Company in 1886. For three years, Templeton was the terminus of the Southern Pacific Railroad, bringing immigrants of French, Swedish, and Italian origin to settle the area. The earliest viticulturist settling in the area was a Frenchman who bought 120 acres of farmland in 1891 from the West Coast Land Company in an area now known as the Templeton Gap. It is nestled in the Santa Lucia Mountains. Adolphe and his wife, Paulina, came to the North County from France. They were experienced growers and winemakers. Adolphe built his home and winery next to his vineyard, where he planted Zinfandel in 1891. His vineyard was dry-farmed and head-pruned in the “Old World Style.”

Adolphe bottled and sold his wine throughout the county for the next 15 years. He became the “father of winemaking in Templeton.” Adolphe mentored the Italian and Swiss farmers settling in the area; he taught them viticulture and winemaking.

When Adolphe retired in 1907, he sold his 120 acres and the winery to Joe Rotta. The winery was licensed in 1908.

Adolphe and Paulina stayed on as advisors and associates to the Rotta family and continued to mentor other Italian settlers in the area. Adolphe is buried in the large cemetery in Paso Robles.

43. Tablas Creek Vineyard: Wine Importer Robert Haas Brings the Rhône Varieties and the Perrin Brothers to Western Paso Robles (1989). Robert (Bob) Haas and his partners Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin changed the wine history in San Luis Obispo County when they explored California searching for the perfect soil for planting Rhône varieties. They purchased the land, which is now celebrated as Tablas Creek Vineyard, located on Adelaida Road. The partnership was formed in 1987 for the purpose of importing French clones of Rhône varieties sourced from the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape in Provence to North County. Each clone was subject to a minimum of three years in quarantine, coordinated with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The advantage to importing the clones was that it provided the vineyard with access to the full complement of Rhône varieties.

Tablas Creek introduced a new standard in farming. The Perrin family had been farming organically in France since the 1950s. This practice was not the norm in California viticulture. One of the advantages of organic farming is to create wines with a “sense of place,” an expression of the terroir. Jason Haas describes the first traditional Rhône varieties planted as Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, and Viognier. The new varieties to America, Grenache Blanc, Counoise, and Picpoul Blanc, were also planted. The first vintage of estate wines was produced in 1997. The Châteauneuf tradition is to make blended wines. Bob Haas gradually moved toward the American tradition in 2002. Roussanne was the first varietal released at Tablas Creek. Bob Haas helped to develop the California genetic profile for Rhône varieties by establishing a commercial nursery to prepare cuttings for growers. Over two million buds and cuttings have been sold to California growers as of 2020. Bob Haas died in 2018. His son Jason and an excellent staff, including winemaker Neil Collins from Bristol, England, represent the second generation of this remarkable winery, which continues to innovate and farm sustainably.

44. Sherman Thacher: Grower and Winemaker on the Kentucky Ranch (2004). Sherman and Michelle Thacher purchased 52 acres of historic property known as the Old Kentucky Ranch. The property is a large riparian habitat for wildlife. The landscape included the iconic old Bar KR barn, a house, paddocks, and old apple trees with remnants of a 100-year-old orchard. The agricultural history included grains, dairy farming, apple and walnut orchards, and horseranching, but no history of vineyards or winemaking. Sherman studied the land and soils while he restored the buildings. He planted a vineyard on the property but also bought land in other areas so he could grow a variety of grapes for wine. He planted Zinfandel, which had been the most popular grape since the 1870s. He had been making Zinfandel for the previous nine years.

Then, Sherman, following the Paso Rhone movement led by Tablas Creek, began to experiment with new varieties that expressed the “sense of place” (terroir) of the region. He planted a unique field blend of 11 varieties.

Exhibits, The Amphora Project and Documentary Films

Sherman also experiments with winemaking techniques that reach back over 6000 years to the Greeks, using terra cotta amphora to make wines. He was one of 17 winemakers, the largest group in the United States, to focus on wines made in this style. He is a member of the Amphora Project and was featured in the exhibit, 6,000 Years of Winemaking in Clay Amphorae at the Paso Robles History Museum. Sherman is featured in the award-winning documentary, The Amphora Project – Fast Forward, hosted by Karen MacNeil, wine educator and author of The Wine Bible, and produced by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County and Partners 2 Media in 2023.

45. Brian and Stephanie Terrizzi in Tin City (2005): Italian Wines, Amphora and Etto Pasta: Founders of Giornata Winery and Etto Pastifico in Tin City. The talented grower of Italian varieties and the man of Italian descent with a passionate love of Italian wines and pastas met in graduate school at Fresno State. Their relationship started as lovers of viticulture and enology paired with fine food and wines. In 2005, they graduated, married, traveled to Italy, and moved to Paso Robles to start their careers in North County.

Stephanie studied Italian grape varieties growing throughout California before selecting her own Italian varieties to grow in North County. She has become a highly respected grower of Italian varieties in her own vineyard and in the famous Luna Matta Vineyard.

Brian participated in his first harvest with famous Zinfandel winemaker Kent Rosenblum, affectionately known as the “King of Zin.” Kent co-founded Rosenblum Cellars in Alameda and is remembered as the winemaker who pioneered the state’s urban winery movement and launched Zinfandel to super premium status. Brian was introduced to fine wines as a teenager and studied winemaking in Italy before attending Fresno State. Brian and Steffanie have traveled to Italy many times to pour their wines at special events. Their winery Giornata is located in Tin City, a vibrant destination just south of Paso Robles where beverages and foods of all types are celebrated. Giornata winemaking focuses on sourcing Italian grapes grown in SLO County and making wine in the classic Italian style. Brian is one of the first winemakers to import clay amphorae from Italy for fermentation and aging of his wines. Brian has been recognized nationally and internationally for his flagship Nebbiolo Wine. In 2019, Brian opened an Italian market and restaurant in Tin City where he makes his own brand of pastas, Etto Pacifica. Brian has now opened a much larger Etto facility in Tin City. He has donated over 20,000 meals of Etto Pasta to schools and families in San Luis Obispo County. Etto Pasta is served in most local restaurants and some tasting rooms.

Exhibits, The Amphora Project and Documentary Films

46. UC Agricultural Experiment Station (1889 – 1902): As agriculture in California developed, the California legislature and the University of California worked together to determine which dry-farmed crops would thrive in various regions throughout the state. Paso Robles became an important area of study in 1889 thanks to the passage of the Hatch Act of 1887 to provide funding for agricultural experiment stations. The California Station was established at the University of California in Berkeley. Four sub-stations were created on land donated for each project. Each sub-station was prepared for planting orchards and vineyards featuring both table and wine grapes. The Paso Robles Experiment Station, located in the South Coast Range, was one of three created in California. The other two Experiment Stations were located in the Sierra Foothills and the San Joaquin Valley.

In the 1880s, promoters were dividing up the large ranchos east of Paso Robles and selling small parcels to farmers who were emigrating to the area from the Midwest and from Southern California. An infestation of the Anaheim Blight had destroyed a large portion of the Mission grape and Zinfandel vineyard in what is now known as Orange County. The land east of Paso Robles was advertised as a fruit-growing district. Several German Lutheran families purchased land in the area five miles north of Creston, later named the Geneseo District when the first school was built there. The descendants of the Klintworth, Ernst, and Steinbeck families are still living in this area and continue to farm and make wine.

The Experimental Station east of Paso Robles generated a lot of excitement among farmers. A house, a wine-powered well pump, and other buildings were financed and constructed on 20 acres donated by a local farmer. Mark Batteny of the University of California suggests that the station was located east of the Salinas River, and north of its namesake road, Experimental Station. This is a short distance west of Buena Vista Drive, in an area where many homes have been built. The elevation was 80 feet above the Salinas River. Orchards of peaches, plums, apples, apricots, figs, nectarines, and cherries were planted. Two vineyards were planted with over 100 varieties of grapes. The purpose of the project was to determine what crops would grow best in various soil types and to determine whether dry-farming or irrigation would be the best method.

The final research was to determine whether commercial crops or small crops grown in the family garden were the best agricultural use of the area. New residents and farmers were asked to volunteer to plant and maintain the crops at the Experiment Station as well as to participate in the surveying and collection of data on agricultural success or failure.

During the first few years, deciduous fruits of every kind grew well. Prizes were awarded at County Fairs to peaches, Japanese plums, pears, and grapes grown in the Geneseo District. These fruits were compared to the fruits grown in the South County in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Between 1886 and 1890, it was clear that the grapes were thriving but the orchards were not. The soil, hardpan, variable rainfall, frosts, and droughts all contributed to the lackluster fruit crops.

The research showed the grapes would be a good investment, but only a few farmers, the Ernst brothers and Gerd Klintworth, followed the advice. They planted grains but also grew between 15 and 25 varieties of wine grapes successfully. The Ernst brothers won medals for their wines and exported them to European markets. Gerd Klintworth was the first to be licensed to sell his wines and was widely praised for his Zinfandel and white wines. The bottles with Gerd’s early wine labels and the wine press he used are on display at the Pioneer Museum in Paso Robles.

The California Wine Revolution of the 1970s changed the landscape. Vineyards were planted in the area by multiple growers who have had success with many grape varieties. Paso Robles is most famous for its Rhône varieties, particularly Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah are also thriving.

The original research can be found in the pamphlet published by the University of California – College of Agriculture in Bulletin 141, published by UC Berkeley in 1902, titled Experiments with Deciduous Fruits in the Geneseo District, Paso Robles.

47. York Mountain: Home to Jacob Grandstaff, Andrew Jackson York, A. York and Sons, and the York Brothers (1875 to 1970). Jacob B. Grandstaff, a blacksmith, was one of the earliest settlers to build a home, plant vegetable gardens, an apple orchard, and a small Mission Grape Vineyard on the 120-acre homestead high on a hill in the Ascension District. He signed the documents on December 15, 1875. The unique land was at 1500 feet in elevation, surrounded by oak trees in a thick forest; the area was known for significant rainfall. Seven years later, Jacob sold his land and improvements to Andrew York. During the 7 years Jacob owned the property, he worked as a Blacksmith. There is no evidence that Jacob made or sold wine.

Andrew Jackson York was no stranger to California. He traveled there from the Midwest by covered wagon with his brother in 1854 to search for gold. Both men ultimately settled in California, planted grapes and made wine. Andrew’s brother “Mac” settled in Napa, planted vineyards and set up a nursery, selling plants and grapevines to newcomers. Andrew traveled and farmed in several states but after a devastating house fire killed his wife, returned to California to farm in the Los Osos Valley. Andrew remarried and began looking for a new home in North County. Andrew met Jacob Grandstaff and purchased his land, house, and gardens in 1882. Andrew soon added many more vines, sourcing Zinfandel from his brother in Napa

This site is now considered one of the most important historic sites in San Luis Obispo County. Grapes have been grown on the site since 1876 and wines made continuously in the wineries on site since 1882. Records show that Andrew York built a small stone winery in 1882. He bought a Garola crusher/stemmer run by a one-horsepower gasoline engine and a ratchet-operated wooden press for the 1882 harvest. Wine was fermented and stored in previously owned large redwood tanks. The building was christened the Ascension Winery. The production was 1,500 gallons per year. Andrew soon realized he needed to expand, and he decided the family’s children could make the clay bricks and help him expand the space for winemaking. When this was accomplished, York took charge of building a new home across the road in 1898 to accommodate two new children.

The owners began with Jacob Grandstaff, transferred to Huldah and Andrew Jackson York, and in 1900 was renamed A. York and Sons (Andrew added three sons, James and Thomas York and stepson Justus Priest). At this time, additional vines of Grenache, Carignane, and Alicante Bouschet were planted. The winery was producing 40,000 gallons per year and selling wine locally as well as shipping it by barrel in horse-drawn wagons to the San Joaquin Valley and over the hill to the coast. By 1910, the two-story winery was expanded again using timber from an old pier in Cayucos and a bridge near Jack Creek.

In 1911, Andrew York’s sons, Walter and Silas, took over the operation of the Ascension Winery under the label of the York Brothers Winery. Production continued to increase, and the winery remained successful even during the hard years when most of the vineyard had to be replanted because of an outbreak of phylloxera in the early 1900s. When Prohibition laws were passed, the York Bros Winery was among the very few that survived the times by producing wine for sacramental and medicinal use. They also sold juice and grapes to home winemakers. The thick-skinned Carignane and Alicante Biuscheet grapes grown in the York vineyard were well suited to shipping. Some grapes were sent east on the train to urban centers, and others were shipped by water to San Francisco and points north. York. The York Bros Winery could grow enough grapes to meet the current demand but soon began purchasing grapes from local vineyards as demand increased. Walter and Silas focused on creating premium wines and, at the end of Prohibition, made the award-winning Zinvandel for Polish pianist and composer Ignace Paderewski, who submitted it to competition at the California State Fair and won a Gold Medal in 1934.

The York Bros Winery continued to make high-quality wines following Prohibition. The winemakers changed again under a new label, York Mountain in 1934. The Ascension District became York Mountain. Cousins Wilfred (Bill) York, son of Walter, and Howard York, son of Silas, made wines together until 1954, when Howard decided he wanted to pursue an engineering degree.

In 1934, the Yorks partnered with Lorenzo Nerilli to make Zinfandel wine and ship thousands of gallons by rail to the northern wineries in Lodi and other northern areas. Many northern winemakers lost their vineyards during Prohibition. They needed several years to replant their vineyards. The San Luis Obispo County wines were sold with the original winery’s label on the bottle. This enabled California wineries to “restart” quickly and sell good quality wines.

Grape growing and wine production never stopped from 1882 to 1968, when bad weather and roaming deer damaged both the vineyard and the York Mountain Winery. In 1970, the winery and vineyards were sold to Max Goldman, one of the most experienced winemakers in the United States. He replanted the vineyards, rebuilt the winery, and created a new road ahead.

48. Max Goldman Comes Out of Retirement to Purchase York Mountain Winery in 1970: Max Goldman started his career as a chemist at a Lodi winery in 1934, but he quickly embraced winemaking. His career spanned four decades during the most exciting growth and development in the California and New York wine industry. He observed and recorded the changes in the industry and collaborated with professors at UC Davis and Fresno State to develop the techniques and standards of quality winemaking. He dramatically improved the fermentation techniques in producing wine and Champagne. He was a founding member of the Wine Institute in San Francisco in 1934, which helped establish quality winemaking after Prohibition.

Max was born in Watts, California, and as a child started studying the piano. He gave many concerts in his teenage years. One of his favorite compositions was by Polish composer and pianist Ignacy Paderewski. 50 years later, he met Wilfrid York at a dinner party in Cayucos. Wilfrid shared the story about his father making the award-winning Zinfandel for Paderewski for the 1934 California State Fair. He mentioned he would like to sell the winery and retire. Max felt it was fate, and he agreed to buy the iconic York Mountain Winery from Wilfrid in 1970. He worked with his son Steve, first replanting the vineyards and then restoring the winery. Steve became the winemaker and produced many award-winning wines. Daughter Suzzane designed the tasting room, developed the marketing plan, and partnered with local charities to produce major events at the winery. His wife Barbara baked bread for the guests to enjoy in the tasting room. Max shared his expertise with local winemakers and promoted San Luis as the next legendary winemaking area to blossom in California. After 30 years, the winery was sold in the year 2000. Max died in 2004.

49. The Paso Robles Wine Festival was founded in 1983: This unique wine festival became the prototype for Wine Festivals Across the Country and became the largest in California in the late 1980s, according to local Paso Robles officials.

The first event was held on the Village Green between 11th and 12th Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.

Seventeen North County Wineries and 66 North County Vineyards participated. The Wineries and their Wines were:

Eberle pouring 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1980 Chardonnay
Martin Brothers pouring 1981 Zin, 1982 Chenin Blanc, 1982 Sauvignon Blanc, 1981 Chardonnay
Ranchita Oaks pouring 1980 Zin,1980 Cross Country Cabernet, 1980 Cross Country Zin
HMR LTD. pouring 1981 Chardonnay, 1979 Cabernet, 1982 Chenin Blanc, 1978 Pinot Noir, 1982 Franken Riesling
Fairview Farm pouring 1981 White Zinfandel, 1980 Merlot, 1980 Zin Reserve
Creston Manor pouring 1982 Fume Blanc
Tobias pouring 1981 Zinfandel, 1981 Petite Sirah, Non-vintage Red Table
Estrella pouring 1981 Fume Blanc, 1982 White Zinfandel, 1982 Muscat Canelli, 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon
Mastantuono pouring 1981 Templeton Zinfandel, 1982 Chardonnay, 1982 Sauvignon Blanc, 1981 Paso Robles Zin
Old Casteel 1981 Grenache Rosé, 1980 Zin
Caperone 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1981 Merlot
Las Tablas Non Vintage Zinfandel, Non Vintage Vin Rosé
York Mountain 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, 1977 Merlot, 1981 Zin, 1982 Chardonnay
Watson 1982 Johannesburg Riesling
El Paso De Robles 1981 Zin, 1981 Petite Sirah,1981 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1981 Late Harvest Zinfandel
Twin Hills 1982 Zinfandel Rosé
The Paso Robles area Vineyards were presented on a hand-drawn map showing the locations of 66 vineyards as well as the 17 wineries.

50. Zinfandel – A Most Versatile Grape in 1983: The 1983 Wine Festival Souvenir Program dated May 19 describes Zinfandel as “A Most Versatile Grape” on page 22. The author is not named, but we acknowledge and appreciate this articulate description of the grape that dominated the viticulture and wine culture of the 1970s and 1980s in San Luis Obispo County. Here is how Zinfandel was described in 1983: “Wines made from the Zinfandel grape reflect California’s diverse winegrowing climates better than any other cultivar. When picked at the proper maturity levels in the various regions, it can produce a wide variety of wine styles. It is the most popular variety in the Paso Robles area with 1,132 acres planted. The fruity, quaffable red table wine meant to be consumed in its youth is the version enjoyed most often. The aromatic quality in the fruit, likened to raspberries or blackberries, is the most attractive feature. Straightforward, everyday foods with medium-to-full flavors pair well with this type of Zinfandel.

Rosé wines also benefit from Zinfandel’s fruity character. Grapes for Rosé labeled either as a varietal(named for the grape from which the wine is made) or a blended generic are picked at a lower sugar level. The black-red skins are kept in contact with the clear juice for just a few hours to extract the desired pink color. The resulting wine will be light-bodied, have crisper fruit acids, and usually a trace of natural residual sweetness.

Blanc de noir, literally white from black, and/or white Zinfandel wines are also produced from earlier harvested grapes. The juice is separated from the skins immediately after crushing, so the wine has a faint blush of salmon pink or copper. As with the rosé, a bit of natural grape sweetness can enhance the drinkability of this refreshing wine.

During the expansion and the experimentation of the 1970s, California winemakers investigated all the potential Zinfandel holds. A few producers waited until late in the season to harvest their crop, and the finished wines were high in color, flavor, tannin, and alcohol. They were labeled Late Harvest Zinfandel. As a table wine, this “late harvest” wine failed to find a niche, but dessert wine producers gladly appropriated late harvest grapes as their own.

The overwhelming majority of California winegrowers now agree (in 1983) that Zinfandel is at its best when made into the berryish dinner wine. Within five to ten years of bottle age, Zinfandel’s fruity character is transformed into a smooth, elegant claret-style wine that can rival Cabernet Sauvignon’s affinity for fine cuisine.

The vines are moderately vigorous. Where other varieties produce one crop per year, Zinfandel can offer up small quantities of a second crop. At times, the large bunches of grapes may contain a few green berries and raisins along with medium-sized ripe black berries. One of the challenges in growing a perfect Zinfandel vine is trying to develop the proper trellising to allow for the even ripening of the fruit.

Yields range from four to nine tons per acre. The leading counties in terms of acreage planted to Zinfandel are San Joaquin, Sonoma, Monterey and Napa. Zinfandel is grown in every region of the state of California; more acres are planted to Zinfandel than any other red variety. The total acreage was 28,368 in 1983.

Fifty Wineries And Growers That Shaped The Wine History Of San Luis Obispo County (1772 To 2019)

Introduction

North County

The Documentary – Tom Myers – Made in Paso

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

Documentaries – Conversations with Gary Eberle

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

The Documentary – The Last Harvest

The Documentary – Tom Myers – Made in Paso

Exhibits, The Amphora Project and Documentary Films

Exhibits, The Amphora Project and Documentary Films

Related

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Fifty Wineries And Growers That Shaped The Wine History Of San Luis Obispo County (1772 To 2019)

Introduction

North County

The Documentary – Tom Myers – Made in Paso

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

Documentary: The Dusi Family 91 Harvests

Documentaries – Conversations with Gary Eberle

The Documentary – John Munch, Accidental Winemaker in Paso Robles

The Documentary – The Last Harvest

The Documentary – Tom Myers – Made in Paso

Exhibits, The Amphora Project and Documentary Films

Exhibits, The Amphora Project and Documentary Films

Related

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Success! Look for an email to confirm your subscription. Thank you.

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