Piedra Creek Winery

The Summary

Romeo (Meo) made wines sourced from the finest grapes in San Luis Obispo County. He harvested his own grapes. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay came from the MacGregor Vineyard in the Edna Valley, and Zinfandel from the old vines in the Benito Dusi Vineyard in Paso Robles. Meo had a long history making wine at home in his laundry room in Southern California as a hobby starting in the 1960s. However, when he retired to the Edna Valley his talents and passion for winemaking brought him into the limelight. He started new careers as a grower and winemaker at age 75.

In the early 1990s, the four largest wineries in the area, including Edna Valley Vineyards, Corbett Canyon Winery, Maison Deutz, and Talley Vineyards, were getting all the media attention. However, there were at least 16 small growers and winemakers, including Piedra Creek Winery,  producing small quantities of excellent wine. This unique area with cool ocean breezes has a growing season that often stretches to 75 days, far longer than the average 45 days in Napa. The grapes benefit by showing a greater flavor concentration by being on the vine an extra month, and the sugars are offset by ripe acidity.

The small producers in the Edna Valley included: Ortman Family Vineyards, Baileyana, Domaine Alfred, Meridian Vineyards, Wild Wood Vineyard and Winery, Wedell Cellars, Tolosa Winery, Kynsi Winery, Claiborne and Churchill Winery, Windemere Wines/ Cathy MacGregor, Stephen Ross Wine Cellars, River Wild Winery, Perbacco Cellars and Piedra Creek Winery.

The Piedra Creek Winery – the smallest on the Central Coast

The Piedra Creek Winery was one of the smallest wineries in California when it was bonded in 1984.The winery was founded by Romeo “Meo” and Margaret Zuech in a small building behind their home, high on a knoll in the Edna Valley. The Zuech’s first home and winery in San Luis Obispo County were located in the middle of the MacGregor vineyard oon Orcutt Road, famous for growing premium Chardonnay grapes. 

Charles Andrew (Andy)  MacGregor was the third legendary grower in the Edna Valley. Andy MacGregor retired from the aerospace industry in 1972. He had shared his passion for grapevines and fine wines with his friends Margaret and Meo Zuech. Andy and his wife, Liz,  moved to the Edna Valley in 1974 and planted twenty-five acres with Pinot Noir. Within a few years Andy grafted his vines to a Wente clone of Chardonnay. 

Meo was raised in the Alto Adige region in Italy. After serving in World War II ended, Meo emigrated to the United States, met and married Margaret in Chicago. They moved to Southern California so Meo could work in aerospace, a thriving new industry. Meo met Andy MacGreagor during his career as an aerospace engineer and they became lifelong friends.

Meo and Margaret began making wine in Westlake Village, a Southern California community in the late 1960s. He bought his supplies from a Home Winemaking Store founded by John Daume. Meo was also able to source grapes at harvest time at the store and obtained a ton of high quality Zinfandel.  Margaret recalls, “The kitchen became a lab between September and November, and the laundry room became the wine cellar. The washer and dryer were moved to the garage.”

They had planted a small vineyard in their backyard in 1969. 

The couple was featured in Sunset Magazine describing their home winemaking techniques in 1978. Meo sourced grapes from the Edna Valley and  from the famous Zinfandel grower, Benito Dusi, in Paso Robles. One of their joys in life was making their own wines and favorite recipes to share with their friends. Meo and Margaret selected the wine they wanted to serve on any occasion first and then created the menu around the wines. Margaret was in charge of the antipasto and dessert; Chef Meo cooked the pasta and main course.

Meo retired from Rockwell International in 1983. They moved to the Edna Valley the following year  to the MacGregor Vineyard to help Andy manage the vineyard. 

They planted some Italian grape varieties from the Alto Adige region and became legends for introducing Gewurztraminer, Lagrein, Dornfelder, Marzamino and Teroldego to Edna Valley. Meo was the first to bring the Lagrein grape to the United States from his homeland in Bolzano, Italy.

Piedra Creek grape vines planted in the MacGregor Vineyard. Margaret and Meo’s home and the Piedra Creek Winery are located on the top of the hill in the vineyard.

The 1984 Chardonnay

“Wine is light, held together by water,” said Galileo. Meo tried to achieve this light in every vintage by carefully selecting only the choicest grapes in a quantity that permits total hands-on supervision. He focused on consistent quality with his wine, rich in extracts. When asked the secret of making high-quality wine, he answered. “ One, I make sure the grape grower is a good friend, and two, I use flawless procedures because I don’t want to drink my mistakes.”

Piedra Creek Winery made their first vintage of Chardonnay from grapes sourced in the vineyard of dear friend Andy MacGregor vineyard. The first vintage was released in 1984. In the 1980s, Chardonnay was the only commercial wine released for sale to the public. The other wines were made in small quantities by Margaret and Meo to share with friends and family during the 1980s and most of the 1990s.

1988 -1996 Edna Valley Chardonnay MacGregor Vineyard

1998-2000 Piedra Creek Winery Chardonnay

The 1986 Edna Valley Pinot Noir

Meo reflected on his years as a winemaker stating “sharing my wine with a great bunch of winemaking friends is what stands out in my years as a winemaker.” He shared his knowledge generously and is considered a valuable mentor to many local winemakers.” His early vintage Pinot Noir was enjoyed with friends.

Meo made only three barrels of Pinot Noir for the 1986 vintage.

This minuscule amount of production is ideally suited for a winemaking technique closely resembling the techniques used to make the great French burgundies. Everything is done by hand. Meo described his Pinot Noir as deep, robust, and aggressive. He produced 100 cases to share with family and friends.

The 1987 Edna Valley Chardonnay

Every year three tons of fully mature grapes, grown a few steps from the winery in the MacGregor Vineyard, were hand-picked. Crushing was performed an hour later. Each cluster was loaded into the crusher by the winemaker, Meo Zuech. At the end of the fermentation process, the wine was aged for 8 to 10 months. This unique process created what we feel is one of the finest wines ever produced in the Edna Valley.

The production was limited to 250 cases.

The Zinfandel – Sourced from Benito Dusi

Zinfandel was the second varietal that the Zuech’s sold commercially

The New Times published their wine picks on March 25, 1999;  the Piedra Creek 1997 Zinfandel with grapes sourced from the Benito Dusi Vineyard, was selected and praised by stating, “The traditional Zinfandel is rich and full-bodied with berries, spice, and enticing black pepper flavors. Winemaker Meo Zuech started buying grapes from Benito Dusi when Meo was still a home winemaker in 1981 and has continued to do so ever since.”

Meo described the Benito Dusi Ranch as one of the best five Zinfandel vineyards in the state. “The vines are very old, and the wines produced from them have a head start because they were born old; the process has already begun before the wine is made.” 

The evaluation in a column written by the Wine Guy on March 10, 2001, described the Piedra Creek 1999 Zinfandel as, “This incredibly rare item is a labor of love made from handpicked Benito Dusi Vineyard grapes at their optimal sweetness and ripeness, crafted in a lot. We say it is better than the famous Ridge and Peachy Canyon wines. Truly a magical combination of awesome fruit and oak flavors, soft acidity, smooth texture, and a long, spicy finish. Only small allocations of this wine are to be had. Production was 150 cases.”

Labels Zinfandel

1984 Piedra Creek Winery
1985  – 2015

1999 Florianus

This wine had a very limited production. In 1999 the grapes were farmed with irrigation, sourced from Paso Robles and the Edna Valley. It was a blend of Lagrein and Teroldego from the MacGregor Vineyard and Merlot from Paso Robles. The small production allowed Meo to take extra processing steps. Meo described it as a unique harmony among three grapes vinified together, which sets it apart from other full-bodied wines; the intensely vinous aromas of Lagrein and Teroldego are softened by a ripe full-bodied Merlot. Meo only produced one vintage of Merlot in 1987. 

The Forianus was produced commercially and sold to the public. Meo says. “Polenta and goulash are superb with goulash.” Margaret recommends, “It stands with chocolate or gorgonzola.”

Label Florianus 2002

San Floriano Vineyard –  planted in 2000

San Floriano was the culmination of the Piedra Creek dream. When Andy MacGregor decided to retire and sell his vineyard, Meo and Margaret purchased their own property at 6425 Mira Cleo Drive in the Edna Valley and planted their San Floriano Vineyard on two acres. They planted two special clones of Pinot Noir and three Italian varieties, Dolcetto, Lagrein and Teroldego. Meo described his choice of Lagrein and Teroldego, “The skins of these grapes are among the thickest, and they are really black, darker than Syrah, rustic. Their color suggests something special, and when you taste it, it is something special. I feel that they produced better wine here than they do in Italy.”

A third clone of Pinot Noir was added in later years. The Italian varieties are native to the area where Meo was born, the Alto Adige region. The vineyard was managed to produce quality rather than quantity. The vineyards surround the tasting room and their home.

San Floriano Wine 1999

San Floriano wine was a blend of Lagrein, Teroldego, Petite Syrah and Merlot from 1999 to 2003. The vinification procedure included crushing and fermenting all grapes together to get the maximum amalgamation of flavors. The first vintage was released in November 2000. They were produced by Meo at Courtside Cellars located in the year 2000. Meo was producing wines to be sold commercially and engaged Steve Ross as a winemaking consultant.

The 2003 was awarded the best red.

In 2004 the varietal composition shifted to Lagrein, Merlot, Petite Syrah, and a small amount of  Dolcetto. In 2005 the blend was Lagrein, Merlot, and Petite Syrah. 

In 2006 the blend contained two grapes,  Lagrein and Merlot. 

The 2007 vintage returned to three varieties, including a new choice, Lagrein,  Merlot, and Syrah. The 2008 vintage had the same composition. The vintages 2009 through 2012 were blends of Lagrein and Syrah. 

Meo Zuech with daughter Sofia at Tasting of San Floriano Wine at Tolosa 2000

Pinot Noir  2002 –  sourced from the San Floriano Vineyard in the Edna Valley

Meo originally planted two clones of Pinot Noir in his San Floriano Vineyard, and later added a third clone. The vintages produced starting in 2002 were crafted with grapes grown in this vineyard. The wines were produced in the Burgundian style after aging in oak for 10 months. The first grapes were harvested on September 11, 2002, and the first vintage was released in November 2003. Meo felt the best pairings of his Pinot Noir were with Rack of Lamb, Asiago Tortellini, and the Thanksgiving turkey.

Lagrein Rose 2018

The Lagrein Rosé was introduced in 2018. It has an abundance of aromas of strawberry, guava and other exotic fruit.