Wine Jaunts

California's Central Coast and Beyond

Sylvester Vineyard & Winery: Wine, cheese, chocolate and more

Summer 08

Think you’d enjoy some cinnamon and chili-spiked chocolate with a lush Sangiovese Port?

Or how about a reserve Merlot paired with Madagascar chocolate that melts into a harmonizing cherry finish?

If you’re more in the mood for something savory, perhaps a crisp apple-nosed Chardonnay with some rubbed-sage Vermont cheddar? 

You can sample these and other adventurous pairings in Paso Robles at Sylvester Vineyard & Winery, which offers five-glass, Reserve-wine flights with cheese or chocolate for only $5 each.

Veteran travelers who’ve enjoyed Sylvester wines on Princess Cruises will be glad to learn they can enjoy a water view with their wine in Paso Robles. No ocean at the winery, of course, but visitors can take their palates and plates outdoors and stroll through the vine-covered pergola to a pair of swans that grace a small lake.

Train buffs might enjoy their samplings more from inside one of the classic railcars on display, including two vintage Pullman sleepers and a dining car.
 
Come by any weekend at 1:00 for a tour.  If you’re fortunate enough to catch winemaker Jac Jacobs, he’ll enthrall you with the story of how he went from being a nuclear submarine mechanic to an apprentice for some of California’s wine greats, like Mendocino County pioneer winemaker John Parducci and André Tchelistcheff, “the dean of American winemakers” who mentored Robert Mondavi and Louis Martini.

Sylvester reds range from the Kiara Reserve Merlot – which sells for only $11.25 to wine club members but tastes more like a $20-25 wine – to the 05 Nikiara Bordeaux blend ($32) which earned 87 points in Wine Enthusiast.  The 04 Cabernet Franc ($24.95) earned 91 points at the California State Fair. And, the chocolate-loving 03 Sangiovese Port, which garnered 94 points in Wine Enthusiast, is only $24.99.

Join the Flock, Sylvester’s wine club, and receive a hefty 25 percent discount on these great wines, as well as on merchandise in the well-stocked gift shop, located at 5115 Buena Vista Drive, off Highway 46 East in Paso Robles.

Thanks to its partnership with Peacock Cheese, an international gourmet foods importer, Sylvester also offers a unique Cheese Society Membership, which includes two shipments per year in October and February. Each shipment includes two wines paired with a gourmet specialty cheese

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Vina Robles: Not Your Grandfather's Vineyard

Spring 08

It’s another beautiful day in Paso Robles, and the grapes in the three Vina Robles vineyards are soaking up the sun.

But look for yourself without ever leaving home, because Vina Robles, one of the most wired wineries anywhere, sports three solar-powered Web cams sited in their manicured vineyards and blue-oak forest.

Wondering what the weather is like at the new Vina Robles visitors center? Or how those Petit Sirah vines coming along? Check it out by going to http://www.vinarobles.com and clicking on “Vineyards,” where you can zoom around among the vines with a click of your mouse.

Vina Robles is not your grandfather’s winery in other ways, too. Along with the superb wines, you can enjoy unique activities such as ballroom dance lessons, take a dog behavior seminar, or relax to cool jazz tones during the summer concert series.

These events take place in and around the new 14,000-square-foot tasting room, a visual delight with its classic California Mission style accented by modern European touches. Soaring interiors, stunning views and a courtyard fountain create the perfect ambiance for a relaxing wine tasting.

While you’re in the tasting room, located at 3700 Mill Road – only three miles east of downtown Paso Robles – you can indulge in complimentary estate-wine tasting, reserve tasting, or even reserve tasting paired with artisan cheeses. In fact, the on-site deli carries a line of gourmet foods – from coffee and spices to sauces and meats.

If that isn’t enough, future plans call for a full-service inn to accommodate guests from around the world who come to visit the fastest-growing wine region in California.

he European flavor of the Vina Robles wines and hospitality comes naturally to the winery staff. Owner Hans Nef and winemaker Matthias Gubler are both Swiss. Nef, a restaurateur and developer, engaged in a worldwide search for the ideal location to grow Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, eventually selecting Paso Robles.

Old world influences can be seen in the restraint of the Vina Robles winemaking, too. Yields are kept deliberately low to concentrate flavor, and grapes are hand harvested and sorted, according to Gubler.

After gentle crushing to retain the Vina Robles hallmark “fresh fruit” quality, grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled tanks. A gentle “pump-over” is used to avoid harsh tannins while extracting optimum flavor and color.

French and American oak is used for the barrels, where malolactic fermentation adds creaminess. But Gulber uses the wood judiciously to prevent the over-oaking that has plagued so many California wines.

Current releases include 2007 Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier, along with a rose’ that has received critical acclaim for its intense off-dry berry flavors and persistent finish. In fact, Dan Beringer rated it “exceptional” in the May 3, 2007, issue of Vintage Experiences, calling it “a rose’ that competes with the best I have had in the last few years!”

If you are in the mood for a bolder wine, try the 04 Cabernet Sauvignon, a gold-medal winner at the 2008 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition. This full-bodied Cab offers intense fruitiness balanced with light oak and a medium-long finish. It was also selected for the wine list at one of the top jazz clubs in the country, Blue Note, a cultural institution in Greenwich Village.

Other current offerings include several red blends, such as the 06 RED4, 05 Suendero, and 2005 Syrée, a spicy red with aromas of dark fruit with bitter sweet chocolate, vanilla and a hint of cedar.

You can visit the Vina Robles tasting room daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the week, and until 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

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Talley Ho! Minimalist Winemaking Burgundy Style

Courtyard at Talley Vineyards

Winter 07

The Arroyo Grande winegrowing region of the California Central Coast has a climate and soils very similar to those of its famous French cousin – Burgundy.

While Burgundy’s northern-latitude location keeps high temperatures at bay, the Arroyo Grande AVA owes its, micro-climate to an east-west orientation, which allows cooling fogs from the nearby Pacific Ocean to drift directly into the vineyards.

As a result, the same great grapes love both areas.

No wonder Don Talley decided to plant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the steep hillsides above his family’s vegetable farmland in the early 80s.

Burgundy has influenced Talley’s winemaking in another way, its minimalist approach – a strong belief in “terroir’ with as little manipulation as possible during the winemaking process, allowing a sense of place to infuse their distinctive wines.

It takes a winemaker with a light hand and a sense of restraint to resist the invasive techniques so many California wineries succumb to.

“We try to capture the individual expression of each of our vineyards,” says Leslie Mead, appointed Talley winemaker in Jan. 2007, after serving as an enologist there since 2005. Her background also includes working in the forestry industry and in a wet lab.

Morphing from water quality analyst into winemaker was “a complete happy accident” for her. “I just happened to see a newspaper ad for a lab technician at a winery in Calaveras County,” she explained. She jumped at the chance, later picking up production management experience at another vineyard.

Was it hard for someone with such a technical and analytical mind to embrace the traditional techniques of Burgundy at Talley? “Not at all. In fact, it makes my job easier, since all the work is done in the vineyard but I get to take the credit,” she says with sincere modesty.

And there is plenty of credit, with numerous wines ratings in the 90s, as well as praise from the likes of Robert Parker – arguably the country’s best-known wine critic – who has referred to Talley as “the superstar producer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the Central Coast” and “one of the finest Pinot Noir producers in California.”

Other factors help Talley garner these accolades, such as quality control and consistency, according to Mead. And she doesn’t just mean consistent weather. Good business practices contribute, as well.

The vineyard workers, who all started first at Talley farms, are long-term employees of the family business. And the pickers are also the sorters. “So when they see which grapes we discard during sorting, they know which ones not to pick the next day,” she said.

Compartmentalization is another key to quality and consistency, she added. “We keep all lots separated right up until we make the final blending decisions. We even have lots as small as a barrel’s worth.”

All of the rigor and regimen doesn’t stop the playful side of a winemaker from emerging. To have a little fun, as well as to try new things with grapes from a huge vintage that might otherwise go to waste, Mead concocted a few novelty dessert wines you can sample in the tasting room: the Raising Cane, a Pinot Port, and Stone Cold Chardonnay, an Old World-type ice wine made from frozen grapes.

Can a winemaker have a life outside the lab and the barrel room? The fact that Leslie lives only 10-minutes from the winery is a big clue to the answer to that quesion. “I have the best job in the whole world,” she hedges. “We even have someone come in on Thursday and fixes lunch for the whole winery! And I do travel some. I went to Chile recently but I, um … worked the harvest.”

Obviously, I needed tougher interview skills. Okay, what wine-related interests do you pursue when you’re off duty, I asked, looking her straight in the eye. Mead seemed more eager to answer that question.

She heads up a literacy center at the winery to help the field workers learn to speak, read, and write in English. “I love the way Talley gives back to its workers,” she said.

She also serves as chair of the local chapter of the California Eneological Research Association and on the advisory committee for the World of Pinot Noir event held each year in Pismo Beach.

Her current pet project is producing and marketing a very special wine – Mano Tinta, a Syrah made from donated grapes and packaged in donated materials. Even the artwork for the label was donated by the artist, the nine-year-old son of one of the farm workers.

All of the proceeds from the sale go to the Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers. “By law, we can sell it here now, even though other SLO wineries donated grapes and packaging materials. Although restaurants and wine shops offer it by the glass, my hope is to increase the money we raise, by other wineries someday being able to make and sell it, too.”

For more about Mano Tinta, go to www.talleyvineyads.com and click on Wine & Reviews. You’ll find Mano Tinta at the bottom of the left-hand column.

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SoPaRo: A Trio of Special Places

Sculpterra Garden Art

Fall 07 

Southeast of Paso Robles you can visit a trio of closely grouped but distinctly different wineries, which make for a pleasant afternoon along Linne Road and its wild bird rookeries.

I drove up from Atascadero via Highway 41 east and over to Linne, a route that meanders through the foothills and along a dry wash.  Even though this is the driest time of the year – before the winter rains – I still found myself stopping to snap photos of back-lighted fall leaves.

Sculpterra Winery Sculpture Garden on Linne Road was my first stop, a truly unique destination that has been open only a month.  After trying to crash two wrong entrances, I was finally guided via cell phone by the patient tasting-room hostess, Martha.

Before I even entered the tasting room, I had to whip out my camera again for shots of the magnificent sculpture garden, featuring the works of metal artist Bob Bentley and sculptor John Jagger.

Although the outdoor art is exotic, inside I was treated to wine as American as apple pie.  In fact, Martha refers to their 06 Chardonnay as “apple pie wine” because of its fruitiness, warm vanilla tones and a dab of butter, which prompted me to ask,  “French oak? Malolactic fermentation?”

Yes to the oak, Martha said, explaining that the vanilla is subtle because only 10 percent is from the oak. But no secondary fermentation, so I think even anti-malolactic Mike would approve of this one. I grabbed a bottle ($16) for Thanksgiving.

Next came their 06 Pinot Grigio, which Martha suggested I pair with the bread and mandarin-flavored oil they were serving.  “The orange really makes that Pinot pop,” she said.  And she was right!

Their 05 Gold Medal award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon had a nice little burst of fruitiness that made it through the leather.  But I couldn’t quite peg it. “Boysenberry,” is how Martha characterized it.  “It’s very fruit forward.”

The berry note lingered so long, I told her it seemed quite fruit backward, too. "I’m going to use that,” she chuckled.  You heard it here first!

As I was driving out, an awful noise interrupted the peaceful afternoon.  A glance across the vine rows revealed the source: a group of sassy little burros enjoying the sunny day.

The braying was quickly replaced by birdsong as I drove along Linne to Peman Springs Road and the wild bird rookeries that dot the roadside. 

I’d been careful to check with Martha before venturing down the dirt washboard shortcut to my next stop.  It crosses a dry wash that you want to avoid in wet weather, or even in dry if you've just washed your car. Even at 5 mph, it didn’t take long to travel the mile and a half to Clautiere Vineyard.

The self-styled “Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at the Moulin Rouge”  tasting room sports a funky purple décor, with piles of hats and wigs  to indulge your  zanier side.

Their 05 Viognier has a pleasant grapefruit flavor, rather than the peaches and honeymore commonly associated with this Rhone white.  ($18)  For the $5 tasting fee (you can keep the glass, wrapped in purple tissue paper), they will pour you a wide variety of their estate Rhones, blends, Cab, and even a high-end 04 Port-style wine made from three Portuguese grape varieties -- expensive but heady. ($69)

(L) Cass Winery (R) Cass Picnic Area

Back-tracking down Linne Road, I ended my jaunt at lovely Cass Winery so I could enjoy a late lunch from their fun menu,  which offers up such dishes as  mushroom “cappuccino” soup and “truffle” pizza -- all of which you can enjoy outside on their covered terrace or inviting old trees. I had the crab cakes ($14), which were excellent.

Intending to stay only long enough for a glass or two, I spent an hour and a half chatting with the friendly young staff, all Cal Poly students or graduates, and tasting seven of their 100% estate  wines.

Their 06 Viognier was hand picked at first light, they say, to keep the grapes as cold as possibly on their way to the winery. ($24) They also offer a good Viognier-Marsanne-Roussanne blend. ($28)

Although I’m a little afraid of  100%  Mourvedre, which you usually find in blends for good reason, their 05 Hacienda has a more delicate flavor than most I’ve tried. ($34)

Another loner that’s usually a blender is their 05 Cabernet Franc, a bold wine which they claim will “age like a sea turtle” or go with “the reddest of meats and any mammal from Africa. “ ($42)

My favorite is their best-seller, Rockin One 2005, a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenche. Enough tannins to help it age well, but not too overpowering to drink now -- “with a good cigar in hand,” they recommend. ($42)

The finale for my tasting was a couple of dessert wines: a late-harvest Cab Franc with 17% alcohol that is smoothed out by the strong fruit, and a late-harvest Roussane with a delightful pineapple/tropical flavor. They suggested marinating berries in these wines, or adding a splash to jazz up a sparkling wine. Splits are $18. 

I'll definitely visit Cass again.  I only have to drive a few miles, but the staff tell of a legendary wine club member, who lets 5 or 6 months go by before collecting his selections in person -- from New York!

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Wineries West of Paso Robles