Small wineries, big results
On our last trip to San Luis Obispo Wine Country, the Navigator and I decided to focus on small production wineries. In small wineries, the owner is often the winemaker and the assistant his/her significant other. There might be some part-time help during crush and maybe an office person to answer the phones. Because their staff is limited, most require a phone call for an appointment to visit and taste.
Our first stop was Verdad Wine Cellars. The owner/winemaker is Louisa Lindquist. Verdad makes about 3,000 cases of mostly Iberian varietals such as tempranillo, garnacha, rosé and albariño. The fruit comes from an organically farmed and Demeter certified biodynamic vineyard planted in 2005. The 2015 garnacha/mourvedre rosé ($18) and the 2014 tempranillo ($24) were my favorites. Wines are available in the Pismo Beach area or on their website.
Center of Effort, located in the Edna Valley AVA, is less than 5 miles from the Pacific coastline and produces excellent chardonnay and pinot noir. The 2014 chardonnay ($24) was an editor’s selection (93 points) from a top wine magazine and the 2013 pinot noir was a double gold medal winner at the S.F. International Wine Competition. The winery building is quite large and also serves as a production facility for small wineries like Chene Vineyards. David and Lisa Platt’s 6.2 acres of Dijon clones integrates Old World viticulture practices with minimal intervention and natural yeast fermentation in select French oak barrels. The wines from both wineries are definitely worth tracking down in local SLO stores or on their websites.
Stephen Ross Wine Cellars is open Thursday through Sunday and other days by appointment. Stephen Ross Dooley founded his winery in 1994 after spending time making wine for others in Napa Valley. His small production winery is located in an industrial park south of San Luis Obispo and produces well-balanced, food-friendly wines from some of the best local vineyards. His recent pinot noir releases (five) have scored in the mid-90s from a top wine magazine. Stephen Ross Dooley is considered by many as one of the top winemakers on the Central Coast and I certainly agree. For more information (maps, restaurants, motels, etc.) on SLO Wine Country, go to www.discovercaliforniawines.com.
What’s on Our Table
Two of my favorite family-owned Central Valley wineries, Bogle and McManis, made Wine Enthusiasts Top 100 Best Buys of 2016. Bogle Vineyards 2013 Petite Sirah (91) and McManis Family Vineyards 2014 Syrah (89) are retail priced at $11 which is a steal and usually sale-priced under $10. Wow, now that is a “Best Buy.” Case purchases highly recommended.
Cheers!
This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Small wineries, big results."