Last week, I spent five hours enjoying wineries (actually 2 hours were spent driving!) in California’s Paso Robles AVA and I’ll be writing about two others soon. But one winery that my daughter had heard about and truly wanted to visit was the last on our list and we arrived there a bit after 4pm having driven on a craggy tree lined road then up a hill to the winery which is surrounded by 600 acres of walnut groves…and had only one hour to taste and talk. That hour was fantastic for a number of reasons – the wine and friendships formed made visiting Adelaida Cellars the perfect way to end a day of wine tasting!
Adelaida Cellars is located in the the western edge of Paso Robles which is in the Santa Lucia mountains and sixteen miles east of the Pacific Ocean. In 1870, Adelaida was a town of 700 and has a strong history of plantings…*think* the first region in the area to plant cabernet sauvignon, gamay noir, and chardonnay grapes in 1964. After the current owners purchased land in the area, in 1973 winemaker, “The Maestro” Andre Tchelistcheff, was hired. He helped take the winery to a new level. In 1979, the Pinot Noir Hoffman Mountain Ranch 1975 placed third in a comparative tasting in France organized by the magazine, Gau Millau. In 2003, Terry Culton was hired as the winemaker of Adelaida Cellars and accolades still continue to be received. Their website offers much more information regarding the history of Adelaida Cellars, detailed descriptions of their wine, and a long list of kudos and awards through the years. It also mentions their distributors in various states and yes, Illinois and Virginia, you can purchase wine from Adelaida Cellars! I encourage you to visit their site because my brief synopsis is just that..too brief!
As of the 2010 harvest, all vineyards are certified Sustainable in Practice (SIP) which means that those at Adelaida are engaging in sustainability practices on every level of winemaking – from water conservation to winemaking techniques to agriculture. For example, the vineyards at Adelaida Cellars are not tilled and natural grasses, wild sage, and rosemary grow abundantly among the vines. In fact, the sheep on the premises tie in to sustainability practices by decreasing the need for weed abatement and for providing the vineyard with natural fertilizer.
The tasting room was lovely, busy and vibrant, yet there was space for my daughter, Stephanie, and me to enjoy a tasting of six wines. The selections on the menu were delicious and after the first taste, we knew we were in the right place to swirl.sip.savor.! We were also asked if we would like a photo op with the sheep and lambs in the meadow, so with cameras in hand we dashed across the street (wine was left on the counter…!). I was given a bucket of feed and if you have ever had sheep (who are taller than you when they stand on their hind legs) bleat incessantly for more food, then you know what I experienced! And to be honest, I loved it! I’m attaching pictures, but for more, check out the Adelaida Cellars’ Facebook page! Once we returned, we were definitely ready for more wine!
The selections for tasting ranged from a Viognier to a Syrah to a Zinfandel then a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon..and more! All of the wine was memorable, but the real standout for me was the…
**Pinot Noir HMR Estate 2009 – The Hoffman Mountain Ranch Estate vineyard was planted in 1964 and this wine shows its “old vines” heritage. It had a deep ruby color and intense aromas of black cherry and some earth. The wine tasted rich, complex, and well balanced with more dark cherries and strawberries. The smooth texture and long finish definitely made me want to purchase a bottle…which I did! This Pinot Noir was aged for twenty months in 100% French oak (20% of which was new) and has an alcohol content of 14.1% alcohol. Priced at $40.00, I feel that I purchased a terrific wine which I can enjoy now or let age for about two more years.
And why do I feel that this was a great way to end the day?
- Feeding sheep and holding little lambs were a perfect way to begin Spring and remind myself of the sustainable practices involved in responsible winemaking~
- Pati Coelho, Adelaida’s Hospitality Manager, was friendly, engaging, approachable, and someone with whom I’d like to have *more* wine:)
- As a University of North Carolina grad school alum, I had fun meeting and talking to Jessica Kollhoff, General Manager, who graduated from Carolina, too! Go Heels!!
- My daughter is a University of Iowa alum and the adorable young lady, Haley Adams, Hospitality Assistant, who poured our wine at the tasting room had Iowa connections as well…as an Iowa State alum! Hawkeye State reps live in Cali!!
Enjoying delicious wine and forming friendships at Adelaida Cellars made for another “grape experience”! I hope you have the opportunity to visit this award winning winery on your next trip to Paso Robles ~
Cheers! ~ Cindy
Cindy and the little lamb…
On to the tasting room!!
