Honest, funny, and a joy with whom to spend quality wine-time are Damian and Amanda Grindley, co-owners of Brecon Estate in Paso Robles, California. As the first stop on my media tour, sponsored by Paso Robles Wineries, of unique wineries in the region, I knew I was in a special place. Surrounded by nature (the tasting room and adjoining patio are exquisite), magnificent wines, and all the feels of hanging out with favorite neighbors, Brecon Estate was the only place I wanted to be that morning for sips and a good chat.
He’s right. On their property is the oldest commercial Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in Paso Robles; the rest is planted to Bordeaux varietals that include Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec from a Cahors clone. In the tasting room, Rhone varieties are poured as well as gorgeous Albarino from parcels between Edna Valley to the Pacific coast near Pismo Beach. (Damian began the Albarino Festival in Paso Robles.) And the name “Brecon”? It’s a small town in South Wales that not only has a plethora of caves but is on soils of calcareous clay, not unlike those of the Brecon Estate vineyards.
Brecon Estate is located at 7450 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles (805.239.2200)
Damian and Amanda: It’s a story that seems to get more and more embellished with each rendition and strangely Amanda’s version seems to be digressing significantly from Damian’s! It is true however that we met while caving in Australia. Amanda was a cave and site interpreter for a World Heritage National Park and Damian an avid international cave explorer. We will leave it much to your imagination as to whether we met scrabbling around in some obscure, constricted hole in the ground or just in the general caving community. It does seem the former gets repeated more often.
Grape Experiences: How is it working together as a married couple? Do each of you have specific roles in the business??
Damian and Amanda: We are not sure anybody ever gets this entirely right. It’s an ever-changing dynamic, as new people entering the business bring different skills then we adapt our focus to where the need might be. Amanda has taken more on as time has progressed and currently heads up Marketing. She has ultimate responsibility for the look, feel and performance of the front of house (tasting room). Damian is a little more of a stealthy, behind the scenes kind of guy, tucking the vineyard, winemaking, maintenance and finances under his umbrella. Of course, there is still considerable overlap.
Grape Experiences: How are your wines unique from the others Paso Robles?
Damian and Amanda: It is often said our wines have an international flair or sophistication as both Amanda and Damian have worked in many overseas viticultural areas before settling in the Adelaida sub-district. From a wine making perspective we are cave explorers at heart and that shows in the openness to follow the path less traveled from a blending perspective and embrace newer varietals.
Damian and Amanda: “Summer in Paso Robles” I think says it all. You need something lively, refreshing, somewhat mouthwatering in those warmer months to refresh the body, soul and palate. It also pairs remarkably well with the renowned Central Coast seafood. Interesting fact, it was also one of the first wines I had the pleasure of tasting as a young man gallivanting around in Europe.
Damian and Amanda: We really lucked out with the architects. After an extensive search, we found Aidlin-Darling Design in San Francisco. Ironically within days of signing the contract they were awarded Smithsonian designer of the year. They brought a lot to the plate and really understood our vision of a warm, approachable modern style wrapping in the landscape and inspired by cedar barns along the coast while incorporating Australian design elements such as the use of rammed earth and many repurposed materials. We wanted clean elegant lines that will stand the test of time.
Grape Experiences: What sort of environmental practices are utilized at Brecon?
Damian and Amanda: We farm sustainably, although we have never felt the need to seek official certification. Around a quarter of the property is kept as a haven for wildlife and we have no intention of expanding the vineyard into this ancient oak woodland. We enjoy the natural setting which shows in our architecture all the way to the tasting room.
Grape Experiences: What are your favorite food pairings with the wines?
Damian and Amanda: Not being brought up in the United States means we often find ourselves trying to pair wine with foods from our childhood, whether it be a damn good curry, a scotch egg, or a leg of Australian lamb. We even have a new Northern Rhone style blend named “Haggis Basher.” Of course, Haggis is now banned in the US but perhaps you can imagine suitability of such a pairing.
Grape Experiences: What other wine regions have you visited or plan to visit? Do you have any favorites?
Damian and Amanda: We tend not to visit other wine regions as a pure tourist. Rather we go there to work and immerse ourselves in the region, viticulture and wine. For us it’s the only way winemakers get a true perspective on the place. We have certainly enjoyed Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, the Barossa, Coonawarra, Southern Italy and even Sweden. Yes, bottling wine in Sweden when its minus forty outside is quite bracing.
Grape Experiences: What do you like to drink when you’re not drinking your own wine?
Damian and Amanda: We like to keep our wine palates clean. Amanda would gladly move to Champagne to be closer to her favorite tipple and Damian has already emigrated from arguably the premier cider country (UK). He still has a regular hankering for examples from both Hereford and Somerset counties and seeks out many more local examples trying to find the most comparable.
Grape Experiences: What are future plans for Brecon Estate?
Damian and Amanda: Brecon has never been about being on every retail shelf. We are now at a sustainable size and happily growing organically in volume as folks gravitate towards us. The vision for the vineyard is already in progress, eagerly awaited and the results starting to trickle into the cellar as the new plantings mature. We have planted a newly imported clone of Malbec. A stunning clone of Petit Verdot, a heritage Tannat, and more Cabernet Franc are going in the ground in the late spring of 2019.
Damian and Amanda: Everything we have done at Brecon Estate has had our descendants in mind. From the quality of the design and build to the generational plantings. We follow sustainable practices and set areas aside for wildlife. It remains to be seen whether any of our, or our partners, young children will inherit our passion for wine. We are also hopeful that Paso Robles goes its own way and becomes famous for a variety, varieties, or style that it can call uniquely its own. In the same way Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or the Barossa Valley Shiraz redefined the perception of these varieties. We hope to have some hand in elucidating these varieties and/or Paso style.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
