Quirky, fun labels and excellent wine at Chronic Cellars.
The story behind the winery’s unique wines and humor
—A beautiful winding drive along Nacimiento Lake Drive in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles’s wine country leads to the Chronic Cellars tasting room. Situated on a corner lot with a large green area and a pet-friendly patio, the tasting room offers a laid-back experience. Inside the tasting room, guests get a sense of the winery’s adventurous vibe with a large colorful mural and artwork on the walls. The tasting itself is all about the wine and guests may elevate their tasting by pre-ordering a cheese pairing. Group size is limited to six people to keep the experience wine-focused.
The legend of Chronic Cellars dates to 2004 when the founders, Josh and Jake Beckett, combined their winemaking skills with their wit and humor to turn an idea into reality using two tons of the best – or ‘chronic’ – grapes to make stellar wine. Since then, each wine has been given a witty name and a colorful, quirky label.
Don’t let the fun décor and labels fool you, Chronic Cellars is fully committed to making seriously good wine. Winemaker, Kip Lorenzetti, works with premium growers in the Paso Robles area to select the right grapes he wants for crafting custom blends. The high-quality wines consistently receive 90+ point accolades.
Winemaker Kip Lorenzetti
The wine portfolio includes a large selection of wine – predominantly custom red blends with a character on the label to represent the wine. For example, Mr. Nibbles is a blend of zinfandel, petite sirah and syrah featuring a long-eared rabbit claimed to “have something up his sleeve and a good time on his mind.” Knight Mare is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah sporting a label with the skeleton of a knight on a horse wielding a large sword, for a wine that is meant to “bewitch your senses and leave you wondering if it was just a dream.”
The characters on the labels, coupled with the stellar wine, have captured people’s attention and built a following over the years. Once people discover the wines, they keep coming back for more. Angela White, DTC operations manager, highly recommends joining the wine club. “Our wine club, Chronic Connoisseurs Club, offers great perks. With just two six-bottle shipments of red wine a year, members receive a 25% discount on all wine and logo merchandise purchases. Other perks include access to exclusive wines, member-only pick-up parties, and an unlimited number of complimentary tastings throughout the year with up to four guests included each visit.”
Although the wine club offers all red wines, you will find some whites and rosé on the wine list. A fun way to start is with a little Spritz & Giggles, Chronic’s chardonnay-based sparkling wine. For those who enjoy lighter wines, the Crown Jules, Stone Fox, Kindly Swallows, and Pink Pedals are some of the alternatives to the red wine offerings.
Don’t forget to check out the logo items and gifts when you visit. The replicas of the label art are sure to pique people’s interest and start a conversation.
Chronic Cellars is located at 2020 Nacimiento Lake, Paso Robles. For tasting room hours and more information visit chroniccellars.com, or call (805) 237-7848.
—Lisa Pretty
