Page 86 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer/Fall 2020

Wine Tasting
start with great fruit and then put
it in the hands of a very talented and competent winemaker. And,
in those two aspects, we have been very successful. We grow about 75-percent of our own fruit and buy the rest – always from Paso Robles. I don’t make wine from anywhere but Paso Robles, but I make wine from all over Paso Robles. We give the grower credit for the fruit that goes into our wine if we didn’t grow it ourselves; we appreciate how good they are and how important they are to our winemaking suc- cess.”
Tasting room and patio upgrades
Outside wine tasting space has been added to the Eberle Winery experience.
In the wake of Covid-19, Eberle Winery closed its tasting room doors to the public in mid-March 2020, with a projected reopening date of July 1. Curbside pick-up
of wines was activated, and Eberle was selling nearly as much wine as before.
In the interim, it was a good
time to do some remodeling, with a majority of staff members pitching in to help. The tasting room now boasts a more open concept, with enhanced lighting and new wine displays. The additional outside space allows for safe social distanc- ing and more room for visitors to enjoy Eberle wines.
“Those that have been coming to Eberle for years are going to notice what we have done,” Gary says. “I’m not going to say you won’t recognize it, but you will see a remarkable difference.”
Award-winning wines and people
Among many awards for his wines and contributions to the in- dustry and local community, Eberle is most proud to be the recipient
of the California Wine Lifetime Achievement Award (2015) and the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Award (2019), an award usually geared towards those in the food industry.
“To date, Mr. Mondavi and I are the only ones in our industry to have won both of these awards,”
Gary says. “So much of what we
do here at Eberle I learned from Robert Mondavi. We think it’s important to educate people, we are hospitality oriented, and we really like what we do.”
Visit Eberle Winery any day of the week and there’s a good chance you’ll see Gary Eberle sitting in
his favorite patio chair, his French Poodles Sangiovese (Sangio) and Barbera nearby, a glass of his flag- ship Cabernet in one hand – “this house was built on Cabernet!” – with the other hand stretched out to welcome you.
“I try to spend at least three or four hours in front of my tasting room greeting people. And their dogs! We are very dog-friendly here,” Gary says. “I have been very fortunate. Because of my industry, I have been able to travel and see the world. There are other places I like, but there is no place I like better than Paso. Some afternoon, when you are free, come out and have a glass of Cabernet with me – I’ll be here! I try to be outside in my chair by about 1:30, and that begins the fun part of my day, when I get to talk to people and welcome them to our place.”
Reservations for tastings are required in accordance with Co- vid-19 safety regulations. Click on “make a reservation” at eberlewin- ery.com and choose a wine tasting option.
Visit Eberle Winery at 3810 Highway 46 East in Paso Robles, call 805-238-9607, or see eberlew- inery.com for more information; open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
–Meagan Friberg
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10:30AM TO 5:00PM
Swing by our tasting room to sip killer wines, shoot pool, play cornhole & relax on the patio.
2020 NACIMIENTO LAKE DRIVE PASO ROBLES, CA 805-237-7848
CHRONICCELLARS.COM
86 SUMMER / FALL 2020
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