Page 28 - SLO Visitors Guide Fall 2023

San Luis Obispo & South County Wine Tasting
Husband and wife celebrate 29th vintage at Stephen Ross Wine Cellars
Stephen and Paula Dooley launched Stephen Ross Wine Cellars in 1994. Neither had a back-
ground in farming, and neither had anyone in their families. Stephen had been winemaking for 17 years in Napa Valley, Edna Valley, South Africa and Australia. It was an ex- citing adventure based on their love for wine and for each other.
“When we started our winery 29 years ago, I don't recall what Steve and I envisioned as our future, but now every day we count our lucky stars that we are able to be in this industry and produce spectacular wines from the Edna Valley and the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA. The energy that our wines derive from our proximity to the Pacific Ocean is unique and unequaled,” said Paula Dooley.
The urban-based winery and tasting room is located in San
Luis Obispo and produces mostly single vineyard pinot noirs along with other varietals that flourish in the cooler coastal climate such as chardonnay and albariño. Blanc de noir sparkling wine and pinot noir rosé are included in the
winery’s produc- tion totaling 4,000-5,000 cases per
year. The quiet tast- ing room keeps
the focus
on wine
with
knowl-
edgeable
staff who
walk guests
through a flight
of five wines for a $20
tasting fee (the fee may be
applied to a wine purchase of $50 or more). One of the perks of hav- ing the tasting room located at the winery location is that guests have the opportunity for a winery tour.
The couple owns a 10-acre estate
vineyard, known as Stone Corral Vineyard, which they planted in 2001 exclusively to several pinot noir clones and rootstocks covering a rolling southeast-facing hillside in the Edna Valley. The Stone Coral Pinot Noir is their top-selling wine with the 2019 collecting several
94-point ratings. Another pinot
noir to try is the winery’s 2021 Pinot
Noir, Arête – only
50 cases of this barrel-se- lect pinot
noir are made each
vintage. Arête means
glacial peak or pinnacle of
excellence. This wine was named in honor of Steve’s mother who was a geographer. This
is the most exclusive of their pinot noirs with a full rich mid-palate. The black label and wax-dipped bottle provide an elegant package.
Stephen Ross strives to promote
Award Winning Wines Spacious Outdoor Seating Cheese & Charcuterie Plates
Open Daily 12pm - 5pm
claibornechurchill.com · 805-544-4066 2649 Carpenter Canyon Road · San Luis Obispo
28 FALL 2023
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