Page 107 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer 2024

slovisitorsguide.com SUMMER 2024 107
Wine Tasting
“We can make an excellent
Meritage from this property. These
are old vines so they don’t neces-
sarily have the structure or color of
a modern clone but they are way
more complex. They have a broader
spectrum of flavors because every
vine and every bunch is in a differ-
ent stage of development and the
wines come out way more interest-
ing,” said Grindley.
Grindley calls the late Art Nor-
man, the original property owner,
a visionary for planting Bordeaux
varietals of cabernet sauvignon and
cabernet franc. “We have the oldest
of both of these vines in Paso,”
he said. “We hear about the old
zinfandels, but there’s very little old
Bordeaux.”
Award-winners year after year
And just how do Grindley and
the team at Brecon Estate manage to
deliver award-winning wines year
after year?
“The trick,” said Grindley, “is
having everything you make be
good across the board and that’s ac-
tually harder than making one great
wine. It’s also about not growing too
big too quickly; keeping those small,
interesting parcels, and not trying to
double production every year. We
find an interesting parcel, we make
it. If there isn’t any more, we make
another small, interesting parcel of
something else.”
For that very reason, guests
will likely find a different lineup of
wines in the tasting room at each
visit. Grindley makes 12-14 small
parcel wines per year. “We always
have new releases,” he said. “The
tasting lineup changes at least once
a month.”
Brecon Estate’s recent awards
include Best of Show at the Sunset
International Wine Competition,
Boston Wine Competition, and
the International Women’s Wine
Competition. Their now sold-out
2020 Malbec also received a perfect
100-point score, Grindley’s first. Ad-
ditional wines took home a handful
of Best of Classes and Double Gold
medals in their respective catego-
ries, adding to Brecon’s collection of
high-scoring winners over the years.
Visit Brecon Estate
Visit Brecon Estate and enjoy
sharing small-batch wines with
friends. The knowledgeable and
friendly tasting room staff is wel-
coming, with Amanda setting the
tone with her laid-back, Australian
style. Sitting on couches in the patio
area just outside the tasting room,
guests are treated to views of the old
vines and oak trees surrounding the
property.
The Brecon Estate Wine Club
offers three wine shipments yearly,
discounts on purchases, compli-
mentary tastings, and invitations to
exclusive Brecon Estate events.
The Brecon Estate tasting room
is located at 7450 Vineyard Drive in
Paso Robles. Open daily, 11 a.m. to 5
p.m.; reservations preferred. For more
information, visit breconestate.com or
call (805) 239-2200.
—Meagan Friberg