Page 101 - SLO Visitors Guide - Fall 2024

slovisitorsguide.com FALL 2024 101
ONX Estate Vineyard—where terroir-driven
wines meet exceptional hospitality
What happens in
the vineyard ends
up in your glass!
Whether you are just starting
to get into the wine scene, a
more advanced oenophile, or a dirt
geek interested in understanding
more about what it means to pro-
duce terroir-driven wines showing
a sense of place, ONX is a must-
visit, as they check all the boxes.
Visit their Tin City tasting room, be
greeted with smiles and enthusi-
asm and be welcomed into a best
friend’s comfortable living room.
This is the ONX experience: Fine
wine, a relaxed setting, education,
humor, and great hospitality.
Put an ONX visit and tasting
experience on your Paso Robles
destination list.
Sip, learn, enjoy
A visit to the ONX tasting room
exposes you to award-winning
wines, hand-crafted under the pro-
fessional guidance of Drew Nenow,
head winemaker since 2018. Drew
has wine in his veins-being the
nephew of the owners/winemak-
ers of Napa’s Behrens & Hitchcock
(Behrens Family) boutique winery.
During your tasting, you enjoy
a variety of their current releases.
Depending on availability, it may
also include a library wine or two.
Drew's only rule in making fine
wines is that there are no rules.
Every year and every vintage are
different, so get ready because each
tasting of his creations will be dif-
ferent from the previous.
ONX is primarily a blend
house, but don’t overlook the single
varietals they produce, especially
their Fiery Nights Syrah and Black
Orchid Petite Syrah. All except two
wines are estate-grown.
A new, micro-production
luxury brand called Kiler Canyon
Vineyards has been introduced
from the Willow Creek Estate.
The 2020 vintage is available for
purchase when booking the Cellar’d
experience.
Due to the Templeton Gap's
uniqueness, ONX grows over
twenty grape varietals, including
Rhone, Bordeaux, and Iberian
grapes. Additionally, due to the
terroir, microclimates, geography,
and geology, ONX also grows sev-
eral whites, including viognier and
picpoul blanc. There are approxi-
mately 127 planted acres, producing
18 varietals; with the addition of
the Willow Creek Vineyard, there
are an additional three varietals. A
certified sustainable winery, ONX
is working on converting all of its
vineyard operations to fully organic.
As you sip the wines, your host
explains the grape and its character-
istics and flavor profiles, including
growing and harvesting practices.
Jeff Strekas, Director of Wine Grow-
ing, has been working with ONX
since 2012 and led the way, focusing
on creative blending, whether it was
a Rhone blend, a Rhone/Bordeaux
blend, or even a Rhone/Bordeaux/
Iberian varietal blend. Paso Robles
and ONX stand out because they
weave a tapestry of grapes show-
ing off expressions from various
ONX Production team: Sam Carlson, Cellar Assistant; Phoebe Bartoldus, Enologist; Lauren Fessenden, Associate
Winemaker; Drew Nenow, Winemaker; Matt Siegrist, Cellar Master.
Wine Tasting
VISIT CASTORCELLARS.COM FOR RESERVATIONS • @CASTOROCELLARS
1315 N. BETHEL ROAD • TEMPLETON, CA 93465 • 888-DAM-FINE
WALK-INS and RESERVATIONS WELCOME • 10AM - 5:30PM DAILY
Let us make your visit an experience!