Visiting Paso Robles - Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery

When we arrived to the expansive property, winemaker Kevin Willenborg was there to meet and greet in the tasting room and offer up a welcoming glass of the 2016 Vina Robles White4. This crisp white wine is an unusual blend of Viognier, Vermentino, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh, crisp and round with fruity aromas of peach, pear and grapefruit, it was the perfect refresher before the tour and it makes a great anytime white with an SRP of $16.

In addition to the vineyards and the winery, Vina Robles also boasts an outdoor concert venue with a full schedule of premium acts like the Doobie Brothers and Chicago throughout the season. Guests at the amphitheater get to enjoy local wine and beer along with freshly prepared food at the shows. concert schedule prior to your trip.
If you are planning a trip to taste in Paso Robles and you are a music lover, you may want to check the

It is easy to make food part of your experience at Vina Robles as they offer a few gourmet pairing options from the savory to the sweet. They also have a full lunch menu offered on Thursday - Sunday or if you just want a snack, they offer a variety of tapas to enjoy with your wine tasting as well. Executive Chef Randy Torres oversees the various menus, reservations are recommended for the wine and food pairing experiences.

Hans Nef, the owner, is from Switzerland. He wanted to incorporate his European heritage and the opportunities he has found in California into Vina Robles. You find this on the lunch menu with the Älplermagronen, a mac-n-cheese made with Swiss cheeses and served with local apple sauce. You also find this philosophy in some of the wine blends.

The 2016 Vina Robles Red4 is a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Willenborg feels the addition of the Petite Sirah adds more backbone to the easy-drinking Rhône style blend. Medium body, moderate tannins with cherry, leather and a light tobacco note in the smooth finish. A great anytime red with an SRP of $17 and paired here with the Swiss style mac-n-cheese.

Other wines from the Tasting Lunch:

Vina Robles Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2016 - Sourced from the estate Jardine Vineyard, this crisp dry
white has tropical fruit aromas with grapefruit and lemongrass with a clean citrus finish. It was served at the winery with tartufo salad. SRP $16

Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2014 - Sweet cherry/berry aromas with tobacco and licorice; dry, with a full body, velvety tannins and a long juicy finish paired with grilled mushroom and cheese sandwich on local sourdough bread. SRP $26

Vina Robles Estate Petite Sirah 2013 - Full bodied, big and chewy with effusive boysenberry, cocoa and nutmeg characters in a long rich finish served with Paso tri-tip on ciabatta with house made truffle potato chips. SRP $29

Vina Robles Suendero 2013 - From their Cuvée Collection, this wine is sourced from a vineyard that sits at 1,770 feet on calcareous soils just twelve miles from the Pacific Ocean. Blackberry, raspberry and light floral aromas elegantly mix with the full body and chewy tannins, trailing off slowly in a mineral-laced finish served alongside a raspberry sorbet made with the Red4 wine. SRP $56

The Visiting Paso Robles series continues, check back here every Monday and Saturday all month long.

"The Zen of Zin" Tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks

On Friday evening, my husband and I attended the Zinfandel wine tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks. My husband gets totally pumped up for any and all things Zinfandel but what I found really intriguing in the line up of wines were the aged offerings. Brent Sloan, managing partner at Houston's premier wine storage facility Nos Caves Vin, had provided Fleming's with four 18 year old bottlings and one 17 year old bottling from his collection of some of his favorites. I found this interesting because 1. I don't believe that I have ever had an 18 year old Zinfandel before this evening and 2. From various wine classes, I had always heard that at best Zinfandel had very limited aging ability. So, I was definitely excited to give these wines a taste. There were also an additional five younger Zinfandel wines that are some of Fleming's best sellers. The entire tasting line up for the evening included: 2009 Orin Swift Saldo - California 2007 Schulz "Lampyridae...

Spanish Wine under a Houston Sunset

I was asked to speak about Spanish wine and to conduct a tasting at the 30th birthday party of Kyla Kennedy on the rooftop patio of her and her fiancé, Jonathan Garrett's home this past Saturday. They invited a great group of friends with a new interest in wine tasting. Jonathan had the idea after the two had watched the movie "Somm" and had become interested in learning more about the wines of the world. For our tasting tour of Spain: Anna de Coderniu Brut Cava * - Guests loved this Spanish sparkler! They found the history of the winery interesting and enjoyed the refreshing style of the wine. The birthday girl named the subtle tropical and citrus aromas like a pro. 2012 Burgan's Rias Baixas Albarino - Guests talked about the fresh peach aromas and the crisp taste. Many felt this could be their summer sipper. 2012 Raimat Costers del Segre Albarino* - Guests were interested in learning about this lesser known area, the innovative winery and how ...

A Tropical Staycation with Spy Valley E Block

After a fair amount of traveling this summer with more still to come, I was looking forward to spending time at home with my family this week. Both of my millennial children have recently moved back to Houston but the home-cooked meals have been few and far between. I had recently received a sample of the Spy Valley E Block Sauvignon Blanc 2017 along with an invitation to participate in an on-line tasting with the Wine Pairing Weekend group (find them online under the hashtag #Winepw), this became the inspiration for this family gathering. I gleefully sent out a group text, "I'm grilling poolside tonight, be home by 7:30 p.m. to eat, come earlier if you want to swim." I am surrounded by funny people as the responses reflect, "Who is this?", "What have you done with my mom?", "Not a good night, Bachelor in Paradise is on." I was undeterred, I knew that they would come. I pulled the bottle out of the wine fridge to investigate what I was ...

Wine Life - Houston

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