Paso Wine Plunge

There once was a skilled winemaker from Santa Cruz that moved to Paso Robles to start a new wine brand. His name was Ben and he was an assistant winemaker at Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains and used to visit Paso staying with his friend Bender who made wine barrels. He thought he could make it work in the Pass of the Oaks because he loved the wine, soils, culture and the opportunity to be around world-class winemakers everyday. It would allow him to learn from the best and take advantage of Paso’s legitimate success in the wine world. He made wine on the side while at Ridge but did not market and sell to consumers, just shared and drank with his friends and family. It would be his first Paso vintage where he was promoting his brand Electros named after the music genre of electronic music with early hip-hop influence that used drum machines, synthesizers and funk music to create a unique sound in the late 70s and early 80s. To start, he bought fruit from the Adelaida District and Templeton Gap and was happy to get a chance to buy a few tons from each vineyard site. He made a bunch of money from a remote tech job he had in the past while living in Santa Cruz which allowed him to make wine and put everything on the line moving to Paso with only one friend living there. People thought he was crazy, which he was, but he was confident in making it happen, so after a lot of extensive research on the region’s terroir, he decided to sell most of his belongings and take the Paso wine plunge.

While sitting by himself at the Pappy McGregor’s bar in downtown Paso Robles, Ben sipped his whiskey and pleasantly conversated with the attractive and wise bartender. His friend Bender was busy delivering his wine barrels, so Ben needed to kill some time while he was visiting Paso looking for some wine grapes. Halfway done with his second whiskey, he overheard someone talking about Syrah from the Adelaida District. “Pardon me, I apologize for listening, but did you say you could get some Syrah?” “Yes, are you looking for some?” kindly replied the good-looking gentlemen sitting to his right. “I’m Ben.” and they shook hands smiling already feeling a strong connection. “I’m Michael Stiekema. I make wine and have a label Stiekema Wine Company. South African roots and California flavors.” “Nice, I am visiting from Santa Cruz looking for some Syrah for my first Paso vintage.” “I make a Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blend so I think I can help you.” “Sweet, I’m working my way up to a GSM.” humbly said Ben. The two exchanged numbers on their phones and got back to their drinks and previous conversations. After getting the local scoop from the bartender, Ben smoothly asked her, “May I have another?”

When Ben leased the space for his urban winery near downtown, he decided to put a bed in one of the offices to save money. He was on a tight budget because the used equipment he bought ate up a lot of his savings and that was just one part of the operation. Even with the friend discount from Bender, the barrels weren’t cheap and the electricity bill was always high due to the consistent winery temperature it needed. His first wine was going to be a Syrah, so he picked his grapes from two separate blocks from the same vineyard and blended them together. Even though the blocks were close by, there was a clear difference when he sampled the grapes during harvest. He bought one ton of each which would give him over 100 cases to try and sell locally and outside of the county. He was a true artist so he drew up the logo and label and used Bender’s friend to make it all digital, having a unique look that was elegant but artsy. He had to display the music genre influenced name somehow, so it took him a while to come up with something that creative. His true passions were doing art and making wine, but he knew he had to know how to do it all to succeed in such a competitive industry. He had to take his art side and somehow balance it with the not as glamorous as you might think wine business. Being a winemaker is not all rosy and fine, just drinking wine all the time, it’s maintaining the art with a pleasurable grind.

Ben grew up surfing in Santa Cruz and took his skill and passion to SLO County beaches as soon as he arrived. He always felt like making wine and surfing were similar due to nature’s desire to give you something exhilarating while having a pulse on the waves, wines and vines. The freedom on the wave went parallel with the freedom of using nature and chemistry to create something spectacular for himself and others. It also built muscle for him in preparation for harvest along with keeping up his attractive body and nice tan. Stepping into the ocean gave him a break from his wine grind and allowed him to think clearly in the water, giving him a new perspective on his project each time he waited or rode a wave. The surfing in the county when ideal, with some exceptions is as good as anywhere in California, so he would surf in Cayucos, Morro Bay, Montaña de Oro and Pismo Beach where he didn’t mind traveling when the waves were firing. Kelly Slater once visited, so it does have a reputation. Ben loved the variety and was so glad everything was fairly close, because he could get up early, surf and then make it back to Paso to address his wine’s needs.

As people started finding out about Ben and Electros, the community started opening up to him and treating him like family. One person that was very supportive was Adam Montiel from Where Wine Takes You, a Paso Robles wine podcast that has turned into an international draw to the area and its unique culture. After randomly meeting at Paso Wine Fest, Adam invited Ben to be on his podcast, so Ben accepted and offered to do the interview at his urban winery near downtown. “Ben, I’m fascinated with surfing and the culture and actually have a surfer friend name Jeff from Santa Cruz you might know?” “I know Jeff, we used to surf at Manresa and The Hook. Great guy!” said Ben halfway through the episode. “You need to hook up with Philipp Pfunder from Law Estate Wines, Josh Beckett at Peachy Canyon, Aaron Jackson at Aaron Wines and Chris Taranto at Paso Wine. You guys will have to all go out together. So, Ben, what are some tenets and ways you look at surfing, or what it means to you that run parallel with how you look at winemaking?” After taking a few seconds and a deep breath, Ben looked up and humbly responded, “Well, for starters, there is nothing like walking a vineyard, talking to winemakers and getting barreled all in the same day.”

Right after Ben finished his fascinating sentence, Adam smiled at him, loving his honest answer. “Winemaking and surfing have taken me all over the world. I’ve worked harvest and surfed at Bells Beach in Australia, Hossegor in France, Dungeons in South Africa and Northland in New Zealand. I was always up early crushing grapes and processing the wine, so I had to surf at the end of the day or I would take the day off to travel from the vineyards to the beach. I needed the breather from the strenuous workload and it was the perfect relief from doing punch downs and pulling hoses all day.” Adam laughed because he knew the cellar was not a glamorous place. “I love the variety of waves and all of the different breaks in each country. Each spot has its own character that allows me to stay passionate about the waves and not get burnt out from the winemaker grind.” Adam was pumped on the color and aroma of Ben’s first vintage and loved his insight and experience when it came to the relation between surfing and wine. As Adam took a sniff, then a sip, “So, Ben, tell me about this Paso Syrah.”

Ben got into Syrah by working a harvest in the Rhône Valley in the southern part of France where Syrah was known to be born. He learned about the history and methods of Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Côte-Rôtie and had the opportunity to process Northern Rhône Syrah, learning about its darker fruit flavors, full body, medium acid and medium to strong tannins. Ben loved the blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit, the spice, pepper, smoke, herbs and sometimes chocolate. The wine varietal went well with lamb, steak, grilled vegetables, short ribs, pork and roasted duck. Ben chose Syrah as his first Electros release hoping for some local and beyond success. Syrah also grows really well in California, Washington, Chile and also Australia and South Africa where it’s called Shiraz. Ben loved Paso Robles because you could grow these Rhône grapes at a world-class quality. There is Warm-Climate and Cool-Climate Syrah. Ben preferred warmer climate because it produced a darker color, heavier weight and riper fruit where cooler climate produces more red fruit flavors, medium body with lighter and softer tannins. Ben had the connections from Bender so he had the opportunity to learn about the grapes from the Willow Creek District in western Paso Robles. It is where some of the best Syrah grapes come from and it was really hard to get this Willow Creek Syrah, so Ben was just plain lucky to be around these vineyards and elite winemakers. Ben knew that Syrah had gained popularity over the years, but the real question is, does it sell?

“How we gonna sell all these cases?” said Devon sitting on a case of Electros Syrah in Ben’s urban winery. “Well, let’s start with some California Syrah history. In the late 1870s, the first Syrah grapes were planted in Napa Valley, but unfortunately due to phylloxera, the vines died and weren’t planted much after that until the 1970s. In 1974, Joseph Phelps in Napa Valley created the first labelled Syrah and right after that in 1975 on the eastside of Paso Robles, Gary Eberle planted the most vineyards of Syrah in the state. With a small movement in the 1980s, the Rhône Rangers were formed and this maverick group of winemakers began exploring with Rhône varietals in California. It was in the 90s when Syrah became very popular and a lot of plantings took place making it the 24th most planted grape in the world. In the 2000s, the industry thought Syrah was going to be the next big thing, getting a little too excited, leading to overplanting, oversupply and a bad reputation for uninteresting, sweet, jammy, high-alcohol wines. It also didn’t help when the movie Sideways shot Pinot Noir sales to the moon leaving Merlot and Syrah in the dust. During these times, Robert Parker and Wine Spectator increased their coverage and had good things to say about the wines, although the bottles weren’t flying off the shelves. Since then, with more exposure, more and more Syrah has been planted and produced, being the most planted Rhône grape in the state with San Luis Obispo County leading the way with acreage. Syrah is now the 6th most planted grape in the world and Rhône lovers once again have high hopes to make Syrah the next big thing. Here is our chance to do something about it!” “Ok, word, we got this.” said Devon confidently and optimistically after his third glass of their Adelaida District Syrah.

One Wednesday afternoon in westside Paso, Ben found himself in a Willow Creek District Syrah vineyard with Andy Neja and his family from Cairjn Wine Cellars in Paso Robles. They were all drinking Andy’s 2021 Caliza Vinyard Syrah in which they were standing on the same limestone that the wine came from. Ben couldn’t afford or even get his hands on these Willow Creek grapes, so he knew that one day, he might have a chance to source them if he could prove himself as a winemaker to be reckoned with. “Andy, why did you get into Syrah?” curiously asked Ben. “I made the decision to work with Syrah because of its bold character and the importance of winemaking techniques that highlight its complexity. This wine is one of our bigger wines, so Syrah showcases similarities in style due to consistent winemaking approaches and variations from the use of different coopers in the oak program, introducing subtle spice differences. My dedication to farming practices ensures that Syrah reflects Paso Robles’ distinct terroir, blending richness and finesse.” “Geez, nice Andy, thank you mucho.” said Ben inspired and elevated by the unique knowledge and pleasant warm environment.

Back at the winery, Ben and Devon were now onto their second bottle of Ben’s Syrah when they unexpectedly opened up a 2021 San Luis Obispo Coast El Lugar Syrah. They were getting into a very passionate and deep debate over if Warm or Cool-Climate Syrah is better. As Ben was leaning in hard, “These Paso wines place me back in a vineyard in Southern Rhône during the 1800s. I want wines to be bigger, fuller and make a big impact. I love the perfect ripeness and pleasant tannins. The spice puts me in a mesmerizing place that brings out all of the diverse foods I want to eat in the precious moment. Paso has it all.” “Ok, but Cool-Climate transformed me to sitting on a cloudy and empty beach in Avila, smelling the ocean and feeling the wind on my face while admiring Fossil Point. There’s grapes that come 1.5 miles from the ocean and I tasted and smelt the salinity from the incoming waves. I’m gonna go with South County.” After a very persuasive expression on Cool-Climate, Ben had to now decide what his next release would be. Was it a Pismo Beach Syrah or was it another wine from the Adelaida District? After some timeless, euphoric and alcohol-induced meditation, Ben decided that his argument was better and more suitable for his next wine. “I’m going with Paso!”

Even though Ben’s Electros Syrah wasn’t selling as he imagined, he decided to take a risk and move forward with another grape that grows well in the hotter climates of Paso Robles. He purchased some Grenache grapes from the Templeton Gap District AVA in West Paso Robles and began producing a new wine to add to his brand’s offerings. He loved the medium, full and sometimes lighter body, richness, bright fruit flavors of raspberry, strawberry, cherry and blackberry and the variety of styles giving off spice, herbs and high alcohol. He learned about Grenache when he was working a harvest in Spain, where the grape was likely originally from and goes by Garnacha. He was new to the local Grenache market but he knew the wine was gaining more momentum in Paso. He also got to get his hands dirty in some Grenache when working a harvest in Southern Rhône in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. He knew enough about the grape to get the wine going so he just jumped in head first like he did with Electros, Paso and his Syrah release. One day, Ben was hanging out with his close friend Bender who said local Paso producer Herman Story puts out the Late Bloomer Grenache that apparently was very expressive, bold and powerful. Taking Bender’s advice, Ben was going to stop by the tasting room and see if he could see what this wine was all about. He just wanted to focus on the Grenache, so he was not going to taste the other world-class Chard, Syrahs and Cab Blend. As he arrived to the urban winery down the street from his, he was greeted by a man named Russell.

Russell and Ben had never met before, so It took a little bit for Ben to attempt to get on Russell’s level. Russell P. From is a heavy-duty winemaker in Paso Robles with bold wines and a full-bodied personality. He appears to believe that wine can be fun, a little crazy and also very serious. Russell started Herman Story in 2001 and began with only seven barrels of Syrah and a Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo degree. The name Herman Story came from his grandfather who was a rancher, logger, swapper, banker, philanthropist and a teller of tales. “I want to start making some Grenache and I heard yours are exceptional. Especially the 2020 Late Bloomer. I heard it’s Santa Barbara County and Paso Grenache blended together and aged for four years.” said Ben, pretty enthralled to meet the man, myth and legend. After Russell showed Ben his cellar, he tasted the wine and was rocked. Most of the Grenache that he had was lighter to medium-bodied. “This is huge! I didn’t know they could have so much weight. Is it true that you work with over 30 vineyards in seven distinct growing regions including Bien Nacido, Larner, Shadow Canyon, White Hawk, as well as two estate vineyards in the York Mountain AVA?” With those vineyards, it wasn’t shocking to Ben how unreal the wine was. With a few sniffs and tastes of the beast of a Grenache, Ben looked at Russell with a big smile and said, “Ok, you are definitely the guy.”

“Do you mind if we try the 2022 On the Road Grenache? I have heard a lot about it and how it should probably be aged a few years.” Ben was optimistic about getting into Grenache because the grape and wine have been through a lot over the years when it comes to surviving in the marketplace. It was at one time the second most planted grape in the world, where it is now around 7th. Hitting big in Spain, Garnacha is usually blended with Tempranillo and in Australia and the Southern Rhône Valley where it is the most planted grape, is usually blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre in the Rhône treasure of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Around the 1970s and years after in California, it was over produced in the Central Valley being used as a bulk wine and got a bad rap for lack of quality. In Paso Robles where the vigor, climate and drought-resistance grape grows very well in its overnight changing climate conditions. Due to the Rhône Rangers commitment to promoting Rhône varietals in California brought more exposure after the decrease in plantings and popularity. There have been a recent decline in plantings, but an increase in awareness and interest. After a couple more tastes of the Late Bloomer, Russell thoughtfully brought out the Grenache. “I love the artwork on this.” Ben said after he noticed each bottle was artistically crafted to make the bottle glow, looking magnificent before even opening. “Thanks to you and the others, I think Grenache will continue to bounce back and eventually become the grape to be reckoned with.”…