Wineries

Cuatro Dias Winery

www.cuatrodiaswines.com

Region: Paso Robles,CA

Owner/Winemaker: Greg Allen

About: Greg Allen’s journey through the world of fine wines, as the visionary owner and mastermind winemaker behind Cuatro Dias Winery, is truly inspiring. His passion for winemaking, honed through prestigious programs and his pivotal role at the historical San Antonio Winery, sets the stage for a remarkable story. What’s particularly remarkable about Greg’s story is his dedication and perseverance. Balancing a demanding primary career as a Firefighter/Paramedic with his winemaking dreams is a testament to his commitment. The unique schedule he devised, with 2 intense 24-hour shifts followed by 4 days off, allowed him to birth Cuatro Dias, dedicating the maximum time he could to his craft.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Albariño

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? My first experience with Albariño. Having enjoyed the characteristics of Albariño, I was contracted by another winery to make the wine for them at a cost of reviving 50 percent of the product for payment. The actual fruit was cloned and named after the famed Alan Kinne who just recently passed. During fermentation, all the characteristics came together producing a great full-bodied wine with a great nose. There is more to life than Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay!

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Paso Robles has great vineyards that have planted Albariño which continues to be a outstanding white varietal.

Derby Wine Estates

525 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles
www.derbywineestates.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owners: Ray and Pam Derby

Winemaker: Sean Geoghegan

About: Derby Wine Estate is a boutique, family owned winery with three Estate vineyards across the central coast and a Tasting Room & production facility on the outskirts of downtown Paso Robles. We have a passion for good wine and good company, and strive to share both with everyone who walks through our door.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Cinsault

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? I honestly can’t remember, I have always looked for lesser known grapes and heritage vines to expand my palate.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? The world of flavors and textures that open up when you think (and drink) outside the box.

Doctor’s Orders Natural Wine Company

801 E Main St, Santa Paula, CA 93060
https://drsorderswine.com/

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owner: Dom O’Reilly and Anna O’Reilly

Winemaker: Dom O’Reilly

About: A family-owned-and-operated winery situated in the beautiful Upper Ojai Valley, dedicated to producing fresh and lively wines in a serious and terroir-driven style. These are both for everyday drinkers and the most discerning of palates. Sourcing organic grapes from the Ojai Valley and the Central Coast, we take pride in crafting unmanipulated, natural wines that are sophisticated, healthy, and clean.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Grenache and Trousseau

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? When I had a Grenache blend at Zuni restaurant in San Francisco.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Forgotten grapes are more food-friendly. They tend to complement spicy and funky dishes which is food that I particularly enjoy.

Dubost

9988 Chimney Rock Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446
https://www.dubostwine.com

Region: Adelaida District, Paso Robles Region

Owners: Kate & Curt Dubost

Winemaker: Zachary Raines

About: Small lot, handcrafted, award-winning wines, produced in a strawbale winery nestled in the hills of Adelaida.

What is your favorite forgotten grape?  Touriga Nacional

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape?  Negrette. I had no experience with it at all. Our winemaker had an opportunity to purchase some and when it came time to bottle he was going to blend it. It is often used as a blending grape because of its dark color and low tannins. I tasted it and fell in love. We did a single Negrette for many years after that. Sadly, we do not grow it and are no longer producing it.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? My experience with Negrette pushed me to think/taste beyond what I was familiar with in grape varietals. It showed me that there was a world of aromas, textures and flavors out there to be explored. Negrette become my “go to” wine for lamb and I had a special chocolate dish we paired with it in the tasting room. So versatile. AND it introduced us to Chris Kern.

Flowers & Cheese

9904 Canoga Ave, Chatsworth, CA
flowersandcheese.com

Region: Los Angeles County

Owners: Antonio & Michelle Brunetti

Winemaker: Antonio Brunetti

About: We are  a Los Angeles winery making wine with grapes grown in Los Angeles county and other places in SoCal. Native fermentation Wine/Merry/Story-Making in a warehouse.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Moscato

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Tasting a Palomino made by another winemaker/making my pet-nat Moscato from Ramona Valley.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? The possibilities in California never end!

Fuil Wines

1330 Flynn Rd., Unit E, Camarillo, CA 91344
www.fuilwines.com

Region: Camarillo, CA

Owner: Matt and Carolina Espiro Jaeger

Winemaker: Matt Espiro Jaeger

About: Boutique winery using fruit from the Santa Ynez Valley to combine New World flavors with Old World structure.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Viognier

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Not my first, but the revelatory one. I’d largely written off Viognier as flabby and overly sweet in my 20s, then I had a Viognier that was crisp, complex, and still full of fruit and flower from Demetria Estate in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. That started me on my journey to find and enjoy cool-weather wine in general, and is why Viognier was the first wine I made in my own winery.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? They’re not forgotten! They’re usually part of popular Old World blends, but we in the USA have been so conditioned to look for varietal over place, that people don’t recognize them. As an example: I’ve had people ask me what on earth Mourvèdre is, until I ask if they’ve had a Cotes du Rhone or GSM wine. Then suddenly the light dawns.

Full Tilt Wines

3359 Fernside Blvd, Alameda, CA 94501
fulltiltwines.com

Region: Mendocino County

Owner: Craig Sutphin

Winemaker: Craig Sutphin

About: Full Tilt Wines started as an experiment to see how far The Fukuoka Philosophy of “do nothing” farming could be applied to the entire natural winemaking process. The goal: create charming and delicious wines from climate-ready Mediterranean grapes in ecologically responsible, closed-loop farm. Nothing is added or taken away in the vineyard or the winery, ever. We call it zero-zero-zero. You’ll call it horizon expanding.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Frappato

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? I was relatively young and new to wine, and I purchased a bottle of 100% Negrette from Fronton, made by two female winemakers. I had no idea what Fronton was or who they were, but my wife and I decanted the wine, immediately smelled salt air and lavender fields, and sensed the blistering summer heat. And with one sip, the horizon opened, and I knew there was more above heaven and earth than are dreamt of in all our philosophies. It was like I grew two new eyes that allowed me to see in new directions.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? They expand our ontological horizons.

Giornata

470 Marquita Ave #A, Paso Robles CA 93446
giornatawines.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owners/Winemakers: Brian and Stephy Terrizzi

About: We make authentic, complex and balanced wines in Paso Robles, CA featuring Italian grape varieties.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Teraldego and Frappato

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? I wasn’t sure what to make of Nebbiolo, but I knew I wanted another sip.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Learning their history

Guthrie Family Wines

574 Este Madera Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476
www.guthriefamilywines.com

Region: Sonoma, California

Owner: Blair & Caroline Guthrie

Winemaker: Blair Guthrie

About: Crafting low-intervention wines from responsibly farmed grapes.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Grenache Blanc

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? In Australia, I came across Arneis and was lucky enough to get my hands on it and make it!

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? It’s like walking the forgotten path. I love their history but also their originality in today’s wine world.