The Role Of Barrels In Winemaking

How do barrels influence wine? This question may have popped into your mind as you swirled and sipped wine amongst the views of wine country. There are a lot of options and factors that make barrel decisions complex for the winemaker. It is an important decision as the chosen vessel will direct the structure and flavor profile of the wine. It ultimately reflects the winemaker's style, but can also elevate a grape variety. From toasts to wood preferences, the barrel options vary greatly and can make a wine go from good to outstanding. Barrels are the backbone of wine. Let's take a moment to appreciate the humble wood vessel.

Quick Overview of Barrels
Barrels can be used for $50 planters and chairs, but they start as an expensive vessel for aging alcohol like wine. The journey to complete a barrel is long, spanning many years to craft.

Oak barrels are sourced from various forests. In California, the most commonly sourced oak barrels are from the United States and France. The best-growing conditions for oak trees are cold to mid temperatures with poor soil of sand and limestone. These conditions help create regular annual growth for the oaks and lend tighter rings in the trunk. Nutrient-rich soil encourages quick growth and focuses on leaf development. The slow time is crucial in forming tight grains in the wood. Harvest time for these oaks is not until the trees are 80-250 years old.  For extra-fine grains, the optimum harvest time is 150-230 years old.

After all those years, the oak wood must be seasoned and dried post-harvest. This process can take 2-3 years. After the seasoning process, the oak is finally delivered to a cooperage for barrel crafting. A craft that dates back to the Roman era. The cooper takes separate pieces of oak wood (staves) to shape the barrel, which is held by riveted rings (hoops). To encourage interaction with the wine's flavor, the cooper chars the inside of the barrel. The toast level is based on the charring temperature and duration. One could try to be a wordsmith and describe the entire process in more detail, but it is best to see the skill in action:

    Journalist Jamie Goode's video of Tonnellerie

    Business Insider's video on Large Format Barrels

Once barrels are completed, cooperages offer various woods, grains, toasts, and sizes to winemakers. To the untrained person, the list of options is daunting but to the experienced winemaker, it is an exciting opportunity to further the artistic vision of their wine. How does the winemaker decide what barrel to use? Let's take a step into the winemaker's boots.

Varietal Differences
Wine varietals influence the initial barrel selections. A white varietal like Chardonnay will have different needs from a red varietal like Zinfandel. Yet red varietals will vary in needs from each other as each varietal has its characteristics. A Grenache is lighter in body with tart red fruit notes whereas a Cabernet Sauvignon will have more weight and dark purple/blue fruit notes. A wine's origin, terroir, and vintage will also impact the different needs for structure, body, and flavor.

Style
A winemaker will have a goal and idea of what they want for their wines. They desire certain flavors, structures, and wine bodies, which barrels can help deliver. Some winemakers seek tradition, while other winemakers desire to break norms to create something new and different. Each winemaker has a different goal.

Oak barrels incorporate secondary notes in the wine. There are three types of flavors or notes in wine:

• Primary - The variety's characteristics and vintage influence (ie: weather). The primary tastes are fruits, vegetal, herbs, and florals.
• Secondary - These are the notes that come from winemaking practices and vessel choices such as oak barrels. The secondary notes are typically coconut, butter, toast, vanilla, cedar, coffee, and spices.  
• Tertiary - These notes derive from aging. These will develop and are forward in aged wines. These tertiary tastes reflect the aging process and are usually dried fruits, mushrooms, nuts, spices, sherry notes, and earthiness.

Oak and aging can impact the flavors dramatically in wines, which is why it is up to the winemaker to make the decision on how oak will play a part in their program.

Wood and Grain Choice
One of the important decisions a winemaker has to decide is the wood and grain choice. A common choice for winemakers in Paso Robles is American vs. French oak.

American oak can be less dense with looser wood grains, which means the oak can be sawed as opposed to hand-splitting. This means oak sourced from the United States is a little less expensive. The oak can be sourced from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Missouri, and Minnesota. Each forest lends different qualities to the oak due to soil and weather.

French oak has tighter grains with rich aromatic compounds which help create structure, smoothness, and longer aging capabilities for wines. There are various French oaks that help with complexity and volume. The oak in France is generally hand-split, which raises the cost of using French barrels.

This is just a quick overview of American and French oaks, but there is a plethora of choices for winemakers including different cooperages. Winemakers generally taste samples of wine aged in different barrels and discuss with cooperages their barrel characteristics to make informed decisions. It also can be a trial and error as winemakers will refine their barrel choices over the years of winemaking. At Parrish, we use 4-5 different cooperages from several different forests in France. This assists in the complexity of our wines.

Toast
Oak wood barrels go through a toasting process. The toasting helps flavor compounds such as coconut, spices, butterscotch, and vanilla be more prominent in the barrels. Natural, raw oak is stable and offers roundness for wine, but the vanillin and furanic compounds deliver more complexity that winemakers seek.

In the winery at Parrish, we use Medium+ level. Winemaker Cody Alt shares, "Medium+ offers softer wood tannins, which helps not add to the already existing tannins in our wines. Our wines have enough concentrated flavors that they can handle higher toast levels in the barrels. The oak adds complexity with notes of roasted almonds, coffee, toffee, and mocha."

Roll Out the Barrels
There are still so many factors to oak barrels, but our main goal was to give you a glimpse into the world of oak and build appreciation for the art of coopers (as well as winemakers). Oak barrels are an integral part of winemaking and are widely used for their complexity and structure abilities in wine.

A fun exercise for your next wine tasting. While enjoying your next glass of wine, see if you can pick out the secondary notes which are the oak influence.

How was Harvest 2024?

The 2024 vintage was a hot vintage with an extremely warm and long Summer in Paso Robles. We began harvest on August 30th with our Sauvignon Blanc and completed harvest on October 16th with Petite Sirah and Grenache. To give us a little more insight, we caught up with Winemaker, Cody Alt to learn more about the vintage. 

How did the hot weather impact the harvest? 

Cody: It was reminiscent of the 2022 vintage. Our yields were lower for us as well as most of Paso Robles. David said it is not uncommon for vines to auto-regulate after a high-yield year. Last year (2023) we had a much milder Summer and a cool Fall, which increased our yield. 

What does this mean for the wine? 

Cody: Due to the low yield this year, it means high quality due to the concentration of fruit. The wine will be full-bodied, and opulent with intensity and concentration of riper fruit notes. No herbaceous, green notes in the wines as that comes with cooler vintages.

We saw some first harvests for many of our newest vines, how did those go? 

Cody: Great! The Zinfandel, which is at our Adelaida Vineyard, came in at about 1.5 tons an acre, so on the light side of course, but we don’t produce a lot normally. The wine will be fruit forward with an emphasis on red fruit,  with softer and rounder tannin structure.

The Merlot was picked at the Creston Vineyard at lower brix this year to help add fresh fruit elements into our blends. It had great juicy blueberry notes. 

Can you talk about how the Sauvignon Blanc looked? 

Cody: We were thrilled with the fruit. It had perfect acidity and vibrant flavors. I got notes of apple, pear, grapefruit, and key lime. 

How did our flagship the Cabernet Sauvignon look this year? 

Cody: We were close to 2.5-3 tons an acre for the Cabernet. So we’ll see very intense and powerful wines with concentrated aromas and flavors. Large structured wines for 2024. 

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Here is the tonnage break down for the 2024 vintage. We will end up with around 185 barrels and around 4,000 cases of wine featuring our single variety Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Rosé, and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as our blends; Silken and Four Chords. Will we see a new blend? That has yet to be determined. 

Variety	Tons
Sauvignon Blanc	4.11
Grenache	9.65
Merlot	3.58
Cabernet Sauvignon	49.08
Syrah	3.72
Cabernet Franc	9.28
Petit Verdot	5.05
Zinfandel	1.35
Petite Sirah

Check out our current releases on our website to enjoy while the 2024 vintage is processed.  We now offer a single variety Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc!? Join us daily in the tasting room to try these wines at 3590 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446! 

Parrish Family Vineyard 2024 Harvest Team ( L to R): Johnny Lawson (Intern), David Parrish (Owner/Winemaker), Cody Alt (Winemaker), and Mason Ramsey (Vineyard & Cellar Assistant)

 

New Release the 2020 Petit Verdot

Introducing our first-ever 100% Petit Verdot, an exclusive release for our wine club members! Our 2020 Petit Verdot is a bold and expressive wine, showcasing the full intensity of this distinctive varietal. While we’ve previously reserved this varietal for our Four Chords blend, the 2020 vintage marks the debut of a standalone Petit Verdot and we are thrilled!

About the 2020 Petit Verdot Vintage
The 2020 vintage is memorable much like the year for obvious reasons. Bud break was a little late due to rainfall in the Spring, but there were no frost issues with it being a warmer year. The flowering was normal and occurred in good conditions. Summer arrived with hot weather and record heat waves in August and September. This encouraged the 2020 harvest to begin and end in the blink of an eye. During the beginning days of harvest, Paso Robles and most of the Central Coast was overcast with smoke from fires in Northern California. Despite this challenge, the Petit Verdot was left to complete its ripening and the winemaking team worked their magic to save the wine from smoke taint. Therefore, the 2020 vintage showcases the hardwork and determination of our winemaking team to keep
the quality that you have come to know and love at Parrish Family Vineyard.

After fermentation, the wine was aged for 22 months in 75% New French Oak. It features a combonation of El Pomar and Adelaida estate fruit that was hand harvested. 

Petit Verdot Tasting Notes 
On the nose, you'll encounter vibrant aromas of blackberry and blueberry, interwoven with floral hints of lilac and a touch of warm baking spices. On the palate, rich dark fruit flavors dominate, led by juicy blackberry and ripe blueberry, enhanced by subtle layers of cinnamon and spice. The wine is full-bodied with structured tannins, delivering a powerful yet elegant finish. A true expression of Petit Verdot's depth and complexity.

Would you like to try this wine? Join us in the tasting room to sample this Wine Club exclusive wine!

Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing

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Looking for a cooler season red wine? Look no further, the 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a lux red wine that will grace and impress your holiday occasions. I may be partial, but this Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite wine on the wine tasting flight. 

Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Notes

The 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has delicious notes of black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, coffee, and a dash of nutmeg. This wine can stand alone without food, but it is a perfect wine to pair with meat, or hearty vegetables like mushrooms and cauliflower. 

Wine & Food Pairing

There is a traditional food pairing philosophy that teaches red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. Those pairings can absolutely work and if you are just starting in wine and food pairings it can be a good starting point. That being said, they are not absolute rules that should restrict you. There are so many wine varietals, blends, and styles of winemaking that not every red wine will show best with a red meat, but instead fish and chicken. Pairings depend greatly on the wine and the aromas and tasting notes you get from it.  

Another important note is that spices and herbs can move proteins and produce in various directions. Meat, vegetables, and fruits obviously have their own flavors, but overall spices and herbs can direct the flavors. For instance, the right spice rub can move lighter proteins and vegetables to pair with a bigger red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon. Recently, we had a Skillet Mexican Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and a Coffee Caramel. This delicious dessert went beautifully with the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This was somewhat of a surprise as normally sugar is an adversary to red wines, but what made this Mexican cocoa brownie sing with the Reserve Cab was the spices. We added chili powder and cinnamon to the cocoa, which marries with the baking spice notes found in Cabernet Sauvignon. And then the coffee caramel and vanilla ice cream met the notes imparted by the barrels chosen to age the Cabernet.  Spices can steer food pairings. 

Cabernet Sauvignon Food Pairing 
At Parrish Family Vineyard, we love coffee. There is a lot of coffee that powers our team behind the scenes - from the winery to the tasting room and especially the kitchen. Not only do we love drinking coffee, but my husband Ethan and I love to use coffee to make rubs for our meats. The coffee adds a depth of flavor due to its acidity, smokiness, nuttiness, and chocolate notes. This ingredient can help proteins pair with red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. 

We came up with a coffee rub that can be used for any protein or hearty vegetable that can then be paired with our beautiful 2019 Reserve Cab. We hope this flexible spice blend can inspire your next pairing. 

Coffee Rub Recipe

1 Tbsp Freshly Ground Coffee, Fine 

1 Tbsp Paprika

1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder

2 Tsp Dried Basil

1/2 Tsp Mustard Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder 

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

2 Tsp Salt 

1. Finely ground coffee.
2. Once you have the coffee ground, pour into a bowl and whisk together the rest of the ingredients.
3. To make the overall rub more fine, you could ground all together in a spice grinder, or a powerful blender.
4. Use the rub on your choice of meat or hearty vegetable. For meat, put the rub on the night before serving, or at the latest 3 hours before cooking. For vegetables, add the rub 1 hour before.

Notes: 

• You can sub the herbs for other preferred herbs. 
• Smoked paprika could be used for a more smoky rub. 
• This rub can be made in large quantities and stored in an airtight container for future use. 
• DIY Christmas gifts anyone? Get some cute jars, ribbon, and tags to give these out to loved ones. 

Cabernet Franc Paired with an Easy Appetizer

Need an easy wine and food pairing? The holiday season is fast approaching, which can drive any cook crazy. The mess. The various palates and food needs. The dirty kitchen with the mound of dishes. The too many cooks in the kitchen. We can console each other as holiday cooking can be overwhelming. But here's an easy appetizer to pair with our 2020 Cabernet Franc. 

Cabernet Franc Tasting Notes
The Cabernet Franc is a wonderful variation from its relative, Cabernet Sauvignon. It features a lighter body and lovely red fruit notes. Our 2020 Cabernet Franc is medium-bodied with notes of leather, cranberry, pomegranate, and red cherry. It has a good balance of earthy and fruit. 

Cabernet Franc Food Pairing Suggestion
The food pairing I am sharing for this club wine was an accidental creation. I was preparing my husband's recent birthday dinner. Ethan had requested pizza with homemade dough, sauce, and all the toppings. I had prepped ingredients for his anchovy mushroom pizza (that was definitely for him), classic pepperoni, and then a pesto butternut squash pizza. The pesto butternut squash pizza was one I wanted to make as we had butternut from the garden. I started working with the pizza dough. It was oddly only enough for two pizzas. This wasn't normal and I wasn't sure where I tripped up in my recipe, but regardless, I had ingredients prepped for one too many pizzas. I then thought of the on-sale crescent dough we had picked up at the store the day before. I decided with just 20 minutes to pivot and I would make the pesto butternut squash into a crescent roll appetizer.

I rushed around the kitchen and made these fall crescent rolls. I pulled them out of the oven, plated them, threw some flower petals on top for garnish, and then Ethan pulled up the driveway. Phew. I knew I didn't need to be stressed, but I was trying to make it a special dinner. 

While we waited for the pizzas to come off the smoker, we tried my in-a-pinch creation. It was simply delicious. As soon as I had a filled roll, I knew it was the dish to pair with the Cabernet Franc.

I hope this can help make your holiday table a little more fun and less stressful. You can make it as easy, or homemade as you would like! 

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Squash Crescent Rolls

INGREDIENTS

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed

1 tsp Dried Tarragon 1 tsp Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp or Salt

1/8 tsp or Black Pepper

Oil (Olive Oil, Avocado, Saf{lower)

1/2 Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Pesto

1 can Crescent Rolls

1/2 cup Romano Cheese, shredded
 

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix butternut squash in a bowl with preferred oil, dried tarragon. dried thyme. and 1/8 tsp of pepper, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Place on a baking pan or roasting pan covered in parchment (less clean up!). Pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes till tender. Once done, cool for 10 minutes.

2. In a saute pan, heat on low-medium with oil. After a minute or so, put your chopped onions in with a couple pinches of salt. Cook and cover the onions until softened and a little brown...cararmelized. Set aside.

3. Open the crescent rolls can. Separate and lay out on a cutting board.

4. Now it's time to assemble each of the rolls by spreading pesto, then adding onions, and next butternut squash.

5. Fold the dough over each other covering most of the filling. Then top with cheese.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or unlil golden brown.

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Rosé Food Pairing for Fall

Where does Rosé fit in the holiday season?
We all know that rosé is perfect for a day by the pool, but it shouldn't be left till the warmer months return. Rosé has a place in the Fall and Winter months alongside the holidays. The 2023 Rosé we currently serve is a lovely, bright pink of Grenache. It has notes of dried strawberries, pineapple, white peach, lemon rind, rose, raspberries, and a slight minerality. It's too pretty not to invite to the parties! 

Rosé Pairing 
A few ideas for pairing Rosé are to use dried fruits, nuts, and herbs to welcome it to the table. Some suggestions would be: 

Pork Tenderloin with an Apricot Chutney or Sauce

Braised Duck with Herbaceous Wild Rice

Butternut Squash Chili with Cornbread

Thanksgiving Turkey & Chestnut Stuffing

Smoked Cauliflower with Pumpkin Seed Pesto & Tahini

Sourdough Stuffed Acorn Squash (see Recipe Below) 

Hopefully, this encourages some ideas for your holiday gatherings! Below is a recipe I came up with since Ethan and I grew acorn squash for the first time this year in our garden. As many of you know, we also make a lot of Cabernet Sourdough, so this would be delicious for stuffing. Cheers to you and yours this holiday season! 

Sourdough Stuffing in Acorn Squash Paired with 2023 Rosé

2 Acorn Squash, cut in half & seeds cleaned out

Olive oil

8 cups cubed stale Sourdough

1 cup rough chopped Pistachios

1 cup Dried Cherries

1 cup chopped Medium Onion

1 cup chopped Celery

2 tsp Dried Sage

2 tsp Dried Thyme

1/4 cup chopped Parsley

4 Eggs

1 1/2 cups warmed Vegetable Broth

3 tsp Salt

Pinch of Black Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, rub olive oil, salt, and black pepper on the acorn squash halves. Put the squash halves cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes, or until soft.

2. Toast the pistachios in a small pan and toast for a few minutes taking care not to burn, by moving the pan frequently.

3. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions and celery until translucent.

4. Next add dried sage, thyme, and parsley with the onion and celery. Mix well and let cook for about 2 minutes.

5. Then pour the onion mixture over the bowl of sourdough. Add in the pistachios, and the dried cherries. Mix.

6. Add the eggs. Depending on the bread dryness and hardness, you can reduce or increase the eggs. 

7. Slowly add the vegetable broth to the sourdough-onion mixture. Add and mix gently until the stuffing holds together. Again, you can reduce or increase the broth depending on the bread. 

8. Put the mixture in the squash halves and place under the oven's broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. Top with more chopped parsley or marigold petals to serve. Best enjoyed immediately.

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Notes:

• Add cooked pancetta cubes, or chopped bacon to the mixture.
• Sub onions for shallots or leeks.
• Use avocado oil, butter, or ghee in lieu of olive oil. Brown butter would be amazing!
• Try whatever bread you would like including gluten-free.
• Use chicken broth or whatever stock you have!
• Leftover stuffing? Turn into stuffing balls. Bake for 20 minutes until golden in color. 

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Cabernet Sauvignon: Quick Look

The Cabernet Sauvignon Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of grapes and one of the most recognized red wine grape varieties. California's Paso Robles Wine Country has Cabernet widely planted making up 39% of the region's vineyards. The grape initially attracted attention in its homeland, Bordeaux, for its ability to blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Today the grape produces some of the best wines in the world.

Cabernet Sauvignon is easy to age because it’s a full-bodied wine with medium-high tannins and acidity. To balance this, oak barrels are used during fermentation making the wine feel softer. Common tasting notes include black currant, green bell pepper, graphite, dark chocolate, and cedar. The oak barrels bring out flavors of vanilla and baking spices.

In the vineyard, it is important to harvest Cabernet Sauvignon at the right moment. Too early will make the wine have almost vegetable-inspired flavors. Too late of a harvest creates a jammy or stewed black currant mouthfeel. Young California Cabernets are fruit-forward while older, aged Cabernets have more tobacco notes. Cabs age very well at ten-plus years. It is a personal preference whether to age a Cabernet Sauvignon in your library or enjoy it now.

How to Serve Cabernet Sauvignon
It is important to serve Cabernet Sauvignon the right way to enjoy the full character of the varietal. Open the bottle one to three hours before pouring. Once the cork is removed, oxygen enters the bottle “opening it up” making the aromas and flavors more prominent. Another way to open up the wine and speed up the process is to use a decanter. This method is also useful for removing sediment from the wine.

Another important element to serving Cabernet is temperature. It is best to serve the wine at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Lastly, Cabernet shows best when served in a large glass. More air will come into contact with the wine and further develop the aromas and flavors in the glass.

Cabernet Sauvignon Food Pairing
Cabernet Sauvignon food pairing is best with red meat such as prime rib, filet mignon, or rack of lamb. Try the meats pan seared, or grilled. An alternative pairing would be fish. A pepper-crusted ahi tuna would pair beautifully with Cabernet. Another food pairing would be roasted mushrooms stuffed with a herbed asiago to accompany a Cabernet soiree. Cabernet is a wine that works best paired with food, but can be enjoyed solo with a quiet night featuring a cozy fire, a good book, and jazz in the background. Create your perfect pairing with our Cabernet Sauvignon.

New Food Offerings for Wine Tasting

Ready to enjoy wine with food? We released our newest food menu to accompany our wine tasting at our Paso Robles tasting room along Adelaida Road. Our husband and wife kitchen team try to release a new menu every few months to keep things fresh and seasonal. Here is a look at the latest dishes that join our classic bread and oil, cheese and charcuterie, and BLTA.

Harvest Burrata: Ethan and Cecily sourced Italian imported burrata. With this mozzarella being so delicious, they wanted a way to highlight it without it being another caprese. That is when Cecily's childhood memories of working in their apple orchard kicked in. She created a warm spiced apple and butternut squash roast to pair with the burrata. The team finishes the burrata with pecans, olive oil, balsamic reduction, and a pinch of salt. It's a simple dish that pairs wonderfully with our 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Grilled Cheese: Who doesn't like grilled cheese? It's a classic, soul-warming sandwich. Ethan and Cecily created this version to feature salty and nutty havarti, buttery brioche, and black currant gelée. The currant gelée is made to match the black fruit notes found in most of our red wines. This messy sandwich pairs best with our food-friendly 2019 Silken.

 

Gardener's Pie: This Summer, Ethan and Cecily grew a bountiful garden, which inspired many vegetable dishes. They felt it was time to release a shepherd's pie but with just the veggies. The pie comes in a cast iron skillet with zucchini, peas, carrots, leeks, haricot verts, and mushrooms. The vegetables are sauteed in Sauvignon Blanc and served with a vegetable gravy. The dish is topped with mashed potatoes as well as fried fennel. This vegan-friendly pie pairs well with the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc and 2019 Four Chords.

Duck Mole Flatbread: This flatbread was inspired by duck mole nachos that the couple loved from the old Villa Creek restaurant in Paso Robles. After the restaurant closed, Ethan and Cecily learned to make mole, which is a labor of love. The duck is braised slowly and then shredded on the flatbread with the mole. It is then topped with pickled manchego cheese, which Ethan created to add acidity in a new way. The flatbread is finished with a zest of orange and micro cilantro. It is not spicy, so it pairs with our 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon or 2023 Rosé.

Maple Crème Brûlée: Last but not least is dessert! This dessert was created by Ethan's nephew, James, who joined the team to help on the weekends. Ethan and Cecily decided it would be fun to let him do his specialty, crème brûlée. James brought in a maple crème brûlée and wowed the entire team. We recommend finishing with this custard dessert and the 2019 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Are you ready for wine and food, now? Visit us at our 3590 Adelaida Road location in the beautiful hills of Paso Robles. Reservations are always encouraged. We look forward to you trying our new menu with our estate wines!

 

Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Pairing Suggestions

Our 2019 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc is our sweet wine on the menu and delivers notes of apricot, pineapple, banana and orange sherbet. It features estate grown Sauvignon Blanc that we allow to stay on the vine longer into the season to develop more sugar, so it is considered a dessert wine. The wine is perfect with sweet treats or cheese & charcuterie plates. Sweet wines pair best with sweet foods, but cheese with the creaminess and salt can also be a delicious pairing.

I've compiled a list of desserts and cheeses that would pair well with our Late Harvest to inspire your upcoming hosting and holiday season! (Graphic Above) One last idea for using the Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, is that you can do a reduction to create a delicious sauce to top desserts like ice cream, flourless chocolate cake, or cheesecake. We hope you enjoy this sweet treat at your next get together or just because!

How to Prepare for Wine Tasting

How to prepare for wine tasting? Whether it's your first-time wine tasting or your fifth trip to wine country, you may have asked this question while preparing for your trip. Your wine tasting itinerary is as important as picking the hotel and where to eat. Since we work in the industry and have been a part of thousands of visitors' wine tasting trips, let us offer some helpful tips for a successful visit to wine country (we hope it is Paso Robles)!

Choose the Wine Region
California has several wine regions to choose from. Each area offers different wine varietals based on the area's terroir - elevation, location, soil, and climate.

For example, Paso Robles wine country has a diverse catalog of wines due to 11 sub-regions with unique terroirs. We are known for our Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and blends. We have white varietals, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but red varietals are most common in our region. Paso Robles' variety of wines gives visitors a plethora of options whether it is to expand their tastes or meet many preferences in a group.

To learn about California's wine regions the Wine Institute has this helpful map.

Research & Pick the Wineries
Once you've chosen a wine region, we recommend researching the wineries before visiting to create an itinerary that fits your interests and needs.

Paso Robles offers not only a variety of wine but also experiences. Wineries offer different wine tastings ranging from casual at the bar to elevated and seated service. Visitors can also find immersive, special experiences such as wine and food pairings, vineyard excursions, or behind-the-scenes tours. At Parrish Family Vineyard, we offer elevated, friendly experiences with beautiful views of our vineyard, estate wines, and house-made food offerings. We can check the boxes for those who are looking for a view, wine from estate vineyards, and food.

Once you compile a list of wineries you are interested in visiting, you may wonder how many wineries can be visited each day. We highly recommend 2-3 wineries per day as you will not be rushed and avoid palate fatigue, which is the result of sensory overload. Anticipate wine tastings to be 1 1/2 to 2 hours at each location.

Check Guidelines
Along with researching wineries, it is important to review the guidelines and policies of the wineries you would like to visit. Each winery differs on children, dogs, reservations, large groups, and outside food. To ensure your trip runs smoothly, it is wise to read the guidelines instead of being surprised about not being able to have a picnic or bring your dog.

You may wonder why there are policies. Some procedures are in place to maintain overall customer experience and safety. Other policies are required by county and state agencies because of food or alcohol service. Compliance is necessary for wineries to keep their licenses and permits.

Research Food Options
Another tip prior to visiting is to plan where you will eat as not all wineries offer food. This may be surprising, but not every winery offers cheese and charcuterie as it depends on the permit they have. Some wineries have light offerings like cheese plates and others offer picnic areas. In Paso Robles, there are a handful of wineries with full food service. Our best advice is to plan on stopping at a winery with full food service around lunchtime. At Parrish Family Vineyard, we offer a food menu featuring light bites, sandwiches, salads, and desserts. Our husband and wife team create dishes to compliment our wine tasting, so guests can enjoy the full experience while taking in the vineyard views.

We highly recommend reviewing menus prior to visiting wineries to ensure they offer what you like and can eat. If you need more options, most wine country towns, like Paso Robles, have restaurants, bistros, and delis.

Make a Reservation
We recommend making reservations at wineries regardless of time and party size. The reason is that it is another way to create a seamless visit for guests. It gives wineries the ability to prepare in advance whether it is in stocking the correct amount of wine, setting the tables, preparing the right amount of food, and bringing in an accurate number of team members for service.

If you are traveling with a large group, reservations are necessary. A large group for some wineries is 6 people. For a winery like ours, it is 8 plus guests. This varies from winery to winery, but there are very few wineries in Paso Robles able to accommodate large groups. The wineries that are able to take large groups still require reservations as tables may be limited, especially on weekends.

Speaking of weekends, below are suggestions on how far to book out a reservation for wine tasting.

Weekdays: With this being our slower time, reservations can be booked within the week.

Weekends: We recommend booking a few weeks out as this is our busy time during the week.

Busy Seasons: Wine regions have busy seasons such as April through May, September through November, festivals, and holiday weekends. For these times, we recommend booking a month or two before the visit. If it is a very popular winery, 3 months out may be best.

If you are wanting to wing it, many wineries still accept walk-ins as long as they are not busy. If you decide to do so, just be patient as wineries can get busy unexpectedly (even on a weekday).

Plan the Driving
Many wine regions, including Paso Robles, are several miles wide and rural. They feature curvy roads that add 10-20 minutes to drive times, which guests may not plan for.

One way to make your trip more enjoyable is to hire a driver and let someone who knows the area drive for you. There are tour companies (Toast Tours, Grand Cru, Elegant Image Limo) and drivers that drive your car (Destination Drivers) which are perfect for creating a more relaxing visit. Driving professionals can also assist in developing the wine tasting itinerary.

Uber and Lyft are available in most areas, but it does depend on the location. Paso Robles does have Uber and Lyft as options, but it may not be a dependable option as some wineries are in rural areas. This can impact phone reception and your ability to access the apps. Uber and Lyft can also charge higher rates for rides in wine country, so it is best to depend on these options for in-town only.

If you want to avoid driving altogether, wine countries have darling downtowns that generally offer wine tasting. In Paso Robles we have two walkable locations for wine tasting with Downtown and Tin City.

Plan on Bottle Purchases
Wine is sensitive to light and heat so it is important to consider what you will do with wine purchases when out tasting for the day. A beautiful 80°F day is wonderful for your visit but will cook any bottle of wine in the car as wine can tolerate up to 70°F. For this reason, we highly recommend thinking about how you will transport and store your newly purchased bottles as you travel. One cost-effective solution is to purchase a wine bottle carrier or an ice chest to store your wine bottles. There are even wine suitcases to keep your bottles out of light and heat's way. Whatever you choose just be sure to plan for hot temperatures during late Spring-early Fall in California.

Check the Weather 
Speaking of the outdoor temperatures, one overlooked aspect of planning is checking the weather forecast. The night before leaving be sure to check the weather for the wine country you are visiting. Weather forecasts can change over a couple of days. On the Central Coast, we have micro-climates that vary. For example, Paso Robles can be 85°F with a light breeze while Morro Bay is foggy and 57°F.

At Parrish Family Vineyard, we do our best to create a comfortable environment for wine tasting by offering shade, fans, swamp coolers, AC, heaters, and blankets. Even with these accommodations, there are some days that we are still not a match for the natural elements. To help you prepare, here are a few recommendations for Paso Robles' weather seasons:

    Spring & Fall: Temperatures are typically mild, but layers are encouraged to prepare for crisp, windy mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. Rain is sometimes possible in the Spring.

    Summer: We prove we are the Sunshine State during this season with warm, sunny days. Expect the average temperatures to be 85°F-95°F, which means dresses, shorts, and t-shirts are best. July and August are the hottest months where 100°F days can occur. That being said even on the hottest of days our nights cool to 60°F-70°F, so a light cardigan or jacket may be smart.

    Winter: The weather can be mild this time of year, but it can be frigid so it is a good idea to pack a coat. While we have been in a drought, the last few Winters have brought a lot of rain, so pack a raincoat or umbrella.

To help you stay up to speed on the weather, the National Weather Service has the most accurate forecast.

Learn & Take Notes

To round out our recommendations, one last tip for a wine country visit is to be open to learning! Each wine region and winery is different so you can learn something with each visit. There may be a new variety or blend, an unheard story, a rich history, vineyard developments, or winemaking practices. These are all things that can grow your knowledge of wine, but also your appreciation for the work that goes into the vineyard and winery.  

A great way to remember the information is to take a notebook. You can organize it by wine region, winery, or wine varietal. This helps you remember the winery and the wines so you can revisit in the future, or place orders from home. There are notebooks for wine tasting, but any notebook will do. A specific notebook for wine tasting that will help grow your palate is the De Long notebook, which we have used in the past to help train our team.

No matter where you decide to visit, we hope these suggestions will help create a memorable trip. If you would like to learn more about Paso Robles Wine Country, check out this blog on why you should visit. We look forward to hosting you soon, click here to make a reservation!