One of my favorite aspects of the wine industry is how the business and its product really takes on the personality of its owners and employees. There is so much passion and hard work that is manifested in a bottle of wine and it all begins in the vineyard.
I went tasting up in Paso Robles this past weekend and looking back cannot believe how different every winery that I visited was. And I’m not just referring to the wines, because that is only one aspect of the wine tasting experience. I noticed this especially with the smaller wineries, such as Dover Canyon and Linne Calodo. Their limited production and small facilities really make you feel close to winemaking process from grape to bottle. The tasting room at Dover Canyon is right outside the front door of the winemaker’s home. Talk about a commute.
Mary Baker, who is the co-owner and General Manager of Dover Canyon, had a particularly attractive aspect of her tasting menu. At the end of the list we had a Dessert Viognier accompanied by macadamia nut brownies. She had crafted the recipe to match perfectly with the wine. There was an element of citrus in both that seamlessly linked them together. Also the nuttiness of the macadamia was a really nice complement to the fuller bodied nature of the Viognier. I really enjoyed the intimacy of this tasting room, which was further enhanced by the effort that was made to bring the taster into a very welcoming environment with home baked brownies.
You can see more of her recipes in her cookbook, ‘Fresh from Dover Canyon’.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery.
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