When William and Katherine invited us to spend two nights at The Canyon Villa, we jumped at the chance. As always, the food, friendship, and accommodations were superb. We got January off to a good start by spending a day in Paso Robles. And we found two terrific wineries we did not know about. As an added bonus, we were the first to visit the tasting room at a third winery that doesn’t even open until February.
Lauren Rava and Leslee Falkenberg of Rava Wines (click for larger image)
We promised Lauren and Leslee that we wouldn’t do a full write-up of Rava Wines until they release their full wine lineup next month. We’ll just say that what we tasted shows a lot of promise and potential. We’ll write a longer review in February. But you can taste their excellent sparkler and albariño right now. They are also pouring a selection of Brophy-Clark wines. (John Clark is doing double duty as the winemaker at both Brophy-Clark and Rava.) Make an apopointment first. And ask for a tour of the spectacular facilities. By the way, Rava is a must-visit for the scenery, architecture, and good vibes. Those planning a wedding or other event should consider this place.
Ryan and Grace (click for larger image)
Next up was Deovlet Wines (pronounced Dev’-let). We were greeted by Ryan Deovlet and Grace. Three outstanding pinot noirs led to one question: why haven’t we found these folks before? It turns out that we had visited their tasting room once. But it was occupied by 4 Vines.
Dilecta dog wants to play
Finally, we arrived at Dilecta. William and Katherine have their wines on The Canyon Villa’s in-house wine list. We were greeted enthusiastically by the winery’s golden retriever who was eager to play. Owner – winemaker Orion Stang rescued us from the puppy and proceeded to pour us some yummy GSMs. We’re normally not big fans of Rhône-style blends, but Dilecta has made us believers.
Dilecta’s Orion Stang and Tony (click for larger image)
Three for three on the day. And 2018 is off to a very, very good start.
