This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Denner Vineyards. The Central Coast is famous for its “Rhône raiders” of the 1980s, a time when winemakers brought native Rhône Valley varieties to California with the hope that they would thrive. Spoiler alert: It totally worked. This wine is a perfect example of that philosophy. It’s like a smoldering campfire in the Smoky Mountains — warm, peppery, cozy.
Today, we get into California’s Central Coast, which encompasses Ventura, Monterey Bay, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. Overall, this region is relatively young — the San Luis Obispo “SLO” Coast AVA is less than two years old. The Central Coast has everything from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which rely on cooling coastal influences, to warmer-climate grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Central Coast is also home to Paso Robles. Despite being only 25 miles from the ocean, the Santa Lucia Coastal Mountains block any offshore breezes, creating a warmer, more continental climate in and around the city. Paso Robles also has 11 sub-AVAs where high-acid Rhône grapes like Syrah and Grenache are taking hold. Winemakers here are still fine-tuning their practices as they get better acquainted with the land, but the future’s looking bright.
In this episode, Matt Steel, director of Central Coast winemaking at Gallo, joins Keith to talk about this vast wine region. Tune in for more.
Listen Online
Follow Keith on Instagram @VinePairKeith. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps get the word out there.
“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
E. & J. Gallo Winery is excited to sponsor this episode of VinePair’s “Wine 101.” Gallo always welcomes new friends to wine with an amazingly wide spectrum of favorites, ranging from everyday to luxury and sparkling wine. (Gallo also makes award-winning spirits, but this is a wine podcast.) Whether you are new to wine or an aficionado, Gallo welcomes you to wine. Visit TheBarrelRoom.com today to find your next favorite, where shipping is available.
