ANSWER: York Mountain Winery cum Epoch

In the late 1870s, Andrew Jackson York, the first Englishman to arrive on the Central Coast winemaking scene began planting Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet and the Mission Varietal on a 240-acre homestead.  York was a rancher from Indiana and within a few years, found that he produced more wine grapes than he could sell. In 1892, he established Ascension Winery on a hill between Paso Robles and the Pacific Coast, building his winery from hand-made bricks (that he fired on-site) and beams from a dismantled Cayucos pier.

The winery was nestled on York Mountain Road, which was the lifeline from Paso Robles to the coast before Highway 46 was constructed. It was during this time, that York also made wine for Ignace Paderewski from Paderewski's famous Adelaida Vineyard.

Ascension was renamed York Mountain Winery by York's sons after they joined the business. Three generations of the York family owned and operated the property from 1882 to 1970 before they sold the winery to Max Goldman.  In 2001, David and Mary Weyrich, who also owned Martin & Weyrich Winery, purchased the property from Goldman and expanded the plantings on the vineyard to include Pinot Noir.

In 2003, the York Mountain Winery sustained catastrophic damage from the Paso Robles earthquake and was condemned at that time. The Weyrich's continued to produce York Mountain Winery wines until it was closed in February 2010 after Martin & Weyrich filed bankruptcy.

Bill and Liz Armstrong, owners of Epoch Estate Wines, purchased the winery and 150 acres in July 2010. The Armstrongs founded Epoch Estate Wines in 2004 and currently operates the Epoch tasting room on the 150-acre York Mountain property. They plan to rebuild the historic winery to house a museum and erect a state-of-the-art winery elsewhere on the property.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of the Paso Roble's wine region, join First Crush for a Paso Wine 101 Seminar or our Historical Vineyard & Winery Tour, May 18 @ 1:00 p.m. and May 20 @ 11 a.m.

Tzinifandli, Czirifandli, Zierfandler, Zenfendal, Primativo, Black St. Peters, Crljenak Kastelanski...what do all of these words have in common? At one time or another, all of them are thought to have had some connection to the wine we have come to know and love as Zinfandel.

The Zinfandel grape may not be as popular as the Cab or be in vogue like Moscata, but it's arguably more interesting.  It certainly has an elusive and intriguing past and its varying taste styles make it somewhat of a wine Chameleon.

Once thought by many to have hailed from California, many experts and ampelographers spent years tracing the Zin's genetic background. In 1993, DNA fingerprinting confirmed that America's beloved Zin is genetically equivalent to the Croatian varietal Crljenak Kastelanski and also Primativo – a variety traditionally grown in Puglia (aka the heel of Italy).

It’s hard to believe that I have been in the wine industry since June and this last Friday, February 24^th, was the first time I had ever gone wine tasting.  Sure, I work in a tasting room and there are two other wineries on the same property whose wine I’ve tasted, but actually going to another winery for the pure tasting experience was a novelty.

I woke up Friday morning to a text from by boss and owner at First Crush, Becky, saying to get to the office early because the plan was to go wine tasting.  I responded by agreeing and telling her to have fun.  Much to my surprise she notified me that I would be accompanying her, and my excitement just started bubbling.

I could barely even sit in my desk during my morning class I was so eager to get to Paso Robles for this new experience.  Luckily, being in the College of Ag at Cal Poly, my teacher understood and even expressed his excitement for me, but once that clock hit 11:30 I bolted out of that classroom to the bus stop and I was on my way home.

After scarfing down some left over pasta from the night before, I hopped in my ’99 Camry and was on the freeway towards Paso.

Once I arrived, there was about 2 hours of work to get done before we could go, and my mind was reeling. Naturally, Murphy’s Law applied and we had to reorganize the layout of our upcoming event not once, but twice within an hour.  But we worked our magic and somehow made it out the door by 3:30, just enough time to make it to two wineries.

We started our adventure at Adelaida Cellars, and before I move on, I have to touch on the drive.  I grew up with a cabin in Mendocino County so I have seen my fair share of back country roads and gorgeous views, but Adelaida Road is just breathtaking.  Of course everywhere you look on the Central Coast there is a gorgeous view, but this road is different.  It felt like the Elvin Forest that Tolkein describes.  Cherry blossoms in bloom, aged coastal oaks, and finches flitting around—it felt like a dream; but, I digress.

We got to Adelaida and the adventure had begun.  Alix, the tasting room attendant, and recent Poly grad (a bio major), was so helpful and chipper, and ­­­­­Patti was practically bending over backwards to make sure Becky got the specific 2008 Michael’s Vineyard Zinfandel she was looking for.  Becky and I went through the tasting list, starting with the Viogner and ending with a Cab/Merlot blend that was to die for.  I learned the normal characteristics of a Zin (a touch of pepper) and started picking up aromas and flavors on my own.  I could taste the citrus in the Mouvedre, and I picked out the vanilla in the younger Zinfandel.  I had a blast.  After getting the bottles we were searching for, but not before we finished the flight, we were on our way at a quarter to five.

Most wineries close their tasting room at five, but Daou was just down the road and we figured what’s the worst that would happen? They turn us away?  So, on we went to the next journey.  Daou’s Tasting room was just gorgeous.  It looked like it was straight out of Morocco and the place was still packed.  Again, we went through that day’s list and this time, I got a bottle of Petite Syrah.  It was impeccable.  The whole afternoon was impeccable.

Now it’s Sunday, and guess what I’m doing: going wine tasting with the girls.  I’m hooked.

By Coleen Gravem

Do you remember your First Crush? I know I do.

Memorable or forgettable, most of us fondly recall that first feeling of butterflies fluttering in our tummies. This Valentine's Day, take a moment or two and tell us about your First Crush, and if your had to name a wine after him or her, what would it be?

Here's my story to get you started...

I was eight and in third grade. It was that time in early adolescence when the boys scribbled "CP" -- short for Cootie Protection -- on their hands, and all they wanted to do was run from the girls.  Needless to say, all us girls wanted to do was chase the boys and give them the cooties they feared.

My First Crush's name was Kevin. He was skinnier than me, had braces and freckles and was a toe-head.  (For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it's a "Southern" word and what my mother called kids with bleach-blonde hair.) We were Crossing Guards together and I could beat him at tetherball, but Kevin ran faster than me so I never was able to catch him. I'm pretty sure I never gave him cooties but I do remember scribbling his name on my notebooks and we occasionally walked home from school together.

First Love? No, not really. First Crush, yeah, probably. It seemed all important at the time but left no scars and I never shed a tear.  This was definitely Puppy Love, but if I had to name this wine after Kevin, I'd call "Cootie Cuvee."