Detente Wines
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“Brand Détente draws parallels from the Paso Robles wine scene with events and imagery from world history, East vs. West. We don’t care much about politics but enjoy the friendly rivalry between the two distinct sides of the Paso Robles wine region while creating great wine from both.”
What was your first vintage year? 2017 – Détente, 2005 – First harvest worked
How many cases do you make per vintage? 350
If not you, who is your winemaker? Chris Eberle
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
While attending Cal Poly I worked at Hoppe’s restaurant in Cayucos and was introduced to the world of fine wines. I remember becoming interested in the concept of becoming a winemaker after trying a Trout Gulch Pinot from the Santa Cruz mountains. After completing my degree and getting some local winemaking experience, I travelled internationally working harvests in some of the great wine regions of the world. Like many young winemakers I have also always wanted to experience what is was like to build a brand from the ground up using my knowledge of world winemaking techniques on Central Coast grape varieties.
What varietals do you work with? Which varietal/wine is your favorite to make? Why?
Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Gewurztraminer, Graciano, Syrah, Pedro Jimenez. Pinot Noir is my favorite varietal to make. It is such a beautiful wine and has great expression on both the nose and palate. Each vintage has something different to offer and I like to let those differences show themselves each year.
What vineyards do you source from? Why?
We source our Rhône varietals from the Colburn Vineyard in the Adelaide District on the Westside of Paso and our Bordeaux varietals come from the Still Waters Vineyard in the El Pomar District on the Eastside. Each of these vineyard partners have been selected because their fruit is meticulously maintained and provides exactly what we are looking for when making our wines. We look to show a bit of old-world style using new-world techniques, leading to elegant structure and balance. Our Pinot Noir comes from the Stolo Vineyard in Cambria. The cooler climate on the Cambria coast has proved to show some of the best Pinot I’ve worked with.
What type of oak treatment do you use? Why?
Each wine and each vintage will guide me in a particular direction every year. I try not to “over oak” any of our wines as I like to show the natural characteristics of each varietal. A small exposure to new French oak on the Sauvignon Blanc allowed me to obtain a nose and palate that I feel is a great example of a serious Sauv Blanc. It is still light and balanced, but has just enough body to hold up to a hearty meal as well.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
Paso Robles is an amazing wine region that shows nice variance in the different sub-appellations. These differences are why we source Rhônes from the West and Bordeauxs from the East. In my many years of making wine in Paso, I have found these varieties are a truer expression of themselves in their respective sub-appellations.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
Some say in Paso Robles, the East does it better, while others say the West is best.
Détente produces small lot classic wines from our favorite varietals from the best vineyards on both sides. Our style can be summed up as old world with new world techniques. Hand-crafted with elegant structure and balance these wines will help you achieve détente.
Brand Détente draws parallels from the Paso Robles wine scene with events and imagery from world history, East vs. West. We don’t care much about politics but enjoy the friendly rivalry between the two distinct sides of the Paso Robles wine region while creating great wine from both.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
Make friends with someone who owns open (and affordable) retail space in downtown Paso before you make your first vintage!!!
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
The flexibility to work with small (1 ton) lots allows you to have great attention to detail when it comes to winemaking. Working at larger wineries can dictate making each vintage just like the previous vintage so consumers’ expectations are met when they buy that wine on the grocery store shelf. Being small, you can allow each vintage to express itself more freely. Détente’s customers can expect to see something new with each vintage opposed to expecting the same exact wine they had the year before.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
With a few of the large corporations buying up brand after brand, the small-lot wineries will be the go-to for consumers looking for “craft wines” instead of big production, run of the mill wines. With craft beer and craft spirits showing a large surge in the market, craft wines will be right behind when the younger consumer base starts to adopt wine in their everyday alcohol decisions. This is a great time to be a small-lot winery and the future only looks brighter as the larger wineries become lost in the corporate portfolios.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
Western Australia hands down. Beautiful place to live, great surf, amazing people and wines that rival the best in the world. Look for Détente to expand there in the future (one can always hope!).