“At Monochrome, we are focused exclusively on white wines. In 2016, we worked with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, and Albarino. In 2017, we are planning to add Chenin Blanc to that list. We have enjoyed working will all those varieties, and don’t really have a favorite yet. In 2016, the Chardonnay was probably the most fun, as we broke it up into a lot of very small components, and took different approaches with each of them.”
“A large part of what I love about Marin is the obvious maritime influence. I’m competing with cows, not condos, for my patch of ground.” — Stewart Johnson
Being small means you know every vine, every grape cluster that goes into the wine. We do it all, from the ground up. We planted the vines, grow the grapes, ferment into wine age and blend. The wine is truly a piece of us — it’s a personal expression of who we are in a bottle. — Steve Alden
We never get tired of tasting our own wine, however, it is important to also taste other wines to keep our palate in tune. Dipping into our inventory is purely a form of quality control!
“Grenache is my favorite. It loves to give. It is big fruited, bright when it’s not overripe, has guts but can be complex, and likes our sunny climate. “ — Dennis Sharpe
Paso Robles is very special to us not only because the climate allows us to grow top quality grapes; but also because Paso is rich with honest and hardworking families. — Enrique Torres
You can feel everyone’s passion and I’m just excited to be apart of it. We have such an array of microclimates and awesome farmers. It makes our wines captivating and able to compete with the best. — Bret Urness
“We are named the vineyard and wines after our daughter Marin who was 6 years old when we initially planted the vineyard. She worked / played alongside of us as we developed the vineyard and she grew up with it. She recently graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this summer with a degree in winemaking and has been our winemaker for over a year.”
Where else can you go ANYWHERE in the world where you can walk in and find the owner or winemaker at the winery? Paso has some of the best wine in the world and some of the most talented wine folks in the world and they are still out in the fields, working in the tasting room and out and about around town accessible to everyone. — John Shaw
I fell in love with the Central Coast while attending school in SLO (not for wine). It is beautiful and uncrowded. We have very good fruit sources all over but the Sta. Rita Hills (for me) is the most special – meaning few peers in the world for Pinot Noir. — Steve Arrowood
“We fell in love with the industry when we lived in San Francisco when my husband and I were first married. We'd go up to Napa and stay at working vineyards. We knew this was something we wanted to do. We then moved to southern CA, and when we found our house in Malibu, there was a vineyard across the way and we knew we could plant there. We planted our first crop in 2001 and harvested from there in 2004.”
“As an avid wine lover, I was constantly on a quest for something better. I wanted elegance, body, and boldness in our wines. I wanted wines I would be proud to offer to our friends and family. This led to a fun, weekend hobby that gradually grew into home wine making and then evolved into wine that matters.”
“Each vintage is an archive of our efforts in winemaking. We take a lot of pride in our labels. We endeavor to tell a tale and allow consumers to become part of our story.” — Zach Jarosz
“We love Paso because we have strong roots in the community and have been here for a long time. We have seen Paso and our county as a whole blossom right before our eyes into a world class wine growing region and a popular destination spot without all the hullabaloo. The people for the most part are humble and hard working, yet relaxed and easy going and we feel that is reflected in our wines.”
“We choose to use the name Caliza for our winery as in Spanish it means limestone. It is the limestone based soils of our own vineyards, and much of Paso Robles area that makes for our great wine growing conditions. I felt that by choosing a name that always reminds us that the wines we produce begin in the vineyards and it is these special soils that give us much of the character found in our wines.” –Carl Bowker
I find myself wanting to make everything. And more and more obscure varietals are appealing to me lately. But, in all honestly the Bordeaux varietals are where it's at year after year. I love Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot. I love the complexities and differences they make when you blend them together. — Angela Soleno
“My wife, Pamela, and I married in 2008 and became a blended family, with 7 children, our 7 angels. Ironically our two families have known each other since our children were small. Pamela and I found each other because, we believe, that angels had their hand in it.”