New World Wine

» Jacqueline Church - Limestone? Hmm...

My terroir knowledge is rusty (queue the creaking noise from a B movie)...is this similar mineral quality to that which gives white Burgundies, like Chablis and Sancerre, their flinty quality? Is it the warm(er) climate that dictates Zin as the dominant grape?

Thanks for a great intro and thanks in advance for the next piece! Good to fire up the unused synapses...

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» Alan Boehmer - Limestone? Hmm...

In response to Limestone? Hmm... posted by JChurch:

Westside Paso Robles contains soils rich in limestone and shares many qualities with the soils in south central France. I rode around the area several years ago with a partner in Ch. de Beaucastel (Chateauneuf), looking for vineyard sites to do Rhone styled wines in Paso Robles. We stopped the truck and got out to examine the road cuts. Sure enough! Just the kind of geology that lends certain varietals the desired flavor profile.

As for Zinfandel, Rhone varietals have pushed Zin into second place as far as red varietals are concerned. There's much enthusiasm for Syrah and Grenache. Nevertheless, westside Paso has head pruned Zinfandel plantings nearly a century old. No one wants to lose those irreplaceable assets.

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» cheers2wine - Zinfandel

If you are going wine tasting in Paso Robles, be sure to stop in at Turley Winery near Templeton...not far off of Hwy. 101. They have fantastic Zinfandel. Their wines are not readily available. There's a 2 year waiting list to join their wine club, but you can sample and purchase wines at their tasting room.

There's lots of great wineries in Paso Robles, but this is my personal favorite for Zinfandel.
Not far from Turley is a great place to eat in downtown Templeton called McPhee's Grill. They have gourmet food that is down-to-earth for a reasonable price. Atmosphere is casual.

Cheers!
Kathy
http://www.cheers2wine.com

-- posted by cheers2wine

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» Alan Boehmer - Zinfandel

In response to Zinfandel posted by cheers2wine:

Cheers, Turley makes some of the highest rated Zins in California. They're not to everyone's tasts, though. Over the top extraction and alcohol. And very pricey. A number of westside wineries offer wines that are similar in style at half the price.

I'll offer suggestions in future articles.

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