Overview
Parrish Family Vineyards really is a family business. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps with big dreams of opening his own winery, winemaker David Parrish, graduated from UC Davis and started his own trellising company.
His experience and designs took him to Napa where he worked with some of the greats such as Robert Mondavi and Bob Steinhauer before he decided to return to his roots in the Central Coast and begin making his own wine.
David planted his first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1995 in 2011, he opened a tasting room in downtown wine region Paso Robles. On August 20th of this year (2018), the tasting room moved to a new home on Adelaida Road, one of the most picturesque spots in Paso.
Like so many others in the region, Parrish Family Vineyards practices sustainable farming techniques. This means using less man made products and chemicals in the vineyard to reduce our footprint while still creating incredible wines.
Some ways this is done is by using large birds such as hawks for rodent control, reusing substances such as seaweed for additional nutrients and weed prevention.
David is constantly inventing and experimenting. This past growing season he invented a shade device in multiple colors to protect the grapes especially of Cabernet during their long growing season. This resulted in 10% less shriveled fruits at harvest and while they are still waiting to see the taste results, the initial findings are promising!
The Wine
Parrish grows over 10 varietals of grapes on their 3 different vineyards across Paso. On top of growing all the Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petite Verdot and Cab Franc), they also grow Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah (my favorite) as well as Sauvignon Blanc.
During our visit, they had the following wines available in their tasting room on a standard and reserve menu:
My picks:
2014 Reserve Silken
2014 Zinfandel
Atmosphere
Never before have I walked into a tasting room and thought…”Wow, this could be my home.”
From the gorgeous farmhouse exterior, when you walk inside you immediately get the sense that you’ve been invited over to the Parrish’s home for a glass of wine.
The foyer is layered with family tributes and mementos from the past which bring you into the open concept living space with large windows that lead out into the vineyards. You are encouraged to sit wherever you would like and the wines will be brought to you!
There is also a large outdoor patio area where you can relax at eye level with the vines and even play a little mini golf with vintage flags from a 1920s golf course.
While they are still rolling out a lunch option (be on the lookout next year!), you can order some light bites such as homemade focaccia or sourdough made from a Cabernet starter! Both were delicious, but the focaccia was my favorite!
Great For:
- Couples
- Large Parties
- Excellent Views
Visit
3590 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446 | (805) 286-4028 | open daily from 11am to 6pm
Tasting Fee: $20 – 5 tastings OR $30 – 5 tastings for reserve wines
No reservations necessary for parties of 6 or less.
https://www.parrishfamilyvineyard.com/
