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Vineyard and Winemaking
Explore Tablas Creek Vineyards and learn more about our vineyards and winemaking process.
Vineyard
Tablas Creek’s wine production is centered around our limestone-rich 120-acre organic estate vineyard in the hills north and west of Paso Robles. The warm days and cool nights allow our vines to gracefully ripen the Rhône varietals we grow. Our viticulture practices emphasize dry farming and seek to maximize the expression of our terroir. We farm organically, and received our organic certification in January 2003. More recently, we have converted part of the vineyard to use Biodynamic techniques. At harvest, each vineyard block is hand-harvested selectively, and we typically make 2-4 passes through each vineyard block at harvest. [more about our Vineyard and Viticulture]
Winemaking
The Perrin and Haas families, along with winemaker Neil Collins, believe that minimum human intervention in our winemaking process preserves the wine’s link to its place of origin. All Tablas Creek wines are fermented using only native yeasts. White grapes are gently whole cluster pressed, and the juice is fermented in aged French oak barrels and stainless steel. Red grapes are sorted and destemmed after harvest, and the juice and whole berries moved to fermenters. During fermentation, the must is pumped over or punched down twice a day. After fermentation, the red wines are pressed, then blended and aged for one year in 1200-gallon French oak foudres. As is traditional in Châteauneuf du Pape, we blend our Rhône varietals to produce wines that are more complex, better balanced, and richer than single varietal wines. [more about our Winemaking]
Nursery
Our on-site vinifera nurseries, rootstock fields and grafting and growing facilities were created to provide us with the Rhone varietals we have planted in our vineyards, but we have since 1996 made these high quality clones available for purchase by interested vineyards. Customers who wish to purchase Rhone varietal budwood and grafted vines using Tablas Creek vinifera material can do so exclusively through NovaVine Nursery of Sonoma, California, who produce grafted vines of consistent high quality using environmentally responsible farming practices. [more about the Tablas Creek Nursery]
Grapes
There are dozens of varietals grown in the Rhône Valley in France. 13 of these are approved in Châteauneuf du Pape, with another 8 approved in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. We chose to import the 9 chief varietals of the Southern Rhône for our Paso Robles estate vineyard: Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, and Counoise for the reds, and Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Picpoul for the whites. [more about our Grapes]
Upcoming Events
Outstanding in the Field (June 7) and Hearst Castle (July 13) Dinners
We are honored to be participating in two local dinners this summer, on June 7th at Rinconada Dairy with Outstanding in the Field and on July 13th at Hearst Castle with Festival Mozaic. Join us at these unforgettable (though wholly different) venues. Details & More Events »
Tablas Creek News
Featured Wine for May: 2010 Grenache Blanc
Each month, we choose a wine to feature based on the season and the wine's own evolution. For May, we've chosen the expressive, mineral-laced 2010 Grenache Blanc. During the feature, this wine (normally $27) is available at $24.60, and just $18.90 for VINsiders. Details »
On the Blog: Celebrating May 15th, the unofficial end to frost season
May 16, 2012
I've delayed writing this post so as not to jinx us, but in mid-May I think that I can do so safely. So, here goes. We seem to have made it through spring without any damage from frost. What does this mean? Nothing but good »