Stairway Vineyard

Paso Robles experienced record winter rainfall as multiple atmospheric rivers advanced across the west coast from December 2022 through March 2023. Rain totals for the season were nearly double the 30-year average and helped to established cover crops in our sustainably farmed vineyards to prevent erosion and draw precipitation back into the soil. A remarkable “superbloom” of colorful native flowers could be spotted through springtime on the central coast in response to the nourishing downpours. Cool weather persisted through much of the growing season. This slowed vine and cluster development until mid-July, when warm weather finally emerged. Veraison occurred during the second and third weeks of August, about two weeks behind schedule. Near perfect warm weather continued through October and November, allowing us to wait until the last days of autumn for optimal ripeness and flavor development. We hand-picked this Grenache in two passes, on October 3rd and 16th. The lots were crushed and held in tank on the skins for 15 hours prior to pressing to develop the wine’s vibrant pink hue.