Wine Wednesday with Tablas Creek
I have so many great wines stashed around my house that it’s sometimes difficult to decide what to open for dinner with friends, on any given Wine Wednesday. After a little thought and some recent unboxing I decided to spend Wine Wednesday with Tablas Creek and let you in on a great brand if you don’t already know it.
Tablas Creek Spring Shipment
I had tried a few wines from here over the years but it wasn’t until a 2018 visit to the winery in Paso Robles that I became a fan. So much so that I joined the wine club. I get shipments like this one twice a year. Every wine club has different perks and privileges.
One of the best is gaining access to wines that aren’t distributed or available to the general public, usually winery only purchases and since I’m in Florida, I can’t just swing by the winery on a Sunday drive.
Tablas Creek has quite a history, winemaking pioneers in California’s Central Coast. That’s another reason I like this brand so much.
Grapes developing on the vine at Tablas Creek in Paso Robles.
Looking Back
Founder Robert Haas got into the wine business in the 1950’s, eventually forming a relationship with Jacques Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel in France. This is a beautiful winery in the Rhone Valley and their Chateauneuf du Pape is fantastic. He thought the grape varieties grown in this region would thrive in the central coast so in the 80’s he looked for property and began the process of bringing over vines from France.
It was quite a process, lengthy and expensive. What Hass did next is super cool. He started a grafting program, sharing vine cuttings with other wine makers in the area rather than keeping them all to himself. He supported fellow winemakers, competing winemakers. He cared just as much about growing and elevating the entire winemaking region as he did his own brand.
It made a difference. Today Paso Robles is full of quality wineries making fantastic wine with Rhone grapes such as syrah, grenache, mourvedre, viognier and more.
One of my favorite Tablas Creek white wines is the grenache blanc and the red blends are great with food. Some may need time to open so consider decanting if you find a more recent vintage. Wine Wednesday with Tablas Creek is sounding better and better.
Here are some more Wine Wednesday finds from California and below are a few more photos from Tablas Creek. Cheers.
Tablas Creek barrel room. I love this big wooden barrels for aging.
Gina Birch hanging out in the vineyards at Tablas Creek
Winery dog at Tablas Creek. Every good winery needs a good dog and this one stole the show during my visit.
