Cody Alt Promoted to Winemaker at Parrish Family Vineyard!

"Growing up I never knew what I wanted to do, coming from San Diego, I didn’t have any agriculture background,” Alt said. “I got into Cal Poly, and of course you have to declare your major, so I was willing to roll the dice and figured wine would be a fun avenue to explore. Wasn’t sure if I wanted to make it, grow it, or sell it, but I chose the winemaking side and fell in love".

“What I wanted to do in college is intern in as many places as possible, be it a lab, vineyard, winemaking facility,” Alt recalls. “I wanted to be as well-rounded as possible. My goal was always to be able to run a facility all by myself, to be able to do everything. One of my favorite opportunities was interning in Germany with a biodynamic vineyard and a winemaker who won winemaker of the year a couple of years ago. 

Among the many wines Alt has had the pleasure of producing during his career, one of his most exciting releases thus far was the 2017 Four Chords Bordeaux Blend from Parrish Family Vineyards. This complex and intense blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot garnered a 95-point rating from Wine Enthusiast and is a club member favorite! 

“I saw an opening in our program at Parrish, we had the Estate Cab, our Reserve Cab and the Silken, but I knew the other varietals we grew and were making wines with would complement each other in a blend,” Alt says. “In the Four Chords, we were very purposeful with the development. Petit Verdot gets the mid palette, Malbec will get that fleshiness which evens it out, the Cab is the main structural component that makes it angular. I thought people would be interested in this blend, and it is very different from anything else we make. That wine was also a real test of my blending skills.”  

Alt has had the privilege of working with some of the best names in Paso Robles wines, among them David Parrish. “I met David at a Taco Tuesday event years ago and he offered me a position here with Parrish Family Vineyard, and at the time I turned him down since the offer was close to harvest and I was working with another winery,” Alt recalls. “But eventually I came to my senses and found a way to join the team. David is a great mentor, he’s taught me a lot and given me every opportunity to succeed.” 

“Hopefully my love and care for these wines show through,” he says. “That’s kind of your goal as a winemaker, that your passion can show through in that glass and make people happy.”

Jan 28, 2022 at 10:00 AM Permalink

Thankful Traditions

Nov 19, 2021 at 2:30 PM Permalink

Reservations...Why?

Jun 16, 2021 at 4:25 PM Permalink

Aphrodisiac Macarons

**Special Event - February 12th-14th**

Yes, you saw that right, Aphrodisiac Macarons! These handcrafted macarons by Chef Samantha are perfect for enjoying the Valentine's holiday as the flavors are decadent and enticing. They pair perfectly with our soon to be released 2018 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, which will be available to Wine Club Members starting that same weekend. 

There are 6 macarons per box with 2 each of the following flavors: Fig & Pistachio, Chocolate Raspberry, and Strawberry Balsamic. 

We cannot wait for you to try these macarons and you can enjoy either by pick up or togo onsite (we are unable to provide full service at this time). With the boxes being limited, be sure to pre-order your box! You can do so here.

Pick ups and togo onsite is available February 12th-14th, 11am-3:30pm. Cheers! 

Jan 22, 2021 at 11:08 AM Permalink

Instagram Live Tasting: 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Nov 19, 2020 at 12:00 PM Permalink

Virtual Tastings!

Watch our two most recent Virtual Experience below. Enjoy our next virtual on December 10th featuring our 2016 Silken and our Winemaking Team! Tickets Here

Virtual Tasting with Petite Sirah
September 24th, 2020

Learn more about our 2016 Petite Sirah as well as other facts about the variety.
Also, a fun sensory experience of pairing spices with wine. 

Hosts:
Erin Foley - Wine Club & Event Coordinator 
Samantha Eitel - Estate Chef 
Cecily Parrish Ray - General Manager

Virtual Tasting with Chardonnay
October 29th, 2020
Featuring our 2018 Chardonnay, learn about the variety as well as some wine nerd facts like ML.
The team also shares a paired cheese with the tasting group and how we pair with the wine. 

Hosts:
Erin Foley - Wine Club & Event Coordinator 
Lupita Sotelo - Tasting Room Manager
Samantha Eitel - Estate Chef 
Cecily Parrish Ray - General Manager

Nov 5, 2020 at 1:35 PM Permalink

Opening Thursday, May 28th - New Hours!

We are excited to share we are opening our doors on Thursday, May 28th for service! We have our current hours listed below in this email. 

We have new wines and an entirely new food menu to share with you! You can review the food menu here. Our team has been working tirelessly the last few weeks in preparation for this moment. A huge thank you to them!

Regarding visiting, things are going to look a little different as we have guidelines set forth by our County in this 2nd Phase of re-opening. Things will change possibly in the future, so we appreciate your patience as we head into these uncharted waters together. Our top priority above all is your safety and the safety of our staff. We are following sanitizing and cleaning guidelines that have been set forth. 

The following are important notes regarding your visit as these are inline with the County guidelines:

• Reservations are required for visits at this time. Reservations can be made here. 
• Masks will be required while entering the tasting room and we can provide one if needed.
• All wine purchases must accompany a food order. We ask that there only be one check per table and that group sizes are limited to 10 people. 
• Most seating will be outdoors. All tables are set at six feet apart to maintain proper social distancing, this includes our limited indoor seating.

We know that this will be an adjustment and again we appreciate your patience. We are beyond thrilled to have you visit and finally be able to enjoy our beautiful location, wines, and food! 

Hours

Thursday-Sunday

11am-6pm 

Reservations Required, but it's easy to make here!

May 23, 2020 at 1:00 PM Permalink

White Flight Virtual Tasting with David and Vanessa

Ok, it's hot! Join Winemaker and owner David Parrish and Certified Sommelier Vanessa Igel as they taste through our white wines and chat pairings and movies.

Grab a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Rose to join along. 

Click here for the video and here for more details about the wines they are tasting. 

Apr 28, 2020 at 10:18 AM Permalink

Why are the barrels topped off?

While we wait for budbreak in the vineyard, the winery team has been working on our wines to be sure they are ready to go as soon as we can welcome you back to the tasting room!

Today, Cellar Master Ethan Ray takes us through a process called Topping Off which is done frequently in the barrel room.

The Topping Off process is crucial to the winemaking process because without it we would be making very expensive vinegar! The wines are stored in wood barrels and those barrels breathe in and out. Through that process, some of the wine is lost to evaporation creating space for oxygen inside the barrel. This same process happens in whisky barrels and is often referred to as the angel’s share.

But, in winemaking, the presence of oxygen can ruin the wine turning it sour and bitter. So, Ethan and Assistant Winemaker Cody Alt have to regularly take down each barrel from where it’s stored, move it to the floor and refill each barrel to ensure there is no space left for oxygen after evaporation has taken place.

Our winery also has two huge humidifiers which help control the temperature and humidity in the barrel room, but there is still work that needs to be done.

Here is Ethan explaining more about the process and the role it plays in creating our delicious estate wines.

Apr 1, 2020 at 10:06 AM Permalink

Tasting of our White Flight

Winemaker David Parrish and Certified Sommelier Vanessa Igel wanted to take a sneak peek at the Sauvignon Blanc and the newly released Rosé and Chardonnay. These white wines are great to have on hand now that the weather is getting warmer. They help to create a little escape from reality and take a little vacation in your backyard. 

The Sauvignon Blanc continues to be a wonderful wine capable of a wide range of pairings from a bowl of fresh raspberries to Thai or even Indian food. At $16 a bottle, we're seeing a lot of people stocking up on it before summer is in full swing. 

The Rosé is one of our team favorites. We had a double blind tasting before the shutdown with our wine and other Paso rosés. Ours was a unanimous winner, though they were all delicious! The nose is full of bubblegum, strawberry and cherry Jolly Rancher notes. The wine can be paired with just about anything. Some of our team favorite pairings are potato chips, spinach salad and salmon. 

The Chardonnay has a great balanced style with 40% new French oak and 60% stainless steel. This breakdown gives the wine those classic markers of butter and roundness while maintaining crispness and acidity from the stainless steel. It can be paired with anything from scallops to brunch faire. 

We hope you enjoy the video of this virtual tasting and that you'll join us for another one this Friday, April 3 on our favorite reds. 

Click here to watch!

Mar 31, 2020 at 10:38 AM Permalink