Tablas Creek Vineyard

The Perrin family, proprietors of Château de Beaucastel, and Robert Haas, founder of Vineyard Brands, Inc., thought about planting a vineyard in California in the early 1980s. They agreed that Rhône varietal grapes, both red and white, and particularly those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, were perfect for the California climate. Why were so few being planted? It seemed a great opportunity to use their special wine knowledge to fill a vacant niche. In 1987 they decided to make the thoughts into reality.

The search for property began. Two important objectives were to find a close match to the climate and high pH soils of Château de Beaucastel. The search went as far north as Nevada County, in the foothills of the Sierras and as far south as Ventura, on the coast. In the end, the partners decided that ocean influence was also desirable. They then focused their efforts in the area west of Paso Robles, where they found high pH soils in proximity to the ocean. Finally, in 1989, they purchased a promising 120 acre parcel on Adelaida Road in the Santa Lucia Mountain foothills about 12 miles from the Pacific.

The property elevation averages 1,500 feet and the shallow, rocky limestone soils of the Cretaceous and middle Miocene periods are of the same geological origin as Beaucastel. Cooler nights balance the warm days because of the influence of the nearby Pacific.