Robert
Dunning had to be coaxed into entering his wines in one of
the largest
and most prestigious wine competitions in the country. The end result
from
the 1996 Orange County Fair competition was a Gold medal for the
Merlot,
and Bronzes for both the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then
Dunning Vineyards has established a strong following among premium wine
lovers for their limited release Estate Wines.
The
inspiration to establish a small, family-owned winery came after 15
years of successful experimental home winemaking with local grapes.
Robert had been producing great wine from Paso Robles vineyards non-commercially for years. But grapes were getting harder and harder to find and Robert was quickly outgrowing his sources. He wanted complete control from the vineyard to the bottle in an effort to produce only the finest wines.
In 1991 Bob and his wife Jo-Ann began planting their own vineyard with Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the hills west of Paso Robles. They later added Zinfandel and Syrah. According to Robert they are not completely done. We want the 'right grape for the area.'
From the Ocean to the Fields
Robert came to the area from Malibu, California and Jo-Ann from the Pacific Palisades, California. They enjoy living on the property with their son, Garrett.
To further expand his technical knowledge, Robert then took classes in both enology and viticulture at the University of California, Davis. The schooling is good for the technical part, but winemaking really comes from the fields, Robert feels. "Matching the right varietal to micro climate along with proper canopy management is very important."
Because of the two advantages of the climate and the soil, Robert believes his westside Paso Robles vineyard is in the perfect locale. The high 1200 to 1600 foot elevations of the vineyards, along with soils that are lean, calcareous rock, produce low yielding vines. The warm summer days of Paso Robles along with the afternoon cooling affect of the near by Pacific Ocean, allows for a longer growing season and adds intensity and concentration to our fruit.
Viticulture practices include a mix of Vertical Shoot Positioning, GDC and traditional head pruning, dry farming training methods. Additionally, we take a "hands on" approach in the vineyards, spending time with canopy management and crop thinning, with the focus on keeping the vines always in balance.
Traditional winemaking using small lot fermentation, gentle hand punching of the red must, barrel fermentation of the whites along with the use of 100% French oak barrels result in wines that are incredibly rich, concentrated and elegant.
Topping off these ideal growing conditions, Robert does much of the work himself, including pruning the vines, hand-selecting the grapes, and then fermenting and aging in small lots. "My focus is on quality,? Robert says. "Making wine from your own vineyard, that's what it's all about."
The small intimate winery currently produces less than 2500 cases annually, with expectations to grow to about 3000 cases. Robert and Jo-Ann prefer to remain small so they can retain the closeness with visitors. Dunning Vineyards are members of the Paso Robles Far Out Wineries, Paso Robles Wine Alliance. the Paso Robles Grand Crew, Central Coast Vineyard Team (sustainable farming practices), Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce and the San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau.
A visit to Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery in
the
Adelaida Hills west
of Paso Robles offers you the chance to taste their award winning
estate wines amidst grand 100+ year old oak trees. As you approach the
winery and tasting room you may be greeted by deer or wild turkey
that
roam this picturesque 40 acre property.
Dunning Vineyards is located at 1953 Niderer Road in the rolling countryside the Adelaida Hills west of Paso Robles. By car, take Highway 46 West from Highway 101 just over three miles to Oakdale Road. Head right onto Oakdale and drive one-half mile.Turn right onto Las Tablas Willow Creek Road and drive about 1.2 miles. Bear right onto Niderer Road and continue about one mile. Turn left up the path to the winery. Click here for a map.
We offer complimentary tasting of our estate wines in our tasting room featuring Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Vin de Casa and Chardonnay.
Hours: Dunning Vineyards is open to the public on Thursday through Monday from 11 to 5. Other weekday tastings can also be arranged; give us a call. We also provide educational tours, click here for more information.
The trip to Dunning Vineyards is well worth it just for the scenery alone. "I like to see people come out here and enjoy themselves," says Robert. ?We are only minutes from town and an adventure at the end of the road." In addition to personal tours of the winery itself, visitors are encouraged to come picnic or just relax in their idyllic setting.
Join our limited membership Wine Club and be guaranteed the wines before they sell out!
We are open most Holidays except...
Closed Easter Sunday
Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Closed Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday
Robert and
Jo-Ann Dunning
Dunning
Vineyards
1953
Niderer Road
Paso
Robles, California 93446
(805)
238-4763
info@dunningwines.com