Vina Robles
Growers and makers of expressive, approachable estate wines from Paso Robles, California, Vina Robles owns and farms six estate SIP® Certified Sustainable vineyards in five sub-districts in the region. First class hospitality service is offered by way of unique, memorable experiences with wine, food and music at their core. The vineyards & winery are owned and managed by two Swiss families who have been farming winegrapes in Paso Robles for more than 20 years.
Known primarily for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, the Vina Robles lineup includes small lots of a wide range of varieties and creative blends. While adhering to traditional winemaking methods, veteran winemaker Kevin Willenborg implements modern technologies to make his estate wines with minimal intervention.
Vina Robles owners Hans Nef and Hans -R. Michel began farming winegrapes in Paso Robles in 1997. It was a mere 30 years after the region’s first Cabernet Sauvignon was planted by Dr. Stanley Hoffman and the legendary André Tchelistcheff; an exciting and pivotal time in the region’s history. Entrepreneurs who would become known as pioneers of the region were experimenting and making discoveries that would shape the future of the Paso Robles wine industry. It is this spirit that drew the two longtime friends and agriculturalists to the region, and inspired them to purchase land that would become their first of six Paso Robles estate vineyards.
The 40± wineries that existed in 1997 have grown in number to more than 200. It is now no secret that growing conditions in Paso Robles are optimal for producing premium and ultra-premium wines. Major contributing factors include: 1) The Paso Robles AVA lies along California’s Central Coast, only 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean and between two perfectly placed mountain ranges—these natural temperature controls create a Mediterranean-like climate of warm days, cold nights and long growing seasons; and 2) The area has a unique predominance of calcareous soils along with high soil pH values that are not typical of other California AVAs.
Furthermore, Paso Robles is incredibly diverse. It is the largest geographic appellation, stretching over 614,000 acres, with 40,000 planted to vineyard. Encompassing rolling plains, river bottoms and rocky mountainous areas, elevations range from 700 to over 2,400 feet. While calcareous soils dominate, this diverse topography presents more than 30 soil series, primarily bedrock derived soils from weathered granite, volcanic and marine sedimentary rocks. Rainfall varies more than 20 inches in the extreme, and the warmest areas accumulate about 20% more heat than the coolest.
By 2012 Mr. Nef and Mr. Michel recognized how the diversity of terroir within the region contributed to nuances in fruit grown in different areas. They took up a petition with a few likeminded vineyard owners and ultimately helped to establish 11 sub-AVAs/districts in 2014.
Philosophy
COMMITMENT
Paso Robles Estate
Growers and Makers (not a virtual winery)
SIP® Certified Sustainable Vineyards
Established Over Two Decades Ago (1997)
FAMILY
Owned by Two Swiss Families
Managed by Two Generations of both Families
TEAM
Highly Experienced, Dedicated Industry Veterans
WINES
Paso Robles Estate Expressive of Estate Vineyards and Paso Robles AVA
Bold, Well-Structured
Approachable – in terms of both Pricing and Flavor Profiles
Grown and Made with Minimal Intervention
Traditionally Made using Modern Technologies
PLACE/HOSPITALITY
Authentic, Unique, Elegant
Intimate, Warm, Welcoming
Established, Bricks and Mortar (not a virtual winery)
First Class Hospitality Service
Memorable Experiences built around Wine/Food/Music
DEDICATION
VR Gold Standard
Tireless Visionaries
Biography
Kevin Willenborg is a versatile winemaker with over 30 years of extensive experience, covering many of the industry’s key regions including Bordeaux, Napa, Sonoma, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, as well as California’s Central Coast. Throughout his travels, Willenborg’s fine wines of distinction have garnered numerous reputable accolades.
Having studied Fermentation Science at the University of California at Davis, Willenborg’s fast paced career started in 1984 while interning at Chateau Petrus. Here, he not only learned the key elements of shaping a world class wine from ground to glass but also received a great introduction into the industry’s traditions and philosophy.
Thereafter, Willenborg held key winemaking roles at Louis M. Martini in St. Helena, CA and Cedar Creek Estate in Kelowna, Canada, where he was successful with the challenging grape growing environment of the Okanagan Valley and designing the layout for their new winery facility. Later on, Willenborg lead the winemaking program at Firestone Vineyard in Los Olivos, CA, overseeing over 500 acres of estate vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. Prior to joining Vina Robles, he spent two years as associate winemaker at Rubicon Estate in Rutherford, CA where he was responsible for managing all vineyard and winemaking operations.
In spring 2012, Willenborg was hired as winemaker at Vina Robles. “Each wine has its own life. That life begins with the planting and development of the vines. It is then transferred from the earth through the vine as the grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented into wine and eventually bottled,” he explains. “The role of the winemaker is to respectfully steward this life with care and attention to detail.” Willenborg’s winemaking philosophy is in line with the Vina Robles vision. His team approach to “winegrowing” and passion in working with the vines allows him to craft elegant wines that are truly expressive of the Vina Robles estate vineyards.
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