The Winepress Magazine - Summer 2014 - 29

The Parrish family boasts strong
ties to the area, made evident
by the vivid photographs of
vineyards hung along the tasting
room walls. Stop by the bar and
chat with winemaker David
Parrish, who loves spinning a
yarn almost as much as he does
getting his hands dirty.

of Atascadero co-founder Earl
Henderson, who planted 720 acres of
vineyards in the region back in 1927.
Like his grandfather, Parrish went
on to grow and sell wine grapes.
However, Parrish took the dream one
step further when he began crafting
his own wine in 2004. In 2011, the
boutique winery opened its tasting
room to the public, currently located
at 1220 Park Street in downtown
Paso Robles. The winery specializes
in Bordeaux, Burgundian and Rhone
varietals.
Parrish encourages visitors to dive
head-first into the summer tasting
list, which includes Parrish's awardwinning 2012 Sauvignon Blanc and
ever-popular 2012 Petite Syrah.
"Our Sauvignon Blanc has green
apple, a nice crispness - it's really a

refreshing wine," said Parrish. "The
Petit Syrah is full of blackberry and
fruit-forward flavor and aromatics;
definitely a crowd pleaser."
If tasters are lucky, they might
even be privy to a sip of Parrish's
outstanding 2009 Cabernet
Sauvignon, a San Francisco Chronicle
Wine Competition Gold winner. The
wine brims with black fruit, vanilla and
Asian spice.
Parrish said he's concerned first
and foremost with the quality of his
fruit. Although the label produces a
few blends, Parrish is careful not to rely
on blending. Readers should note: The
three aforementioned wines are 100
percent single varietal.
"I think blending can sometimes
take away from the true varietal
characteristics," the winemaker said.

"I take great care to use only the very
best fruit."
Photos of those vineyards (taken
by daughter/general manager
Cecily Ray) hang in the tasting room,
showcasing the winemaker's family
values. Wife Lynn and assistant
winemaker/son-in-law Ethan Ray are
constant faces around the downtown
tasting room.
"I'm at the tasting room quite
often, as is the whole family," said
Parrish. "We try to ensure there's
someone there from the family - who
is either involved in the wine tasting or
the winery - at all times. This is truly a
family business."

Parrish Family Vineyard
1220 Park St
Call
805-286-4028
Visit
parrishvineyards.com

SUMMER 2014 THE WINEPRESS MAGAZINE

29
The Winepress Magazine - Summer 2014

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