The Vineyards
Vigo Cellars takes pride in sourcing fruit from sustainably farmed, premium wine grape vineyards in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo Coastal and Santa Barbara County wine regions. With a focus on Rhône varietals, the winery’s core selections include Grenache Blanc, Viognier, a Grenache Rosé, Grenache and Syrah.
At Vigo Cellars, we source fruit from three distinct districts in the Paso Robles AVA:
Templeton Gap
Named for the ocean breeze that is blown in through a gap in the ridgeline. The elevation is comprised of the Santa Lucia Range mountain slopes and broad alluvial terraces. The soil composition encompasses alluvial soils and sandy to silty to clay loams, calcareous in places. With 17 average inches of precipitation per year, the marine influences enters the region to moderate the daily temperatures, increasing the amount of time that it takes for the grapes to ripen, assisting in the retention of crisp acids, which perfect for the flavor profile of the Vigo Viognier.
Willow Creek
Known for its maritime climate, the district receives 20 – 24 inches of precipitation per year. High elevation, mountainous bedrock slopes across a more erodible member of the Monterey Formation, at 960-1,900 feet. The soil is mostly residual bedrock from middle to lower members of the Monterey Formation, with patches of alluvial soil along streams, with mostly calcareous to loams and clay loams. The limited production Vigo Zinfandel is derived from the Willow Creek district.
El Pomar
Vigo Cellars has an established relationship with select vineyards in the El Pomar district. With 15 inches of annual average rainfall, the El Pomar district features quaternary alluvial soils, with well-developed loams to clay loams, some calcareous, with Monterey Formation sandstone and siltstone at depth in areas. Well diverse soil types and depths give unique growing conditions, while careful attention to farming practices help the vines develop to their full potential, with an expressive varietal flavor profile. The majority of the Vigo Cellars Rhone varietals originate from the El Pomar district, including Grenache Blanc, Grenache Rosé, Grenache and Syrah in addition to our limited production Verdelho.
In addition, the San Luis Obispo Coastal region has long been a favorite of Vigo Cellars (i.e. our initial offering of 2008 Syrah from the Avila Valley), with a return to cool-climate fruit in 2018.
Morro View Vineyard
A limited production Grenache was sourced from the acclaimed Morro View Vineyard in the Edna Valley AVA. Located just 5 miles inland of the Pacific, the vineyard has a strong maritime influence of early morning fog, with an afternoon coastal breeze, perfect for the aromatics of a cool-climate Grenache. Situated in the heart of the Edna Valley, the vineyard is aptly named for its vista of the morros that are familiar landmarks of the Central Coast, and a reminder of the rich sedimentary rock soil of the vineyard.
For harvest 2022, we sourced fruit from two exceptional vineyards in the Los Olivos District of Santa Barbara County, and are looking forward to these future releases:
The Dairy Vineyard
We are so excited about our upcoming Rosé bottling with this fruit from Santa Ynez!
3235 Roblar
Our newest Grenache will be bottled in Spring 2024, featuring fruit from Los Olivos - we're loving this wine now and really looking forward to seeing how it will develop over the next 6 months!