Hunt Cellars
The best advantage to having friends that love wine as much as I do is that I get introduced to many wineries I have not yet heard of or experienced. Heck, Napa alone has what, over 700 wineries and 14 sub-appellations and the Sonoma region growing with well over 200 wineries, so how can one person ever taste each one. Making this my life-long goal (ha-ha) I try to broaden my palate and be open to new wines, varietals, regions….you name it.
Over the Thanksgiving week I had the pleasure of visiting some of the best people I know out in Park City whom I met while visiting Calistoga last year. They have introduced me to some out-of-this world juice and this last trip was no exception. As we headed out to Chez Betty, one of my favorite restaurants in the historical part of Park City, we grabbed two bottles of red, one from Hunt Cellars, which I savored during our meal. For those who have gotten to know me, you know my fondness for blends. This particular wine was their 2004 Maestro, a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, silken bliss in a bottle. I enjoyed this bottle from Hunt Cellars so much that a few days later we opened up a 2003 Paso Robles Syrah “Serenade” Reserve, earthly yet fruit forward with rich black fruit, smoke and a hint of vanilla. Although I think this vintage will do better after a few more years of lying down to mellow out some, it was another sure hit with me so I decided it was time to look into the history and wines of Hunt Cellars.
Hunt Cellars began a little over 20 years ago and is located in Paso Robles California on Highway 46 West Wine Trail, part of the coastal route to Hearst Castle (which I would love to visit one day). From what I gather, their wines are only available at the winery, online or for wine club members
David Hunt and his wife decided on the Paso Robles region only after looking at land in Oregon, Washington, and all over California. Once settled onto their 550 acres of land that they believed would grow some award winning intense fruit (which they were right by the way) they named their vineyard “Destiny Vineyards” after their new baby girl, Destiny, who was born in 1996. Their first vines were Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Cab Franc Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. In 1997 they started producing their first releases with the first wine being a 90-point rating from Wine Enthusiast, a 1998 Zinfandel. In Oct of 1999 they opened their tasting room which sounds beautiful. They have a 1200 foot veranda under a pavilion that leads to landscaped grounds which you can stroll. The tasting room itself features live music or a self playing piano filling the air with songs that guests can choose.
I would love to meet this family, they sound fun and very passionate about their wines while obviously talking great care in their customer experience, and despite the fact that David Hunt lost his sight in 1989, it didn’t keep him from pursuing his dream. I imagine this only enhanced his other senses such as his nose and palate which brings a very unique inspiration to the mix. David is also a musician who has been a finalist twice in the American Songwriting Festival and has recorded with Ambrosia. . You can see his love of music in his choices for many of his wine labels, such as the Maestro and Serenade I enjoyed so much; as well as others I can’t wait to try, such as Good Vibration, Moonlight Sonata, Rhapsody, Rockin’ Red and Duets. Boy do I want to get my hand on their Good Vibration Cabernet Port and give that a try for the holidays!
After enjoying only a few of their wines and reading about this family, I can clearly see they are focused on delivering us all fine wines with character and flavor with that smooth velvet finish that I personally favor – and well worth checking them out online and purchasing some of these fine small-lot wines for your own enjoyment!
