2013 Herman Story Bolt Cutter

Herman Story Wines are made by Russell P. From, who calls himself “proprietor, winemaker and waste water specialist at Herman Story Wines.” From named his venture after his grandfather, and From is a one-man enterprise. From was a student at a nearby university when he started working in restaurants with good wine lists. He was soon enthralled with wines and the idea of winemaking and by the early 2000s was making his own wines. Based in Paso Robles, he sources grapes from up and down the California Coast, focusing on Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre and Rhone-style red and white blends. From likes one-of-a-kind labels and iconic wines names, somewhat in the style of his Central Coast neighbor, Manfred Krankl. From’s 2013 On the Road Grenache features a yellow highway dividing line on asphalt on the label. His 2013 white blend called Tomboy shows the ripped back pocket of a pair of jeans. With very limited production, Herman Story Wines are available generally only through the mailing list. Reviewers have been impressed. “A serious Central Coast producer, the Herman Story Winery builds up its strength and credibility with each new vintage,” according to Robert M. Parker Jr. .”Kudos to winemaker Russell From…”

Central Coast AVA is a huge wine producing area that extends from Santa Barbara County in the south to San Francisco in the north. With more than 100,000 vineyard acres, it includes parts of six counties near the Pacific Ocean. Nearly 20 smaller AVAs lie within the Central Coast AVA. Central Coast earned appellation status in 1985. Included in the appellation are parts of the counties of Contra Costa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. Nearly every grape varietal grown in California is grown somewhere in the Central Coast AVA, though Chardonnay accounts for nearly 50% of the entire wine grape crop.