Prior to Spaswinefood's June visit to Paso Robles I just happened to find a Food and Wine article by Robert Parker on Paso Robles wineries. Villa Creek was described as one of his favorites. I decided to check it out. After a little research on Villa Creek and restaurants in the area, I discovered that Villa Creek also had a restaurant in historic downtown. We visited the restaurant on a Friday night for dinner.
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Historic Downtown at Night © Spaswinefood
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Villa Creek Restaurant and Wine Bar
Villa Creek Restaurant and Wine Bar 1144 Pine Street offers organic cuisine prepared by the talented Chef Tom Fundaro. The restaurant's focus is on using fresh local ingredients that are organic or sustainably farmed.
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
Their wine list includes both local and international wines. For dinner we ordered a bottle of 2008 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel (see Snooth Review).
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| Enjoying Ancient Peaks Zinfandel at Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Enjoying Ancient Peaks Zinfandel at Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Enjoying Ancient Peaks Zinfandel at Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
We both ordered the featured salad for the day.
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Green Salad with grilled nectarines, watercress and ricotta cheese © Spaswinefood
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Our entrée choice was:
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Butternut Squash Enchiladas © Spaswinefood
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We both agreed that both the salad and entrée were great choices! The dressing on the salad was awesome. We have had many types of enchiladas but, this was our first Butternut Squash Enchilada and we were quite pleased. The chef is definitely creative in his variation of an enchilada.
For dessert we shared:
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Trio of Creme Brulee © Spaswinefood
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It was a great dessert. As we left the restaurant, I noticed the wine bar was full. It sure looked like a great place to enjoy some wine and tapas.
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
Still Villa Creek Cellars was on my list of must visit wineries. From my readings I assumed that it was by appointment only so I left a message. I eventually made contact with the winery Saturday morning and found out that it was open 11-5 on Friday-Sunday; so off we went.
Villa Creek Cellars
Villa Creek Cellars tasting room is at 5995 Peachy Canyon Road.
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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Villa Creek © Spaswinefood
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After a drive through the country side we arrived at the winery tasting room.
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| Villa Creek © Spaswinefood |
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Villa Creek © Spaswinefood
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Villa Creek Cellars was worth the wait/drive. Winemaker Chris Cherry and his wife JoAnn produce some awesome wines. We tasted their 2010 White (Grenache Blanc, Roussane and Picpoul Blanc), 2010 Pink (Saignée comprised of Grenache, Mourvedre and Carinan), 2008 La Boda, 2006 Onda and 2007 & 2008 Mas de Maha (Tempranillo and Rhône varietals). While I am not a huge fan of Rosé's, I loved their Pink (Saignée comprised of Grnache, Mourvedre and Carinan). It is also nice to know that $2 of every bottle sold benefits the Breast Cancer Fund.
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| Villa Creek Pink 2010 © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek Pink 2010 © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Creek Pink 2010 © Spaswinefood |
Parker spoke highly of Villa Creek's Garnacha (Grenache), Avenger (Syrah, Mourverde and Grenache) - as did Stephen Tanzer of 2002 Avenger, Mas de Maha, High Road (Syrah, Grenache, Mourverde), Willow Creek Cuvée (Grenache, Mourverde, Syrah ) and Rosé. For specific details by Parker and other critics wine reviews and the recent Wine Spectator scores for 2008 Bête Noir and Mas de Maha (see Villa Creek website). You can also check reviews on Snooth, Wine Tasting Room Reviews and Yelp.
I rather like Parker's description "Villa Creek is one of my favorite wineries in Paso Robles. Proprietors Chris and JoAnn Cherry consistently produce lovely wines filled with character and personality." After tasting Villa Creek wines I know what he meant. I also like the fact that these are great wines at fair market prices.
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Villa Creek © Spaswinefood
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Check this source for great information on Paso Robles Wine Country. The California Winery Advisor is the best source for overall information on wineries in California and Paso Robles in particular. Paso Robles American Viticulture Area (AVA) in San Luis Obispo County was established in 1983. There are now over 180+ wineries in this appellation area.
I invite you to join me in my travels in California and elsewhere at Spaswinefood, or you can visit my travel column at the Examiner.
I invite you to join me in my travels in California and elsewhere at Spaswinefood, or you can visit my travel column at the Examiner.
Sharon
June 2011
See other Spaswinefood posts on Paso Robles:
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