Where Wine Takes You - A Paso Wine Podcast · Adam Montiel

Ep 116 Bubbles on Bubbles! – Featuring Rava Wines | Paris Valley Road

December 31, 2024·1 hr 12 min·5 clips

Watch Adam try to saber a champagne bottle with a glass bottom—will it work or explode?

This episode features host Adam Montiel in conversation with winemakers Sherry Holzer of Rava Wines and Doug from Paris Valley Road Estate Winery. They discuss their journeys into winemaking and the growing sparkling wine scene in Paso Robles. The episode opens with Adam successfully sabering a bottle of sparkling wine using the bottom of a glass. Sherry Holzer explains she entered the wine industry after working as a server and learning about wine to increase her tips. Doug shares his path from studying engineering at Cal Poly to becoming a winemaker, despite initial resistance from his family. The conversation details different sparkling wine methods, including traditional method, pét-nat, and tank methods like Prosecco. Sherry describes the precise science of traditional method sparkling, where each bottle undergoes its own secondary fermentation. A surprising insight is that Sherry finds sparkling wine production marvelously complex, noting that even adjacent bottles can taste slightly different. Doug reveals that sparkling wine pairs unexpectedly well with rich foods like short ribs due to its high acidity cutting through fat. The winemakers discuss breaking the rule that sparkling is only for special occasions, advocating for its everyday enjoyment. They highlight local producers like Mikey Giugni of Scar of the Sea and Mike Sinor who are mastering pét-nat production. The episode has a casual, conversational tone filled with personal stories and technical explanations. Listeners interested in winemaking processes, Paso Robles wine culture, or simply fun stories about career changes will enjoy this episode. Those seeking a tightly structured, purely educational format might find the digressions less engaging.

As heard by us

Paso's sparkling scene gets a warm, craft-heavy turn with enough detail to stay lively.

Paso's sparkling side gets an easy win here, with Adam Montiel bringing together Sherry Holzer of Rava and Doug of Paris Valley Road Estate Winery for a New Year toast at Tambor Winery in San Luis Obispo.

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Why you'd press play

You want Paso bubbles with a clear style contrast and a strong local vibe.

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