Winery of the Week: Claiborne & Churchill
San Luis Obispo, Edna Valley
Claiborne & Churchill has come a long way since their first vintage in 1983, but they are still a small family winery devoted to handcrafted wines of the highest quality. Their dedication to producing exceptional Alsatian-style wines has been recognized as far away as France where they won a gold medal at the Riesling du monde International Wine Competition — the only American winery to do so. Closer to home, Claiborne & Churchill’s Pinot Noir has been awarded Best in California at the California state fair.
Claiborne and Churchill Pinot Gris Edna Valley Alsatian Style: “Nice and herbal on the nose with lime zest, sandy soil and gentle herb tones backed up by a slight lactic note. Bright and very vertical in the mouth, this shows lean, crisp flavors of pear and Meyer lemon in the mouth with a zesty flavor profile. Gains a light tropical fruit/papaya tone on the back end before gaining real acid-driven focus on the moderately long, mineral-dusted finish. Zesty, pure and intense. I like this fruit-driven style, which snaps to attention on the finish.” 88pts, Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth.com
Claiborne & Churchill Winery
Founders Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill specialize in producing premium dry wines made from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris grapes, as well as handcrafted Pinot Noir from several nearby vineyards. These wines are bursting with flavor, but have little or no residual sweetness and therefore compliment food well. They also produce small lots of other wines including Dry Muscat, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sparkling Brut Rose, and a Port-style wine that are available in their tasting room.
Claiborne & Churchill Tasting Room
The Claiborne & Churchill tasting room is located in their straw bale winery, the first of its kind in California. With sixteen-inch thick walls made of bales of rice straw, the winery is so well insulated that it naturally maintains a constant cellar temperature. The tasting room is open every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed major holidays and the ten-dollar fee is waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine. They’ve been celebrating their 30th year throughout 2013 and have a special Anniversary Red and Anniversary Sparkling wine coming out this week, so it’s a great time to visit.
Claiborne & Churchill–Aromatic, flavorful, and delightfully different. Let us know what you think. Cheers!
Claiborne & Churchill Winery from Claiborne & Churchill on Vimeo.
| See other San Luis Obispo featured wineries |
| San Luis Obispo wine tasting with Breakaway Tours |
