The SOMM Journal

February / March 2018

Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/935769

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 40 of 92

40 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 { wine books } AS A WINE JOURNALIST, I've always regarded Paso Robles as one of my favor- ite regions. I feel as if Paso and I grew up together : It transformed from a bucolic backwater into a respected wine region during the years I was learning how to be a wine writer. Paso's colorful history, tales, controversies, and characters showed me how complex, fascinating, and engrossing wine could be. It also inspired me to see young upstarts work hard, defy the naysayers, and achieve greatness. Right around the time I began to contemplate writing a book about Paso Robles, I met a woman who shared my fascination with the area and my passion for telling great stories. Julia Perez is a photographer of rare and discerning talent, as well as a visual storyteller of the first order. She spends days with her subjects to capture their essence, whether it's the determined face of a winemaker hard at work or a gnarled old Zinfandel vine at dawn. As Julia, her husband, and I explored the area and talked to winemakers and winery owners, we quickly real - ized it was their personal stories we wanted to tell. We met scientists, artists, foot- ball stars, ex-teachers, bon vivants, and ancient hippie visionaries. Some were embarking on a second career in wine, while others were freshly-minted college grads. In a reflection of these diverse backgrounds, each followed their own unique path to the world of wine on California's Central Coast. We decided we'd leave it to others to analyze Paso's climate, geology, water resources, and the myriad other reasons for its success as a wine region. We would let the people who made the wine speak for themselves. The Winemakers of Paso Robles is exactly what its name implies. Our book is not organized by winery, region, or varietal. There is little mention of tasting rooms, scores, or awards. Each profile is the result of many hours of work; we wanted to give each person his or her due and capture them with all their quirks and nu - ances. We aimed for truth, not beauty. Winemaking is full of grit, hard work, endless dedication, and the matchless satisfaction of making something irresistible that's in- timately connected to the winemaker's philosophy of life. We hope we've achieved that result with our book, too. Desparada Wines Winemaker and Proprietress Vailia Esh is featured in one of the book's many raw photos. Maturing in Parallel AUTHOR PAUL HODGINS REFLECTS ON HIS BOOK THE WINEMAKERS OF PASO ROBLES by Paul Hodgins / photos by Julia Perez Paul Hodgins, author of The Winemakers of Paso Robles. As the photog- rapher for The Winemakers of Paso Robles, Julia Perez worked closely with a myriad of subjects.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The SOMM Journal - February / March 2018