Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/237615
INFLUENCERS OF PASO ROBLES PHOTO: COURTESY OF VILLA SAN-JULIETTE WINERY Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe—two of Hollywood's most successful TV producers—own Villa San-Juliette. nary people, explains Trout. "Nigel and Ken are on top of the world with their success, but really, they are two blokes from Liverpool who want to keep great value associated with this brand. They could have priced the wine higher—but PHOTO: ROB BROWN In a blind tasting with potential candidates, Matt's samples of Paso Robles Cabernets were their first and second choices. "I guess you can say he didn't need much direction after we hired him," she smiles. Ortman became head winemaker in January of last year. "It's comforting to me to know they like the wines I am making," the winemaker offers. But the decision to hire Ortman was an impulsive decision. Ortman worked with his father, Chuck Ortman, who ran Ortman Family Vineyards after a long career that included founding the Meridian label (which was eventually sold to Beringer in 1988). "I carried on my father's classic style, coming out of the gate," Matt confesses. "I pushed the ripeness limits—but with Villa San-Juliette, I am thinking about ageability and food pairing, so I am practicing restraint." Villa San-Juliette is a growing brand, ready to take its place alongside Paso's—and California's—finest, which suits Lythgoe and Warwick just fine. They are producers on a completely different scale. You'll know their work from such mega television hits as American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. With those themes in mind, their goal is to create wines that offer up extraordinary experiences for ordi- now more people will find it accessible and keep coming back for more." With a firm commitment by ownership, Trout and Ortman are working together to create an environment that makes their jobs more productive. With 132 acres planted, they have enough wine for today and for the future. A complete new facility was put together after breaking ground in May of 2013. "When we first dug in for crush," starts Trout, "there was no production facility, no tasting room, no waste water system. I gave Matt two empty buildings with cold running water while we were awaiting county approvals." Somehow Ortman had faith that it would all come together. "We've had a long harvest," he laughs. When Phase II is completed, the expanded winery building will comprise about 16,000 square feet, including a 4,000-square-foot covered crush pad, 2,400 square feet of administration offices and a 1,400-square-foot mechanical yard. The current Phase I project includes a 3,200-square-foot fermentation pad for new tanks, a 2,300-square-foot crush pad, and 1,200 square feet of mechanical buildings, as well as a wastewater pond to handle Villa San-Juliette's long-term production needs. With punch-down in hand, third-generation Central Coast resident Hillary Trout, President/COO for Villa San-Juliette Winery—who has been working with winery owners Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe for over seven years—talks about the next phase with winemaker Matt Ortman. 74 / the tasting panel / january 2014 TP0114_66-108.indd 74 12/19/13 9:47 PM