 All of the grapes that go into Kunin Wines are sourced from California’s Central Coast AVA. This region is unique in its marine-influenced climate, which provides for a long, cool growing season, allowing maximum time for the grapes to develop complex flavors while retaining sufficient natural acidity. This balance of ripeness and acidity produces wines of exceptional elegance that will age gracefully and make an excellent companion to food.
Currently, Kunin Wines makes wines from five different grape varietals: viognier, zinfandel, syrah, grenache and mourvedre. Each varietal requires particular soil and climatic conditions to produce fruit that is of the superior quality that we demand. Therefore, we source our grapes from various vineyards, located throughout the region, to take advantage of the varying conditions and terrain and insure that each varietal is grown in its optimal environment.
Crucial to attaining the quality that we demand are the relationships that we have developed with our growers. We work together to help Mother Nature produce the characteristics that make great grapes, and, therefore, great wines.
Following are our grape sources (through the 2007 harvest):
Stolpman Vineyards – located in Ballard Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley, Stolpman has quickly become one of the most respected vineyards in the region. This is due to both its unique location and vineyard manager Jeff Newton – one of the most respected grape growers in the state. We source viognier from Stolpman vineyards, as we have since our first vintage.
Larner Vineyards – Also located in Santa Ynez’s Ballard Canyon, Larner Vineyards is a family-run vineyard that produces superior Rhone varietals. We have sourced syrah from Larner for three years, and now have added grenache and mourvedre to create our "Pape Star" rhone-style blend. Although young, Larner Vineyards is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the Valley’s premier sites.
Alisos Vineyards – Located in the mountains that separate the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys, Alisos is another family affair. Father Wayne and son Loren have rebuilt the old Austen Vineyards into a cutting edge operation. The high elevation and exposures produce grapes of unrivaled concentration and complexity, lending themselves to a single-vineyard bottling.
Paradise Road Vineyard – This vineyard is in the middle of a centuries-old Spanish ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley. Rancho San Fernando Rey compromises over 20,000 acres of pristine, undeveloped land in the heart of the Valley. With less than 25 acres, planted only to viognier and syrah, we are lucky to have been one of the first customers of this now sought-after site.
Rancho Santa Margarita – Located just southeast of Paso Robles proper, this old property has just been purchased by the Filliponi family, who are committed to creating a world-class vineyard in a unique, cool-climate valley.
Cushman Vineyard – Another cooler, Westside Paso Robles zinfandel site, this is an older vineyard, purchased and expanded ten years ago by Jim Cushman. Serendipitously, it was the grape source for the first wines that Seth Kunin ever made, as a hobbiest, in 1996.
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