The Inspired Intermedia digital book collection
Issue link: https://inspired.uberflip.com/i/1174560
99 PASO ROBLES Much like grapes take time to reach a prime level of ripeness, Randy and Cheryl Phillips waited for the ideal time to try winemaking. The couple had been growing premium wine grapes in Paso Robles since the 1980s, and before that had spent years in Napa Valley and Spain, but it wasn't until 2004 that Cheryl held back a bin of their own Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes. She and Randy jumped in, literally feet first, crushing the grapes themselves and emerging with soles stained a deep crimson—inspiring the label they would soon create. Initially, the Phillipses were content to focus on the farming side of wine, supplying grapes to several large wineries from their 100 acres. Even today, only a small percentage of what they grow—with the help of longtime vineyard employees Carmelo Hernandez and Avalino Santos Rosales—gets turned into Red Soles wine; the rest of the grapes are sold to large wineries, most of whom Randy and Cheryl have been doing business with for more than 20 years. But the glut of wine grapes produced in the mid-2000s spurred them to open their own winery and help weather the pricing downturn. The duo soon found they enjoyed the creativity and connections they were making. While they will always love being part of a wine grape's journey from dust to vine and vine to barrel, they decided to also grow their own label. Today, the Oakdale vineyard produces entirely estate-grown wines, which are crushed and pressed at the Phillips' facility with their own equipment, and then barreled down in the storage room at the back of the property. The Willow Creek appellation, with its cooler daytime temperatures, coastal FACING PAGE: Guests are greeted by beautiful gardens as they approach the tasting room and often stay to enjoy a glass and the views before continuing. TOP LEFT: Highschool sweethearts, Randy and Cheryl Phillips are taking a moment to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Red Soles Winery after a spectacular winemaker's dinner party. TOP RIGHT: The rich, ruby tone of Garnacha sparkles in the sunshine. Photographs by Gina Cinardo Red Soles Winery & Distillery SAN LUIS OBSIPO COUNTY