The Inspired Intermedia digital book collection
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61 Écluse Wines PASO ROBLES Écluse Wines, created by Steve and Pam Lock, is a family-owned boutique winery located in Paso Robles. Their quest began in 1997 when they purchased 30 beautiful acres nestled in the scenic rolling hills on the Westside of Paso Robles in the desired Willow Creek AVA, which has become the foundation of their remarkable wines. Starting out as growers, Steve and Pam's philosophy has always been that great fruit makes great wine and they knew the soils of Lock Vineyard had the special terroir necessary to produce prized fruit. Since then, Écluse has become well known for hand-crafted, award-winning wines creating a small annual production of 2,500 to 3,000 cases. Many ask about the name Écluse. The explanation is simple: écluse is French for the locks on the canals that gently carve their way through the remarkable French wine county. Since their last name is Lock, the name Écluse was born. It seemed a natural progression for Steve to go from grower to winemaker. Knowing that the best wines begin in the vineyard, Steve spends a great deal of time there every year tending to the 25,000 vines that make up Lock Vineyard. The vines are pampered and then stressed when necessary to produce the highest quality of fruit possible given the nature of the terrain and microclimate. They use sustainable viticulture practices including water conservation and limited use of pesticides. Since the release of their first vintage in 2002, Écluse has been honored in the noted San Francisco Chronicle's Wine Competition with numerous Best of Class awards, Double Golds and Gold Medals, along with the crowning achievement of winning the Sweepstakes Award for Best Red Wine for their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2011 competition. To be honored by this competition, which FACING PAGE: Beautiful fall colors in our estate Lock Vineyard at harvest Photograph by Anthony La Duca ABOVE LEFT: Winemaker & proprietor Steve Lock, sampling one of our award-winning wines. Photograph by Julia Perez ABOVE RIGHT: Tasting through the wines while blending the 2016 vintage in preparation for bottling. Photograph by Kelly Breitmeyer SAN LUIS OBSIPO COUNTY