50
Signature Wines and Wineries of Coastal California
This estate also serves as the Derbys' scenic residence perched
high above the vineyards.
Touring the winery itself with Ray Derby is like a walk back in
time. The building, once an almond warehouse and processing
plant, was forced to shut down in the 1930s as almond
productivity declined. The building went through a few owners
and sat abandoned. It was ready to be demolished, when the
Derbys stepped in. They purchased it in 2010 and converted it
into a state-of-the art winery and contemporary tasting room
whose hallways are lined with vintage photos and memorabilia
from the building's historic past.
When the Derbys embarked on vineyard planting, the intention
was to sell fruit. Over the years the family has built up a
reputation so that 95 percent of their grapes are purchased
by noted California wineries. In 2005, though, they decided to
launch their own label. Currently a small annual production of
3,000 cases is made with fruit sourced from some 20 hand-
selected acres, allowing visitors to experience the full spectrum
of the Derby Collection from refreshing rosé and white wines to
lush reds. Among them, the red and white Project Espana wines
- the white, a refreshing Albariño driven blended with Grenache
Blanc and the red, a bold Tempranillo blended with Graciano,
TOP: Ray and Pam Derby are justifiably proud of the 20 different grape
varieties grown on their Paso Robles' Templeton Gap District vineyard.
BELOW: The history of the Derby Templeton Gap District Vineyard dates
back to the early Templeton settlers.
Photographs by Chris Leschinsky
CAPTIONS WILL
BE PLACED
ONCE LAYOUT IS
APPROVED.
20 -25 WORD
LENGTH MAXIMUM
