Brecon Estate opens in time for zin fest
An artist’s rendering of the new tasting room at Brecon Estate winery on Vineyard Dr.
Update March 19, 2014: Brecon Estate winery opened its doors last Thursday in time for the zinfandel festival events around Paso Robles wine country. “This week and just in time for Zinfest, Brecon Estate has quietly opened its doors,” says Damian Grindley, one of the owners. The new tasting room and winery is located on Vineyard Drive at the former home of Norman Vineyards.
“Spread the word and come relax in the sheltered native gardens or picnic around the outdoor fireplace,” he says.
“The craftsmen revitalizing this iconic Westside Winery and Vineyard have done a fantastic transformation,” he says. “The attention to detail is truly amazing driven by Aidlin-Darling Design, 2013 Smithsonian ‘Architects of the Year’. We would also like to thank the many of the local craftsmen and professionals who have, in some way, brought this fabulous project to fruition.” he says.
Brecon Estate is in the heart of Paso Robles westside, 7450 Vineyard drive, adjacent to Hammersky. The tasting room is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment at other times. The phone number is (805) 239 2200.
Original story Dec. 10, 2013:
Brecon Estate remodeling old Norman property
A new winery is moving in and remodeling the old Norman Vineyards winery property at 7450 Vineyard Drive on the westside of Paso Robles wine country.
Brecon Estate, a partnership between a Welsh winemaker and an Australian investor, is giving the winery a new look. The tasting room is set to open in the first week of March with the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival.
“We are really raising the bar on the architecture stakes, employing Aidlin Darling Design of 2013 Smithsonian National Design award fame to remodel the building to have a more agrarian look that melds into the landscape yet in a contemporary manner,” says Damian Grindley, one of the owners.
“Think a modern take on some of the coastal windswept cedar barns that have stood for 100 years,” he says. “There is nothing quite like it in Paso Robles and we are all very excited by the design.”
Wine enthusiasts will find Rhone-style blends, Bordeauxs, and zinfandel wines. “Brecon’s renowned blends do not always quite conform to these traditional boundaries,” Grindley says.
The name Brecon comes from the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales. It’s a Limestone area riddled with caves and it was while exploring these mountains that Grindley first became fascinated by calcareous soils, also common to Paso Robles.
Brecon Estate is a partnership between a Welshman and an Australian. Grindley of Welsh origin, has been a “stealth” winemaker for many years, making some of the highest awarded wines in the US/Europe and Australia, he says. He has “made fantastic wines from the Paso Robles appellation since the mid-90s and is now able to make his own unshackled offerings.”
His partner Simon Hackett is an Australian internet guru and technology investor. Hackett was “the first person ever to connect a toaster to the internet,” Grindley says. The two men met through their wives, who grew up together in Adelaide, Australia, and remain close to this day.
Norman Vineyards closed and sold the Vineyard Drive facility over a year ago and relocated to 3502 Dry Creek Road, Suite B1, near the Paso Robles Airport.
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