Keys to the Coast: Good times and sensational wines at Whalebone Winery
The view from Whalebone Winery.
By Donna Polizzi
Robert (Dr. Bob) Simpson was an obstetrician in Templeton for over a decade, giving birth to approximately 4,000 babies.
Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys2TheCoast.com, a free travel resource that gives honest recommendations based on personal experiences to help uncover local treasures. Wine, dine, explore and more on the California Central Coast.
In 1986, Bob and his wife Janalyn Simpson make the decision to buy a 128 acre cattle ranch from the King Vidor Estate. It’s a magnificent property on Vineyard Drive in the Santa Lucia Mountain Range in West Paso Robles.
In 1989, they planted a ten and a half-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. Initially, many of the Simpson’s grapes were sold to Meridian and Justin Wineries. In a hunting accident in 1993, Bob’s severed his index, middle and ring finger’s on his left hand which ended his medical career. “I loved delivering babies, but taking my hobby of growing grapes and turning it into a family business that makes wine that people seem to love, is something that my entire family is proud of,” Simpson said.
At first Bob made homemade wine. A few years, later he hired the well known local winemaker named Dan Kleck for his expertise. In 2001, they started their own label. In 2015, Jeremy Leffert was hired as Whalebone Vineyard’s new winemaker. Amongst many awards, “Bob” Wine won the double gold in the 2016 San Francisco Wine Chronicle competition.
Whalebone Winery specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends, which are made with Classic Bordeaux fermentation techniques that create powerful, yet smooth wines. The estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons are harvested when the weather gets cooler, in late October. This is much later that when the other grapes are typically harvested in the Paso Robles wine region. This is why the Cabernet Sauvignon is so lively and smooth.
Bob took my family for a long ATV ride to give us a full view of the property just eight miles from the ocean. Huge clusters of mistletoe and Spanish moss hung in the oak trees surrounding the south facing, sloping limestone and shale hillside. This is where the vines grow in this perfect coastal climate. The rolling hills and sloping vineyards were lush, green and breathtaking. You could smell the sweet & earthy soil. Bob shared that part of maintaining the vineyard was hunting down wild boar on a daily basis. He laughed when he said “We make sausage out of them.”
When we returned from the tour, Jake, Bob’s youngest son, showed us a huge rock with whale fossils in the broken limestone. “We unearthed whale bones and fossils that dated back 30 million years. Hence the name, Whalebone Winery and Vineyard.” stated Jake Simpson.
On a nearby property a friend of theirs was working their ranch and dropped a bolder off of a forklift, and to his surprise, discovered a six- foot long thorax of a baby whale. That bone is the picture that graces the Whalebone Winery and Tasting Barn’s Cabernet labels.
I’ve never had more fun during a wine tasting. This delightful family offered the perfect blend of craft, talent and humor. Bob’s daughter Amanda, is the tasting room manager and daughter Ali makes the delicious sheep’s milk ice cream in a variety of flavors.
Literally, every one of the wines we tasted were wonderful. My Cousin, Lisa, and I both favored the Whalebone Cabernet.
The tasting barn is full of temptation. If you love savory and sweet goodness, try the Lemon Chevre cheese. It’s a mild goat cheese with a hint of lemon. The Sopressata and Genoa Salami are mouthwatering. We took home great wine, garlic olive oil and a delicious balsamic glaze.
So… if you want too drink fabulous wine and laugh so hard you’ll need a napkin…you need to visit the Whalebone Winery and Tasting Barn. I can attest to the fact that seven days a week, Bob and his family consistently “deliver” good times and wine that is sensational.
You’d have to be a fossil to not have a good time at this place.
