The VDR Story 

Vista Del Rey became winery number 33 in Paso Robles in the mid 1990's.  With almost 400 wineries in the Paso area now, Dave and Carol's winemaking journey is not only one of the first in the area, but is altogether unique and special. 

 

​​​​​​​After serving 22 years as a Commander in the

US Navy, Dave's "Walter Mitty Dream" as he calls it,

of farming a vineyard and running a winery became

reality in 1994.  Dave found his 9 acre slice of

heaven overlooking the Santa Lucia mountains and

aptly named it Vista Del Rey "King's View." 

 

The property was planted with Zinfandel vines by the well-known Paso vintner, Richard Sauret, and was adjacent to Richard's personal home and vineyard. 

 

Dave also purchased 18 acres of Barbera just down the road.  This land would truly set Dave apart as a Paso Robles winemaker in the decades to follow with his Barbera and Zin-Bera blend, which have had a solid following for decades.  With less than 11,000 acres of Barbera planted in all of California, this is what set Dave's wine apart from the rest, as the number of Paso wineries exploded over the years.  He knew he needed to have a differentiating factor, and his Barbera has certainly pulled that off over the years.  

 

Dave's Zins are nothing to sneeze at either.  He's been known for his food friendly, intensely fruit-forward award-winning Zinfandel wines for decades.  

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In recent years, Dave has been sourcing his grapes from neighboring properties.  Prior to the severe drought of 2012-2018, Dave dry-farmed his vines.  However, the long drought took a toll on the vines and they were unable to survive the severe weather conditions.  Choosing to retire from the "farming" portion of winemaking, Dave continues to use his decades of experience to produce some of the regions best wines.  

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Devastatingly, in 2021, Dave lost his wife and partner, Carol to cancer.  Carol was a beloved part of welcoming visitors to the quant and humble Vista Del Rey tasting room.  She will be remembered fondly by all who have called Vista Del Rey their "home away from home" and those who considered Dave and Carol "family" over the years.  Carol's hospitality was bar none and will continue to be sorely missed by VDR patrons.  

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Walter Mitty 2... 

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As Dave begins to enjoy "semi-retirement" Dave and Carol's daughter, Lindsay, and son-in-law, Greg, have begun mentoring under Dave in recent years.  They have been involved in the picking, wine-making, and bottling processes, picking Dave's knowledgeable brain all the while.  It is Greg and Lindsay's desire to keep Dave and Carol's beloved Vista Del Rey legacy going well into the future.  Dave is thrilled to see his hard-earned reputation continue through his next generation.  

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Greg and Lindsay have plans to replant the vineyard in the near future.  Thanks to Greg's engineering background, they also have plans for an elaborate water retention system, in order to trap and keep rainwater in a large cistern so that there will be plenty of supplemental water for the vineyard.  Lindsay is passionate about continuing her mother's legacy of care for the land and is committed to growing a vineyard that will be 100% pesticide and herbicide free, using only regenerative farming practices.