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Pipestone Vineyards

Pipestone Vineyards Description

Tucked back in a secluded valley on the west side of Paso Robles is a small family farm and winery making hand-made Rhone style wines from organic vineyards.

After a scenic country drive you pull off the road into a walnut grove with Percheron/Morgan horses grazing under the trees. You wind around the dirt road passing ducks, the occasional tethered goat, and honey bees till you come to an organically grown vineyard and the farmhouse home of Pipestone Winery.

Jeff Pipes, the winemaker, staffs the dark walnut tasting counter along with his wife and family. The quiet workings of Feng Shui are evident in the balanced, comfortable and casual atmosphere. The purple doors and stained concrete floors add charm to the place. There is an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven along with a fountain and picnic tables under a low overhang. A self guided vineyard tour outlines the organic growing procedures and how balance is maintained in the vineyard. The horses in the front pasture don’t graze for free as they pull the carts and equipment through the vineyard comes harvest time. The owners believe that the wines are made in the vineyard and thus they consider themselves farmers.

The wines are all from their estate grapes with the exception of their west side Zinfandel. The winemaking is done on site and tours of the small facility are available—just ask. Eighty percent of the wine made is red and the winemaking philosophy is very traditional. “We try to let the wine take care of itself without our intervention.” Many wines are barrel fermented with French oak. Wines made include, Syrah, Viognier, a dry Grenache Rose, a few Rhone blends, and their Zinfandel. The wines are available at the winery only.