The tasting room at Niner is bright, modern and gorgeous. I had tried quite a few wines from this Paso Robles based winery prior to visiting the tasting room and knew that it was going to be a great visit. Known for primarily Bordeaux varietal red wines, the portfolio includes wines at a wide array of price points, with its priciest at $58 (compared to the Napa wines of this caliber, these wines are a great deal).
Outside the Niner tasting room
Niner is relatively new to the scene as their first vintage was released in 2006. The new tasting room opened in 2010. The production is mid-sized at 10,000 cases per year, even though the grandeur of the tasting room made me think the operation was much bigger.
Inside Niner
The wines we tasted included a lovely Sauvignon Blanc ($17) which paired very nicely with the cheese plate we included in our tasting. I did not come across much SB in this area as Chardonnay and the white Rhone Varietals seem to thrive in Paso Robles. However, this was a great wine with grassy overtones and great minerality.
The Syrah was rich and fruity; this wine would be a great match for barbeque. My two favorites of the tasting were the Fog Catcher ($58, mostly Cab based Bordeaux blend) and the Petite Sirah ($24).
My visit was at the end of the day, but if I had arrived earlier I would definitely have enjoyed my tasting on the back patio enjoying to wonderful view.
Rating: 3 out of 4 – recommend
