Bradley N.
Yelp
The circuitous journey of a well-worn life: it takes many twists and turns before finally taking root. Sometimes, you pass through a place and are affected by it forever. Or you meet a person, and he or she changes the very way that you relate to reality. Or you choose a profession, and it becomes a passion that sustains you for decades to come as you age with a mixture of grace, wonder, and gratitude about what it all might really mean.
Giornata is like that: a propitious meeting of people, places, and professional callings that have resulted in epic wines of trans-Atlantic proportions. Italian varietals grown in central coast Californian soils, fermented using native yeasts and aged in oak and on occasion amphora and released when they are ready to augment your dinner table with lovely, aromatic, enticing wines of distinction that taste of a time and place, not a textbook formula or Wine Enthusiast 90+ scoring rubric. If you have ever wondered what passion in a glass might taste like, then you need to come here, to Tin City in Templeton, to taste what Brian T. and Stephanie T. have been cooking up in their husband-wife vine-growing, wine-making partnership.
Aglianico. Sangiovese. Barbera. Pinot Grigio. Fiano. Nebbiolo. Grapes that have blossomed in Italy for generations, but that Paso Robles has been slow to embrace, despite having some of the perfect growing conditions and soils to do so. At Giornata, Stephanie manages the vineyards while Brian handles the wine-making, resulting in labors of love that clock in around $20-$45 a bottle but that are exceptionally expressive of the varietals and wine-making traditions from which they are inspired. Brian's minimalist cellar approaches, including low SO2 applications, neutral barrel aging, feral yeast fermentation, and single varietal bottlings - with the notable exceptions of the delicious Il Campo Rosso and Bianco everyday drinking wines, as well as a Super Tuscan style red blend - combined with Stephanie's attention to detail and commitment to organic, low intensity practices in the vineyard, make these wines stand out from the Paso Robles scene in some very attractive ways, drawing national and international attention to their efforts.
Both the Westside and Eastside of Paso Robles AVA are equally represented, but the only vineyard easily viewed (but not open to the public) is Luna Matta, which you'll see if you drive on Peachy Canyon Road heading towards town from Vineyard Drive. If you are still searching for a perfect wine pairing with cedar-plank grilled king salmon, Giornata's Pinot Grigio "Ramato," aged on the skins in amphora, is for you. If you are hankering for Italian wines with California flair, where fruit, acid, and tannin are all working in harmony, then French Camp Aglianco ($30) is for you. If you want a Tuscan-style Sangiovese with saddle leather, dusted cherry, bite, balance, and texture, then Luna Matta Sangiovese is for you.
Come spring, there will be whites to enjoy. In fall, there are reds of depth and profundity that make you realize how much more there is to Paso Robles wine than big Cabernets and 16% Grenaches, where Italy, not France, is given its moment in the sun, where food and wine and pasta and wood-fired pizza and artichokes and fresh calamari and all the foods that make Italy the land of "la dolce vita" are given a chance to shine, really shine. This is Giornata. This is why you make the pilgrimage to Tin City. This is why wine tasting with winemakers really, really makes a difference.
Sure, you can find Giornata wines at Michelin-starred restaurants and high-end wine shops or order them on-line. You can read about them in the San Francisco Chronicle, the NYTimes, Decanter, and the Wine Spectator. But honestly ... wouldn't you rather taste them with Brian or Stephanie instead?
If you build it, they will come. I hope beyond hope that this will be the case here. Come now before the word really gets out!