I was attending a wine tasting at my local wine shop The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  I realize that is not that unusual, because I tend to write about tastings often when I am there. This was a special day, as Willie Newman was there representing not only his wine, but his neighbor and business partner’s wine as well.  I have actually met Willie, a couple of times at the wine shop, as he still lives in Michigan and has started a winery, in anticipation of his eventual retirement.  I say more power to him, in my retirement I am lucky to handle writing my blog, but I also think that I am older than Willie.  Some days I think that everyone is younger than I am. I had a chance to try a wine from Dunning Vineyards and several wines from Tre Son Winery.

Tre Son Winery is the label from 4 Hearts Vineyard in Paso Robles.  My wine shop helped designed the label and helped secure the proper paperwork in the Byzantine labyrinth that is how Michigan is able to sell wines.  The vineyard was bought in 2004, which at the time was a walnut ranch, and the first fifteen acres of thirty-seven were planted in 2007, of which ten acres were Zinfandel.  The vineyard is owned by the gentleman Willie Newman who hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan who now divides his time between Michigan with his current business and residing in Paso Robles which will eventually be his retirement home and business.  The 4 Hearts refer to his wife and his three daughters.  When one considers the tender young age of this vineyard, it is well respected by some other wineries that use their fruit.  Some of the wineries listed by the vineyard include some of their earliest purchasers like Dunning Vineyard, Saxum Vineyards and Venteux Vineyards and many others.

We started off with Dunning Vineyards Chardonnay Paso Robles/ Willow Creek District AVA 2018.  Bob and Jo-Ann Dunning are the winemakers and owners of this forty-acre estate which was established in 1991 on the west side of Paso Robles.  The winery produces about fifteen-hundred cases a year using several different varietals.  This Chardonnay wine is produced in the classic Burgundian style with full oak barrel fermentation and sur-lees aged for one year.  It was a delightful wine with notes of pear and citrus, nutmeg and vanilla.  The wine had a nice creamy taste with balance acidity and layers of flavor that opened up and finished with a nice medium finish of terroir.  I knew that I had to take some of this wine home for my Bride, who could not attend the tasting.