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Suendero barrels in a rack in the cellar, a tall room with concrete walls and floor and harsh accent lighting on the wall.

Winemaking

The Craft of Winemaking

While honoring traditional winemaking methods, veteran winemaker Kevin Willenborg implements modern technologies to make our wines with minimal intervention.

Kevin is known for his attention to detail and for working with the vines so that they express their true potential. Together with our vineyard team, he employs sustainable techniques to achieve the highest quality possible.

Kevin explains,

"Each wine has its own life. That life begins with the planting and development of the vines. It is then transferred from the earth through the vine as the grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented into wine and eventually bottled. The role of the winemaker is to respectfully steward this life with care and attention to detail."

Kevin's goal is to grow wines that completely translate the Paso Robles terroir into the bottle and let the true fruit qualities shine through in the wine. He uses traditional methods and modern technology to nurture the full expression of the grapes. Furthermore, barrels are carefully selected from cooperages that are known for subtlety, and only low and medium toast levels are employed.

Kevin Willenborg in pale blue linen button up shirt in a stone room
Kevin Willenborg
Kevin Willenborg checking over grape bunches just picked
Kevin Willenborg inspecting wine
Vina Robles Jardine vineyard, looking down a row of lush green vines

Explore Our Winery

Since 2018, our wines have been made in one of Paso Robles' most state-of-the-art wineries.

A Note from Winemaker Kevin Willenborg

The year 2018 marked a significant milestone in our commitment to making quality wines that showcase the best of Paso Robles. This advanced facility incorporates the latest cutting-edge technologies to help us craft exceptional wines for today and the future.

Equipped with modern equipment that enhances both wine quality and energy efficiency, this facility aligns with our dedication to sustainability. Some of the technologies in use were scarcely available a decade ago and reflect the same ethos as our sustainable vineyard practices. For instance, a one-megawatt solar array fully powers the winemaking facility and employs innovative logic controllers to significantly reduce energy consumption, ultimately minimizing its carbon footprint.

One standout feature is the optical grape sorter—one of the few in Paso Robles. This remarkable technology processes each grape after it is harvested and destemmed, swiftly and accurately discarding any compromised fruit. This meticulous process ensures we start with only the highest quality fruit, truly giving us the 'best of the bunch' to craft our wines. Yet, despite these technological advancements, tradition remains at the heart of our winemaking process. I personally check each tank daily throughout harvest, embodying the synergy between tradition and technology that drives our passion for winemaking.

Looking at the outside of the winery, rust colored steel and aluminum.
Wine in a tank
A cat walk between large tanks of wine.
Ground level of large tanks
Looking down a row of large metal tanks and a red floor
Long wooden table in the center of large concrete room with racks of barrels along the wall, long lights arch over the table.
Worker filling barrels with wine
Bunches of freshly picked grapes
Grape processing machine
Barrels with polished bands
Close up of a bung stopper
Suendero barrels in a rack in the cellar, a tall room with concrete walls and floor and harsh accent lighting on the wall.

Explore Vina Robles

The Jardine Court water fountain, two large stone bowls stacked over a round pool

Vina Robles’ Story

Vina Robles is a story of passion, heritage, and innovation, founded in 1998 by Swiss Entrepreneur Hans Nef, whose desire was to merge Old World traditions with New World techniques. Today, Vina Robles continues to honor this legacy, crafting wines that reflect the unique terroir of Paso Robles while embracing modern, sustainable winemaking practices.

Eight Vina Robles wine bottles lined up on a table

Discover Our Wines

Our sustainably farmed, estate vineyards are showcased in each bottle of wine.