Two Reds from Denner Vineyards

First in a series of wineries and estates that are new to me.

Ron Denner owned Ditch Witch dealerships in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, where there must be great demand for underground construction equipment. His real desire, though — and this taps into the deep-seated dreamlife of many businessmen and entrepreneurs — was to own a winery in California. His search in The Golden State culminated in 1997 in the western reaches of Paso Robles, in San Luis Obispo County. His small initial plantings, begun in 1999, expanded to the 130 acres that Denner Vineyards owns today. The estate lies in the Templeton Gap, an east/west valley that funnels cool maritime air inland to provide a wide diurnal temperature shift that both stresses and nurtures the vines. It makes them strong.