DAOU Vineyards & Winery – the Gem of Paso Robles

When the charming Georges Daou invited me to his winery, I expected to visit a small hilltop tasting room amidst the rolling hills and a rugged mountainside of Central California.

Instead, I entered a long climbing beautifully landscaped driveway leading to a huge Spanish colonial inspired restaurant and tasting room. We entered through an ornate iron door surrounded by blue and red tile. Elegant French wooden doors opened to a large marble rectangular tasting bar, gorgeous patio with an inviting fireplace, sofas and table seating overlooking the DAOU vineyards and Adelaida mountains.

Georges makes up half of the Daou brothers team. Daniel, the younger quieter half is in charge of wine making. Georges handles marketing and branding.

The brothers were born in Lebanon, grew up in France and moved to California to study at UC San Diego. After graduating with degrees in Engineering, they launched Daou Systems, a healthcare tech company. After selling the company, they dedicated their lives to studying wine making.

They found the perfect location to build their winery in Paso Robles. The cool nights, warm days and land with a high concentration of limestone made the Adelaida District perfect for growing grapes for cabernet sauvignon production.

All DAOU wines are aged in 100 percent French oak barrels. Fruit is handpicked and wines are made from 100 percent free run juice fermented with native yeasts cultivated from the estate. The brothers created cutting edge vinicultural practices including a watering systems that can gauge every vine and measure when and how much to hydrate, dense spacing of vines and intense pruning.

DAOU produces sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, Bordeaux-inspired red blends and their exceptional Soul of a Lion with aromas of plums, garrigue and crème de casis. There are also hints of spice, licorice and vanilla. The cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot blend is well worth the $139 price tag.

I loved my visit to DAOU. We enjoyed a delicious lunch of charcuterie, short ribs and of course outstanding wines. We also received a special VIP tour of the vines, the bell tower and new construction on the mountain to be used for special events.

Paso Robles is a relatively short drive from Los Angeles and a visit to DAOU will feel like you’ve travelled to an elegant French winery that you never want to leave.

DAOU Vineyards and Winery is located at 2777 Hidden Mountain Road in Paso Robles. Visit www.daouvineyards.com or call 888.527.6455 to make reservations.