An Invitation to Paso Robles Wine Country
Recently, I was invited to attend a special dinner in Paso Robles hosted by Robin McBride to celebrate the release of McBride Sisters Collection’s first low-alcohol wine, the McBride Sisters Collection Chardonnay, Central Coast California 2025.
I’ve tried a few naturally low alcohol wines this year, Vinho Verde and Albariño from Portugal, and was pleased with how light they were, so I was looking forward to trying a low-alcohol Chardonnay. The McBride Sisters Collection Chardonnay is only 9% ABV (alcohol by volume), while the average Chardonnay is around 13% ABV.
[Please note that I received a media invitation to attend this event. All views expressed in this post are my own. I was not under any obligation to publish content or a favorable review. As always, I only recommend experiences I truly enjoyed.]
The Story Behind McBride Sisters Wines
A little about the McBride Sisters: Sisters Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John were raised on opposite sides of the world, both in world famous wine regions – Robin in Monterey, California, and Andréa in Aotearoa New Zealand. It wasn’t until 1999 that the sisters learned of each other and went on to found McBride Sisters Wine Company, the largest Black-owned and all-women-founded wine company in the United States.
Living in Monterey and being into all things wine, I had heard the story of Robin McBride and the McBride sisters from some of my local friends. While I was still living in Los Angeles, I remember being drawn to their wines when I started getting into wine in 2021. I loved SHE CAN’s packaging and the simplicity of the bold graphic design of the Black Girl Magic Wines logo. Never did I think I would have the opportunity to actually meet one of the McBride sisters in person!
McBride Sisters and The Udsen Family of Castoro Cellars: A New Partnership
The dinner was to celebrate not only the launch of the new wine, but also the partnership between the McBride Sisters Wine Company and Udsen Family. Owned by husband-and-wife team, Niels and Binner Udsen, Castoro Cellars is California’s largest grower of certified organic wine grapes and organically farms the Chardonnay grapes for this wine.
Arriving at Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles
As I arrived at Castoro Cellars, I was nervous but excited to meet Robin McBride and the team behind McBride Sisters Wine. I walked into the tasting room and was warmly greeted by Hilary Butler, their Vice President of Marketing.
I introduced myself to some of the other guests who were attending the event and happily accepted a glass of the aforementioned Chardonnay. I found it to be light, crisp, with notes of citrus and balanced acidity – which was very refreshing on this hot summer day in Paso Robles.
I was then introduced to Robin McBride herself, as she welcomed everyone to the event, introduced her team, and the Udsen Family.
A Vineyard Tour Through Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap
After introductions, we were whisked off on a tour of the vineyards via a tractor-pulled people mover. It was really fun! No vineyard tour is complete without sips, and the wine came with us too – which shows just how smooth of a ride it was.
The late afternoon wind picked up as we traveled through the vineyard. The vineyards are in the Templeton Gap, and the cooler air off the SLO coast is pulled inland daily by Paso Robles’ warmer inland temperatures. As a result, the Templeton Gap AVA is one of the coolest growing regions within Paso Robles Wine Country.
As we traversed the vineyards, Owner Niels talked to us about their sustainability initiatives, the different varieties they grow, their disc golf course, and the music festival they host on their property annually – Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival.
Whale Rock Vineyard: Wine Vines and Whale Bones
Whale Rock Vineyard was our ultimate destination, the Udsen family’s most well-known vineyard for a very special reason – it’s scattered with actual fossilized whale bones! The area it’s located in used to be on the seafloor millions of years ago. Now, you can find pieces of whale bone while walking around the vineyard.
I always love the opportunity to visit a new-to-me vineyard. I think each vineyard has a different personality. While I’ve visited many vineyards throughout Monterey Wine Country, especially the Santa Lucia Highlands, I haven’t been to very many in Paso Robles Wine Country. I enjoyed the experience.
A Farm-to-Table Dinner in the Vineyards
When we returned to the winery, we were seated at a beautifully set table directly in the vineyard for a family-style farm-to-table meal paired with McBride Sisters Collection wines. The sun was beginning to set, and the afternoon heat was starting to cool down thanks to a light breeze through the vineyard.
As we sat around the table, Robin told us how the new Chardonnay came to be, what the label means, and the creative process behind the design. I thought the label was a painting representing the ocean; however, it’s actually a photo from Garapata Beach in Big Sur! I relished the opportunity to learn about creative choices directly from the founder herself. I know never to judge a wine by its label, but as someone who loves art and design, I’m always intrigued by stylistic choices.
Sitting around the table, chatting with one another, and sipping wine directly in the vineyard was a wonderful experience. There’s nothing like connecting in person with one another over shared conversation and delicious food and wine.
From Discovering McBride Sisters Wine at Total Wine to Meeting Robin McBride
My journey into wine over the last 7 years has taken me to places I never would have dreamed I would go: to wine regions throughout California, luxurious wine and food events, even back to school for an Associate Degree in Wine Studies.
If you told me in 2021 while I was standing in the sparkling wine aisle of the Total Wine in Pasadena, looking at a bottle of Black Girl Magic Sparkling Wine, that one day I would meet one of the founders of McBride Sisters Wine Company, I would have stared at you in disbelief.
Yet here I was, sitting at a dinner hosted by Robin in the middle of a vineyard, learning about their latest wine release directly from her. Wine has a way of bringing people together, and I was grateful that it brought me here.
