Dusi Vineyards in Paso Robles

About Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel

The Dusi Vineyards  are  among the most sought-after Zinfandel grapes in California. Over the years, Zinfandel wines made from the Dusi grapes have received accolades from the wine world. Our visit to the Dusi Vineyard was part of the wine bloggers Paso Robles  pre-conference. Fifty wine bloggers were bused to the Dusi Ranch just off Highway 101 at the Main Street Exit in Templeton, CA.  The Dusi Zinfandel Vineyards were planted in 1925, plus additional acres in 1945, and today there is a total of 100 acres. All the  Zinfandel vines are head pruned, and interspersed are vines of Alicante Bouchet and Carignane. Each winery that buys grapes from the Dusi family agrees on a block of Zinfandel vines and manages that block, along with help from the Dusi Family. Ninety percent of the these grapes are sold off, and the remaning ten percent are used by  Janell Dusi to make the J Dusi label. Janell is the fourth generation of the Dusi Family and began producing a Zinfandel in 2009.  The Dusi vineyards are subject to extreme diurnal shifts in temperature. During the day temperatures can be in the mid 90’s, but at night the temperatures can dip below 50 degrees. While we were present in the vineyards another climate factor came into play, the winds from the Templeton Gap.  Breezes flow in the afternoon from the Pacific Ocean, cooling the vines from the afternoon sun. We tasted Dusi Vineyards Zinfandel wines from producers Tobin James, Turley, Brochelle, McPrice Meyer, and J Dusi.  The vines produce intense fruit flavors. The wines are bold, but have elegant characteristics.