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Per Bacco Cellarsby Darren DelmoreWhen restaurateur Marco Rizzo and winemaker Craig Shannon gottogether in 1998 over a few bins of Chardonnay grapes, they didn’tnecessarily expect to become darlings of the wine press. But that inauguralrelease of Arroyo Grande Valley Chardonnay got a 92 point scorein a major wine magazine, and since then they’ve kept that mozzarellamomentum coming out of the grinder with wines made in the fashionthey’re passionate about. Through the erratic trends of varietalfavoritism and climatic conditions, it’s been refreshing to see Per Baccocontinue to make wines in the manner that they originally set out todo, with a focus on food-friendliness and approachability.I recently stopped into the tasting room which is purely about thewine. No jewelry, no oil, no cookbooks; wine is the focus. Tastingroom manager Grace Kegel pointed out, “We charge just a five dollarfee and customers can choose six wines out of the nine options totaste. We waive one fee per bottle purchased,” she continued, “and theglasses aren’t included. We also sell wine for five bucks a glass if peoplelike to picnic or go play bocce.”Tucked beside the 101 freeway as it snakes into San Luis Obispo,the Per Bacco winery and tasting room is part of the beautiful 200 acreFilipponi Ranch, complete with a bocce ball court, horseshoe pits andplenty of unadulterated ground to roam upon with a glass of PinotGrigio. Per Bacco is the place to be, with live music outdoors, top-shelffood to complement the current releases and a fun, mellow, relaxingvibe. There’s a real casual atmosphere here…a great place to comehang out and enjoy some wine.Per Bacco Cellars is located at 1850 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispoand is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information,contact the tasting room at (805) 787-0485 or log on towww.perbaccocellars.com.Find out more at www.WineCountryThisMonth.com 33