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I had the opportunity to help Coby Parker-Garcia and his family<br />
sort through grapes for his wine, El Lugar, at Center of Effort’s<br />
custom crush facility. Gorgeous Pinot Noir grapes that were freshly<br />
picked from Spanish Springs Vineyard at the beginning of the<br />
2019 harvest glistened with dew in their bins. The electricity was<br />
evident, even at 6:30 in the morning. Coby, super focused with rare<br />
and beautiful grapes in his hands, was sure to make the most of the<br />
opportunity. We sorted through de-stemmed grapes to make sure<br />
no leaves or green grapes got through. Want a chance to get in on<br />
this small production? To be notified of El Lugar’s tastings, join<br />
their mailing list at ellugarwines.com. If you can’t wait for one of the<br />
pop up tastings, the fun 2018 Pinot Noir Blanc as well as the 2017<br />
Spanish Springs Pinot Noir can be found at Wine Sneak on Broad<br />
Street or downtown at Central Coast Wines on Higuera Street.<br />
Mike Sinor and Cheri LaValle Sinor also used the Center<br />
of Effort crushing facility when they started their own label,<br />
Sinor-LaVallee (pronounced la-vahley). While working for many<br />
wineries, including Ancient Peaks, Mike dreamed of making wine<br />
from the ground up. So, with cleverness and determination, the<br />
couple bought a piece of land and grew grapes. Mike noted that<br />
although it is great to rent a place that cleans up after the crushing<br />
is done, it’s even better to use a machine at a moment’s notice and<br />
visit your wine whenever needed. Mike and Cheri recently moved<br />
to their own crush pad—it’s like getting your own place after<br />
having roommates.<br />
Mike’s wine can be tasted at the Sinor-LaVallee tasting room on<br />
First Street in Avila Beach (near the playground) and is also poured<br />
at many restaurants. Sinor-LaVallee makes a range of white wines as<br />
well as Pinot Noir and Syrah. Their white label appeals to a lighter<br />
palate, while the black label boasts a boomier taste.<br />
As an apprentice to so many winemaking greats, Mike is now<br />
paying it forward. Soon to share the Sinor-LaValle facility are up<br />
and coming winemakers, Mikey Giugni and Michael Brughelli of<br />
Scar of the Sea. Guigni and Brughelli have been producing wine<br />
in the Santa Maria Valley, but have been shimmying over to San<br />
Luis Obispo County as they have found it is one of the most special<br />
places to grow and make wine. You may have seen Scar of the Sea at<br />
Granada Bistro in downtown <strong>SLO</strong> or in some of the smaller shops.<br />
Their style is elegant and I can’t wait to taste what their Pinot Noir,<br />
Syrah, Chardonnay, and Pét-Nat from this area are like. You heard<br />
it here first. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
90 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | DEC/JAN <strong>2020</strong>
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