Paso Robles reds continued a multi-year winning streak at the 49th annual Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition, held May 31 to June 1 and sponsored by the nonprofit Orange County Wine Society.
Pear Valley Estate Wine and ONX Wines took home “best in class” medals for their charbono and syrah blends, respectively. Pear Valley topped the high price category, while ONX clinched the premium category. The other two categories—medium and low—featured winning reds from Country Roads Wine Cellars in Clarksburg and Delicato Family Wines in Manteca.
With no entry fee, double-blind judging by industry colleagues representing most of California’s 154 American Viticultural Areas, and thousands of submissions statewide, the event is “the largest, most prestigious, and most meticulously judged California-only wine competition in the world,” according to the Orange County Wine Society.
Over the past four years, San Luis Obispo County wineries have brought home one or more “best in class” distinctions, including last year’s win by Paso winery Brecon Estate for its 2022 grenache in the premium price category.
“We are proud and honored that the Paso Robles winery community continues to embrace the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition,” said Fran Gitsham, chair of the competition and Orange County Wine Society vice president. “The accolades garnered year after year stand as a testament to the passion and talents of the winemakers of the region. … Kudos to the creme de la crème—Pear Valley Estate Wine for their 97-point 2022 charbono and to ONX Wines for their 96-point 2020 red blend Reckoning.”
Pear Valley, founded in 1999 by Kathleen Maas and her late husband, Tom, has a history of producing award-winning Rhône, Bordeaux, Italian, Spanish, and Burgundian varieties from its estate vineyards in Paso’s Geneseo and San Miguel districts.
Producing only 5,000 cases annually, Pear Valley vintages are limited, including its charbono, which yielded 188 cases.
“As a fairly thick-skinned grape, [charbono] has wonderful color potential,” said Jared Lee, who has helmed Pear Valley’s winemaking team since 2011. “I love the aromas of fig and ripe berries wrapped in subtle barrel notes of cedar and cola. Medium tannin structure makes it quite pleasant to drink in its youth along with complex flavors of star anise and juniper berry.
“Also, picking on the earlier side helps ensure lower alcohol and higher natural acidity and overall freshness.”
Pear Valley also scored two “double gold” medals—for its charbono as well as its 2022 grenache-syrah-mourvèdre blend Inspiration, which earned 94 points.
“I was extremely happy when the results were passed on to me,” Lee said. “‘Best in class’ is as good as it gets. I love to champion lesser-known varieties like charbono and am glad it’s getting some attention.”
Pear Valley’s 2022 estate charbono will be released to the public in September, but guests curious to sample the rare grape—with roots tracing back to the Savoie region of eastern France—can purchase the 2021 vintage online or at the winery.
Lee is also excited to harvest another unique grape for the first time this year. Referred to as “the Italian chardonnay,” arneis has a full, round mouthfeel, with medium acidity, Lee said. It will be bottled in February 2026.
Located in the Paso AVA’s Templeton Gap District and with a similar limited production of 4,500 cases annually, ONX coupled its “best in class” win with a double gold for its 2020 vintage of Reckoning.
“Reckoning has long been one of our flagship wines at ONX, earning multiple 95-plus scores from various publications,” said Drew Nenow, head winemaker at ONX since 2018. “With two decades of farming and winemaking experience on our estate vineyard, we’ve gained the ability to fine-tune both our vineyard practices and the personality of Reckoning to a granular level.
“At ONX, we believe the work is never done in terms of building upon the past, but we are also very proud of how far we’ve come.”
Nenow made 440 cases of the 2020 Reckoning, which combines 60 percent syrah grapes with 16 percent zinfandel, 12 percent petite sirah, 10 percent petit verdot, and 2 percent malbec.
Nenow attributed the win at the OC wine competition to the distinct terroir of the 127-acre estate.
“Templeton Gap syrah is unique in its ability to express the warmth of the Paso Robles AVA with overtures of rich fruit, yet with some of the restraint and tension of cooler climates, due to the vineyard’s location in a wind tunnel that experiences coastal influences on a daily basis,” Nenow said. “This makes the syrah by itself unique and layered with complexity. The various blending varieties are carefully interwoven to highlight the strengths of the syrah and add additional dimensions of complexity to both flavors and structures of the wine.”
Founded in 2005 by Steve and Brenda Olson, ONX offers myriad tasting experiences at its Templeton Gap estate and Tin City tasting room.
The duo also just launched the Kiler Canyon Vineyard boutique label, specializing in syrah, mourvèdre, roussanne, and eventually grenache from Paso’s Willow Creek District.
Guests can explore the new blends and varietals at its Tin City tasting room, which opened on June 20, or via a vineyard experience. The tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday only.
Double-gold honors were shared by 15 other SLO County wineries at the OC wine competition. Even Cal Poly students entered the event, garnering two gold and three silver medals.
Orange County Wine Society president Carolyn Christian wasn’t surprised by the student wins. Her organization funds scholarships at eight wine-centric state colleges, and this year Cal Poly and UC Davis were the largest beneficiaries.
“For over three decades, we have been proud supporters of the Cal Poly SLO Wine and Viticulture program, donating over $154,000,” she said. Δ
Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte salutes SLO County’s award-winning winemakers. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 6, 2025.