Sherry Isted has been drinking Le Vigne wine for 23 years. She said the Nikiara is her favorite.
“It’s not too tart or too sweet,” Isted said. “It’s smooth and blended nicely.”
Known for bold flavors like the Bordeaux-style Nikiara with notes of blueberry, black cherry, pistachio, and turmeric, Le Vigne Winery was named Winery of the Year by the Central Coast Wine Competition on June 19 and also named the Paso Robles Winery of the Year by the New York International Wine Competition on June 23.
“Most of the time, you’ll see petit verdot as part of a verdot blend, and it’s maybe 3 percent of the overall blend,” General Manager Phillip Anderson said. “Our flagship Nikiara wine is about 20 percent petit verdot.”
The 2019 estate petit verdot unites luscious dark chocolate and the tart kick of plum skin. Made of 100 percent petit verdot, the 2018 vintage offers a flavor profile closer to blackberry.
Anderson said he loves the latter so much, he just bought himself four bottles.
In the Central Coast competition, Le Vigne received best in class medals for its 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon di Domenico and 2024 rosé of sangiovese and double gold medals for its 2024 rosé of sangiovese, 2022 Malbec di Domenico, and 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon di Acquarello. Its other wines collected five gold, 10 silver, and a bronze medal.
Anderson said Le Vigne’s petit verdot and cabernet sauvignon also both received 96-point ratings and double gold medals from Sunset magazine. The publication also matched Le Vigne’s zesty 2021 chardonnay with clams and fresh tomatoes in its “Sunset wine club’s perfect pairings” story published in January 2024.
The New York competition featured more than 1,400 wines from more than two dozen countries worldwide. Le Vigne’s 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon di Domenico won double gold, adding to the gold won by its 2021 Paso Sangiovese and silver that its 2022 Petite Sirah di Domenico collected.
Le Vigne has collected so many awards for its wines, it takes six pages just to list them all.
“Our focus is on quality,” Anderson said. “We’d rather skip a year than make something that doesn’t meet our standards.”
The 2023 sauvignon blanc introduces itself with lemongrass, peach, and honeydew. Dragon fruit and lavender establish themselves, ensuring another sip, and the wine leaves tastebuds with a rich, crisp goodbye.
Le Vigne also offers tannat wine, typically only made in France or Uruguay. Anderson said tannats produced in Paso Robles, like Le Vigne’s 2019 vintage, are more fruit-forward, attracting fans of the bigger cabernet sauvignon.
“I was pouring [the tannat] in Pismo Beach a couple weeks ago,” Anderson said. “I had at least three people come up to me and say, ‘I’ve been drinking wine for 20 years. I’ve never heard of this.’ They loved it. It’s a big, juicy, well-structured wine that has the capacity to age.”
Anderson encouraged wine drinkers to try the tasting room. Reservations are highly recommended for all parties, especially those consisting of six or more people.
Reflecting on the list of accolades the winery has collected over the first quarter of this century, Anderson said the recognition is nice, but not as nice as the smiles he sees on customers’ faces after being blown away by a sip of Le Vigne wine.
“These awards are signs we’re doing things the right way,” he said. “Now, we have to up the ante.” Δ
Reach Staff Writer Reece Coren at rcoren@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 17-27, 2025.