Legend has it that when Elizabeth Stilson first interviewed with her now-business partner, she said, “If I never have to make another red wine again, I’ll be happy.”
As soon as the statement came out of the winemaker’s mouth, PasoSecco founder Chris Kern knew she was the perfect candidate for his sparkling brand.
“That sold me,” Kern said.
The pair made it clear they have nothing against reds, but their specialty is bubbly whites. They originated PasoSecco in early 2023 with three wines: their flagship grenache blanc, a luscious rosé, and a dry, crisp sauvignon blanc. The trifecta is still going strong.
Everyday bubbles
Join PasoSecco for its Low Country Bubbles soiree on June 14 at The Backyard in Paso Robles. Buy tickets online and see a list of locations carrying PasoSecco wines at pasosecco.com. Follow on Instagram @pasosecco.
The 3,000 cases of the 2025 vintage are sent to club members and distributed in dozens of locations from Santa Barbara to Paso Robles.
With experience running wine clubs and a wine shop, Kern called himself a serial entrepreneur. The one thing he’s never taken on is winemaking.
“Chemistry is the only class in high school I ever got a C in,” Kern said over lunch in Paso Robles. “So, it’s not my alley.”
After 20 years, PasoSecco is like his Ph.D. dissertation in wine. He researched, networked, and taste tested. He made spreadsheets and pitch decks. He found the gap in the Paso Robles sparkling market.
Kern graphed out every sparkling wine produced in the region by its varietal content, price point, and the technique used to make it. Few, if any, wineries were making it in the Charmat method, how Prosecco is made. There was also a gap in the $25 to $40 per bottle range. Thus, PasoSecco’s grand entrance on the scene.
PasoSecco grapes grow in Northern San Luis Obispo County, but as the business continues to expand, Kern hopes to source from the Solomon Hills area and other Santa Barbara County hot spots. Kern sends his wine up to Napa for production because no wineries around here have Charmat facilities, but he’s hoping to one day build his own local production.
“It’s like making wine in an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker because basically you’re taking all your still wine, putting it into a huge pressurized stainless-steel tank, adding in the sugar and yeast to start that secondary fermentation, then sealing that tank up and bringing the pressure up,” the vintner said.
Charmat is a speedy process. Instead of six months to two years, fermentation only takes six to eight weeks for PasoSecco wines. Drinkers’ noses will find more aromatics, and their taste buds will sense more fruitiness.
“For a lot of people, it’s a more satisfying sparkling experience,” Kern said.
It’s not a bad time to be in the business of bubbles either. Despite a plateau of still wine sales, Kern has noticed a continued steady growth of bubbly for a few reasons.
His theory is that people are naturally drawn to carbonated beverages, and sparkling wine is a lighter option compared to a lot of stills. Aside from heavy reds, even some oaky chardonnays feel thick and too heavy for a warm California afternoon. It’s also an easier transition for younger drinkers who might already be accustomed to the bubbles of hard seltzer.
PasoSecco still faces challenges. One is convincing the masses that bubbles can be popped any time, not just for celebrations.
“We want to be your everyday bubbles, the bottle that you open up on a Wednesday if you’re going to binge watch Love Is Blind,” Kern described. “Or, if your boyfriend or husband is watching a football game, is drinking a beer with his friends, but beer is a little too heavy. You can pop open a bottle of PasoSecco.”
Stilson agrees. While Kern tries to overcome the challenges that occur outside the bottle, Stilson’s are all under the cork. Problem solving is her favorite part of being a winemaker.
“I love that part of my job and just putting things into place and connecting the dots because sometimes winemaking really feels like a big puzzle,” Stilson said. “Sometimes you’re the only person that can see the pieces and where they’re supposed to go.”
The Templeton native grew up surrounded by grapes and eventually found her way into the industry excitement. Stilson fell in love with harvest and the atmosphere that makes winemaking the gritty, heartfelt business that it is. Plus, she’s “super passionate” about making sparkling wine.
‘We want to be your everyday bubbles, the bottle that you open up on a Wednesday if you’re going to binge watch Love Is Blind.’
—Chris Kern, PasoSecco founder
Working with Kern was the first time Stilson had been exposed to the Charmat method, though she’s always been interested in working outside the box.
PasoSecco wines are 100 percent vegan, unlike most bubbly. Additives derived from animal products are sometimes used to filter or clarify. Egg whites and isinglass, aka fish bladder, are common. Stilson uses plant-based solutions like bentonite clay and potato protein instead.
Kern commended her adaptability. Stilson’s skills have evolved, and it’s only been three harvests.
The partners have big dreams to mark Paso Robles as a premier sparkling destination. They see tons of potential for PasoSecco’s future. Once they build their own production facility on the Central Coast and add more wines to the list, the ball will start rolling even faster.
“It’s just crazy to look back at our first meeting and interview, just talking about this idea,” Stilson said. “I’m very proud that we’ve done amazing work.” ∆
Sun Staff Writer Madison White, from New Times’ sister paper, is happy to hear sparkling wines aren’t a dying breed. Reach her at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 21-28, 2026.