Kukkula: winery information
Winemaker: Kevin Jussila
Kevin went from interested in wine to a winemaker in 1991 when he and two friends bought a half-ton of Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. The three friends continued to make wine for their own and friends' consumption until a 1995 trip to Provence inspired Kevin to move to the next level. During the family vacation, Kevin met the owners of Beaucastel and learned of their project in Paso Robles, Tablas Creek. The following Spring he saw Paso for the first time when he picked up vines to plant 1 1/2 acres adjacent to their Topanga home. Through the next several years of grape growing, winemaking, and a shift to commercial production with the 1999 vintage, he didn't forget about Paso. Late in 2004, the stars finally aligned when Kevin and Paula sold their Topanga home, bought the Chimney Rock property they had been eyeing, and the whole family moved north. kukkula was born. What drew them to the Westside of Paso was not only the scenic beauty of this part of California, but the heavy clay and limestone soils, their passion for blended Rhone wines, and ultimately the belief that Paso Robles is rapidly becoming recognized as the area to pursue making blended Rhones. When purchased, the property had about 75 acres of mature walnut trees and just over an acre of Cabernet. Today, some of the walnut acreage has been replaced by 16 acres of vines, and 8 acres of mostly French varietal olives. Grape varietals planted are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Zinfandel. With the exception of the Cabernet, the vines are all being dry farmed, and everything will be farmed organically with the goal of being fully certified in 2009. In 2008 some of the planted varietals came on line, and by the 2009 harvest, most reds will likely be entirely estate grown. The 2008 harvest also marked the first year that kukkula processed white varietals, and in the summer of this year we'll introduce our first blended Rhone white wine. They are committed to producing high quality wines and strive to join the ranks of a core group of elite wineries on the Westside. Currently they make the wines at Templeton Wine Services, but anticipate breaking ground on a tasting room and production facility this summer, and opening the doors to the public by Fall 2010. Concurrent with the opening of the tasting room they will release olive oil and other olive products as well as walnut products under the kukkula name. You can see the progress by watching the hillside above and to the right of the historic Adelaida Schoolhouse or checking out their Web site .
Annual Production: 1,500 cases
17 acres
Grape Varieties Planted