Little winery, BIG Rhônes – wine-stained lens

Considering my options in their tasting room flights through the bottom of a wine glass.

One of my favorite Paso Robles wineries is up in today’s hype joint: McPrice Myers, a little westside jewel that’s producing some truly outstanding Rhône varieties.

He (McPrice Myers is the winemaker/owner’s name) uses fruit from Paso Robles/Central Coast and Santa Barbara County, and my favorites are probably the intensely flavorful single-vineyard wines from Ballard Canyon’s vaunted Larner Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. These wines are delicious now, and have incredible potential for aging (if you can find the willpower to set a few bottles back for cellaring). They bring in rave reviews and sell out quickly, so keep an eye on their offerings if there’s something specific you want–most of the sold-out wines are available in magnums, so consider those, too.

If you’re on a budget but still want to try these wines (and you should!), his under-the-radar Blue Collar label features tremendous value for quality on reds. Treat yourself to a bottle of his Right Hand Man, a 100% Syrah. At $20, how can you resist?