Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/543749
48 WINES&VINES August 2015 WINEMAKING T en years ago, the city of Paso Robles in California's Central Coast region was set to say goodbye to a landmark building that had stood since 1922. Known colloquially as the "old almond growers' warehouse," the 11,000-square-foot structure had become a local landmark because of its pink color and signature tower, which was the highest struc- ture in Paso Robles. But the building had steadily deteriorated since the late 1970s due to neglect, and it was turning into more of an eyesore than a landmark. By 2005 the building had been purchased by the discount grocery chain Smart & Final, which submitted plans to demolish and replace it with a new structure featuring a replica tower. That proposal sparked a public outcry that goaded the city council into commissioning a report that deemed the structure of historic value. What had been a vacant and dilapidated build- ing became a historic, vacant and dilapidated build- ing with an uncertain future. That all changed in 2010, when Ray and Pam Derby, the owners of Derby Wine Estates, stepped in to buy the building with the ambitious goal of restoring it to serve as a winery and tasting room for their fledgling wine company. Derby Wine Estates A dilapidated former nut-processing facility is turned into a modern winery By Andrew Adams TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT KEY POINTS The winery and crush pad had to fit within the existing footprint of the historic structure. Supplied by the owners' 400 acres of vineyards, the winery can process several different varieties of grapes. The top floor of the building's iconic tower is now a private tasting room for wine club members. KEVIN ARCHAMBEAULT