A tasting at LXV Wines in the center of downtown Paso Robles is a very out-of-the-ordinary experience.
Paired with Indian spices rather than the usual cheese and crackers, the flavors of LXV’s superb wines are greatly enhanced.
Owners Neeta and Kunal Mittal from India have gone to great lengths to make exceptional wines and create exotic spice concoctions – and it’s a sensory explosion!
The Spell, a 2023 blend of 58% Syrah and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon ($85), is an enticing deep purple wine with a nose of “savory carpaccio, leather, and hints of fresh blueberries and plums.” On the palate: dried salumi, dark blackberries, currants, green peppercorns and baker’s chocolate. Paired with Ryori Encanto, a spice blend of Cocoa, Miso, Coconut, Caraway, Tarragon, Cardamom, Vanilla – served on small squares of cheese – it adds another dimension to tasting fine wine. Grapes for The Spell are harvested from diverse vineyards across the Central Coast.
Always a huge fan of all things Indian – food, music, dancing, and more – I found the flavors of wine and spices absolutely thrilling. It is no surprise that LXV was named in Top Ten Wine Experiences by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Tastings offered include The MESO Collections; A Study in Cabernet Franc; and Maison Mittal: A Private Journey from Paso Robles to Saint-Émilion. A tasting kit can also be ordered online.
LXV Wine, 1306-B Pine St., Paso Robles, 805-296-1902. LXVwine.com
Upper Echelon
Imported from Portugal, Quinta Nova’s Douro Reserva Terroir is a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cao, which the winemakers call “an upper-echelon Douro red.” This crimson wine (about $35) comes with aromatic flavors of black, red and blue bramble fruits, and delivers a mineral-driven flavor profile. Quintanova.com
