Spirits Made from Paso Robles Wine Grapes: RE:Find Distillery

Disclosure: I was invited out to RE:Find Distillery this past January.  This is about my experience, and what I learned along the way.

If you’ve been paying close attention around California the past few years, you may have noticed a huge boom in the Craft Distillery industry!  Craft Spirits have become huge in California, and in Paso Robles, it is no different. Paso Robles now has their own Distillery Trail and Passport for those with a love of Spirits, Whiskeys, Gins, Vodkas, and more! There are NOW over 10 Distilleries within the Paso Robles area, and they are continuing to grow.

BUT, with that being said, one company RE:Find Distillery has been a bit ahead of the curve in Paso Robles, and were definitely one of the first in the area.  Believe it or not, it all started with wine. (Yep, wine, are you intrigued like me?) Alex and Monica Villicana began their start in Paso Robles by owning Villicana Winery in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles.  As winemakers are often thinking of sustainability, and reusing the resources they have at hand, Alex was challenged by the concept of Saignee, and how not to waste so much of it.

Monica and Alex Villicana

Saignee, for those that may not know, is the juice from the red grapes that is bled off before fermentation.  A lot of winemakers will use this Saignee to place in their Rose’s, or it will be discarded.  This wasted product really bothered Alex, and he wanted to find a new way to place it into an one of a kind product. Not only has he found a way to reuse his own Saignee waste, but other wineries in the area have reached out to Alex and Monica, and they are now also putting their Saignee into their product.  Their spirits are CREATED by Paso Robles Wine Grapes.

So, they take this Saignee, from local Paso Robles Wine Grapes, ferment it, and then triple distill it to create wine-based Spirits, and that is how the name of RE:FIND was created. Finding a new use for grapes and refining it into spirits!

Lets Talk Spirits: What are they creating?

Vodka: For the majority of their spirits, they use this vodka as their bases for creating the other spirits in their line.

Gin: For their Gin, they use the Vodka as the base, then place back in the still and then add, through a vapor pass, a proprietary blend of botanicals including juniper berry, coriander, orris root, lemon & orange peel, grains of paradise, and lavender to impart a rich gin flavor.

Limoncello: When I walked into their distillery, it smelled of Lemon everywhere to find out, two days prior, they had just ran through an entire batch of limoncello which they create by utilizing fresh fruit from local, area farmers. 

Cucumber Flavored Vodka: For those that love Cucumber water, now, you can enjoy that same clean flavor in this fun, summer spirit that will be released this July. 

Kumquat Flavored Brandy: And as they continue to try out new seasonal flavors, the real winner for them was Kumquat this past fall.  Alex and Monica have plans of planting Kumquat Trees throughout their land, and will continue to keep this fall favorite going. 

Barrel-Finished Vodka: They start with their premium vodka, and then finish aging it in a combination of new and used rye whiskey barrels giving it that barrel aged finish people love.

Rye Whiskey: And yes, for you die-hard Whiskey fans out there.  They have created a California Whiskey for you.  They’ve partnered with local, small, artisan breweries to create a custom mash bill for their Rye Whiskey. 

Bourbon:  Ready to be released any day now! Keep your eyes peeled for it.

Although, I don’t know a ton about spirits, I did get to try them, and I can say tasting through their offerings left a nice, clean finish in my mouth, and I found a new found love of Gin from their creation.  It might have something to do with wine grapes being the base though too.

Recommend:

If you’re not a huge spirits fan, I still recommend stopping into RE:Find Distillery to try something new off the tasting path in Paso Robles.  My recommendations to try include the Gin (SRP: $44.00), Limoncello (SRP $26.00), and the Kumquat Brandy (SRP $26.00).  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Coming in the Future: Alex and Monica recently purchased the historic Fox Theater in Downtown Paso Robles, and this will be the FUTURE home of RE:Find Distillery Tasting Room in Downtown Paso Robles.  An exciting project up ahead!

Plan Your Visit:

RE:FIND Distillery

2725 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Tasting Hours: Daily 11-5pm