Paso Robles Wine Reviews & Accolades

March 24, 2025—Wines from Paso Robles have traditionally been associated with full-bodied reds made from primarily Bordeaux and Rhône varieties as well as Zinfandel, though over 60 different grapes are grown in the AVA. For vineyards planted on the west side of Paso adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, cooler growing conditions can allow for more restrained styles of wine. To the east where it’s warmer (read: notoriously hot), you’ll often find more robust expressions. More on that here.

March 18, 2025—Linne Calodo and Winemaker Matt Trevisan are featured in a new Forbes story titled, “Blends Are the Name of the Game at this California Winery.” The story delves into Linne Calodo’s exclusive commitment to blended wines while highlighting Matt’s unique background and skill sets. As writer Gary Stoller notes, “Rhône and Zinfandel blends are the hallmark of this California winery with an owner well-versed in aeronautical engineering and biochemistry.” Read the story here.

February 24, 2005—Although it is often overshadowed by its neighbors to the north, Paso Robles offers wine lovers a broad range of styles across the quality and price spectrum. A haven for working farmers and small family operations, 85 percent of Paso Robles wineries produce less than 8,000 cases per year. -Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report. See the full article here.

January 30, 2025—The Paso Robles area of California’s Central Coast is the Promised Land for winery story tellers like me. This article offers a small compendium of just a few of those stories, featuring interviews with the winemakers behind Aaron/Aequorea, Linne Calodo, Copia, and DAOU. -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent. See the full article here.

January 30, 2025—Linne Calodo is in the news for its “Cult of Blends,” signifying the winery’s exclusive commitment to crafting blended wines. Accompanied by a video featuring Winemaker Matt Trevisan, the Wine Industry Advisor story notes how Trevisan helped spark the Rhône-style blend movement in Paso Robles, and how he also champions Zinfandel-driven blends that reflect the heritage of the region. For more than 25 years, this steadfast winemaking approach has been the driver behind Linne Calodo’s iconic blends such as Cherry Red, Rising Tides, Sticks and Stones, Nemesis, Pale Flowers and others. See the story here.

October 21, 2024—Leading food, wine and lifestyle outlet Gayot.com has named our 2022 Problem Child blend to its short list of top wines for the Thanksgiving holiday. In the review, wine writer Dirk Smits noted that “Linne Calodo is a pioneering icon of Rhône-variety blends and Zinfandel-based wines from Paso Robles…Winemaker Matt Trevisan subscribes to a “nature-positive” farming ethos that emphasizes biodiversity, native lifeforms and species coexistence for the sake of creating responsibly grown, vineyard-centric wines.” See the story here.

July 7, 2024—The Alchemist of Paso Robles…Pushing the envelope is no easy feat, but Matt Trevisan of Linne Calodo has always been one to get outside of his comfort zone and test boundaries and expectations.” -Matthew Kaner, Men’s Journal. Linne Calodo acquired a holy vineyard and refreshed its labels for new releases. See the full article here.

July 3, 2024—Grilled steak fajitas with red blend from Paso Robles AVA Paso Robles is a region I am very passionate about, and I came across Linne Calodo Red Blend, a big bold red wine that is a true American spirit.

May 29, 2024—Linne Calodo wines just got more colorful with the launch of new label designs across our entire series of iconic blends from Paso Robles’ Willow Creek District, including Problem Child, Nemesis, Overthinker, Rising Tides and Cherry Red. “Our new labels are unusual, nonconformist and thought provoking, which means they match the juice like never before,” says Owner-Winemaker Matt Trevisan. See the new labels here.

February 18, 2024—Winemaker Matt Trevisan was a featured guest this week on “The Word on Wine,” a weekly radio show broadcast by CRN Radio. Show host and master sommelier Michael Jordan introduced Matt as “one of the pioneers of great Rhône varieties and Zinfandel blends from Paso Robles…He came in with a new style and opened a lot of eyes, and palates, to a really amazing way of making wine, and also of growing in a truly natural and historical way.” During Matt’s two segments on the show, he expanded on the art of winemaking at Linne Calodo and his philosophy of “nature-positive” farming. Listen here.

February 15, 2024—Matt and Maureen Trevisan have proudly taken ownership of the historic Cherry Vineyard property in the Willow Creek District—the Zinfandel vineyard behind Linne Calodo’s iconic Cherry Red blend. “Cherry Vineyard was my first love as a winemaker, and we now have the honor of preserving this site as part of the community and history of Paso Robles” Matt says. “Elmer and Mary Cherry planted their tiny head-trained Zinfandel vineyard in 1977. I began farming and making wine from this vineyard on a handshake basis starting in 1998. Amd working with the Cherry family for all of these years has been one of my greatest privileges as a winemaker. Cherry Vineyard is as real as it gets, and I intend to keep it that way.”

December 11, 2023—Calling all slackers: Our Slacker 2020 Computer Geek red blend has been named to a short list of “Best Paso Robles Reds” recommended by Men’s Journal for the holidays. Writer Matthew Kaner notes that “Slacker is a subversive series of Paso Robles blends from Winemaker Matt Trevisan. Despite their shiftless vibe, Slacker Wines are made to the same exacting standards as every Linne Calodo wine: estate grown, meticulously made and blended for elevated approachability.” He remarks that Computer Geek is “a wine for those in the know.”

December 5, 2023—We are pleased to share that our 2021 Cherry Red (97 points) has been named to Jeb Dunnuck’s Top 100 Wines of 2023. Of this wine Dunnuck writes, “The 2021 Cherry Red has a killer nose of red and black plums, peppery herbs, incense, and sandalwood. It’s powerful and intense on the nose, yet hits the palate with a supple, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and no hard edges. If this doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will.” He adds: “Winemaker Matt Trevisan continues to be the master of the blend and produces exotic, singular, incredibly compelling wines based largely on Rhône varieties as well as ample Zinfandel-dominated wines.”

December 1, 2023—We are excited to share that Linne Calodo is the subject of a cover story in the latest issue of Grape & Wine Magazine. Written by Catherine Merlo, the story takes a sweeping look at Linne Calodo and Winemaker Matt Trevisan: “He set out to craft his own red blends and create wines with high-integrity growing and winemaking. Over the next few years, Trevisan and Linne Calodo would specialize in limited red blends, helping break new ground in Paso Robles winemaking.” The story also features a Q&A with Matt that covers everything from farming to winemaking to the future of Paso Robles. Read it here.

November 27, 2023—The crush at Linne Calodo has officially concluded. Today we pressed off our very last lot of the 2023 vintage—a selection of Syrah from our estate Roxie Block that spent 30 days on the skins. We know that annual harvest reports are prone to hyperbole, but we can confidently say that 2023 will be a vintage for the ages. A gloriously wet winter was followed by a relatively cool summer and a mild start to fall. Then we just coasted through October with warm, steady temperatures that allowed the grapes to achieve perfect physiological ripeness. The resulting wines truly have it all: intense color and flavors, deep textures, fine acidity and beautiful structure. Winemaker Matt Trevisan sums it up succinctly: “Best year ever.”

November 16, 2023—Not that you care, but Slacker Wines today dropped a new video. The one-minute video stars some unnamed rockers and beanie-clad slackers with Winemaker Matt Trevisan serving as a proverbial Greek chorus to the action. Slacker is the alter-ego of Linne Calodo—but don’t call it a second label. Indeed, despite their shiftless vibe, Slacker wines are made to the same exacting standards as every Linne Calodo wine. “Slacker is a fun introduction to the wines of the Willow Creek District without all of the hoopla,” Matt says. Find Slacker wines in our web store, or join us for a Slacker tasting flight.

October 2, 2023—Linne Calodo today published a new white paper that details our “Nature Positive” farming practices. In the words of Proprietor-Winemaker Matt Trevisan, “We will keep pushing forward with better farming practices that live between the gray areas of sustainable, biodynamic, organic and regenerative. For now, we call it ‘Nature Positive Agriculture.’ We look at the science, math and long-term sustainability of every operation that we perform and then evaluate the wines we produce. I think we are on to something…The proof is in the glass.” Click here to read the white paper.

August 30, 2023—Linne Calodo was featured on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” morning show today in a segment discussing the rising costs of California wines and tasting fees. In the segment, featured guest Ray Isle, executive wine editor at Food & Wine magazine, noted that Linne Calodo’s owner and winemaker Matt Trevisan recently reset his standard tasting fees to $20 (down from $40) in an effort to promote access to Linne Calodo’s wines and experiences. The winery’s 2021 Nemesis red blend was also one of three wines featured in the segment.

August 22, 2023—Starting today, Linne Calodo winery has reset its tasting fees in an effort to promote access to its wines and experiences. The new standard tasting fee is $20 (originally $40) for a curated flight of five wines in the company of a Linne Calodo wine educator. “As an industry, I believe that we are at a fork in the road with tasting fees,” says Proprietor-Winemaker Matt Trevisan. “If we want to win over the younger generation, we have to make it easier for them to get in the door and fall in love with great wine.”

July 26, 2023—We are excited to share that Proprietor-Winemaker Matt Trevisan has been named by his wine industry peers as “2023 Winemaker of the Year” for San Luis Obispo County. In the words of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, “The awardees elevate the reputation of this area through the cultivation of high-quality grapes, the creation of award-winning wines, and the distribution of many iconic labels.” Says Matt, “It’s cool to be recognized by my peers. I’ve been in the industry for 28 years and never expected it. I’m still the same person, still wearing dirty pants and a dirty shirt.”

June 30, 2023—Linne Calodo today released “Nature Always Wins,” a new short film that documents the slow burn of Trevisan’s creative evolution, culminating in what he calls his “nature-positive” viticultural ethos that exists outside of formal farming certifications. The film (6.5-minute run time) is now streaming on Linne Calodo’s YouTube channel, documenting the origin story of Linne Calodo as well as the unorthodox blending and farming methods behind the wines. “Much of what we do at Linne Calodo’s estate vineyards is about un-learning the modern methods of viticulture,” Trevisan said. “It hearkens back to when farmers lived within the bounds of their land’s limited resources, relying on natural solutions and manual labor in contrast to chemicals and carbon-excessive activities.”

June 13, 2023—Linne Calodo’s Proprietor-Winemaker Matt Trevisan is the subject of a new feature story on Wine Bulletin, which is published by the Craft Wine Association. In the words of author Joe Campbell, “Throughout his winemaking journey, Matt has been described as an artist, scientist, mechanic, and farmer, highlighting the diverse nature of his work. Despite these descriptions, he remains grounded and appreciative of having found something he loves and being able to share it with the world.”