A
uthor Victor Hugo once wrote, “To put everything in balance is good, to put everything in harmony is better.” This idea encompasses the philosophy of the owner and winemaker at Victor Hugo Winery —Victor Hugo Roberts. He’s been creating wines since the 1980’s with harmony in mind. “There is a richness, an elegant color and flavor to wines that are made with the harmony that comes from experience,” Roberts said. “I have been making my own estate-grown wines since about 1985 and over the years by playing around with different variations I have found my own harmonious method for creating wine with intense flavor and color. I am very hands-on and see each harvest through from picking to bottling this is how we are able to control quality.” Every grape on the property is handpicked and only the best grapes on the vines make it to the fermentation process. In addition to his hands-on approach, Roberts is also committed to sustainable farming practices and utilizes them all over the vineyard. These practices were newly emerging when Roberts graduated from University of California, Davis with a degree in enology in 1979. Only three years later, he was practicing them when he and his wife planted their first 15 acres of grapes on their Templeton property. Today, Victor Hugo boasts 78 acres of amazing grapes all grown in the microclimate of the Templeton Gap. This small-lot, family-owned and operated winery is known for their estate grown fruit. Roberts creates limited lots of Viognier, Chardonnay, Malbec, Zinfandel,
Victor Hugo Winery is planted to 78 acres of wine grapes.
Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Then there are the Les Mis Estate Rose, Estate Opulence, Estate Hunchback and 2009 Quasi, a late-harvest Zinfandel; all named for different Victor Hugo characters and references. “I was actually not named for Victor Hugo but thought it was a fun reference to my name that people could relate to and remember easily,” Roberts said. “So we were a bit puny with our wine names for this reason. Our most recent release with Victor Hugo in mind was the 2009 Quasi that we plan to follow with a 2014 Moto soon. It is really just a bit of fun for the
Victor Hugo Winery has 78 acres of grapes and sources all of the fruit from their property.
VINO Central Coast Edition
customers and then they get the reference.” Roberts is serious when it comes to the science of fermentation. He likes to keep it simple and true to the fruit. He talked about the signature wine Opulence as being brooding, complicated and dark, describing the wine as if it had a personality. “This wine has hidden depth and is rich dark and complicated,” Roberts said. “Like a woman that is alluring but elusive. You can taste the plum, cherries and sage. It is one of our more complicated wines and I really think it illustrates what we are trying to do here.” Over the past 24 years, Roberts’s hands-on approach won him the Double Gold for his 2011 Estate Petite Sirah at the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition. All the accolades in the world mean very little to Roberts because he is all about the wine. He said, “If someone likes what I make that is great if not that is great too. It is all part of the experience and why there are so many different types of wines and winemakers to capture to everyone.” Victor Hugo Winery is a hidden gem in the Templeton Gap and well worth the drive to taste these outstanding wines made with harmony in mind. To learn more about the wines, the winemaker or to set up a tasting appointment, visit victorhugowinery. com. Victor Hugo Winery is located at 2850 El Pomar Dr., Templeton.
Victor Hugo Winery features estate-grown wines.
Published by the Paso Robles Press
Spring/Summer 2015
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