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Thacher Winery & Vineyard
Thacher Winery and Vineyards was established on the Old Kentucky Ranch in the Adelaida area, just west of Paso Robles. The Kentucky Ranch has a long history of agriculture, dairy farming, apple and walnut orchards, and horse ranching... but no history of vineyards nor winemaking. Sherman & Michelle Thacher were to change that. Wanting to move to a community where their children could thrive, they decided to move to Paso Robles. In 2004, they purchased 52 acres of the Kentucky Ranch and after many restoration projects, they finally moved onto the property in 2006.
Sherman decided to plant limited amounts of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah and to source most of his grapes from local vineyards. He appreciated the benefits of sourcing as he could then focus on the many varieties that the terroir offered. A Tasting Room and Winery were completed in 2008. Thacher Winery was bonded and opened to the public. From this point on, all vintages of Thacher wines were made on site. In 2015 Sherman purchased the Homestead Hill property located in the Willow District. It was here that he planted 15 acres with multiple grape varieties.
"Thacher" was selected as the name for the Winery. The name reflects Sherman's English heritage. The label and logo include the grasshopper based on the family crest which has three grasshoppers.
In 2015, Sherman imported two 500 liter amphorae from Tuscany, one for red wines and one for white wines. The idea of using clay amphorae was introduced by Assistant Winemaker, Daniel Callan who has encouraged experimentation with a variety of heirloom grapes and with new winemaking techniques.
Sherman Thacher "is currently working with 19 different grape varieties from various vineyards including their two estate vineyards. ...The wines are exciting and intriguing, but most importantly well-made." (Wine Business' Managing Editor Erin Kirschenmann)
Thank you for becoming a Winery Partner and for contributing to the history of viticulture - you are making history!
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