The “Greek Guys” of Paso Robles, CA
In a town full of big-name tasting rooms, Boutz Cellars stood out as the most personal, welcoming, and uniquely Greek experience we had in Paso Robles — the kind of spot that makes you want to stay all morning.
While in Paso Robles, there was one winery that stood out far above the rest - Boutz Cellars. As a Greek girl myself, and longing for a trip back to the motherland, when I heard about Boutz Cellars on a podcast, I knew that we had to plan on stopping there during our time in Paso Robles.
After our morning coffee we got on the road, but only a for a ten minute drive from our hotel in downtown Paso Robles. You might notice a winery on your drive that is reminiscent of the white and blue buildings in Santorini, but don’t be fooled - they aren’t actually a Greek winery.
We were greeted onto the Boutz Cellars property by a grand steel archway with the word “Labryinth” atop and were given a gate code. We let ourselves in, and drove up a long driveway just to be greeted by their goodest boy, Zeppelin, their family dog - talk about a warm welcome! We made our way to their tasting room which honestly felt more like sitting in their family dining room with a stunning view - which is our favorite way to taste wine.
The Vibe
Boutz Cellars is the definition of a family-run business. Run by a father/son duo of the Boutzoukas family, James and Manoli have brought a number of uniquely delightful Greek varietals to Paso Robles. We sat with Manoli for nearly three hours, learning about his life, family, and of course the wine. I was impressed to learn that one of his sisters actually designs the labels for each of their wines - incredibly talented.
Because the varietals are mainly Greek, we had a ton of questions about the process of bringing the vines to the United States from Crete. Unbeknownst to us, when the vines were brought here from Greece, they had to be quarantined for five years before they could be planted in the ground. Talk about a long lead time. That being said, while they do have a handful of Greek varietals planted in Paso Robles, there are still a few in quarantine.
Our entire visit with Boutz Cellars was top notch. In true Greek fashion, the Boutz tasting experience made you feel like you belonged there - so much so that we were taken on walking tour of their property, including some breathtaking views at the very top of their property. When we returned to the table, Manoli poured himself a glass of wine and we had a frank conversation about how the wine industry tends to leave our generation out of the conversation completely…while not planned, it was so on brand for Next Gen Wino.
If you are going to Paso Robles - you MUST stop at Boutz Cellars. Make sure to make a reservation before you go.
The Wine
2024 Assyrtiko
Most commonly found in Santorini, this Greek, white varietal is incredibly refreshing with high acidity, light body, and completely dry. You can expect notes of refreshing citrus zest, ripe green fruits like pears or apples, and a saltiness that reminds you of the sea. This was a standout - we actually bought a couple of bottles to bring with us.
2024 Moschofilero
A native Greek grape, this white wine is endlessly refreshing and the nose just hits you in the face - in the best way. An extremely aromatic wine, you are greeted with pleasant nose of citrus, think tangerine or orange zest and this floral component, think jasmine and rose. On the palate you taste beautiful minerality, kinda like wet gravel, and ripe peaches.
2024 Vidiano
While the Boutzoukas family is proud of every wine they produce, you can tell that this one is special. Indigenous to their home island of, Crete, Vidiano is a complex white varietal that was such a joy to drink. With a nose of ripe peaches, apricots, and flinty stone, it was immediately inviting. On the palate, you could feel the texture that this wine had, in a satisfying way that was completely balanced out by the acidity. I could taste some nuttiness and baked apple as well. We loved this wine as well - brought a bottle home with us.
2021 Labryinth
Made of 100% Grenache, this red wine was screaming red fruit. With a bit of age on it, this really was a treat to taste. On the nose you had some jammy strawberries and raspberries along with some floral dried rose petals. On the palate, those fruit flavors sang even more, but I also picked up some herbs like rosemary and oregano. Chilling this down with some pizza would be ideal.
KRI-KRI Tsikoudia
Yeah, thats a mouthful! If you’ve ever had Grappa, this is its long lost Cretan cousin. Strong as hell and known to be a palate cleanser in the Cretan culture. A truly unique experience finishing our tasting with this piece of their heritage.
The pricing of the tasting was $25/person and is waived with a purchase of 2+ bottles or signing up for the wine club - which we did. We’re very much so looking forward to our Fall 2025 shipment.