Dr. Stanley Hoffman planted the first Pinot Noir in the craggy hillside terrain of what is now the HMR Vineyard in Paso Robles' Adelaida District. Dr. Hofffman planted some of the region's first Cabernet Sauvignon vines and continued in 1973 to plant Chardonnay in the HMR Vineyard. Nestled into the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains near Paso Robles, California, there is an idyllic contemporary winery owned by the Hoffman family and operated by Dr. Stanley Hoffman and his two sons, David and Michael. The 12-year-old vineyards which are 1400-1800 feet above sea level, all produce estate-bottled premium wines. The story of this uniquely successful operation goes back to 1964 when Dr. Hoffman planted his first French varietals Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon because he had found the climate, terrain, and chalky lime-rich soil of his Central Coast ranch to be comparable to the viticulture regions of France. In 1973, Dr. and Mrs. Hoffman left Southern California and moved to Paso Robles to establish a winery where only estate-bottled premium wines would be produced. That same year Andre Tchelistcheff, dean of California Winemasters joined HMR as a consultant. Through Andre's guidance in the vineyard and winery, sons David and Michael Hoffman produced wines that merited high honors in competitive tastings including a gold medal at a 1975 international wine competition in London, England. Tchelistcheff says: “Love, devotion, and self-sacrifice are very rare in this day but they are needed to make great wines and the Hoffman boys have these qualities”. He also called HMR Vineyards “a jewel of ecological elements” and believes that some of the best white and red burgundies will come from this region. In the early-70's, founder Don Van Steenwyk hungered to return to his farm boy roots and, with his wife Elizabeth, purchased the idyllic Hilltop Ranch in Paso Robles. After years in Southern California, Don and Elizabeth found a location that filled their souls and would provide rest and rejuvenation for him and his family. They loved the clean air, the peacefulness, and the natural beauty of the area. Appropriately named, Hilltop Ranch houses the highest point in the region at 2,320 feet above sea level and the 500 acres at the time filled with walnuts and almonds. Initially, the Van Steenwyks bought Hilltop Ranch as a family getaway. They had no intention of making wine. But in 1973, Hilltop’s neighbors, the Hoffman’s of Hoffman Mountain Ranch (HMR), began to receive accolades for their wines. Around that time, the farm bureau suggested the Van Steenwyks consider another crop for their land—and a vision was born! In typical Don and Elizabeth fashion, top-quality expectations accompanied each grape planted. As early landowners in the Paso Robles area, the couple also had terrific opportunities to choose from some of the best properties for vineyard development. In 1975, they purchased Viking Ranch and 400 acres of the original HMR vineyards were added to the Adelaida portfolio in 1994. In 1981, John Munch, the first winemaker and creator of the Adelaida label, produced Adelaida's first wine and made the winery one of the first ten in Paso Robles and the premier winery of the Adelaida District. At its inception, Adelaida’s winemaking quest was centered on Cabernet Sauvignon. The following year, in 1982, Adelaida also produced Chardonnay and a Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. The Van Steenwyk's purchased the Viking Ranch. The Van Steenwyk's and John Munch became partners and built the first tasting room on the present property that is now home to Adelaida Vineyards & Winery. The Viking Ranch exemplifies the importance of the site. In 1985, the Van Steenwyks purchased the ranch and spent years studying the property to find the best place to plant. In 1991, the first Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah were planted. Learn More about Viking Vineyard “I remember John Munch, the winemaker at the time, asking me what was the toughest, steepest piece of dirt on this property. I told him about this piece of land on Lower Viking but there was no way we could plant there—it was too rocky and too steep. But it was never about what was easy to develop - it was about what would make the best wine, so that’s where we planted first.” –MIKE WHITENER, RANCH MANAGER EMERITUS– Viking Ranch reaches a height of 2,000 feet, straddling both the Adelaida and Willow Creek AVAs. Much like the terroir of Bordeaux, calcareous shale and marine shell limestone permeate the area’s topsoil. While the soil provides good nutrients, its decreased fertility promotes less vigor in the vine. This causes the vine to “struggle,” pushing its roots deeper into the earth and keeping the grape yields lower while concentrating spectacular flavors in the wines. In 1993, Adelaida produced our first Pinot Noir from grapes purchased from the original Hoffman Mountain Ranch (HMR) vineyard planted in 1964. This Pinot sparked an obession and the following year, out of the 1,200 acres available, Don and Elizabeth bought only the original HMR vineyards planted by Dr. Stanley Hoffman in 1964. They specifically selected these 419 acres for their fruit quality, incredible history, amazing potential, and, of course, the land that they grew on. This planting is now recognized as the oldest producing Pinot Noir vineyard on the Central Coast. Renowned engolist Andre Tchelistcheff, dean of California Winemasters, was a consultant of HMR in 1993 and called the vineyard “a jewel of ecological elements” and believed that some of the best white and red Burgundian-style wines would come from this site. Anna's Vineyard on the HMR Ranch was planted to Rhône red and Rhône white varieties. Learn More about Anna's Vineyard Bobcat Crossing Vineyard was planted along the road leading to Adelaida Vineyards & Winery. The Vineyard is home to three Portuguese varieties as well as Muscat Blanc. Learn More about Bobcat Vineyard Michael's Vineyard was planted on the Hoffman Mountain Ranch (HMR) - 22 acres of dry-farmed, head-trained Zinfandel. The planting materials came from bud wood of two of the oldest vineyards in Paso Robles. Learn More about Michael's Vineyard Upper Viking Vineyard was planted on a chalk rock mesa on the Viking Ranch. It is home to Adelaida’s Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petite Verdot. Jeremy Weintraub joins Adelaida Vineyards & Winery. Adelaida District AVA was approved as part of the Paso Robles master AVA plan. Broke ground on a new Hospitality Center and Tasting Room, located where the old family farmhouse once stood. Adelaida Vineyards & Winery production facility remodeled! Adelaida opened its new and tasting room located on the Hilltop Ranch.
Humble Beginnings - Hoffman Mountain Ranch
1964
Hilltop Ranch - The Heart of the Adelaida District
1970
The Start of Adelaida Wine
1981
Viking Ranch
1985
Tasting Room
1991
The First Plantings - Viking Estate Vineyard
1991
A Jewel of Ecological Elements
1995
Anna's Vineyard
2002
Bobcat Crossing Vineyard
2002
Michael's Vineyard
2004
Upper Viking Vineyard
2007
Jeremy Weintraub Adelaida
2012
Welcome to the Club
2014
Tasting Room
2014
New Production Facility
2014
New Tasting Room
2016
Tír na nÓg Vineyard Planted in Willow Creek District
2017