Le Cuvier Winery

Specialties

New location, same wines of hardy, gnarly flavor & character. Enjoy wines fermented entirely on native yeast & aged silly long times in barrel. Did we mention the views?

History

Established in 1983.

«Le Cuvier» translates from the French as the «little barrel room,» or less appropriately, the «little laundry.» A legend amongst Paso Robles winemakers, co-​owner John Munch started «Le Cuvier» as a side project while running Adelaida Cellars in the early 1980s. He decided to make it his priority in 1999, building the original winery and tasting room at Ramage Ranch. Munch soon learned he preferred to focus on the creative side, rather than the financials, and partnered with Mary Fox in 2001. Together, John and Mary set the guidelines for Le Cuvier:

1) The winery would stay small, producing between 3,200 and 3,600 cases annually.

2) The wines would be peppered with gnarly character.

3) The wines would be sold to a select group who could appreciate them on a more than random basis.

The Elliptical Society, Le Cuvier’s wine club, was founded to help honor that last guideline.

Meet the Business Owner

John M.

Business Owner

The origins of Le Cuvier’s co-​owner harken to another land & time. While out crabbing, the Chupete Indians of Costa Rica found John Munch, a toothless toddler, amongst mosquitoes & mangrove roots in the littoral swamps of the Caribbean coast. The particulars of his birth & lineage remain unclear. In his formative years, it is said, Munch was taken from the Chupete tribe by a missionary dragline operator & his wife, & variously educated in secular & missionary schools throughout Central America. He ultimately completed his education in California, where he almost acquired a post-​graduate degree in early West-​Saxon poetry. Munch has gained a fine reputation as founder & winemaker of several failed winery operations in the Paso Robles area. He now persists with Le Cuvier Winery, alongside partner Mary Fox, General Manager Houston Smith, and Head Winemaker Clay Selkirk.

Le Cuvier Winery also recommends

Di Raimondos Italian Market and Cheese Shop

95

reviews

Grocery

,

Cheese Shops

John M. says,

«We purchase some of the high-​end cheeses used in our food pairings from this Paso treasure.»