Lone Madrone has been making wines on the central coast of California since 1996. Neil Collins and his sister Jackie Meisinger have been working on this venture together since that time, at first on a very small scale, selling only to local restaurants and wine shops. In 2002 the brother-sister team welcomed aboard local businessman, Tom Vaughan, who sought out the duo after trying the wines. Tom’s arrival spurred the partners to expand horizons and increase production. Lone Madrone now offers a diverse selection of wines, the descriptions of which can be found in the “about the wines” section. Winemaker Neil Collins believes strongly that in order to produce wines of the highest caliber you must first start with grapes that are of exceptional quality. To that end, Neil goes to great lengths to procure grapes from small, locally owned, and sustainable farmed vineyards on the west side of Paso Robles, many of which are dry farmed and head pruned.
Neil Collins has been making the wines and tending to the vineyard operations for Tablas Creek Vineyards since 1998. The wines he produces for Tablas Creek are among the best Rhone varietals produced in California, and he brings this same passion and quest for excellence to his own Lone Madrone wines. Neil honed his craft in the cellars and vineyards of two prestigious California Central Coast operations, Wild Horse Winery and Adelaida Cellars, where he served as a winemaker for five years.
Prior to joining Tablas Creek and starting his own label, Neil worked for Chateau de Beaucastel, one of the most highly regarded estates in the Chateauneuf-du-pape, southern Rhone region of France. His experience in French winemaking complemented his earlier training as a French chef in hometown of Bristol, England. His experience spans 14 harvest and four wineries producing highly acclaimed wines every step of the way.
We moved into our new tasting room on Hwy 46 in Paso Robles in August of 2006. We continue our quest to use local and sustainable products as much as possible. We have artwork from a selection of highly talented local artisans and are honored to be able to represent them in this way. Our tasting room is set in the magical grounds of the former Sycamore Herb Farms and is a tranquil area to enjoy a picnic lunch on summer days. We took over the Herb Gardens in February of 2007 and our garden crew have been hard at work bringing it back to its former glory (see Herb Garden page).
The tasting room and herb gardens are open from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm daily. For directions click here.
We hope that you will be able to come and visit us sometime soon and look forward to meeting you then.
Cheers,
Neil and Jackie
