A brief history
Located in beautiful Paso Robles, California, where the rolling hills are lush with vibrant color and the wine is abundant, lies Tackitt Family Vineyards. It began with the initial planting of 29 Gewürztraminer vines brought from Germany by John Thomas in the early 1970s. Later, the fruit of these vines would become their flagship wine and be used to launch the Tackitt Family Vineyards opening with their first crush in 2007.
Leon Tackitt, co-owner, winemaker, and grandson of John Thomas, retired in 2007 from the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) after 27 years of service and then along with his wife, Cindy, opened the doors of Tackitt Family Vineyards in the spring of 2008. In 2009, cloning his grandfather’s vines, Leon planted an acre of Gewurztraminer on the west side of the property, as well as an acre of Petite Sirah on the east side. You can see both of these vineyards during your visit, and pay homage the original Gewurztraminer vines that started it all! Now, the Tackitt Family Vineyards produces over 1,000 gallons of juice on their own property, and purchases additional grapes from just over the hill (within the same Paso Robles Estrella AVA) to make a variety of award-winning wines. All of the grape pressing, wine barreling, and bottling is done right on the estate.
Our handcrafted, premium wines are created using old-style techniques in small lots to ensure the highest quality. The signature wines of Tackitt Family Vineyards are a Gewürztraminer that is made slightly drier with more fruit intensity and complements a wide variety of cuisines, and a full-bodied Petite Sirah that continues to excite the judges with many awards. We also produce a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a unique Bordeaux-style Blend, a classic Cabernet Sauvignon, an intense but smooth Zinfandel, and a well-rounded Merlot. In addition to these great wines, we also produce a solera-aged dessert wine made from Late Harvest Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.
