When I developed this season of California and Central Coast legends, I came across an article about sommelier and farmer Rajat Parr. It was written by Esther Mobley, the senior wine critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. She called him one of the wine industry’s biggest celebrities and California’s most influential sommelier—and she’s certainly not the only one. Rajat Parr is an absolute giant of the wine world, having worked as a sommelier for restaurateur Michael Mina for many years in San Francisco, and co-authoring two very important books: Secrets of the Sommeliers and The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste. So imagine my surprise when he instantly accepted my email request for an interview. Since moving away from the sommelier and restaurant world, he has taken up as a farmer and winemaker in Cambria at Phelan Farm, Stolo Vineyard, Domaine de la Cote, and Sandhi Wines. We talked about his upbringing in Calcutta, his original goal to become a chef, the way he risked it all to move to San Francisco, and his legendary and well-documented blind-tasting abilities.
Website: phelanfarm.com / sandhiwines.com / domainedelacote.com / stolofamilyvineyards.com
Instagram: @rajatparr
Vailia From, winemaker and owner, Desparada Wines, Paso Robles
Brigit Binns, cookbook author, teacher and owner, Refugio Paso Robles
Bill and Barbara Spencer, farmers, Windrose Farm, Paso Robles
Dan Berkeland, baker and owner, Backporch Bakery, SLO and Atascadero
Damian Camacho, server at Novo Restaurant, SLO
Emilie Goldstein, chef, Trumpet Vine Catering, and gastric bypass alum, Atascadero
James Ontiveros, vigneron, Ranchos de Ontiveros, Santa Maria
Jenna Congdon, sommelier, consultant and wine rep, SLO
Feben Teffera, pop-up restaurateur, Ebony, SLO
Jensen Lorenzen, chef and owner, Larder Meat Co, SLO
Trailer: CONSUMED with Jaime Lewis
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