ONX has vineyards in the Willow Creek and Templeton Gap AVAs.

In the tasting room, at home, or in the vineyards—choose your tasting experience

Whether you are just starting to get into the wine scene, a more advanced oenophile, or a dirt geek interested in understanding more about terroir-driven wines showing a sense of place, ONX is a must-visit. Visit their Tin City tasting room and be welcomed into a best friend’s comfortable living room, or sign up for their Vineyard Tour and Tasting experience. This is the ONX experience: Fine wine, a relaxed setting, education, humor, and great hospitality.

Put an ONX visit and tasting experience on your Paso Robles destination list.

Sip, learn, enjoy

A visit to the ONX tasting room exposes you to award-winning wines, hand-crafted under the professional guidance of Drew Nenow, head winemaker since 2018. Drew has wine in his veins-being the nephew of the owners/winemakers of Napa’s Behrens & Hitchcock (Behrens Family) boutique winery.

During your tasting, enjoy a variety of their current releases. Depending on availability, it may also include a library wine or two. Drew’s only rule in making fine wines is that there are no rules. Every year and every vintage is different, so get ready because each tasting of his creations will be different from the previous.

ONX is primarily a blend house, but don’t overlook their single varietals, especially the Fiery Nights Syrah and Black Orchid Petite Syrah. All except two wines are estate-grown.

Due to the Templeton Gap’s uniqueness, ONX grows over twenty grape varietals, including Rhone, Bordeaux, and Iberian grapes. Additionally, due to the terroir, microclimates, geography, and geology, ONX also grows several whites, including viognier and picpoul blanc. There are approximately 127 planted acres, producing 18 varietals; with the addition of the Willow Creek Vineyard, there are an additional three varietals. A certified sustainable winery, ONX is working on converting all of its vineyard operations to fully organic.

As you sip the wines, your host explains the grape and its characteristics and flavor profiles, including growing and harvesting practices. Jeff Strekas, director of wine growing, has been working with ONX since 2012 and led the way, focusing on creative blending, whether it was a Rhone blend, a Rhone/Bordeaux blend, or even a Rhone/Bordeaux/Iberian varietal blend. Paso Robles and ONX stand out because they weave a tapestry of grapes showing off expressions from various terroirs, creating unique, masterful, exciting, and interesting wines.

Jeff oversees all the vineyard and grape-growing activities. Starting his career as a biochemical engineer, he has an encyclopedic mind and an artistic and creative bend. Good luck if you ever get into a trivia contest with him about any subject! Jeff is part of an integral team, and each person brings unique attributes to create the final boutique product, ONX.

In the tasting room, at home, or in the vineyards—choose your tasting experience

Whether you are just starting to get into the wine scene, a more advanced oenophile, or a dirt geek interested in understanding more about terroir-driven wines showing a sense of place, ONX is a must-visit. Visit their Tin City tasting room and be welcomed into a best friend’s comfortable living room, or sign up for their Vineyard Tour and Tasting experience. This is the ONX experience: Fine wine, a relaxed setting, education, humor, and great hospitality.

Put an ONX visit and tasting experience on your Paso Robles destination list.

Sip, learn, enjoy

A visit to the ONX tasting room exposes you to award-winning wines, hand-crafted under the professional guidance of Drew Nenow, head winemaker since 2018. Drew has wine in his veins-being the nephew of the owners/winemakers of Napa’s Behrens & Hitchcock (Behrens Family) boutique winery.

During your tasting, enjoy a variety of their current releases. Depending on availability, it may also include a library wine or two. Drew’s only rule in making fine wines is that there are no rules. Every year and every vintage is different, so get ready because each tasting of his creations will be different from the previous.

ONX is primarily a blend house, but don’t overlook their single varietals, especially the Fiery Nights Syrah and Black Orchid Petite Syrah. All except two wines are estate-grown.

Due to the Templeton Gap’s uniqueness, ONX grows over twenty grape varietals, including Rhone, Bordeaux, and Iberian grapes. Additionally, due to the terroir, microclimates, geography, and geology, ONX also grows several whites, including viognier and picpoul blanc. There are approximately 127 planted acres, producing 18 varietals; with the addition of the Willow Creek Vineyard, there are an additional three varietals. A certified sustainable winery, ONX is working on converting all of its vineyard operations to fully organic.

As you sip the wines, your host explains the grape and its characteristics and flavor profiles, including growing and harvesting practices. Jeff Strekas, director of wine growing, has been working with ONX since 2012 and led the way, focusing on creative blending, whether it was a Rhone blend, a Rhone/Bordeaux blend, or even a Rhone/Bordeaux/Iberian varietal blend. Paso Robles and ONX stand out because they weave a tapestry of grapes showing off expressions from various terroirs, creating unique, masterful, exciting, and interesting wines.

Jeff oversees all the vineyard and grape-growing activities. Starting his career as a biochemical engineer, he has an encyclopedic mind and an artistic and creative bend. Good luck if you ever get into a trivia contest with him about any subject! Jeff is part of an integral team, and each person brings unique attributes to create the final boutique product, ONX.

ONX Production team: Sam Carlson, Phoebe Bartoldus, Lauren Fessenden, Drew Nenow, and Matt Siegrist.

Noble Intrigue #45 on the Wine Enthusiat’s Cellar Select List

ONX Wines is thrilled to announce that its 2021 Noble Intrigue, has secured the #45 position on Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s prestigious Cellar Select list. Each year Wine Enthusiast releases their Top 100 Wine List which ranks the best wines in the world. These wines exhibit pedigree, structure, and staying power, and includes wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Spain, New Zealand, as well as California and the Pacific Northwest.

ONX Noble Intrigue 2021 is made from several blocks of Syrah that ONX controls at the Bien Nacido Vineyard. The wine has an earthy introduction of mushroom and peat moss infused with sweet sarsaparilla, savory steak and iron. Undertones of prickly strawberry support notes of vanilla and brown butter before an edge of sweet peppercorn. The wine hits the entry softly with an even weight and silky textures. Wet tobacco leaf and smashed raspberry headline a flavorful core before a dense finish rife with anise.

Experience ONX your way

ONX experiences fit anyone’s interest level. Sit back and enjoy your tasting in a comfortable, relaxed setting, or explore a deep dive with vineyard tours or even in-home tastings. To get your wine salivary glands working, here are just a few of the options that await you in your wine journey:

• Tin City Winery/Tasting Room experience: Sample various current-release ONX wines (which may include some library selections) in the comfortable tasting room. Relax indoors or outdoors as your wine host guides you through the current tasting menu while explaining the ONX story and philosophy.
• Cellar’d Tasting: Consider booking this private winery and cellar tour for a deep dive into ONX wines and winemaking. Learn more about the details, intricacies, and the hows and whys of winemaking. During this special tour and tasting, you are treated to ONX’s small production and library wines, paired with an artisanal charcuterie platter that will make your senses sing.
• Vineyard Tour and Tasting experience: Awaken your inner wine geek with this simply astonishing tour. For $45 per person, you are treated to a selection of wines while touring the vineyard, and learning about soil, canopy, sustainability, organic growing techniques, and the harvest. Touring the vineyard, sipping, and enjoying the natural surroundings is captivating and deepens your appreciation of what goes into the wine.
• In-home experiences: ONX offers two different in-home experiences: a virtual tasting with pre-delivered wines or tasting ONX in the comfort of your own home, on your schedule, with an ONX host who will come to you!

While enjoying the ONX experience, keep an eye out for announcements about the team’s newly launched venture, Kiler Canyon Vineyard.

The ONX Tin City tasting room is located at 2910 Limestone Way, Paso Robles. Open daily 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., last tasting at 4:00 p.m. For reservations, vineyard experiences, or more information, visit onxwines.com, or call (805) 400-0956.

—Don Sonderling.

Don Sonderling is a freelance writer covering California’s unique lifestyle culture of wine, food, and adventure from Southern California through Napa and beyond. He may be reached at: donsonderling@gmail.com.