So You Think You Know Tobin James?

Tasting at Tobin James Cellars is an experience you don’t want to miss when visiting El Paso de Robles—commonly referred to as “Paso.” The tasting room is a place where you might expect to see John Wayne looking for outlaws at the saloon. As it states on their tasting list, “THE ONLY RULE IN OUR TASTING ROOM IS—HAVE FUN!!” They also have a large (by tasting room standards) selection of wine related items for sale. I rarely escape from there without picking up a new Tommy Bahama shirt with some witty saying. This time I couldn’t pass up the shirt that says “Call Me A Cab” with a glass of red wine prominently featured. It is also the only place I have visited in Paso that does not charge a tasting fee.  As if you needed another reason to stop in and have a taste!

Working as a wine educator and consultant, I come across a lot of wine producers that I strictly associate with certain levels of quality. Sommeliers often disdain the use of generic sales jargon by retailers, such as “this wine is a real crowd-pleaser.” Inoffensive wines are not generally the primary criteria for someone deciding which wine to serve at their dinner party. However, just because a producer makes “drinkable” wines for the entry level consumer, don’t assume this is the only wine they know how to make.

Twenty (or so) years ago I took a tour at Beringer in Napa Valley. The tour guide started the tasting part of the tour with an inexpensive White Zinfandel. He was quite straightforward when he said, “we make our money on our White Zinfandel so that we can then make wine that we really like.” So when I say that the entry level wines of Tobin James sell well, it is because they are a good value for the money. There is a reason they call their top selling red blend “Le Cacheflo.”

Let me introduce you to the concept of “ladder brands” using Tobin James wines as the example. Tobin James has various wines that are considered to be on the “accessible” rung of the ladder. That is to say they are affordable for every day consumption. For example, you can find the above mentioned Le Cacheflo for about $12 a bottle. Let’s say you like this wine very much, but want something more special to serve for an extraordinary meal, like you would want to serve on Valentine’s Day.

For this meal you are serving a nice steak and want to pair it with a really good Syrah. It so happens that Tobin James sells an excellent Syrah, called their James Gang Reserve Syrah, which sells in their tasting room for $55 a bottle. This is what the ladder would call the “stretch” price point. You are willing to trade up because you trust the brand at the lower price and believe it will provide a good value for the quality of the wine you expect to receive at this higher price point. I know this to be true because I purchased six of these bottles during my recent visit to their tasting room. But what about the REALLY special upcoming event—the retirement celebration, or the big milestone birthday?

This is where the “aspirational” or “someday” rung of the ladder comes into play. Tobin James has an aptly named Blue Moon Reserve Syrah (and also a Cabernet Sauvignon). These will set you back $150 per bottle. Yet, if you join the James Gang Wine Club, the price comes back down to earth at $65 ($75 for the Cabernet Sauvignon).

In that case, why not tuck one of these bottles (or three, as I did) away for that next special celebration?