Driving the road leading up to Jada Vineyard & Winery, you are guided by two rows of olive trees. They are a reminder of what initially brought Jack Messina and his wife, Robyn, out west from Florida to California wine country.

But it's the acres of vineyards growing on the rolling hills beyond the olive trees that have led wine lovers to seek out Jada's acclaimed wines.

Blessed with rocky, limestone-rich soils and a location in a notch of the Templeton Gap on Paso Robles' cooler Westside, Jada has quickly become one of the most talked-about wineries to emerge on the Central Coast in the last five years.

Concentrating on Rhône- and Bordeaux-style blends, Messina and his winemaking team, including Scott Hawley, are excited about the upcoming harvest.

"I don't think we could've asked for a better set," said Assistant Winemaker David Rudnick.
This will mark the second year Jada will produce its wines exclusively on site, having completed a state-of-the-art winery and tasting room in 2008. The winery's first three vintages, beginning in 2005, were made using facilities at nearby Calcareous and Denner vineyards.

Messina, who maintains his Florida practice as a heart surgeon, spends as much time as possible at the winery. His plans of growing olives changed when he was told by a friend that Paso Robles was emerging as a world-class wine region. He purchased the 90-acre property where Jada is now located in 1999. Approximately 65 acres are now planted, including some vines that are more than 30 years old.

The vineyard is now planted to nine varietals, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah commanding the most acreage. Messina stays involved with all aspects of the winery, from vineyard management to bottling.

While Jada focuses on blends, the winery produces a 100 percent Syrah under the name Jersey Girl; attributed to his wife's home state. Jada's stable of wines all carry labels that reflect some personal connection for Messina. There's the Jack of Hearts, an estate blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot.

There's also Passing By - primarily estate Cabernet Sauvignon with a splash of Merlot - refers to Messina's practice as a heart surgeon of the reported beneficial effects of red wine.
Jada's wines have earned raves from critics, of the 2005 Mirror, an estate blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar publication wrote, "Lush and creamy on the alluringly spicy, sweet and persistent finish."

In awarding 90 points to the 2005 Jersey Girl, it wrote that it "has the depth to age, but this is delicious now."

Jada's production is about 2,500 cases for the current vintage, a slight bump up from their first vintage. But the winery is committed to remaining a small, family-owned operation focused on producing quality estate wines.

Indeed, that's one of the main reasons Rudnick joined Jada as assistant winemaker after working in many other wine-producing regions, including New Zealand.

While Jada's red wines are aged in oak barrels, its standout white blend, called XCV, also spends time in two egg-shaped, concrete fermenters. The "eggs," as they are affectionately called at the winery, are 150-gallon containers that are far more than a novelty.

Although unusual, assistant winemaker Rudnick points out that "concrete's been around forever" as a container in which to age wine.
Like wood, concrete's surface is porous. Its advantage, however, is its relative immunity to temperature fluctuations.
"It breathes like a barrel," said Rudnick, "but regulates temperature 100 percent better than wood ever will."
In a sense, he said, it provides the best features of both wood and stainless steel containers.

The concrete containers are located in one of the winery's barrel rooms, which are on the ground level of what was an old, red barn that's been converted into a winery and tasting room. Upstairs, the former living quarters in now the tasting room, with outdoor decking where visitors can enjoy views of the vineyards and surrounding hillsides.

Gourmet, estate-grown olive oil is also sold at the tasting room. Another feature of the tasting room is an adjacent, climate-controlled room surrounded by glass walls, where bottles are stored until they are opened for guests.

Jada Vineyard & Winery is located at 5620 Vineyard Drive, off Highway 46 West. The tasting room is open Monday and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests will enjoy Jada ines paired with gourmet artisan cheeses provided by local gourmet cheese shop Vivant for a $10 fee.

You can also call (805) 226-4200 to schedule a tour of the winemaking facility or for a VIP tasting. Visit the winery's website at www.jadavineyard.com.