2016 Public Radio Grenache Blend Paso Robles 750 ml

From barbeques to Netflix binges, this is the perfect red blend for any occasion. With a rich, boldly fruity attack on the palate and soft, lingering finish, this $30 red is the epitome of winemaker Josh Phelps' philosophy, and a dynamite red that we can’t get enough of—but unlike Napa Valley reds, Public Radio manages to pack complexity and value into a single bottle. 

When Phelps decided to become a winemaker, he didn’t have to branch out: He was a legacy in the Ivy League of wine regions, Napa Valley, where his father Chris Phelps had made a name through legendary wine estates like Dominus Estate and Caymus Vineyards.

But things in the Napa Valley, which Josh still calls home, are changing. “Prices have almost doubled since I started my first company in 2010,” he says. “My focus has always been to deliver quality at a fair price point.”

That entrepreneurial vision landed Josh on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” and Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40” lists, and it comes to life in wines like the 2016 Public Radio Grenache Blend from Paso Robles, a bottle lauded by Wine Enthusiast for its smooth, seamless flavors and “loads of star anise and gingerbread flavors that play against a roasted red- and black-plum backdrop.”

The 2016 Public Radio Grenache Blend, blends of bold, strawberry-scented Grenache, with smokey Syrah, and inky Petite Sirah, in a full-bodied red that could easily go for twice the price. Aging in 25% new oak for 16 months, yields a smooth wine that explodes with concentrated fruit flavor from the low-yielding 2016. 

When launching Grounded Wine Co. in 2018, Josh didn’t just work to make affordable Napa Valley wines—he looked to burgeoning regions like Washington, Santa Barbara, and Paso Robles to offer both value and quality to the next generation of wine drinkers. While Grounded is a solo venture, Josh still works with his father to leverage long-cultivated relationships and find the best vineyards for the project. Like the public radio for which it is named, it meets popular demand at a price that invites everyone to the table.

Some might say that this Paso Robles blend is following in the footsteps of the famed Napa Valley reds that came before it. Some might also say that Josh Phelps is following in the footsteps of his father, who carved a winemaking path before him. But neither of those assertions is quite right.

You see, this wine and its winemaker aren’t just following in the footsteps that came before to carry on a wine legacy. Rather, Grounded Wine Co.’s Public Radio is leading California wine forward to a future that makes high-quality, delicious wine priced to enjoy all day, every day.