For many of us on the Central Coast, the Dusi name is synonymous with the wine industry!

In 1924, Sylvester and Caterina Dusi were one of the first to plant Zinfandel grapes in Paso Robles. They planted their home property on Ramada Drive with 40 acres of Zinfandel. In 1945, with the help of their three sons Guido, Dante and Benito; Sylvester planted 100 acres across the highway on Theatre Drive, known as Dante Dusi Vineyard. Both vineyards remain family owned and family farmed!

In 2006, Janell, Dante’s granddaughter, took the family’s farming a step further. She bought five tons of Zinfandel from her dad, and with a leap of faith, she became a winemaker. Janell has been making award-winning wines, building a respectable reputation with her J Dusi brand. Five years ago, she opened the J Dusi Tasting Room located at 1401 Hwy 46 West in Paso Robles.

Janell is excited to launch her new label, Paper Street, and to share it’s unique story! Janell’s dad, Mike, as a young man, dreamed of owning a particular piece of Kiler Canyon’s mountainous land. Forty years later, in 2012, the opportunity came, and the family purchased a 321 acre parcel of land in the Willow Creek AVA (American Viticultural Area). The terrain is steep, hilly, rocky, full of limestone, dead almond trees, where wild beasts roam.

Mike, with sons Michael and Matt, cleared land, built roads, and three generations went to work to plant 106 acres of grapes on the steep terrain. The entire family worked at 2200 feet, and as with most Dusi endeavors, it was a true family production.

The varietals planted include Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Grenache Blanc, Tempranillo, Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon and Clairette and Petite Sirah.

Why name this mountain Paper Street? When Mike, Janell’s dad, went to the county to apply for an address, he was told that the property was considered a paper street property, existing only on a map, with no physical address!

Ironically, Matt, Janell’s brother, had said he and his wife Ali, would like to name the mountain Paper Street, after their favorite movie Fight Club, and that was BEFORE we had been informed that our new property was recorded as a paper street property.

When the stars line up, you listen; The name of the mountain, also appears on Janell newly released wine label, Paper Street.

On September 1, Janell officially released 3 new wines under The Paper Street Label, available in 750 mL bottles: Zinfandel, Mouvedre and a GSM.

The delightful twist with the dual meaning of Paper Street, continues with Janell’s wines. Her small boutique winery, privately owned, allows her the luxury of naming her wines to correspond with her personal life.

Her Zinfandel is 100% Zin and for Janell, it is important to put that single varietal front and center. It is what the Dusi family is most known for, and they have a history to be proud of. Her Mouvedre, she named Cornflower Blue. Janell’s favorite color is blue. Dante painted everything blue. Janell played in the cornfields that her father farmed, and can tell you about how beautiful 20 acres of sunflowers looked, that her father grew for oil. Fight Club fans might remember that the color of the tie worn on Tuesdays was always Cornflower Blue.

Her GSM is called The Narrator. It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. Janell’s dad, is the Narrator. The stories of mountain lions, rattle snakes, and accidents over cliffs are real. Mike leads by example, and he has beaten all odds in developing the rugged terrain of Paper Street.

It’s a new era for the Dusi Family, and these wines are a treat for all wine lovers. Please accept our invitation to come taste the J Dusi Wines, as well as the new Paper Street lineup at the tasting room on Highway 46 West, Monday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm. All wines are available for purchase at the tasting room, and also online, at JDusiwines.com.
805-226-2034