Serial Wines Tasting Lounge in Downtown Paso Robles

Serial is a series of wines from hidden-gem vineyards across the expansive and diverse Paso Robles AVA. Part of the John Anthony Family of Wine & Spirits portfolio, Serial Wines was conceived in 2015 by John Anthony Truchard and Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian, who started his career in Paso Robles and has a deep understanding of its terroir. Serial opened its stunning tasting room in Downtown Paso Robles in the historic Odd Fellows building in 2022, where guests can enjoy flights, wines by the glass and bottle, food pairings, and custom experiences. We interview Kandarian to learn more.

What type of wine do you specialize in?

Serial Wines Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: With Serial Wines, my heart is rooted in Rhône varieties—Syrah, in particular, has captivated me since the early days of my career. That said, as I’ve evolved as a winemaker, I’ve found myself drawn more to whites. There’s something about their energy and vibrancy that offers a fresh kind of complexity I find exciting.

Share a popular tasting experience.

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: I’m part of a tasting group with 12 well-known winemakers. Each month, one of us hosts and sets up a blind tasting of 8 to 16 wines in a category of choice. The host also prepares a dinner that pairs with the flight’s focus—a tradition that always makes for a memorable night.

Last year, I hosted and chose Viognier/Condrieu as the theme. I included the Serial Viognier in the lineup, alongside big names like Guigal, Vernay, Rostaing, and Alban. All wines were tasted blind, graded, and revealed from last to first place. I was proud of our Viognier but curious how it would stand next to some of the best from the same vintage. Well—drumroll—Serial Viognier took the #1 spot. (It ranked #3 on my own card, which I was still stoked about.) Let’s just say the cassoulet I had prepared for the group tasted even better that night.

What makes your wine unique?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: I like to think it’s my attention to detail and an unwavering care factor. I’m passionate—sometimes to a fault—and I believe that intensity translates into the wine. Terroir is shaped not just by the site, but by the people who work with it. Their attitude, enthusiasm, and care matter. A vineyard’s character is undeniable, but it’s the hands and minds behind it that elevate the wine’s true expression.

What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your tasting lounge?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: We’re a house of diverse and delicious offerings, but more than that—we’re committed to constant evolution. We’re always learning, exploring, and pushing our limits to ensure each vintage outshines the last. It’s a continuous improvement mindset. Every season is an opportunity to refine, elevate, and craft wines that are even better than the year before.

How did you get started in the wine industry?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: I grew up in agriculture, working on my family’s farm with vineyards of raisin and table grapes, alongside a mix of traditional and non-traditional crops. My Portuguese grandfather—my Avo—always had his homemade, aldehydic and sweet port on the table. Watching his passion for turning grapes into wine sparked something in me. There was a kind of magic in his process, and that early exposure ultimately ignited my love for winemaking.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the winemaking process?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: Two big lessons: first, never stop learning. The moment you think you know it all, you’ve already lost. And second, respect the work. Every step of the process—every decision, every detail—requires care and attention. If you’re willing to put in the time, the wine will show it. There’s no shortcut, but the reward is in the result.

Do you remember the first time you fell in love with wine?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: I was a young cellar rat at Justin in 2001 when I first tasted a Halter Vineyard designate Syrah. One sip changed everything. It was velvet—plum, violets, game, bacon, spice, with real substance and weight. It stood apart from anything I’d tasted up to that point. That was the moment. Ever since, Syrah has been and remains one of my top five varieties. So when the opportunity came to craft a Halter Ranch Syrah for Serial Wines, I jumped at it. It felt like coming full circle—an incredible chance to honor that first love with my own hands.

Describe your winemaking approach.

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: My approach is about guiding each wine to its fullest potential, always keeping the end goal and style in focus. With over 75 wines under my watch, every approach varies depending on the objective. But there are a few constants—don’t mess up the basics, let the grapes and science lead the way, and stay hands-off until the wine tells me otherwise. When intervention is needed, I dive in fully and embrace every tool and technique available.

Every vintage is a learning opportunity, and after 25 of them, I’ve learned the value of experience and asking the right questions. This industry is built on collaboration—so I listen, I ask, and I keep learning.

Do you have a favorite story about working at your winery? 

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: One of my most memorable experiences was early in my career during harvest. A few of us actually lived at the winery for the season. One evening, we went pig hunting and harvested a 75-pound sow that had been feasting on ripe Central Coast Cabernet and Syrah grapes. Over the next few months, we cooked and shared that pig with the entire team. It was an experience like no other—an incredible blend of hard work, camaraderie, and the unique connection between the land, the wine, and the people who bring it all to life.

What do you love about winemaking?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: What I love most about winemaking is the magic of fermentation and how no two vintages are ever the same—even with fruit from the same vineyard. That dynamic nature, the constant exploration, and the challenge of capturing each vintage’s unique character is what keeps me coming back, year after year. It’s a process that’s always evolving, and that’s what makes it so rewarding.

Do you have any winery traditions with your team?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: In the past, I had a personal tradition of digging out at least one tank every harvest—a way to stay grounded, quite literally, in the process. While that’s gone by the wayside, one tradition we always uphold is popping bubbles with the team when the first grapes arrive. It’s our way of toasting the season ahead, honoring the hard work to come, and recognizing the potential in every vintage. Simple, but not to be neglected.

How does your team help you as a winemaker?

Executive Winemaker, Jeff Kandarian: The work I do—any success I have—is impossible without the team. I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work alongside incredible people, and without them, there is no success for the brand, for any individual, or for me personally. We’ve bled, sweat, and cried together.

I spend more time with my teams than my own family, and that makes them family for life. One of the most rewarding things is hearing from the people I’ve worked for, worked with, or who have worked for me. Just hearing a hello, a thank you, or a shared memory from harvests past—that’s what solidifies that what we did was done right, with purpose and meaning.