That winery along State Route 92

Enter Kendyl Kellog, now a 39-year-old former high-tech marketing executive looking for a new lease on life.

Kellog, no longer desiring boardrooms, constant cell phone calls and instant messaging, got the idea in her head of running a boutique winery. As she shopped around on the market, Obester Winery popped up on her radar. After closing the purchase with the Obesters in July 2001, they stayed on for a time to mentor her in the ways of winemaking.

"I was young at the time," said Kellog, who felt like she had gone as far as she wanted to on the marketing food chain. "I had time on my hands to gamble for something new."

Kellog, who also took a few wine-related classes from UC Davis, today runs Obester Winery as an operation which produces a "high-quality, affordable product made more for consumption." Obester's wines are ready-to-drink, so to speak.

Obester's wines are made from grapes from other parts of the state. The Obesters once tried to grow grapes in the narrow valley the winery calls home. Too much fog and not enough warm days put a stop to this however, as conditions were never quite right to produce a good-tasting glass.

Obester's flagship wines, Kellog said, are the Monterey County White Riesling and a Sangiovese, whose origins draw from either Mendocino County (1999 vintage) or Napa Valley (2000 vintage). Obester's tasting notes reveal the White Riesling to be "light and sweet, with hints of summer fruits." The Sangioveses, on the other hand, are more intense, with the 1999 vintage in particular being "slightly heavier and more complex than the 2000 ... while still-retaining gentle fruit flavors."

Other notable wines on the Obester list include award-winning varietals like the 2001 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ("Crisp citrus and grassy flavors") and 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ("rich in tannins, deep, full-bodied, with intense aroma and flavor"). There's also a 1999 Napa Valley Port, produced from tempranillo and bastardo grapes, for those who desire something a little more sweet.

In asking about the wines in the wood paneled tasting room, it is interesting to note that they are bottled under two different names: Obester and a newer label known as Nebbia. Nebbia, according to Kellog, is Italian for "fog," which makes a nice tie into the area's weather patterns. The special label was also created to honor the three generations of winemakers which have passed through the winery's doors.

Kellog, looking for ways to build out Obester's image, has a number of things going on which have been hits with tourists and locals alike. In 2003, she built two bocce ball courts in the winery's back garden area, turning it into a popular weekend hang-out. Events during the summer months which pack people in include a cheese and wine pairing and a "Great Garlic BBQ."

Perhaps the most popular event at Obester's though is their Bottle & Cork days, which are held 10 times a year. People get to come into the winery's winemaking area (a converted barn) and bottle the wine themselves at reduced cost for immediate take home. Kellog said it's always a fun party atmosphere for everyone involved.

Then there is the matter of the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. Obester has a long tradition of developing a special "Pumpkin Festival Wine." The wine, Kellog said, is different blend each year. It is not however, as some might think, actually made from pumpkins.

Whether it is putting out award-winning wines or letting people compete in a friendly game of bocce with wine glass in hand, Kellog has a little piece of paradise going for her. She hopes to continue to be able to grow the winery and make it more than just "that winery along State Route 92."

"I want Obester to be destination people want to come back to," Kellog said.

If you go:

Obester Winery is located along 12341 San Mateo Road (State Route 92). Their tasting room is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all week. There is another tasting room at 643 Main St. in downtown Half Moon Bay which operates Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. For more information, contact Obester at 726-9463 or visit online at http://www.obesterwinery.com/.