Keeping Art Norman’s Legacy Alive

I first met Art Norman back in 1995. Having just moved from the Napa Valley, there were only a handful of wineries in the Paso Robles AVA, and Art was certainly recognized as a pioneer of the fledgling grapegrowing and winemaking industry, along with Tobin James, Gary Eberle, Doug Beckett and others.

Fifteen years later, within a few weeks of both the 4th anniversary of Art’s passing and my 5th anniversary of being the Norman Vineyards winemaker, I am posting my first-ever blog!

My fondest early memory of Art and Lei Norman was at a ZAP tasting in San Francisco. At the time, I think it was January 1996, we were renting a house in Atascadero. While I worked out at Kennedy Fitness Center with Frank Nerelli and the boys from the CDF, my wife Mary-Ellen was attending aqua-aerobic classes with Art. EOS, where I then worked, had a booth across from Norman Vineyards. We walked over to say hello, and Mary-Ellen told Art, “I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.” You should have seen the look on Lei’s face!

Art and I shared the same love for crafting bold, jammy, over-the-top wines like the Norman Vineyards Monster Zin and the EOS Cupa Grandis Petite Sirah. As our friendship grew, I realized that although Art was a leader in the wine community, he always remained down-to-earth and accessible to his fans and cohorts. Even when his health was failing, I saw him spend hours behind the bar in the tasting room, chatting up a customer.

Although I only had the opportunity to work for Art during the last year of his life, he made a lasting impression on me as a mentor, inspiration and friend. Luckily, there are special people still working here who had learned from Art from the beginning, and continue to strive to maintain what Art created.

In the near future, I will blog in detail about some of these team members, and will keep you up on the latest releases and winery happenings. I’d love to hear from you!

Steve Felten

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