A sextant is an old-world instrument that marries mathematics, science, and the stars, the tool sailors once used to fix their position and steer into uncharted water. Craig and Nancy Stoller chose it as their name because navigation runs in the family. Craig is a third-generation vine grower whose father founded Sunridge Nurseries, one of California’s major grapevine nurseries, in 1977. With that pedigree the Stollers developed the estate RBZ Vineyard in the El Pomar District of Paso Robles in 2001, and they have spent the years since building a reputation for powerful, deeply structured Zinfandel and Petite Sirah blends.

A nursery family that learned to navigate

Craig Stoller did not come to wine from the outside. He is a third-generation grapevine grower, following the lead of his father, who founded the family-owned Sunridge Nurseries in 1977. Sunridge grew into one of the major grapevine nurseries in California, which means Craig was raised around the literal roots of the wine business, the rootstocks and clones that every other winery has to buy. When he and Nancy set out on their own, they did it with a grower’s eye rather than a marketer’s, starting with a single vineyard block and a clear idea of the powerful reds they wanted to make.

The name Sextant ties two family passions together. A sextant is the navigator’s instrument, a blend of math, science, and the stars used to cross open water toward new territory, and the nautical theme threads through the brand and its labels. That seafaring identity is more than decoration. In 2024 Sextant was named the official wine partner of US Sailing and of the US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards, formalizing a connection the brand had carried from the start.

Third-generation vine growers from a major nursery family, making some of Paso’s most powerful Zinfandel and Petite Sirah blends.

RBZ Vineyard and Paso terroir

The estate heart of Sextant is the RBZ Vineyard, developed with Sunridge Nurseries in 2001 in the El Pomar District of the Paso Robles AVA. Planted by a nursery family, it was always going to be a study in matching the right vine to the right ground, and El Pomar’s rolling terrain and mix of clay and loam soils give the estate Zinfandel and Petite Sirah their depth and grip. Beyond the estate, Sextant draws on west-side and broader Paso Robles fruit to build its blends.

What unites all of it is the Paso climate. The appellation is famous for calcareous limestone soils that stress vines into concentration, and for one of the widest day-to-night temperature swings in California wine country. Cool Pacific air slips inland through the Templeton Gap after the sun drops, so warm, ripening afternoons give way to cold nights that lock in acidity and color. For big varieties like Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that can otherwise tip into jamminess, that nightly cooldown is the difference between a heavy wine and a powerful one that still tastes fresh and lifted.

Powerful Zinfandel and Petite Sirah blends

Sextant built its name on power done right, and the flagship Wheelhouse Zinfandel shows the philosophy. It is not a single grape standing alone but a blend, Zinfandel fleshed out with Petite Sirah and a little Syrah from the estate to build tannic structure and add depth to the finish. The Zinfandel brings vine-ripened strawberry, Bing cherry, and red plum, with hints of cocoa powder and fresh vanilla bean from oak, while the Petite Sirah loads in inky color, blueberry and blackberry, and a wall of firm tannin that gives the wine its backbone.

The effect is a red that is generous and bold without losing its shape. Where a lot of Paso Zinfandel can be all fruit and warmth, the Stollers use Petite Sirah the way a builder uses rebar, as the structure that lets the fruit reach full ripeness without collapsing. Expect full body, a long savory finish, and the kind of grip that calls for food. These are wines made by people who understand vines from the root up, and that growers knowledge shows in the balance behind the muscle.

What to pour Sextant with

Big, tannic reds like the Wheelhouse Zinfandel and Sextant’s Petite Sirah blends are built for the grill, and the chemistry tells you why. Tannin binds to protein and fat, so a fatty, charred cut tames the grip and lets the dark fruit come forward. That makes red-oak-grilled tri-tip, the signature dish of Paso Robles, an ideal match, along with smoky barbecue ribs, a peppered ribeye, braised short ribs, or grilled lamb. The Zinfandel’s bramble-fruit sweetness also loves a barbecue sauce with a little sweetness, since matching the sweetness of the dish keeps the wine tasting balanced rather than thin.

Two cautions help here. Heat amplifies the perception of alcohol in a high-octane red, so go gentle on the chiles or the wine will taste hot, and remember that acid cuts richness, which is why Paso’s cold-night freshness lets these wines slice through fatty meat instead of sitting heavy. Match intensity to intensity and these reds will carry the boldest plate on the table. For a precise match to whatever you are cooking, let our wine pairing generator point the way.

Visiting Sextant Wines

Sextant welcomes visitors at two Central Coast locations, the Paso Robles tasting room at 2324 West Highway 46 and a second spot in the Edna Valley to the south, so you can taste the powerful Paso reds and the cooler-climate wines on a single Central Coast trip. The nautical theme carries into the experience, and the lineup is a chance to taste the Wheelhouse Zinfandel and the estate Petite Sirah blends side by side and see how the Stollers use structure to shape power. Reservations are a good idea, especially for groups, and it is worth confirming current details before you go. The Highway 46 West corridor puts Sextant within easy reach of the limestone west side, and our Paso Robles guide can help you map the rest of the day.

Sextant Wines: common questions