Cris Cherry ran Villa Creek, the restaurant that anchored downtown Paso Robles dining for years, while he and JoAnn built a wine label on the side starting in 2001. Then in 2003 they found sixty wild acres in the western hills, alive with limestone outcrops and native oak, and the side project became the whole life. They moved onto the land, built a small winery, and spent nine years preparing the ground before planting a single vine. What grew there became MAHA Estate, farmed by hand to standards almost no one else in California meets.

From a downtown table to sixty wild acres

Cris and JoAnn Cherry founded Villa Creek Cellars in 2001 with a clear ambition, to capture the extreme terroir of Paso’s west side and turn it into wines that were fruit-forward yet elegant. Cris already knew the region’s palate intimately. He ran the Villa Creek restaurant in downtown Paso Robles, a fixture of the local dining scene, and he understood wine as something that belonged on a table with food.

In 2003 the search led them to the property they named MAHA, sixty rugged westside acres of limestone, native oak, and possibility. Rather than rush, they moved onto the land, built a small winery, and spent nine years readying the ground. Over 2012 and 2013 they planted thirteen acres of vines. The patience was the point. They were not buying a vineyard, they were building a farm meant to last generations.

In December 2022 MAHA became the sixth winery in the world, and the second in Paso Robles, to earn Regenerative Organic Certification.

Farming that earned three of the toughest certifications

MAHA sits in the Adelaida District, the high, cool western edge of Paso Robles, where steep Santa Lucia slopes run over shallow calcareous bedrock. Afternoon air pushes inland through the Templeton Gap and nights turn cold, a wide diurnal swing that preserves acidity and lets the fruit ripen slowly. It is dramatic, marginal terroir, and the Cherrys farm it accordingly.

The vines are head-pruned and the wines are fermented with native yeast, but the farming is where MAHA truly stands apart. In 2015 the estate vineyard earned both Demeter Biodynamic and CCOF Organic certification. The production facility followed, Demeter-certified in 2019 and CCOF-certified in 2021. Then in December 2022 came Regenerative Organic Certification, making MAHA the sixth winery in the world and second in Paso to reach that bar. This is farming that builds soil rather than mining it.

What the wines actually taste like

MAHA and Villa Creek focus on Rhone and Spanish varieties, the grapes that thrive in this hot-day, cold-night limestone country. Expect Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Spanish grapes like Tempranillo and Grenache’s relatives, made in a style that lands fruit-forward but stays elegant rather than heavy. Native-yeast fermentation gives the wines a savory edge and a sense of place that cultured yeast tends to flatten out.

In the glass the reds show bright, lifted red and dark fruit, dried herb and crushed-rock minerality, and the kind of energy that comes from grapes grown on cool, high slopes. Head-pruned old-style vines and low yields concentrate flavor while the cold nights keep acidity taut. These are wines with structure and freshness in equal measure, built by a restaurateur to go with dinner rather than to sit in a trophy case.

What to pour Villa Creek with

Villa Creek and MAHA wines were made for the table by someone who fed people for a living, so pairing them is a pleasure. The Rhone and Spanish reds carry firm but supple tannin, and tannin binds to protein and fat, which is why a Grenache or Syrah blend softens and rounds out against grilled lamb, red-oak-grilled tri-tip, or chorizo and other Spanish charcuterie. The wines’ bright acidity, kept sharp by Adelaida’s cold nights, then slices through fatty and rich dishes so the meal stays lively.

Lean into the Spanish side of the cellar with paella, jamon, manchego, and smoky pimenton-spiced dishes. Match the wine’s intensity to the food’s intensity, and remember that heat amplifies alcohol, so go easy on chile-heavy dishes with the bigger reds. For tailored ideas around a specific bottle and menu, the wine pairing generator is a quick way to test combinations.

Visiting Villa Creek and MAHA Estate

Tasting at Villa Creek and MAHA Estate puts you on the certified regenerative organic and biodynamic land itself, in the western hills of Paso Robles in the Adelaida District. It is a working farm as much as a winery, so the experience leans toward education about how the place is farmed and why that shapes the wine in your glass. Visits are best arranged by reservation, and because hours shift seasonally, confirm current details with the winery before you head out the winding west-side roads. To weave a visit into a fuller day across Paso’s calcareous high country, our Paso Robles guide can help you plan the route.

Villa Creek Cellars and MAHA Estate: common questions