(L-R) Kunal and Neeta Mittal, and Team LXV of LXV Wines

Spice makes everything nice, and for Neeta and Kunal Mittal, co-owners of LXV Winery in Paso Robles, it’s an integral part of the wine tasting experience.   Named by USA Today as one of the 10 best wine tasting experiences in the US, LXV offers a very unique way to experience their wines.  “The LXV Experience” combines wine tasting and flavor pairings, small plates with spice blends that can “mirror, complement, or contrast” with the flavors in the wines, transcending the traditional wine tasting experience.  For the Mittals, by pushing boundaries, the sensory flow of aromas and flavors are magnified, and you can understand the wine in the glass better.

Neeta Mittal shares their journey of wine in LXV

​Over a decade in the making, LXV is a dream come true for Neeta and Kunal.  The couple met at UC Berkeley, where Neeta was completing an engineering degree, and discovered they shared an intense love of travel, food and wine.  Neeta loved experimenting with flavors in her cooking, inspired by her childhood back in India.  Her mother, Meena, inspired Neeta to connect with her Indian heritage, blending the analytical with the creative.  Neeta, who was writing and producing in Los Angeles, wanted to create her own story.  Instinctively, she felt the connection with wine, and the dream was conceived.

It was a happy turn of fate when Neeta and Kunal came upon Paso Robles wine country.  Kunal, who was a Chief Technology Officer of a company and also a licensed pilot, tried to fly into Central California for a visit, but fog detoured them to Paso Robles.  They went wine tasting, something that had become a big part of their lives, and as Kunal says, “Paso was love at first sight”.  The plan was hatched, they moved to Paso because of this strong bond to the people, culture and wine.  But they weren’t content to just live the life, they had a goal of making their own wine, fashioned after their travel favorites, Napa, Bordeaux and Tuscany.  Initially, when the Mittals launched LXV, they started with Rhône varietals, Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, and GSMs.  But their hearts were with Bordeaux varietals.  So, with encouragement and help from the local winemaking community, including Ron Denner of Denner Vineyards, the Mittals bought a property in the Willow Creek District.  Today, they have a new vineyard in that appellation, Armaa.N, which translates to “Dreams”, planted to Bordeaux and Italian varietals and organically farmed.  Their first harvest is this year, with these wines, under a different label, to be released in a few years.

Neeta Mittal of LXV Wines, Courtesy of LXV Winery

​LXV is the Roman numerals for 65, which has deep significance for Neeta and Kunal.  There are 64 arts of living, or "Kalas", written about in ancient Indian scriptures.  The 65th art is the LXV wine story and guest experience, because LXV is dedicated to “heightening the senses through beautifully crafted wines and spice pairings”.  The Mittals have distinguished themselves with their unique take on traditional wine tasting.  But that’s not the only distinction.  Neeta is one of the first Indian women to own a winery in the US, something that has put a spotlight on not just the wine, but the interplay of culture and inspiration in creating the final product, from the labels to the wines.

This past Spring, I was invited to the LXV Winery tasting room in downtown Paso Robles, along with other wine writers, to experience their Indian food and wine pairing, before embarking on a three day Wine Writers Educational Tour of the region.  It was fascinating, starting with the intimate space of sapphire blue walls and Indian day beds, it was like wine tasting at someone’s home.  We were warmly greeted, as Kunal poured their 2021 LXV Rosé of Cabernet Franc, they explained their joy in sharing India’s rich heritage and their philosophy, “atithi devo bhava”, or “the divine visits us in the persona of a guest”.  And that was the beginning of a fascinating journey that pushed the boundaries of what we thought food and wine was all about, and how spice can enhance flavors in wine.

LXV winemaker Jeff Strekas

White Sangiovese!

White Sangiovese barrel sample poured!

​Moving to an outside patio for our four course pairing, their winemaker, Jeff Strekas, joined us.  Strekas has lots of experience working with big red wines, but he also embraced the opportunity to do something new, and was intrigued by playing with some different varietals that Neeta and Kunal love.  For example, the Cabernet Franc Rosé was a special request from Kunal, and Neeta, who loves Sangiovese, challenged Strekas to produce a White Sangiovese!  Strekas talked about the journey of LXV wine and his collaboration with Neeta and Kunal.

The following food and spice descriptors come directly from the menu provided to us.  Beginning with Samosas, “A favorite of all households to welcome guests”, a deep fried pastry stuffed with potatoes, and spiced with mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger and mango powder, dusted with chaat masala, a custom blend of cumin, coriander, carom and fennel seeds, to mention just a few of the ingredients, this is Neeta’s personalized blend.  The Cabernet Franc Rosé was a great pairing, and brought a new dimension to the wine, a round texture yet vibrant with notes of strawberry, watermelon, and baking spice.

​Saag paneer, “If springtime in Punjab were a flavor”, spinach with coriander, cumin, and Hatch green chili, served alongside the 2021 LXV Sauvignon Blanc, which is refreshing while channeling tropical fruit notes of guava and pineapple, and stone fruit pastry, with a waxy mouthfeel.

Biryani, “From the kitchens of the kings”, Chicken, with onion, ginger, garlic, whole spices (cardamom, clove, mace, saffron), and garam masala, paired with 2019 LXV Reserve Sangiovese, lush and dense with dark berry notes, savory with good acidity.

Tikka Masala, “Brace yourself for the ruckus”, Chicken, paneer with tomato, turmeric, tandoori masala, and fenugreek leaves, served with the 2021 LXV Blanc De Sangiovese, yes, you read that right, White Sangiovese!  We tasted a barrel sample right before it was bottled, and it really confuses your brain.  It’s a white wine only because there was no skin contact with the grapes, the initial aromas are citrus and white stone fruit, but the flavors are Sangiovese, cherry and earth, with texture and body, a fascinating wine.

​For the finale, another mind-blowing moment, dessert was fresh mango, sprinkled with Cherrywood Smoked Sea Salt, what a treat!  Another example of how spice transcends expectations!

​According to the Mittals, pairing their wines with exotic flavors from all over the world deconstructs the wine while exposing its full potential.  The “energy and intensity keeps the food and the wine at the same tempo so that they last together in the dance”.  Neeta’s mother, Meena, purchases their herbs and spices in India, shipping them to Paso so that the Mittals can customize their spice blends.  It’s quite the creation, since there isn’t really a tradition of wine with Indian food, so this is very unique.

​The spice experience allows you to focus through a prism the essence of LXV wine.  They consider themselves to be Bordeaux-inspired, Old World winemaking with New World fruit.  The Mittals and winemaker Jeff Strekas concentrate on terroir, finding the best vineyard sites to achieve the authentic expression of the varietal.  About a dozen wines are produced, spanning their current, reserve and library wine categories.  Cabernet Sauvignon plays a big part, but Sangiovese is gaining in popularity, I have to admit, I fell hard for the Reserve Sangiovese, it was mesmerizing.  And the labels are like jewels, so very beautiful.

​Although LXV is a decade in the making, it seems that Neeta and Kunal Mittal are just getting started, weaving a tapestry of sensory experiences that offer a different perspective in how we taste wine.  Visiting LXV when in Paso Robles is a must, a way to broaden your wine tasting horizons while drinking fabulous wine.