Unlike a traditional lighthouse that warns ships they are close to the shore, the beacon at Mike Paz’s home in Yorba Linda serves a completely different purpose – it’s time to make or drink wine.
When he’s in the cellar, the 15-foot-high tower built with stacked stone and adorned with the colorful bottoms of wine bottles, is illuminated signaling Paz is inside.
Curious neighbors had to know what was going on, so they stopped by and they were fortunate they did.
Not only does he make wine out of his 93 square-foot cellar located in his yard, he also has a wide selection of fine wine that will delight any palate.
“When the light is on, my wife knows I’m in the cellar,” Paz cracked. “Neighbors would come over to see what I was making and word started to spread.”
The cellar, which serves as a laboratory as well as storage, cost $5,000 to build
and was partly inspired by Paz’s desire to make wine in 2010. As a member of the Orange County Wine Society, he and other members would go on trips to different regions in California to learn about winemaking.
“For me, it was about developing relationships with winemakers,” Paz said. “I want to know the latest and greatest techniques. They give you a lot of hints are are able to share ideas.”
His cellar can accommodate about 300 bottles and about 85 percent of his collection is wine made under his label — Paz-Espana.
Paz’s grandfather designed a house for a man in Mexico who opened his doors to those who were persecuted for their religious beliefs during the Cristeros War. In 1977, Paz was able to make the trek to Polanco, Mexico and visit the home.
When he knocked on the door to the tri-level house that sat on a corner (similar to the Flatiron Building), the man who was well into his 90s, let Paz inside for a tour. He also gave Paz a sheet with his grandfather’s original drawing that now serves as the design for the wine label along with the family coat of arms from Spain.
Paz makes about eight to 10 cases of wine a year, primarily reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. He has quite a few medals from home wine competitions but maybe most impressive is winning a Double Gold and being named Best in Class at the California State Fair in 2017 for his Chardonnay.
“You eventually become your own critic,” Paz said of his wines. “I’ve learned you can’t make good wine from bad grapes.”
His cellar is always 85-90 percent stocked and the star of his collection is a bottle of the renowned Sassicaia. Much of the wine he produces he shares with others or gives away. His niece is getting married soon and take a guess what the guests will be drinking?
As for those neighbors, they not only drink the wine, they have helped Paz along the way.
“They feel like they are part of it. It’s something they would never experience,” Paz said. “There’s a whole romance to wine. It becomes a talking point, a conversation starter and it’s something we all enjoy.”