Localist Guide: Rajat Parr, Sommelier & Winemaker
OCCUPATION: SOMMELIER & WINEMAKER
LOCALE: CAMBRIA, CALIFORNIA
Few people have influenced modern wine culture quite like Rajat Parr. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, Rajat’s journey to the vineyards of coastal California was anything but ordinary.
After attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he trained as a sommelier under the legendary Larry Stone in San Francisco and quickly became known for his extraordinary palate and intuitive understanding of wine. Then, as wine director for Michael Mina’s Michelin-star restaurants, he built one of the most respected wine programs in the country, mentoring a generation of sommeliers along the way.
But it was a growing fascination with the vineyard — with the people, soils, and climates behind every bottle — that ultimately led him away from crafting wine lists and into cultivating the vines. Rajat co-founded Sandhi and Domaine de la Côte in Santa Barbara County, championing site-specific, low-intervention winemaking long before it became mainstream. Today, he lives and farms in Cambria at Parr Collective, home of Phelan Farm, Stolo Vineyards, Scythian Wine Co, and Brij Wines, where he uses regenerative and biodynamic practices, letting the rugged coastal landscape shape each vintage.
In this edition of Nomada’s Localist Guide, Rajat shares his favorite Central Coast spots to sip, dine, and connect, offering an insider’s look at the region that continues to inspire him.
Q & A
What drew you to the Central Coast originally?
“I’ve been in California for the last 30 years. I spent most of my time in San Francisco and then I moved to Santa Barbara, but my real love of California was Big Sur. So when I had the chance to move to Cambria, it was a chance to be close to Big Sur. That was my main attraction — a quaint, quiet coastal town close to Big Sur. “
What is your favorite thing about life on the Central Coast?
“Being close to the ocean. Growing up in India, I’ve always lived my entire life near the water, so being near the beach (even though it’s cold) is the most important thing to me.”
So, what’s your favorite beach?
“Moonstone Beach — not where the hotels are, but just north of that, before San Simeon Creek Road. Every day or every other day, my girlfriend and I walk on Moonstone Beach. But if we take our dog (an Australian Shepherd), then we go to Morro Bay.”
What’s the one thing a tourist/traveler to the area must do?
“Elephant Seals in San Simeon — it’s amazing to see.”
What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday?
“Usually, long walks on the beach or going to watch a movie at The Palm Theatre. We just saw One Battle After Another with Leonardo DiCaprio. I want to go back and watch it again. The Palm always has great movies.”
What is your favorite local restaurant(s) and what do you order?
“I don’t go out that much, but if I’m in Cambria — Brydge or Sea Chest. If I’m going South, the restaurant I go to the most is the Granada Bistro. In Atascadero, this new spot just opened — Lebber’s. I’ve eaten his pizza at pop-ups at other places, but they opened a brick & mortar recently. It’s amazing pizza — we usually get one of each. And not a restaurant but a place I love is Jan’s Place, the listening bar in SLO is great.”
What are your current favorite places to wine taste?
“Scar of the Sea, Outward, and Dunites are the top few. I drink lots of whites — Scar of the Sea’s Chardonnay or Lady of the Sunshine’s Sauvignon Blanc, Outward’s Chenin Blanc, and Dunites makes amazing sparkling wines. It’s amazing to have such good local producers right in our backyard that work the same way we do — organic farming, low intervention. It’s pretty special to be in a place where there’s so much to try.”
What’s a daily ritual?
“During harvest, I cook lunch every day for the crew. We have a small team so I like to make sure everyone is fed — pasta, chicken, stew, salad — always something different.”
What are you reading or listening to?
Listening: “D’Angelo just passed away so I’ve been listening to his music. I’m kind of an old school Oasis fan, and they’re on tour so I’ve been listening to Oasis a lot.”
Reading: “Keith McNally, a restaurateur from New York wrote a book called “I Regret Almost Everything,” and that’s going to be my next read.”
What’s your next adventure?
“After harvest, we’re going to India for a friend’s wedding at the end of November.”
Fill in the blank: I never leave on a trip without… “hot sauces.”
explore the central coast like a local:
Phelan Farms, Cambria
Stolo Vineyards, Cambria
Brij Wines, Cambria
Scythian Wine Company, Cambria
Brydge Restaurant, Cambria
Sea Chest Oyster Bar, Cambria
Moonstone Beach, Cambria
Elephant Seal Rookery, San Simeon
The Palm Theatre, San Luis Obispo
Granada Bistro, San Luis Obispo
Scar of the Sea, San Luis Obispo
Lady of the Sunshine, San Luis Obispo
Dunites Wine Co, San Luis Obispo
Outward Wines, Grover Beach
Lebber’s Pizza, Atascadero