Ray Franscioni's brand new tasting room Roadhouse Wine Bar immediately impresses with wine choices, space.

A year ago, Ray Franscioni's wine dynasty was considerable.

A year later, it's doubled in size and, if it's possible, quadrupled on a more informal metric, the flatout fun factor, thanks to two major acquisitions, including a promising wine bar that opened this week.

For years, the third-generation farmer grew only row crops—lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, "you name it," he says. And he still does.

In 1991 he started growing grapes in Paicines Valley and Santa Lucia Highlands for other winemakers.

By 2005, though, he started plucking the best estate grapes—about 1 percent of the total haul—to put into a prodigious range of Bourdeaux and Burgundy wines.

Today his Franscioni Wines family of Puma Road, Pedregal and Lilia do so many different varietals, in fact, that tastings at his winery on River Road in Gonzales (675-3548) include as many as 16 different wines—crisp Pinot Gris, round Malbecs and smoky Predator five-varietal blends among them.

A cute little tasting room came online in Carmel next to the Tuck Box on Dolores several years ago to provide another tasting venue.

Then a major move followed last year when Franscioni bought Pessagno Winery and tasting room (675-9463) from the family in the wake of local wine icon and River Road advocate Steve Pessagno's passing.

Pessagno Winery represents nothing less than a pillar for the wine corridor, and one of its most established brands. Beyond the habit-forming flavors of the esteemed Four Boys Vineyard Pinots and SLH Intrinity Chardonnay, it also enjoys a huge and welcoming tasting bar big enough to host beloved pop-up dinners with the likes of Mo Tabib of Fish Hopper and Todd Fisher of Tarpy's Roadhouse.

And now, as of this week, Franscioni Wines can claim another linchpin wine venue with the Roadhouse Wine Bar (372-1909).

It occupies the former Ventana tasting room strategically located next to Tarpy's and Stone Creek Village on the Del Rey Oaks/Monterey border.

The space is redone with an additional tasting bar in an adjoining space with big picturebook windows that overlook the ducks in the pond out front.

It also has a generous brick patio with tables and plenty of foliage, so the setting presents real appeal.

Tarpy's snacks are available to be sent over from next door.

Both Pessagno wines (including the full-bodied Intrinity Chardonnay and bright Central Avenue Pinot) and Franscioni wines (like the memorable Triumvirate and superb Apex Pinot) are available, making Roadhouse's depth and range suddenly the most remarkable of any tasting room in the area.

Nearly 30 different wines are available to try (a choice of five runs $15, though that is waived with any purchase).

"I love wine so I love all the flavors," Franscioni says. "The tasting room is like a candy store for adults. A flavor for everybody."

Inspired by friends who he says struggle "to have something to do and somewhere to go," the tasting room also serves wines by the glass and bottle.

Hospitality industry pro Tracy Wilkensen manages the space with a warm and welcoming vibe.

"It's fun to pour wine you like," she says

The Roadhouse is open 11am-7pm, or later if people are there and want to hang out further, Franscioni says.

For local wine lovers, it's a must-know spot.