Into new territory

The wines of Paso Robles

Actually Paso Robles is not at all new, not when it comes to growing grapes. What is new is the attention this area is now receiving, not just in California, but from wine lovers across the country. Vintners have long known that the rolling hills, varieties of soil and the region’s special climates and micro-climates (ocean breezes, hot days and cool nights) are ideal for producing premium grapes, particularly red varietals, though in some smaller areas whites also flourish.
    Paso Robles’ viticultural history goes back over two centuries, to 1797, to the first vineyards at the Mission San Miguel Arcangel. Commercial winegrowing started in 1882 when a Hoosier transplant named Andrew York established Ascension Winery. Today it is called York Mountain Winery, and it’s the oldest winery in continuous operation in the 24-square-mile Paso Robles appellation. With the introduction of Rhone and Bordeaux varietals in the 1990s, and the influx of winemakers from around the globe, the region now has 26,000 acres of vineyards planted, and is home to over 170 wineries of all shapes and sizes.
    But so much for history. How is the wine? The answer: really very good, often outstanding. And one of the nicest traits of the region? Most of the wineries really do want you to visit, or at the very least to try their creations, and many of them have a sense of humor about the whole process of turning grapes into wine. And they are not afraid to experiment, which gives you the refreshing impression that most of them would much rather make wines that please their (and our) palates than try to get a high rating from Robert Parker for a big wine that is virtually impossible to drink with any known food group. In fact, of all the dozens of wines sampled, every one of them—every single one—would complement food. And another thing: the prices are reasonable. To prove the point, the majority of the wines mentioned here sell for under $28 a bottle (four were under $19), and none were above $38.
    One example of this food-friendliness is the syrah from Justin Vineyards & Winery, where the fruit was balanced and the overall finish not too heavy. From small hilltop vineyards on the western ridge of the Estrella River Valley comes RN Estate Cuvee Des Artistes, a blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and the area’s landmark grape, zinfandel. This is a serious but exceedingly approachable example of first-rate blending.
    Of the bigger wines tried, the Rotta Winery Estate Zinfandel was a robust, peppery wine with plenty of blackberry flavors; the big, mountain-grown zin from Nadeau Family Vineyards was a revelation; and any number of the local cabernets had tannins and structure that would be a welcome addition to a steak dinner. On other fronts, sangiovese, pinot noir and riesling are represented at various times.
    Since there is still plenty of warm weather in front of us, you can look to some of the lighter possibilities. Try the Cass Winery Rockin’ One, a fun and unpretentious wine made from 90 percent grenache and 10 percent syrah, or the rosé from Anglin Winery with its combination of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre and viognier. For a white wine, tasters were unanimous in their appreciation of the crisp, refreshing flavors found in the Still Waters Vineyard Viognier, a limited production, handcrafted wine from a small family operation. Even the zinfandel from Calcareous Vineyards from the western hills was light enough to be a good foil for a platter of cheese and good bread, or later with grilled or poached fish.
    If there is a problem with recommending half a dozen wines from Paso Robles, it is that you leave out so many more. You need to sample the wines from J. Lohr Estates, the oak-aged cabernet from Liberty School and the cabernet from Robert Hall’s Hall Ranch vineyards, and of course the wonderfully named Anarchy from Four Vines. Oh yes, please don’t miss the wines like primitive petit sirah reserve and sauvignon blanc from the delightful folks (and numerous friendly ‘wine dogs’) at Rabbit Ridge either, or the memorable petite sirah from Peachy Canyon. Some of these wineries have tasting rooms (the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance has a helpful free guide), others you might find in cooperative tasting rooms and certainly in local restaurants and wine shops. You’ll never get anywhere close to tasting even a representative sample in one or even two or three visits, but part of the fun of finding out more about this region is not the destination, it is the journey itself.
    If you’d like to sample both the hospitality of Paso Robles as well as a wide range of the area’s wines, the Harvest Wine Festival coming up the third weekend in October is the perfect opportunity. Other events during the year are the Zinfandel Festival—the second-largest tasting of this varietal in the state—the third weekend in March, and the expansive and multi-faceted Paso Robles Wine Festival the third weekend in May. For more information on these events and more, go to pasowine.com.

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