As prestige and costs continue to drive up the prices of Napa Valley wines, California wine lovers find these wines less accessible and are in need of an alternative. One solution is to head south and seek out the wines of Paso Robles. They are recognized for their quality, they are lower in price, and their style profiles are similar to those of Napa Valley.
Located in California’s Central Valley halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles is the largest of three wine appellations in landlocked San Luis Obispo County and it has a variety of wines to offer. The wines are big, fruitful, high in alcohol, and have high enough level of acidity to complete the wines’ full and round structure. More than 40 grapes are grown. The red wines here are made from Cabernet, Merlot, and other Bordeaux grapes; Zinfandel; Rhone grape including Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre. The Italian grapes Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Barbera are also present here. The Spanish Tempranillo grape is also here. The main white wines are made from Chardonnay, Alberiño, Viognier, and Roussanne.
Paso Robles has a hot climate with cool nights which provides the right climate for these styles of wine. Although the western-most vineyards are only six miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Lucia Mountains, that run north to south through the county, prevent the cool ocean air from reaching the Paso Robles vineyards. However, the Salinas River Valley and Templeton Gap allow cool temperatures to reach the vines allowing a cooler temperature at night.
The area around the town of El Paso de Robles (The Pass of the Oak Trees – the town’s official name) was first known for its thermal springs, olive oil, and almond orchards. Grape vines were first planted in 1797 by the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries. More than 1,000 vines were planted, but commercial grape growing did not come about until 1882 when Andrew York established the Ascension Winery (now Epoch Winery). Over the next century the presence of more wineries and winemaking activity grew slowly.
The pace of wine production began to pick up in the 1980s with Paso Robles’ recognition as an American Viticultural Appellation (AVA) in 1983. Since then, an area that had less than 20 wineries has now become home to more than 200 wineries and 40,000 acres under vine. Also due to the diversity of wines styles that dominate specific parts of the area, the Paso Robles AVA now has 11 sub-AVA designations.
Year after year, the producers in Paso Robles have achieved the status to be called serious rivals to the world’s best wines. The bonus is that they are not as expensive as their rivals. Among Paso Robles’ notable wineries are: Eberle, J. Lohr, JUSTIN, Wild Horse, Broadside, Vina Robles, Treana, J. Wilkes, Niner, and Tooth & Nail.