Alfie. Penman Springs Vineyard, Paso Robles. Photo copyright 2016 by Anna Boudinot
One of the joys of living in California are California wines. And I'm not talking about the Napa and Sonoma wines that everyone knows and loves, though of course there are phenomenal wines among them. Rather, I'm here to tell you about California's other wine country: Paso Robles.
Why does Paso Robles belong in a blog about things to do in Los Angeles? Because you can get there in 3.5 hours from LA, if you are smart enough to leave before traffic gets bad. On a Saturday I started driving at 8 a.m. and I was tasting wines before lunch. Who needs to make the trek to NorCal when Paso Robles is practically next door?
Wine was being made by Franciscan monks in Paso Robles as early as 1790, some sixty years before California gained statehood. In 1983, Paso Robles American Viticultural Appellation (AVA) was created, and today the area boasts over 200 wineries encompassing 32,000 vineyard acres. “The distinct microclimates and diverse soils, combined with warm days and cool nights, make growing conditions ideal for producing more than 40 wine varietals,” with some of the most popular grapes being Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Roussanne, and especially Zinfandel. If you're a fan of French wines from the Rhone Valley – spicy, complex, medium-bodied red blends – you'll be in heaven here. If you prefer basic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, you may be disappointed.
Paso Robles has a reputation for being a little bit renegade. Winemakers come here from around the world to free themselves of the rules and regulations of Napa, Sonoma, France, and Italy. The wines you'll taste here are a little more adventurous, a little more bold, a little more bizarre. The scenery alone is a reason to visit: the stunning landscapes of rolling golden hills interspersed with the rows upon rows of green grape vines will make you want to read more John Steinbeck.
Recently I had the privilege of spending a long weekend in Paso Robles, where I tried 52 wines from seven wineries in about 50 hours. I don't expect anyone else to do the same, so here are the highlights.
Vineyard at Niner Wine Estates. Photo copyright 2018 by Anna Boudinot.
Niner Wine Estates: You can't help but stare at the beautiful view of their vineyard sprawling up a hillside behind the building. They have three vineyards, actually, one of which is nearby and one that is closer to San Luis Obispo, meaning that they have the ability to offer a variety of wine styles based on these different microclimates. At the tasting room, the tasting flight profiled five wines that were very different from each other. Most bottles cost about $30, and the $15 tasting fee was waived with a $30 bottle purchase. (Tip: the Sangiovese and the Pinot Noir were two that are particularly well-crafted.) If you have time, stick around for lunch in Niner's restaurant. They offer healthy menu items as well as helpful, spot-on recommendations for wine pairings. It's probably more than what most people want to spend on lunch but if you're able to splurge, you'll enjoy yummy food and impeccable service.
Ecluse: Delicious wines to be found here, as well as stunning scenery that you unfortunately cannot see from the tasting room, since the tasting room is located in a warehouse of sorts. The view in there consists of barrels of wine stacked on risers; our host gave us a barrel tasting of a 2015 Petit Verdot, which was a fun experience. The people who work here were friendly and welcoming, and I felt more like a guest than a customer. The owner, who seemed be somewhat of a Paso Robles fixture, was spotted in the tasting room answering questions and mingling with visitors. Bottles ranged from about $30-$45 and there was no tasting fee. Their red blends were incredible, and their wines are not really widely available, so do yourself a favor and purchase some wine while you're there. The Estate Syrah and the Improv blend are two of their best.
Field Recordings: Part of Tin Alley, which is so named because it's in an industrial part of Paso Robles, this winery does not have a vineyard on site but makes up for it with a certain type of hipness that one would expect to find in a Los Angeles art gallery. The interior décor includes name of the winery, in all caps, splashed across a bright blue wall, with an orange-striped shovel and pitchfork mounted beside it in a possible ode to American Gothic. You can sit at a repurposed Ping-Pong table while you sample their wines. One of the interesting things that Field Recordings is doing with their wines is serving it in cans, which seems to be a new trend (another trendy Paso winery, Herman Story, is doing the same thing). Each can is about 2/3 of a bottle, and with a four-pack costing $40, it's a good deal: especially since the wine is excellent and doesn't taste like metal at all. The Fiction blend, canned, includes seven different grapes with an emphasis on Zinfandel and Mourvedre, and somehow manages to smell like suede and taste like cherry cola (in a good way). The $10 tasting fee is waived with the purchase of a bottle or a four-pack of cans.
Grapes on the vine at Penman Springs. Photo copyright 2016 by Anna Boudinot.
Penman Springs Vineyard: If the folks at Ecluse are your family, the good people of Penman Springs are your crazy in-laws. And I mean that in the best way. As I stepped into the tasting room I was immediately greeted by the winemaker herself, and was offered some bread, cheese, and jelly made with wine grapes. I was asked where I was from and what I did for a living, and I then found myself in a series of conversations with the other employees that ranged from everything to the effect of sunshine on one's well being to the pros and cons of purchasing a used car. Halfway through my tasting there was a scratch at the door and I turned to find Cuteness, a lanky dog who was as friendly as her owners. I was told that she was brought all the way from Africa by a relative who had been in the Peace Corps, yet the way she strolled around the tasting room, you would have assumed she had been living in Paso Robles her entire life. Her feline friend, Alfie, ran up to me meowing as soon as I walked out the door and he sat at a picnic table with me as I enjoyed the gorgeous view and a glass of wine. Oh – the wine! Their Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon is a steal at $18 and their wonderfully smooth Meritage Artisan Cuvee (Cab Sauv, Merlot, Petit Verdot) costs a hair more at only $28. I tasted eight wines there and there was no tasting fee. If you only visit one winery in Paso Robles, visit this one.
Another local business worth mentioning is Destination Drivers. For $35 a hour, you can hire an insured driver to drive your car all around Paso Robles, taking you from winery to winery and making recommendations as needed. Unlike one of those popular wine country bus tours, we had the freedom to determine our own route and our own priorities. My friends and I spent seven hours with our driver Pat and he attended to every detail, including making us a lunch reservation and calling ahead to confirm which tasting rooms required reservations as well. He held doors open for us, offered to take group photos, and even brought us bottled water and homemade cookies to keep us from getting too drunk. The best part, of course, is that none of us had to worry about staying sober enough to drive or worry about navigating our way around wine country. Now that's what I call a vacation.