Well, I am back from my weekend excursion to Paso Robles. I am
happy to report I did end up behaving during this trip, although
for the record, sometimes you have to be bad to have a good
time!
Well, I am back from my weekend excursion to Paso Robles. I am happy to report I did end up behaving during this trip, although for the record, sometimes you have to be bad to have a good time!
The trip was initiated by Frank Leal, the owner of the winery where I work. The goal of this excursion was focused on staff team-building, keeping our palates and minds open to the different wines from this particular region, and observing the tasting rooms and customer service that is being rendered at other wineries.
I cannot recall the last “road trip” I went on, the type where a bunch of people pile into one vehicle and throw luggage into every nook and cranny. We had a game plan, but it was not etched into stone. The road and our spirit for exploration guided us to different places.
The preconceived notions I had about wine from Paso Robles were that it tended to lean toward a French influence or style, one that is softer around the edges than the bold, robust wines I am accustomed to drinking. This being my first trip, I really did not know what to expect.
Every person on the trip filled a role. Wes was the designated driver/commander; Chris and Dan were the organizers; Owie was the comic foil. We simply could not stop laughing throughout the trip. A favorite quote on the trip was when Owie started rattling off some lines that could be used to pick up women. Said totally in jest, but preciously silly nonetheless, was this line: “Hey, are your legs tired? Well, they have been running through my mind all day.”
Paso Robles is the fastest-growing wine region in California. Although the area has been growing grapes since 1797, its burst of prominence and growth has taken place in the last 30 years.
There are more than 100 wineries that currently call Paso Robles home, with more than 25,000 acres of vineyards planted. Boutique wineries that only produce a few thousand cases a year to big names like Bonny Doon, Meridian and J. Lohr can all be found in Paso Robles.
The Paso Robles appellation has different micro-climates and various soil types that help create optimal growing conditions for premium wine production.
You can find more than 25 wine varieties in this area alone. The grape variety that is most popular has to be zinfandel. Other grape varieties grown are marsanne, roussanne, viognier, grenache blanc, mourvedre, counoise and cinsault. I had not even heard of some of these.
I was amazed to learn that most of these wineries have huge wine club memberships. Tobin James Cellars claims to have the largest wine club in the world, with 13,500 members. Their membership is so immense that almost 90 percent of what they produce is reserved for those members.
We visited nine wineries in a two-day span. I made it a point to buy wines I enjoyed but were also unique in their composition.
One example was when we went to Stephan Vineyards. Stephan Asseo, a French ex-patriarch, discovered the Paso Robles region to be perfect for producing his Bordeaux/Rhone style blends. The company’s moniker is “where Bordeaux meets the Rhone.”
Similar to the Australian wine company Penfolds, the L’Aventure Optimus line from Stephan Vineyards does a very good job of melding syrah, cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel together to create a masterpiece. The winemaker does not let the high alcohol content (15-17 percent) overwhelm the wine. This was a solid wine but a bit overpriced at $45.
Other favorites included a white table wine from Halter Ranch called Ranch White. It combines viognier, marsanne, roussanne and sauvignon blanc to produce a fragrant wine that is less than $12.
Tablas Creek’s 2004 grenache blanc ($21) has lemon, licorice and caramel aromas and a finish that lingers perfectly on the palate.
By the end of the trip, we all were getting pretty wined out. We decided our final stop should be a microbrewery called Firestone Walker. The hoppy, refreshing micro-brewed beer refreshed our taste buds. The gentleman tending bar joked that the winery folks would come in to trade wine for beer and vice-versa!
Paso Robles is a quick jaunt down Highway 101, a little more than two hours drive. For comparison, the Napa and Sonoma regions are about the same distance away from Gilroy. Our trip was not during the peak season, but at only one winery did we have to wait to be served. If you want to avoid huge crowds and traffic, Paso Robles is a good option.
I ended up coming back with two mixed cases of wine. None of my employers will cover this “business” expense, so next time I will need to be more judicious with my selections!
Cheers and happy wine tasting!
