Sunset at Robert Hall Vineyards

There is excitement in the air, and it smells like wine.  Paso Robles, a dynamo of wine production, has become the fastest growing wine region in the world.  Energized by a maverick spirit and “color outside the lines” attitude from old and young winemakers, the sheer variety, intensity and quality of these wines are breathtaking.  World-class wines, rooted in America’s Wild West, beckons to wine lovers; it’s California’s new Gold Rush, and premier wine destination.

J. Dusi Vineyard

Austin Hope Vineyard

Zinfandel clusters at Turley

Denner Vineyards

​Paso Robles has a storied past, but today it’s defined by its burgeoning wine scene.  Located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, exponential growth has taken place in the past decade, doubling the number of wineries in the Paso Robles region.  What once was a single large AVA now has been refined into eleven distinct wine growing areas.  Fleshing out a complex mosaic, the sheer diversity of terroir and microclimates allows for many different wine grape varietals to be grown here.  More than 64 varieties are planted across the 40,000 vineyard acres that make up the larger Paso Robles AVA.  All these wine grapes benefit from the diurnal temperature swings, from 35-50 degrees Fahrenheit daily, that intensify their character while preserving their bright acidity.

Syrah vines at Denner

Alta Colina harvest

With a new generation of winemakers reinventing conventional knowledge, the classic Paso style is evolving, yet still reflective of the climate and sun.  Most wineries are smaller production, family-run businesses, and their location, whether the Eastside or the Westside of Paso, help define the wines.  For these winemakers, it’s the spirit of trying new things that makes the journey of wine so exhilarating, which in turn, invigorates and imbues the wines with an energy and identity all their own.

(L-R) Dan Smith, Sherman Thacher, Jason Joyce, Steve Gleason, Mike Sinor, Kevin Willenberg, Blake Kuhn

A few months ago, I participated in the Wine Writers Educational Tour for Paso Robles, a deep dive into the geeky world behind Paso wine.  We began three days of intensive exploration with an introduction and comparison of the eleven AVAs at Viña Robles Vineyard & Winery.  Ten winemakers riffed about their “districts”, their philosophies and challenges, shedding light on a fluid and evolving wine region.

Sherman Thacher of Thacher Winery and Vineyard, in the Paso Robles Highlands AVA, is a mad scientist of sorts, producing estate-grown Zinfandel but experimenting with sourced fruit to craft unusual varietal wines, like Valdiguie or Cinsaut Rosé.  Thacher brought an Own-Rooted Chenin Blanc from 50-year-old vines, and despite a lack of water due to California’s drought, the textured, mineral and densely flavored wine illustrated why Paso Robles is no longer just red wine country.

​Mike Sinor of Ancient Peaks Winery, in the Santa Margarita Ranch District, brought a cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignon.  The immense Santa Margarita Ranch, owned by three local winegrowing and ranching families, is home to Margarita Vineyard.  With its notable marine influence, making this AVA one of the coolest in Paso Robles, the growing season is long, and along with its diverse soils, Cabernet Sauvignon can find one of its “best expressions” in the region.

​Jason Joyce of Calcareous Vineyard, in the York Mountain AVA and not technically included in the eleven sub-AVAs of Paso Robles, found that the “wild spirit is still alive” in Paso Robles.  Joyce brought a Carver Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, an older vineyard that lends itself to a different philosophy.  “Wine is supposed to have a soul, and we are coming back to that,” Joyce mused, and these old vineyards are rugged and raw.  Calcareous has been dry farming this plot for 8 years now, and with Mother Nature’s cooperation, ripe and dense wines are made, yet with structure and complexity.

Steve Glossner of Per Caso Cellars represented the renowned Paso Robles Willow Creek District, where many of today’s star-studded wineries are making headlines, such as Saxum, Denner Vineyards and L’Aventure.  The highly fractured limestone and shale soils allow the vine roots to extract mineral character and moisture, and combined with the cool marine influences of fog and wind, result in high-octane wines that have captured high scores and popular palates.  Per Caso Cellars is Glossner’s pet project under PasoPort Wine Company and makes single varietal, blends and reserve wines.  He brought a Reserve Syrah from the Willow Creek District, a big structured wine that was decanted the day before!

Philipp Pfunder explains terroir differences between the districts

Philipp Pfunder of LaW Estate Wines in the Adelaida District spoke of the human influence in Paso Robles winemaking, which makes the wine scene so dynamic.  The camaraderie among everyone in the industry, sharing advice and equipment, and supporting each other during the good and bad times, is part of the attraction for all, veteran and new talent, who pour their hearts and souls into the wine.  LaW Estate farms 80 acres of vineyards, all by hand due to the steep limestone slopes, and planted to Rhône, Spanish, and Bordeaux grape varietals. Pfunder describes himself as a “shepherd to guide things without a heavy hand”, using restraint to achieve elegant, impressive and complex wines.  He brought Sagacious to the party, a layered and structured GSM blend, the 2019 Mourvèdre dominant, with the percentages adjusted for each vintage year.  This wine needed extra time to breathe, and also was decanted the day before!

Kevin Willenberg of Viña Robles Vineyards & Winery

Viña Robles Barrel Room

Kevin Willenberg of Viña Robles Vineyards & Winery addressed the intense color of Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, a result of potassium levels in the soils, which keeps the pH low.  He believes in “terroir”, and that the key to Paso’s structured and world-class wines is the fruit profile and color.  These permeate the wines with high quality tannins that remain stable, imparting a fat and creamy mouthfeel while retaining structure and body.  Viña Robles owns and farms six estate SIP Certified Sustainable vineyards in five of the sub-districts in the greater Paso Robles AVA, producing a wide range of wines, although they are known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, which Willenberg feels “really shines in Paso Robles”.  His contribution to the discussion was a Mountain Road Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, a blend of small lots of limited production Cabernet with a splash of Petit Verdot to enhance the structure.

Steve Gleason of Four Lanterns Winery

Steve Gleason of Four Lanterns Winery represented the Templeton Gap District, and although his winery and vineyard are in the Willow Creek District, his wife, Jackie, has her vineyard in the Templeton Gap.  There is a dramatic climatic effect here, with every mile west, it is one degree cooler and receives more rain as you get closer to the coast.  Four Lanterns is a family business, specializing in Rhône, Spanish and Bordeaux wines, but Gleason brought a Tempranillo from Jackie’s Vineyard, which he considers an up and coming grape for the region.  He feels that Tempranillo is a perfect fit for Templeton Gap, it’s sensitive to too much heat but needs heat for rich color, perhaps it’s the Goldilocks syndrome, not too much, just right.

​Alex Frost of Sextant Wines in the El Pomar District embodies the spirit of experimentation.  The word ‘sextant” refers to an old world seafaring instrument used to explore uncharted lands, and Frost is divining what is possible in Paso Robles through 28 varietals and different series of wines, such as the ever-changing X-Series.  He finds huge diversity in the Paso Robles AVA, and puts his estate plantings where his mouth is, yet Paso’s reputation was made on Cabernet Sauvignon.  He poured his El Pomar Reserve Cabernet, a small production that is reserved to showcase the exquisite expression of the District.

​Kevin Willenberg returned to speak of the Creston District, and how it is the perfect fit for their Viña Robles Petite Sirah.  Creston has a long growing season, which produces rich, ripe fruit and tannins.  Willenberg finds the boysenberry, cola, meaty and vanilla expression in sync with the “color and creaminess”, giving the wine a “spicy complexity”, among the structure and velvety tannins.

​Blake Kuhn of Clayhouse Wines in the San Juan Creek District brought soil samples of the 50-year-old, sustainably dry-farmed Red Cedar Vineyard where his Petite Sirah was reared.  Inky in color, intensified by the optical sorter used during harvest to detect only the pure blue fruit, savory notes coarse through its body, aromatically complex with fruit and spice, structured yet silky with a lingering mouthfeel.

​Dan Smith of Villa San-Juliette Vineyard & Winery in the Paso Robles Estrella District, the largest of all the eleven sub-AVAs, farms 12 Bordeaux and Rhône varietals on over 130 estate acres, finding many micro-climates within to produce his wines.  Smith chose to showcase his Alicante Bouschet, an earthy, intense wine whose color is so deep, it almost appears black.  Layered with red fruit and spice, the dense body and luscious mouthfeel reflect a lot going on in this wine.  For those not familiar with Alicante Bouschet, it is considered a “teinturier” grape, meaning that the skins and the pulp are both red, versus regular red wine grapes having red skins and clear flesh.  Alicante Bouschet is only one of a handful of teinturier grapes in the world, and makes for an intense wine drinking experience, but Smith deftly handles it with his “concept of balance”, and notes that it is one of his favorite wines to make.

​There was one sub-AVA not individually represented, the Paso Robles Geneseo District was explored another day at Eberle Winery.

​It might seem that there is a steep learning curve where Paso Robles wine is concerned, but think about how Bordeaux and Napa Valley have defined their wines.  While many wine lovers may associate the region with Cabernet Sauvignon and big red wine blends, the delineation of soils and climate is allowing winemakers to craft exciting and thrilling wines that represent the best of each District, and add to the complexity of the wine tapestry.  There has been a spirited debate on placing these Districts on the labels, and while those wineries who have made their reputation on old Paso for the past few decades might like to remain one large AVA, the newer generation is embracing their differences, so that everyone, from the consumer to the producer, can “make their own kind of music”, or as Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure says, “a crazy Paso blend”.