Luxury Life & Style

road trip No visit to Paso is complete without a stop at pioneer Gary Eberle’s winery and tasting room. Gary is widely considered the Godfather of Paso Robles wine, as his efforts in 1982 led to the original creation of the AVA. His vision for the area is born out in the wines they’re making today, with a spectrum of products from their top-selling chardonnay to ripe Rhône whites like viognier and roussanne. I am a particular fan of his grenache, syrah and mourvèdre blend called “Côtes-du-Rôbles,” in an homage to the Rhône blends of France. Perhaps more importantly, the atmosphere in the tasting room is friendly, and with 48 hours’ notice, they’ll order up a gourmet picnic from nearby favorite Bistro Laurent that will knock your socks off. Larger scale events are also sometimes hosted in their wine cave, which is a terrific venue. Another favorite winery is Robert Hall Vineyards, where winemaking veteran Don Brady is working wonders with cabernet sauvignon and Rhône varietals. Their emphasis at Robert Hall is on big, bold reds fashioned with estate fruit from Hall Ranch, owned by Robert and Margaret Hall. Don Brady and I met a few years back when we judged wines at the State Fair together, and I was impressed by his down-to-earth demeanor, which is itself part of Paso’s charms. Don’s making red wines on a par with some of Napa’s best, but they still cost a fraction of the price, and the winemaker is still a sweetheart. Robert Hall is a winery to watch. It’s tough to round out a list of suggested wineries when there is so much excitement in the area these days, but I would definitely try to make the drive out to both Justin and to Tablas Creek wineries, too. Justin’s beloved “Isosceles” blend has a coterie of devoted followers, and for good reason: this was the Bordeaux-inspired wine that I personally judged “Best in Show” at the Mid-State Fair in a blind tasting. It was nice to be reminded of just how good it is. The Tablas Creek wines are worth exploring, too, as they represent a unique synthesis of Old and New World energies. A joint partnership between the legendary Perrin family of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and American Situated just off Highway 101, the town of Paso Robles is about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The broader wine-growing region itself covers 700,000 acres though only approximately 26,000 are currently under vine. There’s obvious room for growth. The appeal of Paso is in its diversity as much as its space, however. A key element for successful fine wine grape growing is a large diurnal shift, or a wide swing between hot days and very cool nights. Paso’s shift is one of the most extreme in California, as temperatures can vary by as much as 40-50 degrees. This is due primarily to the Templeton Gap, which allows cooling marine air from the Pacific to temper Paso’s supersunny daytime temps. Of similar importance are Paso’s very long growing season and its unusual variation of both altitude and precipitation. The coastal areas of Paso’s Westside can receive as much as 30”–40” of annual rainfall while the hotter interior growing areas are downright arid at about 10” annually. Vineyard elevations can vary from 700 to nearly 2000 feet. The result? A rich mix of grape opportunity, as Paso can support growing everything from pouty pinot noir to sturdy zins and rich cabs. 76 Luxury Life & Style January/February 2008

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