Paso Robles Wineries - The East Side

Paso Robles is located along the central coast of California, essentially mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Conveniently, Highway 101 splits Paso Robles wine country into the East Side and the West Side. So, let's focus on visiting wineries on the East Side.

Whether you are traveling to Paso Robles on Highway 101 or entering from I-5, Highway 46E presents several good options for wine tasting.  Along the road, you'll find several larger wineries including Eberle, Vina Robles, and Tobin James. And just off Highway 46E is J. Lohr.  You may have heard of most of these wineries and probably seen their wines in stores.  But, don't let that keep you away from these wineries.  Most of the wines they produce and that are available for tasting are not available in stores. These are lower production wines that are just available at the winery or through their wine clubs.

Eberle winery was founded by Gary Eberle who is one of the original wine makers of Paso Robles in the 1970's.  Gary released his first Eberle wine, the 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon debuting the iconic boar logo, depicting the German origin of the name Eberle, meaning “small boar.” Eberle winery is one of the few wineries where tasting is free and includes a tour of the underground cave, storage facilities and VIP tasting room.  And, you'll often find Gary sitting out in front of the tasting room in the afternoon enjoying a glass of wine.

Across the street from Eberle is Vina Robles. This winery was founded by Hans Nef from Switzerland in the mid-1990s.  It is a beautiful California Mission-style facility with a large and modern tasting room. And, just across the parking lot is the Vina Robles Amphitheater that hosts a summer concert series.

Just off of Highway 46E near Eberle and Vina Robles is J. Lohr winery. While J. Lohr is likely the biggest name winery in Paso Robles due to its wine distribution, you'd never know it when you pull up to their facility.  There are no big signs, no huge fancy facility or other attraction. In fact, from the parking lot, you are not even sure you've made it to the winery. But once you walk up the steps of this farm-style home facility and open the beautiful carved wood door, you'll enter their simple, yet elegant, tasting room. Jerry Lohr opened the winery in the 1980s and to this day, as an 80-year-old, still remains actively involved in ensuring that his winery is producing great wines.

Heading out further east on Highway 46E is Tobin James Cellars. Built by Tobin James in 1993 on the site of an old stagecoach stop, you feel like you are in an old fashion western saloon.  But a broad range of wines are the focus and are poured from behind the grand, antique 1860's Brunswick mahogany bar.

So, that's a quick overview of some of the biggest and well-known names on the East side of Paso Robles wine country.  But, there's so much more. Next time well explore the west side. Until then, Cheers!

Download a Paso Robles winery map from https://pasowine.com

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2013 Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial ($30)

Abadia Retuerta first started producing wines in Spain in 1996. The winery and surrounding vineyards are on the former site of the 12th century Santa Maria de Retuerta Monastery in Sardón de Duero. This land is just west of "The Golden Mile," a privileged strip of land where some of the most illustrious wineries reside. This relatively new winery has quickly forged a reputation for balancing the legacy of its surrounding, the monastery and its wine with innovative vineyard and winery practices.

This Selectión Especial (Special Selection) wine is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% of Syrah, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

Out of the bottle, one might expect a big, full-bodied wine from its dark ruby color and full bouquet. But, true to it Tempranillo base, it has many red fruit flavors such as cherry and strawberry, along with a bit of black fruit flavors of fig and raisin. This is complemented by a touch of leather and tobacco from its 13 months in French and American oak barrels.

This Spanish wine worth seeking out. By the glass or with a meal, its one you will enjoy.

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission:  I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications

Paso Robles - Great Wine Country

Having made several trips to wine regions throughout California, the one that keeps me coming back is Paso Robles. Located along the central coast of California, essentially mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco along Route 101, Paso Robles has lots of charm.

In Paso, with somewhere around 300 wineries, you'll find everything from large corporate wineries selling wines to supermarkets across the country to Mom and Pop wineries selling only from tasting rooms attached to their homes, through wine clubs or simply through word-of-mouth.

Highway 101 splits Paso Robles wine country into the East Side and the West Side. The East has more open plains with some low rolling hills. The West is comprised of steeper hills and canyons, winding roads and large trees.

Hot days and cool nights set up Paso Robles for great grape growing. During the summer, daytime temperature hover around 100 F while the nighttime temperatures drop into the upper 50s F.  This contributes to the multitude of grapes being grown.

The white grapes grown in Paso Robles include Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay. Red grapes include Pinot Noir, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Malbec.

It seems that most grapes can grow well in Paso Robles, but the Rhône varietals do especially well.  So, you'll be hard-pressed to find a winery that's not doing some Rhône blends. While the classic Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (GSM) is produced extensively, the number of other blends of grapes seems endless.

So, over next few blogs, I'll share what I've learned about wineries and wine tasting in Paso. While a day trip will introduce you to the wine country, it takes days to really explore the depth of what Paso Robles has to offer. Until next time, cheers!

 

 

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2013 Wild Horse GSM ($12)

This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM) from Wild Horse is medium-light in body with a soft mouthfeel, candied red fruit flavors, and light tannins. When served slightly chilled, at cellar temperatures, it's a very easy-drinking wine that goes well with light fare. This is a great value for such a nice wine.

While this is a Wild Horse flagship wine, look for more wines from Wild Horse in my up-coming reviews of some of their reserve wines. They're really nice and surprisingly affordable. Cheers!

 

Wine Q&A: Wine Tasting at a Winery

For some, going to a winery for a wine tasting is a bit intimidating. There are so many questions and concerns that keep people away, especially those who are new to wine and just learning. But going to a winery for a wine tasting is actually a perfect way to learn about wines.

Q: Isn't it intimidating to go to a winery if you really aren't a wine expert?

A: Far from it!  Going to a winery is a great place to learn about wine if you are just beginning. Your wine server is there to help you experience their wines and to educate you, if you are interested. You'll get an opportunity to taste a variety of wines from rosé to whites, reds and sometimes even a dessert wine. They'll help you to find the wine that's for you.

Q: Does it cost a lot to go wine tasting?

A: Wine tasting costs are varied. Sometimes you can find coupons for free wine tastings, or two-for-one tastings on-line, at your local hotel, or through other wineries. Without coupons, costs can be as little as $5 or up to $20. And, typically if you purchase wine, the tasting is free.

Q: How many wines do I get to taste?

A: Typically, a tasting at a winery will include 5 or 6 wines. But, if you show interest, or identify a particular style of wine that you like, they'll often pour others.  And, depending on the circumstances, they may also provide you with tastes of other wines not on the standard list, including some of their wines intended just for wine club members.

Q: So, how much do they pour of each wine?

A: A typical pour is approximately 1 ounce. That is sufficient to be able to have a couple of sips of each wine.

Q: I've heard they provide spit buckets for use during tasting. Do I have to spit?

A: No. The bucket on the bar is there if you choose to spit out the wine instead of swallowing it. It's also there to pour out the remaining wine in your glass if you are through tasting any particular wine.  And, don't feel bad about pouring wine in the bucket.  They won't care.

Q: Is there a lot of pressure to buy their wines after a tasting?

A: Not at all. The servers at wineries are not commissioned salespeople and do not provide any pressure. They are simply there to help you experience and learn about their wines.

Q: Am I expected to tip the server?

A: Not normally. But if you have someone that's gone above and beyond to give you a great experience at a winery, you can certainly show your appreciation by tipping.

So, go out and do a wine tasting. You'll find it to be a very friendly atmosphere and it can be a lot of fun. Cheers!