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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.
Here are the 11 sub-AVAs of Paso Robles:
Adelaida District
Western hills; calcareous soils; cooler, higher elevation.
Known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Rhône varieties.
Creston District
Rolling hills; alluvial soils with calcareous shale.
Known for: Bordeaux varieties and Rhône blends.
El Pomar District
Moderate climate; loamy and calcareous soils.
Known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel.
Estrella District
Northern area; warmer climate; sandy loam soils.
Known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel.
Geneseo District
East of Paso Robles; rolling hills; loam and clay soils.
Known for: Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah.
Paso Robles Highlands District
Southeastern area; warmest sub-AVA; higher elevation.
Known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah.
San Juan Creek
Easternmost; warm and dry with gravelly soils.
Known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel.
San Miguel District
Northernmost; warmer and drier; alluvial soils.
Known for: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel.
Santa Margarita Ranch
Southernmost; cooler due to coastal influence.
Known for: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux varieties.
Templeton Gap District
Strong maritime influence via the Templeton Gap; cooler and breezy.
Known for: Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir.
Willow Creek District
Western hills; high rainfall and calcareous soils.
Known for: Rhône blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel.