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Paul Kirchner
Sense of Place The Mediterranean-like climate of California’s Central Coast makes Paso Robles ideal for creating Rhône-style wines By Mark SPivak
El Paso de Robles, the full name of the area known as Paso Robles, translates to “The Pass of the Oaks.” This wine-producing giant in California has an intriguing history, beginning with the nearly extinct Salinan Indians, who knew it as The Hot Springs long before the Spanish missionaries arrived. The tribe flourished in California’s Central Coast in what is now San Luis Obispo County. By the time Paso Robles passed from Mexican to American control in the nineteenth century, it was world famous for the restorative powers of its mineral hot springs. The industry catering to the crowds seeking the benefits of the springs gradually gave way to wine making, with the first commercial winery established in 1882. Later on, the area drew the spotlight when Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish musician and statesman, planted vines on his ranch there in the early 1920s. He was one of the first to realize the hot days and cool nights of the region’s Mediterranean climate were perfectly suited to Rhône varieties such as Syrah as well as California’s heritage grape, Zinfandel. Despite that, as American wine drinkers of the postWorld War II era developed a taste for Cabernet Sauvignon, most Paso vintners concentrated on that grape— particularly large wineries such as Meridian and J. Lohr, which sprang up in the 1980s. Although Gary Eberle, one of the area’s pioneers, planted Syrah as far back as the mid 1970s, in 1989 a remarkable thing occurred: 88
Plan a trip to Paso during one of its annual festivals, such as Vintage Paso.
VISITING PASO Paso Robles hosts many festive events. Major annual happenings include Vintage Paso (March), the Paso Robles Wine Festival (May) and the Harvest Wine Weekend (coming up October 17-19). The best accommodations can be found at The Oaks Hotel, the Hotel Cheval, the Adelaide Inn and La Bellaserra Hotel. Three facilities still offer the hot springs experience that made Paso famous—the Paso Robles Inn, River Oaks Hot Springs Spa and Franklin Hot Springs. If your goal is to visit wineries, plan ahead. Remember that many facilities are too small to offer public tours, and can’t receive you without an appointment. When you’re ready to take a break from wineries, check out the Children’s Museum or the Pioneer Museum, the art galleries at Studios on the Park, the Hunter Ranch Golf Course or the Ravine Waterpark. Other must-sees include the Hearst Castle in San Simeon and the historic Mission San Miguel Arcangel, established in 1797, which are main tourist attractions in the area. For more information on these and other attractions in Paso, see pasowine.com and pasorobles.com.
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