The Pour Man: Don’t pass up the Paso Robles wine region

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The fast-growing Paso Robles region is known for its Zinfandels but is gaining acclaim for its Rhone varietals, too.

Updated: December 10, 2011 8:02AM

Throw out everything you learned in high school Spanish, and don't even bother rolling your tongue when you speak of the largest and fastest growing wine region in California, Paso Robles. To sound like a local in this unassuming yet beautiful place, say PASS-oh ROW-bulls, or just plain PASS-oh.

Cattle was once the dominant commodity here, and cowboy hats are not uncommon even today on the charming streets surrounding the picturesque village green. Blue jeans are everywhere - in the finest restaurants and wine tasting rooms of downtown Paso Robles, and outside of town in the vineyards and wineries that put the larger Paso Robles wine region on the map.

In the 1970s, there were less than 10 wineries in Paso Robles. In 1995, there were still only 35. Over the next decade that number jumped to 100, and today there are more than 200 wineries in the area, which is defined by warm-to-hot days and cool nights. More than 40 different grapes are grown in Paso Robles, and new wineries and tasting rooms open every year.

But the region is maintaining quality despite its rapid growth. In fact, the wine is so good that a Paso offering from Saxum came in at No. 1 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list of 2010. With that official coronation comes the logical question: How do you mispronounce "We've arrived" in Spanish?

Traditionally renowned for its Zinfandels, Paso Robles has become a coveted locale for Rhone varietals: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier and others. Some Cabernet Sauvignons have achieved acclaim, too, including the boar-graced bottlings of Eberle.

Part of Paso's allure is its diversity. The area's varied terrain, soil and microclimates, along with its relatively short history, make experimenting and blending a natural.

Paso Robles winemakers like to say "no rules" a lot, and you start to believe them when you taste the interesting blends they come up with, often with a nod to Old World traditions but just as often with a California wink. Even though Paso Robles "has earned its spot on the world stage," as Wine Spectator put it, it is still a work in progress. But it is a work in progress the way a complex piece of art is - not the way an awkward teenager is.

"The blending thing is, we're searching for what works," says winemaker Neil Collins. He has his own label, Lone Madrone, and he also is the winemaker at the legendary Tablas Creek, a leader in Rhone style wines both in production and through its vine nursery.

Situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on Route 101 in the Central Coast, Paso Robles is remote but accessible.

"We're not in the middle of nowhere," says Steve Cass, owner of Cass Winery, "but we can see it from here."

A finance veteran who began his career at the Chicago Board of Trade, Cass moved to California in 1977 and bought his Central Coast vineyard with his wife in 1999. Today the winery produces several Rhone style wines and offers food pairings at its on-site cafe.

Jason "J.C." Diefenderfer, a fifth-generation local, is the winemaker at Treana, a brand that offers two blends, red and white, under the umbrella of Hope Family Wines.

"It used to be, ‘Well, I'm from Paso Robles,' and then you'd look down and kick the dirt," Diefenderfer says. "Now people are proud to say they're from Paso."

Wines from Paso Robles are more visible in Chicago restaurants and wine shops every year. But there is no better place to drink wine than in the place where it was made. Paso is an excellent choice for a wine country trip, especially if the thought of going to Napa or Sonoma makes your palms wet (and it shouldn't). Hit all three esteemed wine spots, and my prediction is you'll find yourself longing for a return to the friendly, laid-back hominess of Paso Robles.

By then you'll know how great the wine is, and how enjoyable the place and its people are. You might even know how to pronounce a few more of those Rhone grapes by then.

Michael Austin is a Chicago free-lance writer. E-mail thepourman@suntimes.com.