One of the best parts about visiting wine country is spending time around the vines. There is something romantic about enjoying a glass of wine in the midst of the vines that produced it...
Paso Robles is located in Central California just north of Santa Barbara and South of Monterey. It is California's fastest growing wine region and boasts more than 40,000 vineyard acres currently planted. The first vines in Paso Robles were planted in 1882 by a rancher who grew some of the regions earliest Zinfandel. While wine growing in the area is certainly not new, the Paso Robles AVA was founded relatively recently in 1983. Paso Robles has eleven sub-AVA's that stretch over the largest amount of land of any AVA in California. The soils in Paso Robles vary but typically consist of limestone, granite, sand, volcanic rock, or calcareous rock. Daytime temperatures here can rise well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and then drop into the 40's at night. This large diurnal swing allows for the creation of extraordinarily concentrated and powerful wine while maintaining acidity. Because it is one of the warmest AVA's in California Paso Robles typically has great success growing Rhone varietals, although Bordeaux and Italian varietals can succeed here also.
One of the best parts about visiting wine country is spending time around the vines. There is something romantic about enjoying a glass of wine in the midst of the vines that produced it...