A Return To Paso Robles and All That You Need To Know For Your Next Visit - May 2021

With the travel restrictions being lifted around the country, we felt that it was a perfect time for a trip a few weeks ago back to one of our favorite wine destinations in the U.S., Paso Robles.  Paso continues to gain notereity in wine circles for the grapes they’re growing, the fantastic weather and delicious bottlings, which have much more range and depth than over past years.  The amount of wineries is growing each year, the raw food products that are available to chefs to create amazing dishes is tremendous and the people are wonderful.

We feel that the great people at Turley Wine Cellars have the best description for Paso:

A few miles inland of California’s storied Central Coast, Paso Robles is a pioneer’s paradise, where surfers, cowboys, vintners, farmers, and ranchers commingle amidst ancient vines, towering oak trees, and rolling hills.

For those looking to visit, Paso Robles is located 210 miles South of San Francisco, 210 miles North of Los Angeles, and 25 miles North of San Louis Obispo.

Thursday

Arriving on a Thursday afternoon, we headed right to see our friends at Bella Luna Winery (1850 Templeton Rd., Templeton, CA 93465), visiting with Jimmy Zanoli, their winemaker and his wife Shelly, who is at the winery part-time.  We were also able to taste some of their delicious wines, produced under the Zanoli Winery label.  Highlights of the tasting were the Bella Luna 2017 Nebbiolo and the Zanoli Grenache.

Later that evening we had the chance to dine at our favorite Goshi Japanese Restaurant (722 Pine St., Paso Robles, CA 93446), which is located in the Paso Robles Train Station, yes really!  The chef/owner is always bringing in amazing fish and treats it with delicate care and finesse.  This meal was on par with all previous ones, with the Hokkai Roll (Real Crab & Avocado, inside and Salmon, Uni & Salmon Roe on top), each time we visit we are stunned with the selection of fresh fish from around the world.

Friday

After a good night’s rest, our first full day started at Tablas Creek Vineyard (9339 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446), where they focus upon Rhone Varietals with Jason Haas, Partner and General Manager.  Jason is a true gentleman, 2nd generation at the winery and is always dedicated to the growth of the industry, figuring out ways to do things better overall, for the environment and the community.  Tastings were still being held outside, due to California restrictions, but our shaded table on the patio was perfect to enjoy some of the new bottlings.  Their 2019 Tannat, a story unto itself was damn tasty and their 2020 Vermentino was bright, fruity and flavorful.

Next stop was to see our buddy Marino Monferrato, who had just become the VP of Hospitality at Daou Vineyards (2777 Hidden Mountain Rd., Paso Robles, CA 93446).  The setting of the winery is truly stunning, high on top of a hillside in the midst of rolling vineyards and hills.  The Daou family has planted over 240 acres of grapes, and is growing some amazing fruit for their ready to drink, polished wines.  Marino rolled out the red carpet for us, with a perfect outside table, ordering a selection of appetizers and snacks, all paired with their bottlings.  Definite highlights were the Estate Sauvignon Blanc, extremely small production and Eye of the Falcon, a red blend named after the Daou’s father.

Our final winery visit for Friday was to a Paso Robles forerunner, L'Aventure Winery, (2815 Live Oak Road Paso Robles, CA 93446) – which is dedicated to blends from Bordeaux and Rhone Varietals, founded by Stefan Asseo.  Stefan has always been thought of as a maverick vigneron, willing to blend, mix, taste, grow, educate and push the limits of winemaking, and he has truly established himself and his winery as a must visit and taste in Paso.  We were able to tour through their caves while sipping some surprises, including their 2019 Sibling (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache & Graciano) and the 2019 Inspiracion (Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah & Grenache Blanc).  We truly love Stefan’s wines, in style and substance, and consider it a treat whenever we have the ability to enjoy them.

That evening, we were able to visit with our friend and Stefan’s son, Julien Asseo, at his Downtown Paso Robles Restaurant, Les Petite Cannailles, (1215 Spring St, Paso Robles, CA 93446) lovingly known as LPC in town.  Let me tell you, do not pass go and do not collect $200 – GO TO LPC ON YOUR NEXT VISIT TO PASO ROBLES.  Not only is it the best restaurant in that area, it may have been one of the best meals I’ve had in the past few years.  Julien and his kitchen’s command of ingredients and the season is their finest talent, as they had fully embraced Spring upon our meal and were truly showcasing it.  Highlights were most definitely the Burgundy Escargot Risotto with Parsley Garlic Butter & Roasted Jus and the Leeks a la Plancha (a Vegan dish) with Herb Vinaigrette, Pine nuts & Espelette Pepper.

Saturday

For our final day in Paso, we begin with Jack Creek Cellars, which is located in a cool micro-climate on the south end of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, within the Willow Creek District.  In their small, family-owned, vineyard and winery, they harvest a modest amount of high-quality, low-yielding fruit leading us to limited quantities of luscious Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Grenache & Syrah.  We had first discovered Jack Creek through the founders and original owners Doug and Sabrina Kruse, and have kept up our love for the winery with the new Lemstra family that has taken over.  We were guided through our tasting by Patrick, who is a retired professor that had a passion for wine which he leveraged into pouring at the winery.  Such a gentlemen with a quick wit!  The best wines of the day were the 2020 ‘Glow’ Rose of Pinot Noir that was just released and had an intense bouquet of strawberries and the 2019 Estate Pinot Noir.  We can’t wait to return to the winery very soon, to check out the upcoming releases!

Driving down the road, next stop was to Zenaida Cellars, (1550 CA-46, Paso Robles, CA 93446) who are known for big and beefy red wines, usually with Syrah and Zinfandel as the backbone of the blends.  Tastings were held on Zenaida’s gorgeous patio, set in the midst of the vineyards and next to their winery, a perfect setting for a sunny, yet cool Spring day.  The top bottling of the day was their 2018 Knucklehead, which is actually 100% Petite Sirah – this wine has been their flagship for a number of years and is always solid.

Wrapping up our ‘Tour de Paso’, we saved our favorite winery for last, going to Turley Wine Cellars, (2900 Vineyard Dr, Templeton, CA 93465) for an outdoor tasting on their patio and to pick up the seasonal wine allocation that we had been granted.  Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by former emergency room physician Larry Turley in 1993.  Under the direction of winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, Turley now makes 50 different wines from over 50 vineyards across California, primarily Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, with many vines dating back to the late 1800s. By farming organically and focusing on old vine vineyards of these varieties, Turley aims to both create and preserve California’s unique winemaking culture.

They are the true class of Paso, and by sourcing grapes throughout California for different bottlings, the winery has a true depth of personality and flavors.  Spending time with Malani Anderson, their Tasting Room Manager and all-around great human, we sampled a great range of wines, with the top of the top being the 2018 Pesenti Vineyard, Grenache Blanc and the Paper Street Vineyard Red,

For Saturday night and a chance to wrap up the weekend with our final dinner, we decided to try something different this time and made a reservation at Fish Gaucho, (1244 Park St., Paso Robles, CA 93446) right in Downtown Paso.  When we arrived we found a vibrant and fun scene, which was bordering on a Saturday night party!  While being skeptical at first of the environment, our concerns were quickly soothed with the culinary creations and ingredient quality that came to our table.  The Carnitas Taquitos with pineapple braised pork, pina-pepper salsa, guacamole and pickled red onion were delicious and the Alaskan Halibut con Deconstructed Elote with spring pea puree and mezcal brown sugar butter blew us out of the water!  I look forward to heading back to Fish Gaucho on my next visit for sure and much more tequila!

Departing Paso on a Sunday morning, I was sad to bring the long weekend to a close but already had in my mind of a planned return to the region and chance to enjoy it once again.  If you plan on going, make sure to ask us plenty of questions for ideas, recommendations, places to stay, where else to dine and more!