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A32 FEATURE
Friday 27 december 2019
California’s Paso Robles area offers wine-tasters variety

By SALLY CARPENTER HALE varietals in its Tin City ware-
Associated Press house. We especially en-
PASO ROBLES, California joyed Giornata’s nebbiolo
(AP) — Winemakers around ($45), sangiovese ($35) and
this central California city montepulciano ($35). The
can grow a mind-boggling tasting fee is $10, but reser-
variety of grapes thanks to vations are required for the
a wide diversity of microcli- tiny tasting room.
mates. We were steered to Paix
Visitors can take a tasting Sur Terre by servers at sev-
tour of European varietals eral other wineries and we
— from Italy and Spain as quickly learned why. At
well as France’s Rhone and only 1,200 cases per year,
Bordeaux regions. this boutique winery’s offer-
The wine-growing area ings were very good across
around Paso Robles is near- the board. We especially
ly three times the size of liked the 2017 mourvèdres:
Napa Valley. Rainfall rang- The Other One and Comes
es from 10 to 30 inches per A Time (each $55) — pro-
year in different areas, and duced in separate vine-
elevations in the foothills of yards.
the Santa Lucia Mountains Niner Wine Estates offers
rise from 700 feet to more food in addition to wine,
than 2,400 feet. On the which was a welcome
wetter and cooler west side sight at midday. The tast-
of Paso Robles, Rhone-style ing room opens onto a
varietals grow best. The This Oct. 13, 2019 photo shows the tasting room at the Paix Sur Terre winery in Paso Robles, Calif. large patio with expansive
drier and warmer east side Associated Press views of the vineyards. We
works well for Bordeaux liked all the reds we tasted,
grapes. have not been an issue in Today, Tablas Creek pro- grape, fiano, as part of our especially the 2016 syrah
Wine reviewers have taken this region. Tasting fees are duces 25,000 cases per flight. ($30) and the 2016 caber-
note of the region’s more reasonable: $10-$20. And year of a variety of whites On the east side of town, net franc ($40).
than 200 wineries. the wine was excellent al- and reds, including blends Sculpterra Winery greets We traveled north of down-
Opolo Vineyards, for exam- most everywhere we went. of mourvèdre, counoise, visitors with whimsical out- town to J. Lohr Vineyards,
ple, has nearly 300 acres From our centrally located syrah and grenache. We door sculptures and tables whose cabernet sauvignon
of grapes on both the east hotel, we set out to sam- liked the 2017 mourvèdre for viewing and sipping, as we’ve seen at retail stores
and west sides and offers ple the offerings from a ($40), the 2018 picpoul well as a large patio. Ten around the country. The
more than a dozen vari- cross-section of wineries blanc ($30) and the 2018 dollars will buy you a flight 2017 Seven Oaks vintage
etals, from the white Span- clustered to the west and Dianthus rosè. of eight wines, including — of which 1 million cases
ish albarino and French east, along with the Tin City Nearby, Opolo Vineyards a tasty 2014 petite syrah were produced — sells for
rousanne to robust Italian warehouse district south of features an onsite inn and ($50). We also were par- $17 at the winery, a few dol-
reds sangiovese and tem- downtown. restaurant, and hosts spe- tial to the 2014 maquette lars more than we’ve spent
pranillo. Tablas Creek Winery pio- cial events as well as wed- ($44). Sculpterra also fea- on both the east and west
On an October wine-tast- neered Rhone-style wine- dings. (There’s also a distill- tures weekend music and coasts. The tasting pours
ing trip, my husband, Rick, making in Paso Robles in ery, but we were all about monthly events. were generous for our $15,
and I found Paso Robles to the 1990s when French win- the wine.) Standouts were One of our favorite winer- however, and we loved the
be a sweet spot between ery Chateau de Beaucas- the 2017 Mountain Zinfan- ies was Giornata Wines, a 2014 Carol’s Vineyard cab
Los Angeles and San Fran- tel and U.S. importer Vine- del ($29) and 2017 Mon- small, family-run winery that ($60), though it is sourced in
cisco. The wildfires that yard Brands joined forces tagna Mare, a blend of Ital- makes 4,200 cases of Italian Napa Valley.q
have plagued wine coun- to find a California terroir ian varietals barbera and
try to the north and south similar to southern France. sangiovese ($29).
Villa Creek Cellars on the
west side requires a reser-
vation and charges $20 for
a flight of five wines. In its
certified organic vineyards,
the winery plants the most
acreage in grenache, and
makes only 2,500 cases per
year.
Its Rhone-style reds really
shine, especially the 2013
High Road, a blend of
mourvèdre, syrah and gre-
nache ($105). The more af-
fordable 2016 Willow Creek
Cuvee ($60) is a blend of
the same grapes, but with
the grenache up front
This Oct. 13, 2019 photo shows Stephanie Terrizzi, co-owner of rather than the mourvèdre. This Oct. 13, 2019 photo shows the vineyard at the Paix Sur Terre
Giornata Wines during a tour of the winery in Paso Robles, Calif. We were pleased to taste winery in Paso Robles, Calif.
Associated Press a southern Italian white Associated Press