Wrapping up a mini wine tour

October 3, 2009
Paso Robles, CA

We spent the past week in Paso Robles, CA, an area that we've passed through several times over the years but never stopped for a visit. It's a nice area, with a growing wine culture and reputation, so we're glad we took the time to stop here.

Early in the week, we had a chance to relax for a few days after our caravan. Geri caught up on laundry, we made a pot of sauce, I caught up on bills and ordered mail - everyday "life on the road" stuff. We did some research and found a dog park nearby and made the trip over there with the pups. I think they enjoyed the chance to exercise, but they're both kind of "clingy" right now, probably because we were away so much during the day while we were on the caravan.

On Thursday, we took a short drive on some of the back roads outside Paso Robles. We passed Lake Nacimiento and were a) surprised to find a lake in the area, that close to the coast and b) interested to see how low the lake level was. Similar to Lake Shasta, which we passed on our way from Oregon through northern California, the water level was at least 200' below the maximum. No wonder this area is so susceptible to fires. In the evening, we had a chance to catch up with our friends Wayne & Eva as they were passing through on their way back to their winter place in Indio. We had dinner (wonderful tri-tip and collard greens) with them over in Atascadero, plus had a chance to meet friends of theirs who live in the area.

Friday was a busy day. Geri had made an appointment with a local dog groomer, so we dropped the pups off just before 10:00. They were getting a little shaggy, but not bad considering that they hadn't been cut since August. As we often do while the dogs are in grooming, we stopped for brunch and had a nice meal at the Paso Robles Inn. This gave us the strength for an afternoon of wine tasting, which we focused south and west of Paso Robles. We made stops at three winery tasting rooms: Turley (wonderful Zins), Peachy Canyon (a mixed bag of odd blends and over-priced varietals), and Windward (a small Pinot-only producer). As an added bonus, Geri had time for a manicure before the pups were ready to be picked up.

Since Saturday was our last day in Paso Robles, we had to narrow down our options. With a bit of Googling around and help from the Wine Spectator's web site, we picked three wineries to visit. We actually made it to two of them, but that was plenty. Our first stop was Adelaida, a small producer mostly focused on Rhône varietals. OK, another six-bottle carrier added to the load. Then we were off to Justin Cellars, which is one of the producers who made a splash with Paso Robles wines, but seems to have struggled with quality lately. We tasted and found some we liked and others - well, not so much. With some restraint, only four more bottles were packed in the car. Now, Justin is located quite a way out in the country, and they've added a small (but hyper-expensive) inn and an award-winning restaurant to the tasting room. We decided to stay for lunch and bypass the third winery on our list, and we're glad we did. After sharing a tomato bisque, Geri had a wild mushroom torte with whipped goat cheese and I had a braised beef rib with pureed yams and wilted greens. With a bottle of their Justification (a Bordeaux-style blend made with predominantly Cabernet Franc), we had a great leisurely lunch. We'll be back...

On the way back, we were lucky enough to have some wildlife sightings. A small herd of deer surprised us right along the side of the road, and a group of wild turkey ran across in front of us. We also saw what looked like a tarantula crossing the road (Does that count as "wildlife"?).

 

We wrapped up the day with a salad (Geri picked up two sea scallops and two jumbo shrimp to accompany) and half a bottle of Beringer Napa Chardonnay. All in all, a great day!