Comprised of 650,000 acres in California's San Luis Obispo County, El Paso de Robles is the "other home" for many large producers in the North Coast. Vines were first planted in Paso by Franciscan missionaries in the late 18th century. In 1882, Ascension Winery became the first commercial winery in the area, with many others following suit in the 1920s. Around 1970, Dr. Stanley Hoffman planted the region's first Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and his winery was the first large-scale modern facility in the area. Today, the area celebrates its treasured vino with the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival, hosted by the town of Paso Robles the third weekend of every May.
Paso Robles faces hot temperatures, low humidity and low rainfall throughout the summer. It is located just 20 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, which offsets the semi-arid day with cooling coastal breezes that create daily temperature variations of up to 50°F. The soils across the AVA are very diverse, ranging from sedimentary soils and a mixture of clay, sand and silt on the eastern side to igneous and metamorphic soils on the western side. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc are the primary varities planted, although nearly every important variety can be found within the AVA.
United States → California → San Luis Obispo County
American AVA
Ancient Peaks
Eberle
Fratelli Perata
Hunt Cellars
J. Lohr
JanKris
JanKris Winery
Justin
Justin Vineyards
Justin Vineyards Winery
L'Aventure
Liberty School
Martin & Weyrich
O'Neill Vineyards
Peachy Canyon
Tobin James
Treana