Visit Paso Robles for its wines, stay to enjoy its beauty

For a few years a smattering of friends have been betting on the wines of Paso Robles. Now it seems that to visit Paso Robles is the thing everyone wants to do. If you haven’t, go there for an overnight trip. The wings of the butterfly have created, if not a storm, a steady breeze blowing toward this scenic little town in the heart of Central Valley in California.

Do plan a trip there for the wine, if nothing else.

1.Great wineries. You’ve probably heard of Justin, J. Lohr, and Tablas Creek. But if you want to hang out with the winemakers, you can try some of the smaller ones as well. And there are even smaller ones, the garagiste that I have also written about.

2.Different wine varietals. While you’ll, of course, get the chardonnay, pinot noir, and cabernet sauvignon associated with the great northern neighbor, Napa Valley, you will get to taste what I have called unusual varietals. Spanish varietals such as albariño and tempranillo and an array of Rhone and Bordeaux blends.

Bathhouse

3.Not commercial. Yet. And truly, while I’m so proud of Napa Valley for what it has done for California wine since the Judgment of Paris in 1976, the fame has brought in the hordes from all over the world. Fortunately, few have heard yet of Paso Robles and it is all yours to experience.

4.A great downtown. It is beautiful — new and upcoming. I didn’t know what to expect when I visited in January, and then enjoyed it immensely. For those of you who have hung out in Sonoma, the square, the green, the buildings of downtown Paso will give you a feeling of déjà vu.

You can continue to enjoy your wine at the tasting rooms. I went to Diablo Paso and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. Here is a link from the downtown association of some other tasting rooms. http://pasoroblesdowntown.org/paso-robles-business/paso-robles-wine-tasting-downtown-2/ And lest you get lightheaded from too much of the good stuff and not enough solids, there is plenty of choice in restaurants. http://pasoroblesdowntown.org/paso-robles-restaurants/

One of my favorite places was an art center that displayed the work of many artists around a theme. When I visited, the topic was guns. http://www.studiosonthepark.org/

Bandstand in downtown Paso Robles

5.Open and serene. If you want to stand (or sit!) and stare, this is the place. Still not built up, it offers views of the hills, vineyards running down them, old trees. For a weekend, you can forget the workaday world and enjoy open spaces and solitude. They may not be there forever.

Photos courtesy of Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association

© 2017 Suruchi Mohan