Paso Robles: Boundless Diversity

BY ERIC GUIDO | MAY 18, 2023

My trip to Paso Robles, in the absence of Josh Raynolds, was a somber affair. I was quite worried on the first day, as the news of Josh’s passing was made public. I went to Paso thinking I was doing a friend justice and trying as hard as I could to cover a region he so loved. Within three days of being on the ground, the light of an industry icon had fizzled out. I tried to push our friendship and memories to the back of my mind because I was in the field. However, everywhere I looked, I saw his shadow. Josh’s flame burned so bright that he left a mark on every producer, restaurant and location he ever encountered or set foot in. The loss of our dear friend and colleague will be felt for many years. I am honored to be able to pick up where Josh left off. Still, while in Paso Robles dealing with grief and loss, I found that every grower and winemaker had a story about Josh that brought smiles and enlightenment to each passing day. This town loved him, his quirkiness, charm, caring being, knowledge (so far beyond wine) and undying endurance. We will all be telling stories about Josh Raynolds for many years to come. I miss you, my dear friend. But on to Paso, as you would prefer the focus to be here.

Dry-farmed Zinfandel vines at Lone Madrone.

This is not California, or maybe it is. It certainly doesn’t feel that way. I’ve traveled to Napa and Sonoma many times. I’ve witnessed the grandiose tasting rooms and large vineyards and heard the marketing lines and all the hype. This is not it. Producers here communicate a human desire to do better. To help build the community over time. They are selfless and eager to pay respect to those who mentored them and helped them achieve their status. This is the country. Visitors will find the tourist crowd in the downtown areas, but will discover an entirely different group throughout the vineyards of Paso. Winemakers are maybe a bit less polished, happily so, and tinkering nonstop to better understand how they can push themselves and the entire region forward. Paso Robles is just primed to be the next tourist hot spot for wine lovers in California.

The Wildly Unique Terroir of Paso Robles

The first thing to understand is how Paso Robles producers can succeed in many ways despite challenges that most assume would hinder them. The region, located along US Highway 101, lies halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with the Santa Lucia Mountains defining its western border and the Cholame Hills to the east. The region’s biggest obstacle is the combination of high daytime temperatures and low average rainfall (around 21 inches a year). There’s no issue with achieving extremely ripe fruit. It’s the opposite. In Paso, finding balance is the hurdle, and luckily (outside of irrigation), Mother Nature provides several ways producers can do just that.