| Exploring the Enclaves
T H E B AC K ROA DS W I N E R I E S OF
Paso Robles
the 30-acre estate vineyard planted predominantly to merlot. The wines are structurally balanced — ringing with black fruit aromas and bracing minerality, they are muscle-flexing yet elegant in an Old-World style with seamless tannins and velvety finish. Add to this an unforgettable tasting he Back Roads Wineries of experience (by appointment only) Paso Robles are just that, hosted by Goran and wife Ksenija boutique wineries tucked in a gorgeous salon where you savor away along the back roads of east side home-made Slovenian charcuterie Paso Robles. Perhaps the region’s most paired with their wines. This is wine beautiful terrain, lined with miles of tasting at its best. running fences, acres of well-maniFurther up, amidst the rolling hills cured hillside vineyards and expan- of Creston, Chateau Margene is sive ranches inhabited by longhorns, located on the old Huer Huero Mexisheep and horses. While most of the can land grant. Founders Mike and wineries are located along the four Margene Moony produce complex main arteries — Linne Road, Union Bordeaux-style wines from their Road, Creston Road and El Pomar estate vineyards and superb pinot noir Road, there are many ensconced along sourced from Santa Lucia Highlands. hidden country roads. At Still Waters Vineyards, some 14 This enclave, touching the districts varieties are planted on the spectacular of Templeton Gap, El Pomar, Geneseo hillside ranch, dotted with 130-year and Creston, reflects the full diversity old trees. It’s predominantly cabernet of Paso. This means both Rhône and sauvignon and merlot produced here Bordeaux-style wines are produced in with petite sirah sprinkled in most this region, with cabernet sauvignon blends for an added depth. taking the lead. However, there’s pinot While there are dozens of wineries noir growing in a sweet spot of Sculp- in this enclave, some 30 winemakers terra Winery’s vineyard and chardon- have formed the Back Roads Winernay at Still Waters Vineyards. In the ies group that hosts several events southern part of Templeton Gap annually. The upcoming spring event District, Chris Ferrara, founder of will take place at Cass Winery on Italian-focused Clesi Winery, has April 4. planted five acres to sangiovese and “I had to scrape to find 13 winermontepulciano. ies,” mused Steve Cass who was A hidden gem in the Creston instrumental in the group’s formaDistrict is Aleksander Wine whose tion. “Now there are 30.” impressive Bordeaux-style wines Cass Winery is located in are a rare find in Paso. The two Geneseo’s warm district, with soil merlot-driven blends can rival those composition of clay loam and alluof Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Owner vial. As in other parts of Paso, both Goran Bjekovic crafts his wines from Rhône and Bordeaux-style varieties do well here, Cass noted.
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“Rhône whites are perfectly happy,” said Cass, known for his viognier and roussanne wines plus syrah, cabernet sauvignon and bodacious Rhône blends, all savored with Cass Cafe’s wine country cuisine. Cass offers an Adult Summer Camp, an immersive wine country experience at its 145-acre ranch, offering farm and garden education, cooking classes, wine blending sessions, horse riding and lodging at Geneseo Inn — an eight-unit B&B constructed out of recycled shipping containers. Nearby, Sculpterra Winery & Sculpture Garden has much to offer, with an abundance of giant metal and stone sculptures, historical panels of Paso history, a gazebo and exquisite
gardens. More visual feast abounds indoors where you can taste from a portfolio of some 20 wines — a tropical viognier, an earthy pinot noir, a smoky primitivo or the powerful Bentley Ironworks cabernet sauvignon. A collaboration between two noted winemakers, Andrew Jones and Curt Schalchlin, the Fableist Wine Co. has a wonderful story to tell not only with its catchy labels inspired by Aesop’s fables but the tasting experience conducted in the
historic home. There’s no single tasting counter; a sit-down tasting is offered in one of the many cozy rooms. “It’s what Paso is all about, pick a room to taste in,” said Schalchlin. The portfolio of well-structured wines ranges from cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir to chardonnay and zinfandel, sourced from noted vineyards in Paso and along the Central Coast — all priced at $20 per bottle. Further up, Bovino’s panoramic 83-acre hillside ranch offers a range of 12 wines, under two labels — Joludi and gen-er-os-i-ty. Talk about diversity, here you can taste from albariño and arneis to zinfandel, with a lineup that also includes grenache, sangiovese, tempranillo and Bordeaux-style blends. On weekends, the scenic deck is filled with visitors savoring Chef Jeff Puckett’s culinary delights prepared from locally sourced ingredients at Cafe Bovino. Tucked along a dirt road, the gated hilltop Ambyth estate is Paso’s first and only Demeter-certified biodynamic winery that was founded by Phillip and Mary Hart in 2000. The uphill drive is flanked by dry-farmed vineyards and olive trees, with cattle, sheep, llamas and chickens on the range of this panoramic hillside. The hallmark here is low-alcohol wines with minimal intervention and aged in terra-cotta amphorae. The focus is on Rhône style wines, with some tempranillo, zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. The new arrival of 7 Angels Cellars in Templeton is drawing enophiles to its bold and complex Rhône-style blends and deep-hued, age-worthy petite sirah. The white wine line up of viognier and grenache blanc is deliciously refreshing. And for a palate refresher, there’s no place like Rava Wines, Paso’s first winery to focus on Méthode Champenoise process of crafting sparkling wines. The menu includes a range of six sparkling wines produced from chardonnay, pinot noir, albariño and grüner veltliner. For more information, visit backroadwineries.com.
Paso Robles Magazine | April 2020
