This Isn’t NAPA! This Might Be Better! (Paso Robles, California)

This Isn’t NAPA! This Might Be Better! (Paso Robles, California)

[music] Welcome back. In today’s video, we’re going to California wine country, but even if you’re not into wine, we’ll show you why this destination can still be a crowd pleaser. We have some tips on where to visit and things to do. Plus, we’re gonna do something a little different in this video so you can learn how to taste wine like a pro [music] This isn’t Napa Valley or Sonoma. In fact, if you’ve avoided California wine country because you think those two destinations are too pricey or too snooty, you’re probably gonna love today’s destination. Think Wild West meets world class vineyard views and fantastic wines Join us as we explore Paso Robles. [music] Welcome to Travel at Random. We’re Trevor and Ryan. This channel started out of a love of travel. We’re here to share unbiased and self funded trip reports, hotel and flight reviews, and travel advice. We hope we inspire your next getaway. Check out our playlist in the description and browse the channel. If you enjoy the video, please set that like button and subscribe to keep up with our latest content. Thank you for watching Now, let’s head up the 101 to Paso. [music] Paso Robles is about a three hour drive north from Los Angeles in just over 90 minutes from Santa Barbara. The city is right off the 101 freeway, and its main draw is the extensive collection of wineries in the area. It’s also turned into a bit of a foodie destination This small town has a population of 32,000 and has a laid back vibe. Most of the town is located on the western side of the 101, at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountain range. You’ll hear the locals tell you, West is best, as the best wineries are on this side. Paso’s downtown area is walkable and offers a wide range of restaurants, shops, and cafes Downtown is loosely centered around the main city park. Parking is free and plentiful. If your hotel charges you for parking, you might want to see if there’s free street parking before you commit. We stayed at the brand new Ava Paso Robles Hotel, which is part of Hilton’s Curio Collection. That review is live on the channel. We’ll include a link down on the description. It’s definitely worth checking out [music] Winemaking in Paso Robles can be traced back to the Spanish missionaries in the late 18th century. But it wasn’t until the 1970s, when Rhone varietals were introduced that we began to see the style of wine commonly associated with the area today Rhone is a region in southern France and is known for wines that primarily blend grenache, Syrah and mouvedre. You’ll hear these wines referred to as GSM blends Rhone is also where you’ll find Chatenauf de Pape While Paso Robles does grow Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals, you’ll often find a lot of Rhone style wines produced here This differentiates the region from Napa in Sonoma AVA is the acronym for American viticultural area, which is a standard designation for a region of growing grapes The Paso Robles AVA was established in 1983, expanded in 1996, and again in 2008 to its current area of 614,000 acres, with about 41,000 acres of planted vines. Back in 1996, only 100 acres of Rome varietals were planted. By 2006, it exploded to over 2,200 acres. And today, it’s nearly 20,000 acres. By comparison, the Napa Valley AVA has just over 45,000 acres of grape vines. Today, there are over 160 wineries in the Paso AVA, and they range anywhere from large production wineries with nationwide distributions such as Daou and Justin to a winemaker in a warehouse with just a few barrels, and everywhere in between Unlike a lot of wines from Sonoma or Napa, the price point for Paso wines is much more approachable. If you are into Rhone blends, you’ll find a lot of great wines here and more reasonable prices. If it’s your first time visiting or everyone wants to enjoy some wine, we’d recommend booking a wine tour. There are many companies which specialize in different styles and will work with you to line up wineries that match your tastes. Plus, they’ll handle the driving When we visit, we book with Katie, the owner and operator of Niche Wine Tours. Katie has always been wonderful to work with. We recommend booking a month or two in advance. This gives you some time to coordinate via email on your interest and where you want to visit. Katie will offer excellent suggestions, and will try to pair your experience with your preferences and budget By the way, she did not sponsor this video We’ve worked together several times over the years and she has introduced us to some of our favorite wineries. She has relationships with many spots that offer very limited tastings by appointment only There are plenty of other independent wine tour companies as well. You can find more information on the Travel Paso website. And if you’re into wine tasting, you don’t want to miss our next stop [music] If you do nothing else in Paso Robles, you have to visit Tin City. The name comes from the Industrial Park style steel structures, which make up most of the buildings The area started in 2005 as a place for small wineries to get a start without the overhead of maintaining a production facility and expensive tasting room. Today, it’s home to over 40 businesses, mostly small production wineries, but also including breweries, a distillery, and non alcohol related shops, like a market bakery, ice cream shop, and olive oil pressery and store, and restaurants You can spend an entire day intensity, drinking, eating, and exploring. About half of the wineries are available for walk ins, but the others do require reservations It’s always a good idea to check their website beforehand. The Tin City website does include a listing with helpful links for each business Tin City has been so popular there’s now a Tin City annex and a Ramada row, a similar concept Both are just a few blocks away from the main area of Tin City The Tin City Annex has four wineries and a candy shop Romana Row is at the corner where you’ll turn to get to Tin City. You can’t miss it. There are five wineries, a distillery, and a brewery here, as well. Everything is close by, and it’s easy to walk between the tasting rooms and shops. With a variety of stores here, you can easily make a day of this If you are staying downtown, be safe and out for a short Uber ride that way you can enjoy and not have to worry about driving One extra highlight here is the Etto pasta bar. This casual restaurant serves homemade pasta with products from local farms and ranches. The food here is excellent, and it alone is worth a visit, even if you don’t go wine tasting. They also have a shop where you can buy many of their products This leads us to our next category food. [music] Paso is becoming a bit of a foodie destination, and there are some incredible chefs going all out with some innovative menus. We have three spots we recommend in town that are worth checking out. By the way, this is in addition to Etto in Tin City Number one, start your day at the Red Scooter deli. This spot is great for coffee, fresh baked pastries, and other goodies. You can also order picnic lunches to go, which is normally our go to when wine tasting in Paso. Many wineries aren’t near restaurants, so Red Scooter is our pick to have food on the go. There are two locations in town, one right off the main park and another a few blocks south. This is a small town, so ours are a little fluid But you can order online in advance On to the next two. We apologize in advance. We didn’t film them. Not sure why. Maybe we were just enjoying too much wine, but they’re definitely worth a mention Number two is Les Petites Canelles, which is a French restaurant just off the main city park downtown. The French born chef is the son of the founder of L’Aventure. one of Paso’s most famous and well respected wineries. Make a reservation in advance, as this eatery is popular. They offer a nightly tasting menu or aà la carte options, as well as an impressive wine list. This is the type of restaurant where the sommelier is your friend and can help you find the perfect bottle The food here was excellent, and it was very popular Number three, Grace & Rose This restaurant recently opened in a renovated 110 year old farmhouse, just a few blocks south from the main city park. This eatery specializes in farm to table cuisine and is owned by the team behind the Paso Robles wine merchant. The menu features a good mix of meat and seafood. This is another restaurant with a great wine list. Just ask the somm for a suggestion. Quick tip, regardless of where you’re eating. If a restaurant has a somm, use them to help you pick the perfect bottle. Always tell them the style of wine you want and don’t be afraid to give them a budget cap Sommeliers appreciate when they know what you’re looking to spend and they’ll make suggestions based on your preferences [music] Wine tasting can be intimidating if you’ve never visited a tasting room or a winery before. So we wanted to provide a few tips and give some recommendations. Before you visit a winery or tasting room, find out a they offer walk in, or if they’re tasting by appointment only. More and more, you’ll find reservations are required through online platforms like talk, especially at higher end wineries, whether you’re in Napa, Sonoma, or Paso. Many wineries these days focus on small, curated experiences, and at some wineries, you’ll do a seed tasting, where you’ll sit and have a lineup of wines, sometimes barared with light bites or charcuterie. And at some wineries, you’ll stand at a tastinging bar with a single glass that hosts will pour samples for you to taste. This tends to be a more casual experience Regardless of the experience, check the wineries website or ask in advance about tasting fees. These can vary wildly. In Paso, many wineries are now charging between $25 and $50 per person for a tasting, and even higher fees for reserve or library wine tastings. Many wineries will wave these fees if you join their wine club or buy a certain number of bottles. This is usually written out in the tasting information card, but if not, don’t be afraid to ask Our recommendations don’t join every club on the first day of your visit unless you really like the wine. Wine clubs are a commitment to regular shipments. And if you join multiple clubs every day of your trip, you may be in for a shock when they all start to come in. Many wineries will ship, so ask about this instead of trying to fit half a case of wine in your suitcase. If you do want to bring a bottle to back, check out the Wine Angel It’s a packing sleeve, which will help protect the bottle, and if it does break, keep it for ruining everything in your suitcase. And don’t feel like you have to like every wine or winery. We always ask for a dump cup. This is not offensive and it’s perfectly normal. Don’t feel like you have to finish every glass that’s poured. And if you don’t want to buy any wine pay your tasting fee and move on. For planning a full day of wine tasting, you should include two or three wineries. Four is doable, but it’s a bit of a marathon. Also, plan 60 to 90 minutes for each experience, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the next stop. A tasting bar will be quicker than a sit down tasting. If you’re tasting in town at a tasting room, you can visit more, but if you’re going to go to a winery, two or three is a good number. This also gives you time to grab lunch Keep in mind, tasting concerned as early as 10:00 a.m. And feel free to ask questions during the tasting. Many wineries in Paso are relatively small production, so the teams are passionate about the wine they make. They’ll tell you all sorts of interesting details about the wine making process, and if you want, you can really geek out a bit [music] So those are our tips for wine tasting and visiting Paso Robles. Earlier, we referred to Paso as the Wild West That’s because the town still has a bit of a rustic feel. It’s not stuffy or overpriced, like some other wine regions. Winemakers here are making some awesome wines and blending some grapes that are not typically found in other regions. If you’re into wine, especially big, bold wines, you’ll likely enjoy Paso Robles. Even if you aren’t into wine, Paso Robles has a growing number of breweries and distilleries If you’re looking to get out and do something without alcohol, there are several museums about the history of the area and the early pioneer Settlers that came to the area back in the mid 1800s Before wine became the main tourist driver, Paso Robles was known for its hot springs and mineral baths, which you can still visit today at the River Oaks Hot Springs or the Franklin Hot Springs Paso is also a burgeoning hub for extra virgin olive oil production. Olive trees benefit from the same Mediterranean climate and soil that the grapes love Paso has the highest concentration of small artisan olive growers in California, and many have won international awards for their olive oils You can visit tasting rooms in town and intensity, and some offer tours of their production facilities if you’re interested in the process Pass Olivo and Killer Ridge Olive Farm are two worth checking out So those are our suggestions and how to spend a few days visiting Central Coast wine country in Paso Robles, California. Paso is a sunny and hot destination the summer, but cooler in the fall and winter. Like most of California, it’s a dry Mediterranean climate, so the temperature can swing quite a bit during a single day The laid back atmosphere is approachable for folks new to wine, and the variety and quality may surprise the most ardent of Napa fans. The wines here are excellent, and if you like big boys,old reds and interesting white wines, it’s worth a visit. If you enjoying this video, please give it a thumbs up. That really helps us out. Also, subscribe to keep up with our latest content We have dozens of hotel, flight review and city tour videos on our channel, from all over the world. Thank you for watching. We’ll see you on the next adventure. [music]

In this video we’re heading to Central Coast wine country and Paso Robles. We’ll show you why this city is one of California’s best wine destinations. From big bold red wines to delicate white wines, if you love wine, you’ll like Paso. We’ll also tell you what makes Paso different than Napa Valley or Sonoma.

We’re going to cover:
-What its like to go wine tasting in Paso
-Tips on how wine taste like a pro
-Must visit restaurants in Paso Robles
-Tin City Paso Robles

Check out our review of The Ava Hotel Paso Robles:

#winecountry #pasorobles #california #winetasting

Chapters:
0:00 Intro to Paso Robles, CA
1:35 Paso Location and Overview
2:46 Paso Winemaking History and AVA
4:43 Wine tours
5:46 Tin City Paso Robles
7:46 Food in Paso
10:05 Wine tasting tips
12:50 Other things to do in Paso
14:10 Final thoughts and wrap up

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We love travel. We travel for both work and pleasure and over the years we’ve gained knowledge and expertise and now we want to share that with others. Join us for random travel adventrues includes airline reviews, trip reports, hotel tours and travel adventures. We’ll share our honest opinions along the way. We self fund all of our adventures. Fun fact, Travel At Random was our blog many years ago and we’ve brought it back in the form of a YouTube Channel!

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