Paso Robles Wine Tasting Guide: Districts, Grapes and Tips

Paso Robles is a large wine region on California’s Central Coast, best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhône-style reds and Zinfandel. It has more than 200 wineries spread over hills and plains on both sides of US Route 101, so a good tasting day comes down to planning: pick one area, book ahead on weekends, and arrange a driver. This guide covers the districts, the grapes and the practical side, plus the tasting terms you’ll hear at the counter.

The Paso Robles AVA

An AVA (American Viticultural Area) is a grape-growing region officially recognized by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and its name can appear on wine labels. The Paso Robles AVA was created in 1983 and lies in northern San Luis Obispo County, inside the larger Central Coast AVA.

Some numbers to set the scene:

• Size. Wine Spectator counts about 35,000 acres of wine grapes, and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (the regional winery association) says more than 40,000 vineyard acres. The region spans about 35 miles east to west and 25 miles north to south.
• Wineries. More than 200 wineries and tasting rooms, according to the Alliance, about 90% of them family-run. Wine Spectator puts the number above 250.
• Elevation. About 580 to 2,200 feet, per Wine Spectator.
• Distance. About 200 miles from both San Francisco and Los Angeles, and about four hours’ drive from LA, says the Alliance.

The 11 sub-AVAs

In a final rule published on October 9, 2014 and effective November 10, 2014, the TTB created 11 new AVAs inside the Paso Robles AVA. They did not change the outer boundary. The TTB’s comparison table describes the overall Paso Robles climate as maritime, becoming more continental to the east, and rates each district by heat (on the growing degree-day scale, a measure of heat over the season, where a higher region number means warmer) and by how much ocean air reaches it:

Sub-AVA	Climate in the TTB’s comparison
Adelaida District	Region II–III, modest marine influence
Creston District	Region III, modest marine influence
El Pomar District	Region II, pronounced marine influence
Paso Robles Estrella District	Region III, modest marine influence
Paso Robles Geneseo District	Region III–IV, modest marine influence
Paso Robles Highlands District	Region IV, little marine influence
Paso Robles Willow Creek District	Region II, pronounced marine influence
San Juan Creek	Region III–IV, little marine influence
San Miguel District	Region III, little marine influence
Santa Margarita Ranch	Region II, moderate marine influence
Templeton Gap District	Region II, pronounced marine influence

Wine Spectator notes that the Templeton Gap funnels cool air, fog and breezes into the region, and that Paso Robles Highlands and Creston have few or no wineries, so they aren’t tasting destinations. York Mountain, a separate AVA next door, is often grouped with Paso Robles.

East side vs west side

The simplest way to plan is by US Route 101, which splits the region. Wine Spectator describes the east side as warmer, flatter and easier to farm, with larger wineries and more vineyard acres. The west side has smaller independent growers and wineries, a cooler climate, calcareous (limestone-rich) soils and rolling hills with oak woodland. The Alliance notes that Paso Robles is one of the few California regions with limestone soils. If you only have one day, we’d spend it on the west side, home to many of the smaller independent wineries.

Climate and grapes

The Alliance says Paso Robles has the largest day-to-night temperature swing in California, about 35 to 50°F, and lists wind, fog and its unusual soils among the main influences on its wines.

More than 60 grape varieties grow here. The Alliance’s breakdown, based on county agricultural data, looks like this:

Grape	Share of plantings
Cabernet Sauvignon	39%
Other reds (Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot and more)	16%
Merlot	14%
Syrah	9%
Zinfandel	8%
Chardonnay	5%
Other whites	5%
Sauvignon Blanc	2%
Pinot Noir	2%

What that means at the tasting counter:

• Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape and, per Wine Spectator, the most produced wine. If you like it, our best Cabernet Sauvignon under $20 list compares scores with prices.
• Rhône varieties. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, often blended as “GSM”, plus the whites Viognier and Roussanne. The Alliance says Paso Robles helped popularize GSM blends in the US, and Wine Spectator describes the region as centered on Rhône-focused wineries. Our Syrah vs Shiraz guide explains the region’s key Rhône grape.
• Zinfandel. Travel Paso calls it the heritage grape, with some vines dating to the 1880s.
• Merlot is the second most planted single grape (14%), after Cabernet Sauvignon; see our Merlot wine guide.

In our view, a first visit should include at least one Cabernet, one Rhône blend and one Zinfandel, because those three show what makes Paso different.

How to plan a tasting day

These tips draw on Travel Paso, the local tourism office:

1. Pick one area per day. Crossing between the west side and the east side wastes time. Downtown Paso Robles has more than 20 tasting rooms within walking distance, which makes it an easy base.
2. Book ahead on weekends. Reservations aren’t required everywhere, but they matter most on weekends, for groups and for food pairings. Policies on children, dogs, outside food and accessibility vary, so check each winery first.
3. Arrange transportation early. Options include guided group tours, private tours, designated-driver services and shuttles. Rideshare coverage is limited outside town, especially on weekends and during harvest.
4. Pace yourself. Eat a real meal, drink water between pours and use the spit or dump bucket. We’d plan three or four stops at most, so you can still taste the last wine of the day.
5. Dress for both patio and cellar. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a layer: cellars run cooler than patios.
6. Skip strong perfume or cologne, which affects your sense of smell and other guests’.
7. Stay on paths and patios. Vineyard rows are working farmland.
8. Protect your bottles. Keep purchases out of the sun and somewhere cool, especially on hot days. An insulated wine carrier helps in a parked car.

Important: Never drive after tasting. Book a driver or tour, or choose a designated driver, before the first pour.

When to go

Season	What to expect (Travel Paso)
Spring	Mild weather and wildflowers; weekends get busier
Summer	Long, dry days that can reach triple digits; taste in the morning or early evening
Fall	Harvest, crush viewing and new releases; the busiest time to book
Winter	Smaller crowds, cooler weather, occasional rain

We’d choose a spring weekday for a first visit: good weather without the harvest rush. Travel Paso lists Paso Wine Fest as the region’s signature annual event; check its website for current dates.

Tasting notes vocabulary

You’ll hear these words at almost every tasting counter. Definitions are paraphrased from the Winehaven and Stanford wine glossaries:

Term	What it means
Nose	The wine’s smell, or aroma
Palate	How the wine tastes and feels in your mouth
Body	How heavy the wine feels, from light to full
Acidity	The tart, fresh taste; wines with good acidity are called crisp
Tannin	A compound from grape skins, seeds and stems that leaves a dry, grippy feel; it softens with age
Finish	The flavor that lingers after you swallow; a long finish suggests quality
Balance	Fruit, acid and oak in proportion, with none overpowering the others
Oaky / toasty	Flavors from oak barrels, such as toast or vanilla
Earthy	Flavors of soil, most often in reds
Velvety	A rich, smooth, silky texture
Legs (or tears)	Streaks that run down the glass after swirling; linked to alcohol, and opinions differ on whether they say anything about quality
Terroir	The combined effect of soil, climate and site on a wine
Vintage	The year the grapes were harvested

Tip: You don’t need fancy words. Telling the host “I like it lighter” or “I prefer less oak” is the fastest way to get poured something you’ll enjoy.

For more on how critics turn these impressions into scores, see our guide to wine ratings. Paso Robles is one of the US regions in our overview of the wine regions of the world.