local lore

The Paso Robles wine country has a rich history of winemaking. It dates back to the late 1700's when Franciscan friars began growing wine grapes for sacramental wine. Over the past 200 years, it has grown and evolved into a robust, bustling wine industry is now home to some of today's top wineries.

The city of El Paso de Robles ("The Pass of Oaks", or just plain "Paso" to the locals), is currently home to more than 180 different wineries, and 26,000 vineyard acres. Its climate, which is marked by warm, summer days and cool, breezy nights makes for ideal growing conditions for more than 40 different types of wine varietals.

Franciscan friars first began growing wine grapes in the Paso Robles region in 1790. The padres of the Mission San Miguel (the remains of which are still standing and can be visited today) planted vineyards north of the mission. Commercial winemaking began nearly one hundred years later, in the late 1870s, when a rancher by the name of Andrew York settled in Paso. His family planted Zinfandel vines, leading this grape to become one of the area's signature varietals.

The Paso Robles winemaking region has continued to steadily grow and expand throughout the decades. However, it was not until the 1960s and 70s that Paso Robles saw the beginnings of large-scale wine production. It was also during this time that Dr. Stanley Hoffman, and Andre Tchelistcheff planted some of the first vines for yet another varietal for which the Paso Robles area has garnered international acclaim: Cabernet Sauvignon.

In more recent years, Paso Robles has also become known for its Rhone blends. Since 1989, there has been a dramatic increase in planting of the Rhone varietals: Syrah, Viognier, and Roussanne. Paso Robles is now home to a number of wineries whose primary focus is the production of these Rhone varietals; and also to the Hospice du Rhone, which draws thousands of wine enthusiasts to the area annually.

Paso Robles is quickly securing its place among some of the most renowned winemaking regions in the world. But its history is far from being written. With its historic ties to the art winemaking, beautiful fall harvests, and picturesque downtown area, El Paso de Robles is the perfect setting for you and fellow wine lovers to become part of this rich history.

It's a great place to experience your First Crush. So come to Paso Robles where you can do more than taste wine — you can fall in love with making it.