Studies in Place (SIP)
What do an outlaw and a concert pianist have to do with wine?
Meridian Vineyards, close to harvest
The notorious outlaw Jesse James and the world-renowned concert pianist and composer Paderewski actually had something in common – Paso Robles, California’s fastest-growing wine region.
Jesse’s uncle Drury was one of Paso Robles’ founding fathers in the 1800s, according to local winemaker and historian Dennis Collins of Treana winery.
And the famous Polish classical pianist Ignace Paderewski helped put Paso on the map in the early 20th century when he came to cure his arthritis in the local hot springs. He remained in the area till the 40s, planting one of the earlier vineyards in the area.
Petite Syrah and Zinfandel were grown at the old world composer’s vineyard in the Adelaide area. Later his wine was made at York Mountain Winery, which had also been established in the 1800s. The legend that he brought the first Zinfandel to the area doesn’t appear to be true, but his award-winning wines did establish Paso Robles’ reputation as a premier wine region.
These and other fascinating facts about Paso Robles wine were provided by expert guides on the buses transporting a group of wine writers and trade reps during the Studies in Place (SIP) – sponsored annually by the Paso Robles Winemakers Alliance.
(L to R) Winemakers Christian Tjietche of Four Vines, Terry Culton of Adelaida, & Gary Eberle
Tasting Notes: Barnyard French to Fruit Forward
SIP attendees were not only treated to taste sensations created by local restaurants and caterers, but we were privileged to sip alongside none other than THE legendary Gary Eberle and other expert Paso winemakers.
A structured tasting that featured Paso Robles wine alongside wines from Napa and Bordeaux was an amazing experience. We were able to compare our tasting notes with these experts, who were tasting blind, too, evaluating their own wines and others without knowing which was which.
Rhone Blends
When Gary Eberle and I both selected an 05 Four Vines Peasant ($38) Rhone blend as our favorite in that flight, I couldn’t have felt more validated. It beat out an 03 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape with a “fennel nose” and a high level of tannins that sells for $40. "Old World" and "barnyard" were terms other tasters used to describe the French Rhone.
I thought a second Chateauneuf du Pape, an 04 Domaine des Senechaux ($30), topped its fellow French wine with smoother tannins and a nicer, vanilla aroma.
The surprise of the day for me was a wine that could have been a Starbucks label, so strongly did it express a coffee aroma— o5 Denner Ditch Digger ($35)
The creatively named 05 Eberle Cote du Robles is a bargain at only $20.
The less-creatively-named but equally pleasant Adelaida 04 Version is a blend of five grapes --Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Counoise and Cinsault! $26
Cabernet Sauvignon
I was astonished when it was revealed that a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon – rated last in the cab flight by almost all of us, novice and pros alike – sells for $80 a bottle! The taster next to me referred to it as "cigar wine" but thought it "might be good in 10 years."
Gary Eberle explained the advantage of Paso wines in general, which he characterized in general as being fruit forward and very soft -- easy on the pallate. " You can take wines from Paso Robles and drink them tonight, or put them away for 20 years," he said.
And the 04 Bordeaux Chateaux Pichon-Longuevile Baron, with its smoky bouquet and $70 price tag, was simply not up to the Paso Robles Cabs, many of us felt, including the 05 Wild Horse ($20), 04 Treana ($52), 04 Halter Ranch ($28), and 04 Adelaida ($75).
Breakfast in Meridian Vineyard
So Many Grapes, So Few Hours
At no other time have I felt the truth of the “so much wine” adage more deeply. Imagine, only a little over a day to sample the fares of over 40 top-notch produers!
Although we were offered tastings at our lovely lakeside breakfast at Merdian Vineyard, I passed, knowing from previous experience that even using the spit bucket wouldn’t save me if I drank before my brain cells had been fed first.
After breakfast we had a fun ride through Meridian’s vineyards on tractor-pulled flatbeds – the same ones the field workers use. We saw several deer, as well as the barn owl boxes Meridian has placed around the vineyards to help control gophers.
Grapes Rush in Where Carrots Fear to Tread.
Calcareous rock & Eagle Castle Winery
En route to Eagle Castle Winery, we de-bused for a first-hand look at the calcareous soil on the western side. The clay soil west of Highway 46 combines with porous bits of chalk-like rocks from an ancient uplifted seabed, providing a moist bed for the vines. In fact, the roots actually grow around the rocks, which wickd water to the plants.
This phenomenon, coupled with the 15-30 inches of rain the west side receives per year, cooler temperatures, and the fog that occasionally rolls in through the Templeton gap, enables many growers on the west to dry farm, using no irrigation. And they can coax the finicky Pinot Noirs to grow.
Their fellow growers on the east make use of one of the largest aquifers in California to supplement that area’s scant 6-10 inches of annual rainfall. The eastern soil is primarily alleuvial, formed over the millennia by rivers such as the northward-flowing Salinas.
The climate, geology, and other growing conditions seem to favor Bordeaux-type wine on the east, where Cab is king, and Rhones and Zins on the west. However, the diversity of conditions creates anomalous pockets on each side, which is why western Justin Winery, with its warmer micro-climate, produces good Bordeaux, such as its well-known Isosceles.
One of the greatest daytme-nightime temperature differentials in the world also helps make Paso Robles the Amazon Basin of viticulture diversity. The high temperatures create sugars, while the low ones boost acidity.
Imagine ... Cabs, Syrah, Zins, Pinot Noir, Merlot, red blends, rose’, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, white blends, and even some Italian and Spanish varieties – all within a 15-minute drive!