My friend Susan looked perplexed when I told her I was heading off to spend a couple of days in Paso Robles. “Isn’t that a dance?” she asked. Well, no. She was thinking of the Paso Doble, that Spanish dance often associated with bullfights, while Paso Robles is one of California’s premiere wine regions. Located about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso was for years just a sleepy dot on the map. Today the little town (population about 30,000) has become a California-chic destination for wine lovers, spa and hot springs aficionados, golfers, equestrians and a host of other vacationers looking to spend a few days in a friendly and stunningly beautiful western setting. And if you go there, you’re bound to eat 
well, for as one local vintner told me, “Wine begets food.”
In an upcoming blog I’ll review a few of the wineries I visited, but right now I want to mention couple of those places in Paso where a visitor will indeed eat well. The hottest eatery in town these days is Artisan (1401 Park Street, Paso Robles, Tel. 805 238-2834). When I had dinner there one night the evening began with fried razor clams tossed with cucumbers and melon, plus a dousing of jalapeño vinaigrette. These appetizing little morsels were perfectly paired with Kenneth Volk Verdelho 2011. The fried clams and spicy jolt of jalapeño were nicely mellowed by the wine’s bracing zing and fruity follow-through (in fact I’m convinced that this Verdelho would be terrific with just about any good fried food). Lone Madrone Nebiollo 2006 was an inspired match with duck breast perched on a bed of fresh corn polenta and tarragon-spiced chimichurri, and the vibrant cherry fruitiness of Anglim Grenache 2009 was a succulent link to a serving of pasta with octopus and preserved lemon. Heading into the meal’s home stretch with perfectly grilled hanger steak, Linne Calodo “Rising Tides” Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre 2007delivered layers of dark fruits, leather, fennel seed and other spices that soothed the soul and reinvigorated the appetite just in time for dessert (among the temptations apple crisp with whiskey raisin ice cream strikes me as a no-brainer).
Bistro Laurent (1202 Pine Street, Paso Robles, Tel. 805 610-8191) one of Paso’s most urbane restaurants, has a convenient corner location just off the town’s main square. Chilled cucumber-tomato soup, a refreshing tonic on the warm autumn evening I was there, was admirably paired with the mellifluous yet satisfyingly dry Pomar Junction Viognier 2010. (Whites make up only about 20% of Paso’s wine, with the best ones mostly based on Rhône grapes such as Viognier, Roussanne and Viognier). Seared Opa (a delicate Hawaiian fish) bathed in saffron sauce was likewise good with the Viognier, but was even more luscious with Mooney Family Grenache/Syrah 2008. A savory onion tart garnished with rabbit confit was made even more delectable by being paired with J. Dusi Zinfandel 2009, an intensely fruity, succulent, medium-bodied Zin. At the conclusion of the splendid dinner chocolate mousse partnered by Pomar Station Late Harvest Viognier 2010 teetered just this side of overkill, but in the end the wine’s balanced acidity prevailed.
McFee’s Grill (416 South Main Street, Templeton, Tel. 805 434-3204), a local favorite, is where cowboy cuisine and fine wine convene. McFee’s eclectic menu wanders through a range of different culinary themes, from Jambalaya pasta, to Kung Fu baby back ribs, to ancho duck and cheese quesadilla. The steaks and burgers are sure to please any real or wannabe cowgirl or cowboy, especially when there are such beef-friendly wines on hand as J. Lohr Cuvée Pom 2006 (an immensely satisfying and well-rounded Bordeaux style blend); Hearst Malbec 2010 (inky and mouth-watering, with mint, sage, mocha and black fruit); and Justin “Isosceles” 2009, a famously rich and savory Bordeaux style red blend.
After such over-indulgences one needs to retire to a comfortable bed in hospitable surroundings, and La Bellasera Hotel and Suites (206 Alexa Court, Paso Robles, Tel. 805 238-2834) is just such a place. Bellasera’s decor lavishly interprets Mediterranean luxury, and the suites tend to be spacious and comfortable. One of the best things about Bellasera is its exceptionally friendly and helpful staff. Some guests may find the hotel’s unromantic setting disappointing for it looms up at the cusp of a highway interchange, but the lack of surrounding scenery is compensated for by the fact that a large strip mall housing everything from Starbucks to Target is an easy 2 minute stroll away.
Want to sleep at a small working winery? Book a room at Venteux Vineyards (1795 Las Tablas Road, Templeton, Tel. 805 369-0127). The Venteux family-run B&B includes three charming rooms (each with private bath) nestled in a traditionally styled California farmhouse. After a warm welcome from the owners and a visit to the winery tasting room it’s a safe bet that you’ll want to settle down on the spacious and inviting front porch with a glass of that Ventoux Carignan or Viognier blend you just tasted.
For guests who prefer to be right in the heart of town there is no better place to stay than Hotel Cheval (1021 Pine Street, Paso Robles; Tel. 805 226-9995). You’ll revel in Cheval’s understated elegance and stylishly comfortable furnishings. Even if horses don’t evoke any particular interest or aspirations in you, you’ll find the interpretation of equestrian theme here enchanting, and you’ll certainly appreciate the fine selection of local wine and beers at the hotel’s bar, the Pony Club. I was lucky to be the Pony Club on an afternoon for a cheese and wine tasting, hosted by the hotel’s next-door neighbor Vivant Fine Cheese.
“We’re a bit of an outpost here in Paso,” Karl Wittstrom, owner of Ancient Peaks Winery and Margarita Adventures told me. And that is certainly one of the best things about Paso Robles. With its informal charm, wild-west scenery and laid-back hospitality Paso Robles seems happily rooted in the past, but its fine wines, chic shops and sophisticated restaurants are definitely of-the-moment. It is a rare place in these United States where such ostensible opposites come together in this compelling way.
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