A Grand Tasting: Paso Robles Comes to San Diego

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Uptown Food & Wine

By Ron James

In the last issue of Uptown News I wrote about touring to one of the nation’s premier wine country destinations, Paso Robles. The trip is wonderful, and there’s nothing like a good tasting room crawl in beautiful wine country.

But there’s a very convenient and affordable way to get a taste of Paso Robles without going through LA. Paso Robles is coming to San Diego, Feb. 23-25. Well, not all of Paso Robles, but a whole lot of the best winemakers in the industry.

Wines and winemakers from more than 40 wineries are making the trip down the 101 on the first leg of the 6th annual Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Grand Tasting Tour. For three days the folks from Paso will be showcasing their nationally acclaimed wines in 11 events culminating with the Grand Tasting at the new Wine Steals’ gastropub at Petco Park. Three of the six winemaker dinners take place at Uptown restaurants.

“Wineries from Paso Robles have seen increased demand from Southern California wine enthusiasts looking to taste the region’s award-winning wines and travel to wine country in search of new discoveries,” said Stacie Jacob, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “This three-day visit to San Diego brings the world of Paso Robles wines to the doorstep of San Diegans with numerous opportunities at different value levels to taste the celebrated varietals and meet the winemakers from Paso Robles Wine Country.”

“We are excited to be making our way back to San Diego,” said Chris Taranto, communications manager for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “With six winemaker dinners, two consumer walk-around tasting events, two retail tastings and a trade/media event, we are looking to make a big impact in the San Diego community, which already has a great appreciation of Paso Robles wines.”

The 2010 Grand Tasting Tour is dedicated to bringing the Paso Robles wine country experience into top cities across the nation. There are only three Grand Tasting Tour events scheduled this year. The tour stops in Sacramento and Palo Alto, with San Diego as the only stop in Southern California.

Pouring Paso’s Finest
The Paso Robles winemakers making the San Diego trek are some of the most respected in the world of wine. There will be many wines that are familiar, such as J. Lohr, Anglim, Tablas Creek and Robert Hall, and a few gems you’ve never heard of but who are producing stunning wines.
My winemaker friend Steve Kroener from Silver Horse Winery will be pouring some of his amazing Spanish varietals at The Linkery restaurant on Feb. 23 – and Four Vines Winery’s Zin Pimp, Bill Grant, just might be pouring their new ZinBitch wine at Phil’s BBQ on the same day.
One winemaker I look forward to meeting in person is L’Aventure owner and winemaker Stephan Asseo. He has become a superstar in the wine world, producing cabernet sauvignon and Rhone blends that are getting international critical acclaim. Asseo will be pouring his trademark 2007 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée made up of 49 percent syrah, 37 percent cabernet sauvignon and 14 percent petit verdot at The Wine Sellar and Brasserie on Feb. 24.

“I’m very happy to visit San Diego,” Asseo said in a phone interview. “The 2007 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée represents the best of what I wanted to do when I moved to Paso – it’s my interpretation of Paso Robles.”

The great Robert M. Parker, Jr. loves Asseo’s wines. “He (Asseo) is producing remarkable cabernet sauvignon that seems to have more in common with a great vintage of Mouton Rothschild than any other cabernet I have tasted in California,” he claimed in Food & Wine magazine. “This is the single best Paso Robles cabernet and competes with the best Napa Valley cabernets.”

Pioneer winemaker Gary Eberle from Eberle Winery will also be pouring at The Wine Sellar and Brasserie. He is legendary for kick starting the Rhône revolution in Paso Robles, bringing the first syrah vines into the country since Prohibition.

Uptown News is an official media sponsor of the tour and we will be attending several of the events, including the Grand Tasting and wine dinners. This is a unique opportunity for you to experience and learn about some of the very best Paso Robles wines and talk to the extraordinary winemakers who make them. I hope to see you there.

One tour event where you won’t find me is Crave at NTC Promenade on Wednesday evening. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy it, but this event is targeted at the 24-35-year-old hipster wine enthusiast. Promoters promise a cool DJ atmosphere with music, eats and five varietal wine bars. I’m told they’re not checking IDs to see if you’re too old to make the cut. And I would consider crashing Crave but it’s past my bedtime.

Paso Robles Wine County Alliance Grand Tasting Tour Schedule

Tuesday, February 23:

Paso Flight Tastings

A three-flight wine tasting of Paso Robles wines in Wine Steals’ wine bars. Special pricing on featured bottles of Paso Robles wine available only during the tasting.

· Where: Wine Steals at Cardiff and Point Loma
· Time: 6-8 p.m.
· Price: $10
· For more information, call (760) 230-2657 or (619) 221-1959

Winemaker Dinners
Contact the restaurants directly for reservations.

Alchemy
1503 30th St., South Park
(619) 255-0616
Pouring: Anglim Winery, Caliza Winery, Clayhouse Wines, Hope Family Wines and Lone Madrone

The Linkery
3382 30th St., North Park
(619) 255-8778
D’Anbino Vineyards & Cellars, J. Dusi Wines, Silver Horse Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyards and Zenaida Cellars

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar
380 K Street, Downtown

(619) 237-1155
Pouring: Ancient Peaks Winery, Edward Sellers Vineyards & Wines, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Kenneth Volk Vineyards and Thacher Winery

Phil’s BBQ
3750 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway
(619) 226-6333
Pouring: Clavo Cellars, Four Vines Winery, Grey Wolf Cellars, Midnight Cellars and Peachy Canyon Winery

Wednesday, February 24:

Urban Solace
3823 30th St., North Park
(619) 295-6464
Pouring: Adelaida Cellars, Niner Wine Estates, Still Waters Vineyards and Vina Robles

The Wine Sellar and Brasserie
9550 Waples St., Mira Mesa
(858) 450-9557
Pouring: Eberle Winery, Kukkula, L’Aventure, Ortman Family Vineyards and Victor Hugo

CRAVE
DJ Lounge atmosphere with Five Paso Robles varietal tasting bars with tasty eats.
· Where: NTC Promenade
· Time: 8-10 p.m.
· Price: $45 in advance; $55 at the door

Thursday, February 24

Paso Robles Wine Country Grand Tasting
Taste wines from more than 40 Paso Robles wineries and meet the winemakers at Wine Steals’ new downtown gastropub.

· Where: Wine Steals East Village (at Petco Park)
· Time: 6-8 p.m.
· Price: $55 in advance; $65 at the door

· To purchase tickets or get more information visit http://www.pasowine.com/events/grand-tasting-tour-san-diego.php or call (800) 549-WINE (9463).