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Returning to Paso Robles Wine Country & Beyond to Cambria

A few years ago we took a three-day trip and did a feature on Paso Robles wine country. It was about time to revisit one of our favorite places. So when we received an invitation to attend an event at MAHA/Villa Creek featuring an incredible spread of food prepared by Full of Life Flatbread and excellent wine from MAHA/Villa Creek capped off by a performance by Sam Nelson Harris of X Ambassadors, the answer to the invitation was “WHY the HECK NOT?!” Unlike other AVAs, Paso Robles’ wineries are scattered along windy, narrow roads like MAHA Villa Creek on Peachy Canyon Road, which is actually more of a trail than a road. Cris and JoAnn Cherry hosted the event and a fun time was had by all. Their top-tier biodynamic organic wines are outstanding. I sampled 2018 MAHA Backlit and was blown away by this great example of a Paso Robles Rhone varietal blend of Petite Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Go to VillaCreek.com.

Another hidden gem in Peachy Canyon is Torrin Wines. When we sat down with Scott and Viquel Hawley in their tasting room it felt as if we were invited into their home. It was classic wine country hospitality. We could have talked wine all day. Scott was passionate about his winemaking. I felt the most interesting point he made was when I asked him how much of his winemaking was science and how much was art. He said it started out with science and ended up 99% art. Once you tasted his wine, you understood. We loved their stupendous Rhone varietal blends (I like to use words like “stupendous” because this isn’t a wine wonk magazine!). The 2019 Le Devoir (Syrah and Graciano) was the hit of the tasting, and we brought it home to continue to enjoy it. It is really hard to choose which of his wines are better. Go to TorrinWines.com and buy some of everything there. You cannot go wrong!

Cuisine, Cabernet & Jazz

There was so much more to do! A visit to our favorite tasting room in Paso meant a gourmet lunch and wine tasting at Daou Winery. Small bites, wonderful Bordeaux varietals (Paso’s other sweet spot) and the best view in Paso Robles from Daou Mountain. Be sure to try their 2019 Eye of the Falcon. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot. Visit DaouVinyards.com.

We also went casual with a visit to Tin City. There you will find a collection of more laidback tasting rooms and top-tier wineries. Our favorite was Aaron Wines. Nothing fancy, just excellent wine. You can also enjoy a casual lunch and delicious burgers in Tin City.

Dinner in Paso Robles was easy. A visit to one of our favorites, Il Cortile, was followed by a big surprise—a jazz club in Paso!!! “Ben Heaven” in an unexpected place. A bright, young entrepreneur, Corey Jordan, has opened Libretto just off the square. They have a full schedule of top-notch jazz artists and a 100-year-old Steinway as their house piano. It’s piano nirvana for any piano player. The music was excellent, and it is now my go-to place anytime I visit Paos Robles.

Cambria!

On Sunday we headed for the coast. Nearby Cambria beckoned. Shopping on Main Street was, well, shopping on West Main in Cambria—art galleries, yummy ice cream, clothing, all of the highest quality. The town has “come back” from COVID and a recent decline and is really lovely again. At Mission Gallery Fine Art we found a beautiful large pottery dish that is now the centerpiece of our dining room table. Dinner at Le Madeline satisfied my ever-present need for French cuisine. The really special part of the day was the view from our balcony at The Cavalier Resort in nearby San Simeon just 10 feet from the surf with a stellar sunset that cannot be beat.

So, who needs to fight their way through airports? Jump in your SUV, leave plenty of room for all the wine you will be bringing home, blow some money on gas and drive up the coast to Paso and Cambria! Salut!

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