A Brief History of Paso Robles
The
charming city of Paso Robles is located on the Salinas River, on the beautiful
Central Coast of California between Monterrey and Santa Barbara.
Located
approximately 25 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in Central California, historic
Paso Robles was once called El Paso de Robles, "The Pass of the
Oaks" and is known
for its mineral waters. Paso Robles was established on a Mexican
land grant that was purchased by James and Daniel Blackburn in 1857.
In
the 1880′s Paso Robles was a sought-out health resort destination known for its
bath houses and mineral hot springs along the legendary Camino Real trail. In
fact, Franciscan priests from neighboring Mission San Miguel constructed the
first mineral baths in the area. The Salinan
Indians lived in the area thousands of years even before the mission era. They
knew this area as the “Springs” or the “Hot Springs”
where they found relief from various ailments in the therapeutic waters and soothing mud baths.
where they found relief from various ailments in the therapeutic waters and soothing mud baths.
In 1864, the first El Paso de Robles Hotel was constructed and featured a hot mineral springs bath house.
During
this period, Paso Robles began to attract the pioneer settlers who would become
the founding members of the community. They would later establish cattle
ranches, apple, walnut and almond orchards, dairy farms, and vineyards.
For the most
part, Paso Robles was home to many cattle and horse ranches and only a few
vineyards. Since the 1990s, it has gained
recognition for wine production with an abundance of vineyards, as well as the production
of olive oil and almond orchards.
Downtown Paso offers a variety of quaint and relaxed eateries, tastefully appointed hotels and a small park. The ambiance of Paso Robles is charming and inviting for locals and tourists alike.
Cheval Hotel
Morro Bay Beach is about 25 miles away
Above: Cass Vineyards from our patio
Paso Robles is the home of many award winning vineyards and is second only to Napa in wine production
with
hundreds of regional vintners! Here you will find some of our favorite
spots as we explore the many fine vineyards in the region.
Steve Cass and son with Teresa visit casswines.com for details
Cass Winery Ted Plemons, owner partner, with Lindsey, Manager (right) & Teresa (center)
Below: Sculpterra Winery... our nearby neighbor
Above & below: Sculpterra's gardens
photos courtesy of http://www.sculpterra.com
Sculpterra's gardens
photos courtesy of http://www.sculpterra.com
Family and friends at Sculpterra:
To illustrate the importance of the Paso Robles region, we'd like to share a story of one of our local vintners:
Welcome to L'Aventure
Stephan
Asseo, owner and winemaker at L'Aventure Winery, began
making wine in 1982, following his education at L'Ecole Oenologique de
Macon, Burgundy, France. In that same year, Stephan established Domaine
Courteillac in Bordeaux. He and his family later purchased Chateau Fleur
Cardinal and Chateau Robin in the Cotes de Castillion, Bordeaux. Over
the next 15 years, Stephan developed into an artisan winemaker of
fastidious craftsmanship, and gained a reputation as a maverick
vigneron. However, his true desire was to be more innovative than AOC
law would allow. In 1996, this led him on a quest for a great terroir,
where he could pursue his ideal as a winemaker. After searching for over
a year among the world's great wine fields, ranging from South Africa
to Lebanon, and Argentina to Napa, Stephan found Paso Robles. Stephan
immediately "fell in love" with the unique terroir of west side Paso
Robles. The rolling topography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the
deep calcareous soils, and the maritime influence of the renowned
Templeton Gap all combine to produce a world class wine country, with
the potential to craft some of the world's greatest blends. It is here,
in Paso Robles, that Stephan began his adventure, "L'Aventure". Read
more about L'Aventure winery on their site www.aventurewine.com
Teresa and the girls at L'Aventure
Another vintner in our neighborhood, Tobin James...a fantastic producer! We regularly enjoy
their wines.... visit www.tobinjames.com
Treana
Winery is the home to Treana Red Table Wine from Paso Robles, and
Treana White Marsanne/Viognier blend from Monterey County’s Mer Soleil
Vineyard. Treana also makes Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon,
Chardonnay and Syrah.
Fun with friends on our tasting tours
