This map depicts wineries and tasting rooms within the Paso Robles region of California. It is one of many maps generated to support our “Wine Regions of the World“ © series.

Paso Robles American Viticultural Appellations

The Paso Robles American Viticultural Appellation (AVA) is home to more than 180 wineries and 26,000 vineyard acres focusing on premium wine production. The region, located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco was named for its local oak trees, El Paso de Robles, “The Pass of the Oaks.” The region provides distinct microclimates and diverse soils, combined with warm days and cool nights providing ideal growing conditions for producing 40+ wine varietals from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, to Syrah and Petite Sirah, Viognier and Roussanne, to Zinfandel, the area’s heritage wine variety.

During the early years, wine grape growing was introduced by the Franciscan Friars beginning circa 1790 at the Asistencia located on the Santa Margarita Ranch, an assistant chapel to Mission San Luis Obispo that still stands preserved today, and at Mission San Miguel, founded in 1797 by Father Lasuen, who succeeded Father Serra (1713-1784) as Presidente of the missions.

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Varietals

In the 1920s, flurries of activity lead immigrants to establish family vineyards and wineries. Zinfandel had a strong influence on the early growth and development of the wine industry and it remains a key wine varietal for many wineries in the Paso Robles region. In the 60s and 70s, Dr. Stanley Hoffman, under the guidance of U.C. Davis and legendary enologist André Tchelistcheff planted some of the regions first Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the Perrin family of the Rhône Valley’s Chateau de Beaucastel and their American importer Robert Haas established an international joint venture, Tablas Creek Vineyard. With 80 acres planted to the traditional varieties of Chateauneuf-du- Pape, Tablas Creek imported exclusive clonal material from the Rhône Valley and made the clones available to other interested growers around the state. Since 1989, Paso Robles has seen an explosion of plantings of Rhône varieties.

For more information on Paso Robles wine history, check out the Paso Robles Wine site.

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