Sensory Paso Robles

It was September and time for our quarterly wine tasting trip.  We hadn’t been to Paso Robles since last November and in addition to visiting some wineries, we wanted to visit the fabulous light show called Sensorio.  There is a wonderful winery just south of San Luis Obispo called Laetitia  that specializes in sparkling wines and Pinot Noir.  Wineries and tasting rooms continue to operate under different protocols because of the pandemic and Laetitia was offering wines by the bottle or glass, but not tastings.  We each enjoyed a glass of sparkling – Hilary chose the delightful 2017 Brut Rosé and I tried 2016 Cuvée M, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  It is a wonderful, full-bodied sparkling with a rich mouth feel.  We look forward to enjoying a full tasting experience at Laetitia in the future.

Eberle Vineyards

The Eberle Boar

The next stop was Eberle Winery. The founder, Gary Eberle, is a rock star of sorts in Paso.  He was the co-founder of the Paso Robles appellation and the first to produce a 100% Syrah for commercial distribution.  I met Gary at a Wine Bloggers Conference in 2014 and was interested to visit his property.  We were greeted by his two black Standard Poodles, and because we had arrived early, had the opportunity to chat with Gary for a few minutes.  Comfortably seated on the back patio, we found the 2019 Viognier to be just what you want to drink on a lovely, warm day, with signature floral notes and flavors of stone fruits.  We also loved the 2017 Sangiovese, a medium bodied red wine tasting of dark fruit, spice, and just a hint of licorice.  Gary recommends pasta carbonara as an ideal food pairing with the Sangiovese.  A side note, Eberle means “small boar” in German, and the golden boar is the winery logo.

We started our second day at Halter Ranch, another winery we hadn’t visited previously, that came highly recommended.  The drive to the winery took us over twisting country roads lined with vineyards and wineries – it was wonderful being away from the city and the news.  The Halter Ranch property is stunningly beautiful.  We were greeted at the tasting room entrance and escorted to our table on the patio where our tasting host welcomed us.  When out visiting wineries, food and hydration are essential, so we ordered a cheese and charcuterie board which turned out to be large and luscious.  The Silver Label tasting menu included Viognier (I don’t believe I have ever tasted a Viognier I don’t like), a lovely Grenache-based Rosé, and Picpoul Blanc which was too acidic to my taste.  Moving on to reds, we enjoyed Halter Ranch’s Bordeaux blend called CDP for “Côtes de Paso”. This wine, made from Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and a bit of Tannat, has floral aromatics on the nose and red fruit and spice on the palate. It is a delightful sipper on its own and would pair well with cheeses, charcuterie, pasta or roasted chicken.  Another standout is their 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Cab Sauv is not one of my “go to” wines, but Halter’s is extremely approachable and easy to drink.  Bright and fresh with flavors of both dark and red fruit, it has a pleasing structure that leads to a long finish without tannic bite.

Halter Ranch

We could have sat on the patio at Halter all day, but it was time to move on to the home of Austin Hope and Treana wines that we visited last November.  It was a completely different experience because last November we sat inside by their festive Christmas tree and this time we were seated in a cozy corner of the expansive patio overlooking Grenache vines.  Our tasting host, Tracy, started us out with the 2019 Austin Hope Rosé, an intriguing blend of Grenache, Syrah, Roussane, and Pinot Noir. Next was the Treana 2018 Chardonnay, which I absolutely loved. The Treana label is so named for the trilogy of sea, sun, and sand that influence the grapes and resulting wines.  I was unable to resist purchasing another bottle of the 2018 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon – it is just wonderful.  Maybe I like Cab more than I thought?   Tracy offered us a couple of additional wines that weren’t on the tasting menu including a new wine called Quest. 2017 was the first vintage and it is a blend of classic Bordeaux varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Petit Sirah, and Cabernet Franc. It is a full bodied red with chocolate notes and a hint of mint as a result of aging in American Oak.  I wish I had purchased more!

Austin Hope

It was time to head back to our charming Airbnb to relax a bit before dinner and our long awaited visit to Sensorio Field of Light.  The multi-acre walk-through display is comprised of 58,800 stemmed spheres lit by fiber optics. If you have the opportunity to visit Paso Robles, it is a must.  I can’t describe it adequately in words – the photos here provide an idea, but you must see it in person.

Cheers – keep drinking good wine, my friends!