Overheard in a restaurant almost never: ‘I’ll have the Pinot Noir from Paso Robles.’ This California Central Coast region is just too warm to grow Burgundy’s great grapes, they say. West Sonoma, West Santa Barbara… sure. Those are the pockets that nurture the thin-skinned, cool-climate variety.
Paso is the domain of Cabernet Sauvignon and its Bordeaux cohorts which thrive in Paso’s warm, dry climate. And increasingly Syrah and its Rhône cousins, which produce an exciting range of characters across this large region. But Pinot? Yes! Don’t be so quick to deny its polish here.
