Love me some&nbsp;Paso! Located in the heart of California&#39;s Central Coast wine region,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles is a hidden gem for wine enthusiasts and food lovers alike. With its diverse array of wineries and charming tasting rooms, this scenic destination offers an unforgettable experience for visitors.

When it comes to wineries,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles has something for everyone. Whether you prefer large-scale operations or boutique vineyards, there are plenty of options to explore. Let&#39;s take a closer look at some of the standout wineries in the area.

For those who appreciate the big names in the industry, Justin is a must-visit. Known for their exceptional cabs and blends, Justin offers a fantastic tasting experience and even boasts an on-site restaurant. Keep in mind that Justin is located in the corner of the&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;wine region, so plan your visit accordingly.

Another noteworthy winery is Daou, a relative newcomer that has quickly made a name for itself. Situated atop a picturesque hill, Daou&#39;s tasting room offers breathtaking views of the surrounding hills of&nbsp;Paso. Their range of blends and price points ensures there&#39;s something for every palate.

If you&#39;re looking for a winery with a long-standing reputation, J Lohr is a great option. However, while their wines are of high quality, the tasting room experience may not be as exceptional as some of the other choices.

The established wineries in&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles also deserve a special mention. L&#39;Aventure, led by a French winemaker, has been producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blends in the region for years. Their Estate Cuvee is considered a benchmark of&nbsp;Paso&#39;s winemaking excellence.

Tablas Creek, owned by the renowned Chateau Beaucastel, is another standout in the region. As a pioneer of the California Rhone Ranger movement, Tablas Creek offers an impressive range of Rhone-style whites and reds. Their outdoor patio tasting experience is delightful.

Turley Winery, famous for their Zinfandel, provides a more understated tasting experience. If you&#39;re a fan of Zinfandel, it&#39;s a must-visit destination.

For a more intimate experience,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles&#39; boutique wineries truly shine. Villa Creek, helmed by winemaker Chris Chery, offers a hip and comfortable tasting room where you can enjoy their exceptional Syrah and Rhone-style wines. Law, with its modern building perched on a cliff, provides stunning views along with their remarkable Syrah and Cabernet blends.

Denner is another boutique winery worth visiting. Their wines, particularly the Ditch Digger and Dirt Worshipper, are nothing short of amazing. And if you&#39;re looking for an up-and-coming hot spot, My Favourite Neighbor is gaining popularity among wine enthusiasts.

Other notable wineries that people enjoy include Peachy Canyon, Adelaida, Eberle, Tobin James, and Clos Selene. While Saxum offers some of the best wines in the region, unfortunately, their tasting room is not open to the public, as they focus on their James Berry vineyard.

One unique area to explore in&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles is Tin City. It&#39;s a vibrant hub where wineries lease space for winemaking, storage, and tasting rooms. This &quot;start-up&quot; zone provides an opportunity to discover up-and-coming wineries. Nicora is a personal favorite, known for their fantastic Syrah and the ability to source high-quality grapes from various producers and regions. Benom is also highly recommended in Tin City.

When it&#39;s time to indulge in culinary delights,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles won&#39;t disappoint. Somm&#39;s Kitchen, run by Master Sommelier Ian, offers an exclusive dining experience where food is expertly paired with exceptional wines. For delicious Italian cuisine, Il Cortile is a fantastic choice. And if you&#39;re in the mood for fresh Mexican flavors, Fish Gaucho won&#39;t disappoint.

Paso&nbsp;Robles truly is a wine lover&#39;s paradise. So, grab a map, plan your route, and embark on a journey to explore the diverse wineries and exceptional dining options that await you. Whether you prefer the renowned names, the boutique gems, or the innovative spaces in Tin City,&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;Robles has something to offer every wine enthusiast. Cheers and enjoy your&nbsp;PasoRobles adventure!

Mike Parker

Love me some Paso! Located in the heart of California's Central Coast wine region, Paso Robles is a hidden gem for wine enthusiasts and food lovers alike. With its diverse array of wineries and charming tasting rooms, this scenic destination offers an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Come discover Paso Robles hidden gems for Wine and Food Enthusiasts

Wines from grapes grown in higher altitude areas with cooler climate has become quite the trend recently. This specific growing environment gives intense flavor but elegance and freshness to the final wines. To highlight and champion these conditions more and more winemakers are starting to use alto as a marketing and labelling term to show their grapes were grown in high altitude vineyards.

Decoding the wine label: Alto

Brut is a word often seen on labels for different kinds of sparkling wine. As you may have discovered when drinking these wines, it indicates that the wine is dry, meaning there is no perceived sweetness in the wine. But how about Extra Brut or Dry, what do they mean and are they the same as Brut?

Decoding the wine label: Brut

Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It’s a shame, since these wines are perfect to pair with flavorful cuisines like Asian or Mexican, or simply drink as they come under the summer sun. The higher level of sugar left in the wine also means that the alcoholic fermentation was stopped before finishing, providing a wine with lower alcohol level and therefor easier grabbing a second glass of.

Decoding the wine label: Spätlese

Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers’ lips today, as it happens to be considered the grape variety with the highest quality in Greece, and one that is trending at the moment. The fact that Greece have been making wine for a long time comes as no surprise, but they have never exported an amount to make sure wine lovers around the globe tried it. With the growing wine tourism many have discovered these wines and are serving them in wine bars and restaurants in many countries today.

Decoding the wine label: Xinomavro

Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico… Why do all these Italian wine regions have the Classico addendum and what does it mean? What is the difference for wines labeled as Classico?

Classico is a wine term in Italy seen on a few wine labels and it indicates that the wine’s from the historic center of the region, the heart. Using Chianti and Chianti Classico and their Sangiovese-based red wines as an example, Chianti is a rather large wine district within the Tuscany region. Chianti Classico is located withing Chianti as the central part and the one that originally existed. Back then this smaller region was actually called Chianti, but as the region grew the quality of the wine plummeted and the well-known characteristics of these red wines were watered down. The reputation took a hit and sales diminished. Eventually this led to the creation of Chianti Classico, which would be drawn from the original Chianti borders to recover the typicity of these wines. Today the quality of both Chianti and Chianti Classico have risen a lot due to modern techniques and knowledge about pruning, planting and temperature control in the winery.

Decoding the wine label: Classico

In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot's gripping memoir "FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation" reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world's most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

From Burgundy's Vineyards to the FBI's Most Wanted: A Winemaker's Quest for Justice

Chablis – one of the more popular styles of wine today and a region known by many. Most are familiar with the word Chablis and the light, fresh white wine with a touch of minerality it brings. Even though it’s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is.

Decoding the wine label: Chablis

Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they’re grown in, even though they’re exactly the same. The most famous example would be Syrah in France where the same grape is named Shiraz in Australia. Another variety with two names is Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris.

Decoding the wine label: Pinot Grigio

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

COTE Miami

Tina Johansson, a Michelin restaurant sommelier, and Robert Tas visit Cote Miami a MICHELIN-starred and James Beard Award-nominated KOREAN STEAKHOUSE™where they navigate the wine list that hosts 1200 labels from around the world and places a big focus on wines from California and Burgundy. 

Wine Review of Cote Miami, Miami

Tina Johansson

Cote Miami

COTE Miami

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, Michelin restaurant sommelier.

Hi Tina, thanks for joining us on this episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

TJ: Thank you Robert, I&rsquo;m very excited to be joining you here for the first time!

RT: So today we&rsquo;re exploring the wine list of the Korean Steakhouse COTE Miami. COTE opened in Miami at the start of 2021, but its flagship restaurant is in New York City. Both venues have one Michelin star since COTE Miami got theirs in 2022. The menu here is quite exciting with Korean twists of American steakhouse classics. How does Kimchi Wagyu Paella or Dry Aged Ribeye sound to you?

TJ: Well, I think it sounds amazing! But besides the food menu, the wine list is actually equally compelling for wine lovers like us. It&rsquo;s comprised of over 1200 labels from around the world but with a big focus on California and Burgundy. But you can find most things here, from small artisan producers to big, iconic brands and everything from red wine from Uruguay and fun orange wine to the classics. Another fun thing is that all wines sold by the glass here comes in magnum bottles. I don&rsquo;t know about you, but big bottles are always extra fun!

RT: I agree! So, what to drink while sitting here among neon lights and cabinets with meat dry aging? I know their cocktails are amazing, but if we are looking for a great red to pair with all these outstanding meats?

TJ: I would say a safe bet to go with, no matter which cut of meat you&rsquo;re choosing for the night, is the 2017 Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine Combier. It would pair great with their Butcher&rsquo;s Feast where you get four different cuts of meat with Korean sides. The wine has quite ripe fruit flavors that can handle the ban-chan, that&rsquo;s the Korean pickled vegetables, but it&rsquo;s full-bodied enough to handle all kinds of meat &ndash; not to mention great value for money!

RT: That sounds delicious. But with a wine list as big as this there must be something unique to try for the adventurous drinker?

TJ: Yes, too many to choose from actually! But a wine that really stands out to me is the Vi&ntilde;a Tondonia Rosado, vintage 2000 from L&oacute;pez de Heredia. This is one of the most iconic and most traditional ros&eacute; wines from Rioja in Spain. Usually ros&eacute; wine from Rioja are young and fruit driven, but quite dark in color and a bit more flavorful than pale ros&eacute; wines. This one however, is made as how ros&eacute; wines were made here a long time ago, meaning that white and black grapes are fermented together, and then the wine is aged in oak barrels. This wine will have ripe fruit flavor due to the warmer climate here, sweet spices from ageing in oak which isn&rsquo;t very common for ros&eacute; today, but also maturity notes like nuts and mushrooms due to it being 22 years old. This is actually the only ros&eacute; I&rsquo;ve ever had that really benefits from ageing this long. So, if you want to try something new, but an equally good pairing for your steak, this is it! I&rsquo;m sure it would be a treat with COTE Miami&rsquo;s tuna tartare as well.

RT: I hear you, the Tondonia wines are all great. I would love to drink their rosado, I know it&rsquo;s quite hard to get a hold of in comparison to the red one. But if you could choose one bottle to celebrate with at your night in COTE Miami, which bottle would be the special one?

TJ: Well I&rsquo;m thinking, why not take advantage of the fact that this place has so many great wines in magnum bottles? For me, celebration is always best with champagne. I could go for the magnum of Non-Vintage Vouette Sorb&eacute;e Blanc d&rsquo;Argile, it&rsquo;s a small grower champagne made from chardonnay. This producer is based in the C&ocirc;te des Bar, the most southern part of Champagne meaning it&rsquo;s a bit closer to Burgundy (both geographically and in style) giving a rounder, creamier champagne that can handle a bit more flavorful food like in COTE Miami.

RT: Yes, it&rsquo;s just like we said earlier, big bottles are always extra fun. Thank you, Tina, for giving us your favorite wines from the COTE Miami wine list, I can&rsquo;t wait to go there. And to our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us an email to:

Info@CorkRules.Com or visit our web website where we have a request form available, and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quickly as possible.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

END

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CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

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