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

Urban Farmer Portland

Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas bring a little country to the city with a wine list review from the Urban Farmer, a modern steakhouse in Portland, Oregon.

Wine List Review of Urban Farmer, Portland

Grace Hood

Urban Farmer

Urban Farmer

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

GH: Hey Robert happy to be here as always. &nbsp;

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules. We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well&hellip; it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, or value wines or that special bottle that will take your dining experience over the top.

RT:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list. Today Grace and I will be talking about the award-winning wine list at The Urban Farmer in downtown Portland. Can&rsquo;t wait to hear your thoughts. &nbsp;

GH: Thanks, Robert! Yeah, this place looks right up our alley! They have a nice international selection, as well as obviously a killer pacific northwest list, when in Rome and all haha &nbsp;&nbsp;

RT: Sounds great. Should we dive right in with some sparkling?

GH: Twist my arm why don&rsquo;t ya, ha-ha for bubbles, I would do either the 2018 King Estate Brut Cuvee, or the 2019 Brut Rose from the Famous Argyle Winery

RT: Oregon sparkling &ndash; sounds heavenly. Alright, where would you steer us when it comes to the whites? &nbsp;&nbsp;

GH: Well, it wouldn&rsquo;t be Oregon without some reisling. I&rsquo;m loving the look of this 2019 Wichmann Vineyard from Triseatuem. They also have a 2021 White Blend from Division Winery called Musical Chairs which sounds like a super fun option.

RT: Ha-ha love a whimsically named wine. How are their selections looking for Oregon chardonnay?

GH: Absolutely delicious obviously! They have one of my favorite wineries, Domaine Drouin, on the list. I would grab their 2020 Arthur Chardonnay. Another great option would be the 2019 Toil from Figgins Winery.

RT: Hope you&rsquo;re not toiling away too hard on this list ha-ha I kid I kid. Now with Oregon being known for pinot noir, they must have some killer rose.

GH: They sure do Robert. For Oregon Rose, I would do either the 2021 Teutonic Rose, or the 2021 Acid Freak from Libertine.

RT: I can taste the salinity from here ha-ha thanks for that Grace. Alright we&rsquo;ve come to your favorite, haven&rsquo;t we? Willamette Valley pinot?

GH: &nbsp;You know me too well Robert! My top choices for Oregon pinot from the Urban Farmer list would be the 2015 Backbone from King Estate, or the 2014 Grace Vineyard from Domaine Serene (no relation unfortunately ha-ha), you could also do the 2016 Chapter 24 which is exclusive to Urban Garmer so that would be a really special bottle to try.

RT: Of course, your name would be a pinot noir vineyard in the Willamette Valley ha-ha only fitting. Love those choices, Grace. Now how about it we&rsquo;re wanting something a little more lush and juicy?

GH: Ahhh I see where you&rsquo;re heads at. I&rsquo;m loving the look of this 2017 Merlot from the Historic Leonetti Cellars, or this 2016 Tempranillo from Abacela Cellars in Southern Oregon.

RT: Southern Oregon? Wow, I didn&rsquo;t even know they grew wine outside of the Willamette Valley. Love learning something new from all the CorkRules sommeliers.

GH: That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re here for Robert! To educate and entertain

RT: You certainly do both of those things in spades grace ha-ha alright now how about we finish it off with something big and bold?

GH: You got it Robert. I would go with either the 2017 Col Solare from the Yakima Valley, or the 2016 Reserve from Leonetti

RT: Love the sound of those Grace - thank you so much for helping us navigate the wine list at Urban Farmer. &nbsp;To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.Com">Info@CorkRules.Com</a> 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. Follow us on social media @CorkRules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Berticot is a family-owned winery in the southwest of France. They specialize in producing wines from the Côtes de Duras and Côtes du Marmandais appellations. The winery is known for its commitment to sustainable winemaking practices and producing high-quality wines that express the unique terroir of the region.

Polished destination with a riverfront terrace focusing on American & fusion seafood.

Meson

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou

BondST

Buenos Aires Restaurant

Buenos Aires

Meadowsweet

Casa Mono

Atera

La Cava

LAVO Italian Restaurant

Lavo

Quality Italian

homepage

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

The Point D.C.

Gancia

Asti NV

Moscato

Asti, Italy

Pine Ridge

Chenin Blanc - Viognier NV

Blend

Napa Valley, USA

Caposaldo

Pinot Grigio NV

Pinot Grigio

Delle Venezie, Italy

Charles Smith

Kung Fu Girl Riesling NV

Riesling

Washington, USA

Claude Branger

Le Fils des Gras Moutons Muscadet-Sevre et Maine NV

Melon de Bourgogne

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, France

Wither Hills

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

Karen Birmingham

Merlot NV

Merlot

Clarksburg, USA

Terrazas de los Andes

Reserva Malbec NV

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

L'Ecole No 41

Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Washington, USA

Slingshot

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, USA

Allan Scott

Sauvignon Blanc NV

Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

One Stone Cellars

Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cabernet Sauvignon

Paso Robles, USA

Sokol Blosser

Evolution (E) Pinot Noir NV

Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley, USA

Paco & Lola

Albarino NV

Albarino

Galicia, Spain

Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec La Consulta, Argentina, Mendoza, Valle NV

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina