PROMOTION
N
o trip toCalifornia iscompletewithoutavisit
towinecountry.PasoRobles,which translates
fromSpanish tomeanPassof theOaks, isso
named for thebreath-takingoak-studdedcoun-
tryside that surrounds thecity. Scatteredbetween therolling
hillsarerowafterrowofgrapes that form thebackboneof the
city’saward-winningwines.Recognizeda fewyearsagoas
WineEnthusiast’sWineRegionof theYear, therural city is
home towine trailsand tastingrooms thatcovermore than
200neighboringwineries.
InMay, theseaward-winningwinemakersgather together
for the34thAnnualPasoRoblesWineFestival— from19-22
— in thedowntownhistoricsquare.As thecity’sepicenter,
thesquareplayshost tomanywine, foodandculturalevents
throughout theyear, suchas itsregular farmers’marketsand
summerconcerts.And thisyear’scalendar isalready jam-
packedwithopportunities tosample theregion’sdelicious
wines. In lateMarch, thecitydedicatesa
weekend to theZinfandelgrape,which is
theregion’sheritagegrape,firstplanted
back in1880s,with itsVintagePaso:Zin-
fandel festival.Meanwhile,Octobersees
HarvestWineWeekendcome to town.
Inaddition to thecity’ssquare,on the
edgeof town there’sanotherbreathtaking
venue, theVinaRoblesAmphitheatre,
whichhasplayedhost tosomeof the
world’sbiggestbands.Built in2013, the
outdoorsitewasdesigned toreflect the
historicmissionsdotted throughout
California.There’salsoabulgingcatalogof
culturalattractions, includingStudioson
thePark—anartcenter indowntownPaso
Robles—andnumerous localgalleries.
pasowine.com, travelpaso.com
TravelPaso,PasoRoblesWine
Withacresofvineyardsandolive
orchards,
PasoRobles
isa foodieand
wine-lover’sdream.But it’s thecity’s
warmhospitality that turnsevery
guest intoa life-long friend
DECANTTO
CALIFORNIA’S
WINECOUNTRY
DON’T
MISS
1.Wine
Festivals
Finda festival
foreverypalate
yearround.
2.Trails&
Tastings
Morethan
200wineries
surroundPaso
Robles.
3.World-
ClassDining
Becauseyou
can’t liveon
winealone(or
canyou?)
Pull onyourLycraandgrababike—PasoRobleshas
more than200wineriesand there’snobetterway to
visit them thansatuponasaddle
44
APRIL2016
AMERICANWAY
