On the warm inland hills of California's Central Coast, Paso Robles made its name as a haven for Rhône varieties — Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, grown on limestone soils under a huge day-night temperature swing that keeps the ripe, generous reds surprisingly fresh. A pioneering estate imported cuttings straight from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Cabernet is the region's commercial backbone and old-vine Zinfandel its heritage, but the "Rhône Rangers" blends are its soul. Warm, exuberant and fast-rising, Paso is the Central Coast's most adventurous wine country.