Welcome to Paso Robles
It's Paso Robles. So, you want to get it right if you talk to a local,
but the easiest way to do just that is to simply call it Paso. So where the heck is this adorable
little place with a tricky name? It's located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
And, it's our third stop along the California coast. Paso is one of the most up-and-coming
wine areas in the entire country. So, it's really popular for tourism. There are a ton of wineries
not to mention they have hot Springs as well. So, it's a very relaxing kind of weekend.
But, it just wouldn't be fair to Paso Robles for us to start with anything other than a
wine country experience, because this one is unlike anything we've done anywhere.
Today, we're at Cass Winery and we're about to go ride some horses.
Central Coast Trailrides began in 2015 with no long-standing business experience,
but a passion for horses. Husband and wife team Brian and Crystal started the company
with just a couple of horses and a dream that they could turn their passion into a lifestyle for
their family. Today, their two kids even help out behind the scenes, making it a true family affair.
And with partnerships built with local wineries, the experiences they offer, truly are spectacular.
What's your horse's name?
Frankie and yours is? Is Dolly.
Hi, Dolly.
Now, We're doing horses and wine. Maybe the greatest thing that's ever been combined.
The greatest day ever, basically.
True story, the last animals we rode were camels. That was this hard desert,
and it's a different experience. We couldn't enjoy this one a little bit more.
To be fair, we love the Sahara desert, but the morning we rode camels was also the
morning we found out we were stuck in Africa thanks to the pandemic.
So, this is guaranteed to be much, much more relaxing. This is fun.
Paso Robles wine country is truly special because it's located so close to the California coast. It
creates a greater day and night temperature swing than other California wine regions,
which is really good for the grapes. And, with more than 40 red and white wine,
grape varieties grown here, there's pretty much something local for everyone.
In downtown, there are more than 20 tasting rooms and sprinkled around the countryside,
there are more than 200 wineries. Most of which are family-owned and operated businesses.
Our trail ride took us around the vineyards and into a dried-up creek bed,
which was a really fun experience. And,
once we were back into the vineyard, we even got the chance to trot with the horses.
It's a great way to spend the morning, The property and the grounds here are so pretty.
Although Dolly and I tried to catch up, before we knew it, our trail ride had come to an end.
But, it's kind of hard to complain about that when you're already in a vineyard.
Now that we rode horses around the vineyard, we figured the perfect
mix [inaudible 00:04:58]was obviously to taste the wine.
Cass Winery was founded by native Californian. Steve Cass, who at 48, decided it was time for
a change from big corporate. At first, his plan was to sail around the world with his wife, Alice,
but after a stormy test trip at sea, Alice informed him that sea life wasn't for her.
So instead they bought a 145-acre plot of land
to build this stunning vineyard from the ground up in Paso Robles.
One of the things that's really nice about Cass Winery is not only do they have really
incredible wines, but they also have a full kitchen too. So, we're doing a wine tasting
and lunch, which is kind of a wonderful combination.
So this wine, you won't see by itself too often. So, this is 100% Grenache.
You usually see it in a GSM blend. This is kind of our claim to fame,
I would say. We use this in almost everything that we can.
The next wine we're trying is a Mourvedre grape, which is a really interesting one
because you don't typically see this one grape not blended with anything else.
But also what we just learned is that it Cass winery, every single wine they make is a state
grown, which is really unique when we were in France, that was hardly ever the case for most of
their wines, they at least brought in different varieties of grapes. So, go figure. Cheers.
Wines always tastes better with a high pinky.
After demolishing our cheese plate, we took some time to meander around the tasting room...
And check out all the cool swag. They also have a really beautiful on-site garden,
which is where they source a lot of their food for the restaurant.
With our bellies full and wine to take home, it was time to head back to the Airstream for a nap.
Because, this evening we're headed downtown to explore more of Paso Robles.
So there are tons of locals restaurants here in downtown area. The one we decided to come to
tonight is called Taste and it looks amazing from custom Mac and cheese, fancy Brussels sprouts,
tons of vegetarian and normal people food options.
We're really excited because every single plate coming out of the kitchen, looks delish.
Trick here is that everything comes in a 2, 3, or 4 size portion. What I ordered is called the
triple, which gives you three options from pretty much anything on their menu. This is a burger,
it's larger than a slider, but not as large as the full sized burger.
They're very well known for their Mac and cheese, which you get to customize with your
own cheese. So you basically pick the cheese and pick the topping. And, the third thing is
Brussels sprouts. They're four or five variations of Brussels sprouts and they all sound delicious.
The Brussels sprouts I got are savory, they have blue cheese,
mushrooms, onions. They look incredible...
And they are.
Yummy.
After dinner, we had an exciting nighttime adventure plan that can only happen after sunset.
But first, we never pass up the opportunity to patron an Airstream food truck.
With a glass of wine in hand, we were ready for the main event.
Welcome to Sensorio, and the field of lights. Which is an incredible 15 acre light installation
designed by artist Bruce Monroe.
It turns these California fields into a magical place that feels other worldly.
As the sun sets, the lights seem to stretch out
infinitely. And with over 58,000 stem spheres lit by fiber optics, it is simply breathtaking.
At the midway point, you find the artist's newest installation that the tribute to Paso Robles,
wine country roots. The light towers, 69 glowing towers built out of more than 17,000 wine bottles
and illuminated with glowing optic fibers whose colors morph to an inspiring musical score.
After being thoroughly inspired by the light towers, it was time to make our way back
through the field of lights and head home to the Airstream. We loved our time in Paso Robles, and
as much as I enjoy wine, we could probably stay here a month without getting to experience it all.
If your wine lover too, put this on your must visit list. Not to mention, it has
all of the opportunities to wanderlocal. And, as you know, that's good for the soul.