Paso Robles built its reputation on big, bold reds served in estate settings, where neat rows of vines lay underneath wide blue skies and gnarled oak trees as far as the eyes can see. So, how is Paso now home to a thriving urban wine scene, where the most exciting wines are everything other than red?
Welcome to Tin City, the collection of corrugated metal warehouses located down a dead-end road lined with cement trucks, pallet yards and tumbleweeds. Here, under the shade of tin roofs and steel tanks, some of Paso’s most influential winemakers are quietly crafting a revolution based on white, orange and rosé wines.
The shift reflects the ongoing diversification of the region’s winemaking culture, which is expanding beyond the Zinfandel, Bordeaux and Rhône grapes that have won it wide acclaim over the past few decades. But it reveals even more about how the American palate is maturing, with consumers increasingly open, and often seeking, wines that emphasize nuance over power.
You May Also Like: The Best Wineries (and More) to Visit in Paso Robles Right Now
“White wine was a token wine, if anyone was even bothering to do it,” explains Vailia Esh of Desperada Wines when she arrived in the region in the mid-2000s. “And they certainly weren’t doing any of consistent quality.”
In 2009, she launched her brand to produce half red and half white wines, appreciating the challenges and rewards of lighter wines. “You can throw Cab out of an
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
