SLO County News BlogGolf, Wine, Real Estate, Business & Travel NewsPaso Robles Wine BoomFriday, October 21, 2005Paso Robles wine country is quickly making a name for itself as one of the premier wine tasting destinations in the country. Ten years ago Paso Robles had about 30 wineries. Today the number sits at more than 100."Paso Robles wine country has certainly taken the industry by storm," said Kim Murphy, industry expert. "It is the third largest wine region in California with over a hundred wineries in Paso Robles alone." The area was once thought of as an after thought, simply a place you had to drive through to get to a much more exciting place like Napa Valley, one of the finest wine regions in the world. Today Paso Robles isn't much of an after thought anymore. "We're not just, you know, standing behind Napa. Everyone has heard of Napa and now everyone is starting to recognize Paso Robles which is really neat." Whitney Railsback, wine expert. But with all of this growth can the region manage and maintain such a boom? Industry experts say there's still more room to grow. "Its actually just getting stronger. Paso Robles wine country is a destination for the industry as a whole in the United States," said Murphy. The newer wineries are the ones putting Paso Robles on the map. They've channeled their energy into producing high end wines. That wasn't always the case. "There are a lot of wineries that have been here a very long time and have sold a lot of their grapes into value prices wines," said Steve Cass, owner of Cass Vineyards & Winery. "Lately it seems the swing has been toward premium wines." Wineries are also holding on to their fruit. In the past, they would sell to Napa Valley. That trend is quickly dying. Now most everything stays in house. Earlier this year, more than a dozen wineries opened in just one month.Paso Robles wine country is quickly making a name for itself as one of the premier wine tasting destinations in the country. Ten years ago Paso Robles had about 30 wineries. Today the number sits at more than 100. "Paso Robles wine country has certainly taken the industry by storm," said Kim Murphy, industry expert. "It is the third largest wine region in California with over a hundred wineries in Paso Robles alone." The area was once thought of as an after thought, simply a place you had to drive through to get to a much more exciting place like Napa Valley, one of the finest wine regions in the world. Today Paso Robles isn't much of an after thought anymore. "We're not just, you know, standing behind Napa. Everyone has heard of Napa and now everyone is starting to recognize Paso Robles which is really neat." Whitney Railsback, wine expert. But with all of this growth can the region manage and maintain such a boom? Industry experts say there's still more room to grow. "Its actually just getting stronger. Paso Robles wine country is a destination for the industry as a whole in the United States," said Murphy. The newer wineries are the ones putting Paso Robles on the map. They've channeled their energy into producing high end wines. That wasn't always the case. "There are a lot of wineries that have been here a very long time and have sold a lot of their grapes into value prices wines," said Steve Cass, owner of Cass Vineyards & Winery. "Lately it seems the swing has been toward premium wines." Wineries are also holding on to their fruit. In the past, they would sell to Napa Valley. That trend is quickly dying. Now most everything stays in house. Earlier this year, more than a dozen wineries opened in just one month. Paso wine boom KSBY, Pierre Kacsinta Read More
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