Nestled about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles lies the city of Paso Robles, or more correctly, El Paso de Robles (the Pass of the Oaks). And while most people think of Napa and Sonoma as the hotbed of California wines, Paso is quickly gaining notoriety amongst wine lovers as an area not only for producing great wine but also for providing an unpretentious wine country experience. Cass Winery perfectly embodies this spirit of relaxed yet quality living.
The 160 acre vineyard and winery is located in southeast Paso Robles in the Geneseo AVA (American Viticultural Area) and produces about 10,000 cases of wine per year. The family-owned boutique winery sits on a spectacular property that wisely takes advantage of its views by offering a truly welcoming atmosphere to visitors and locals alike—a big reason it’s also considered one of the best private event venues in the area.
When you arrive at the property, you are greeted by a large hacienda-style building housing the winery and tasting room. Once inside you see firsthand how much more is happening at the winery. A large retail area features gourmet foods for sale (much of which is made in house), wine related gift items, and local art covering the walls. Next to the tasting bar sits a beautiful room set aside for private group tastings special events. What’s more, with a full service commercial kitchen on hand, the winery is known for providing a fantastic food and wine pairing (which AdVINEtures are never known to pass up)!
We chose to enjoy our pairing outside on the shaded veranda so we could enjoy the views of the estate vineyard just steps away. From our table we also noticed the Chef’s Garden, a smoker, and another large area for outdoor groups and parties.
The meat and cheese platter we ordered included artisanal cheeses and meats, dried apricots, olives, almonds and warm local bread with Italian olive oil. We of course had to try the Crab Cakes that everyone recommended and they were (unsurprisingly) excellent complementing the wine perfectly. The menu also included larger items such as sandwiches, salads and burgers making this the ideal spot to enjoy a wine country lunch.
But don’t let the fantastic food distract you from the fact Cass Winery makes excellent, award-winning wines. They produce a total of 13 varieties but focus largely on Rhône varieties such as Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. These old world varieties seems to flourish in Paso, a region known for calcareous soils similar to those found in France’s top growing regions.
And their focus is paying off. In 2015, Cass Winery was named Winery of the Year by the Central Coast Wine Competition. A noteworthy feat, particularly from such a small producer going up against more than a hundred other wineries.
Paso Robles has quickly become one of our favourite wine regions both for its wine and dialed back ambiance. Consistently terrific wines are being produced there and unlike Napa and Sonoma which are easily accessible from San Francisco, the closest airport is San Jose, a two and a half hour drive. As a result, it draws far less tourists although we expect that to change in the near future. We recommend getting there while it’s still relatively undiscovered and, of course, don’t miss a stop at Cass Winery.
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