Last week, I shared about our recent visit to Herman Story Wines in Paso Robles. In response to that post, a couple people asked for more information about the wines themselves. Well, here’s the rest of the “Story”!

Syrah is one of my favorite grapes and provides very different aromas and flavors, depending on the region it is from and the clone. It is grown in France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Italy, and, of course, California. Syrah is blended with many other varietals and is a great stand-alone wine.

If you ever get to Paso Robles, you must visit the tasting room of Brian Benson. Again, being in Paso, the star here is Rhone Varietals. The wines are deep, rich and intense. Brian is the owner and winemaker at Brian Benson. He started making wine with his father at a very young age. He worked part time on the weekends learning the craft; and, at the age of 12, made his first wine. Back then, his first wine was a Cabernet. He became the full time assistant winemaker for his father at Dark Star Cellars in 2000. At the age of 19, he started making his own wines with an initial investment of less than $2000. His success has only grown from there.

Spending a weekend in Paso Robles can be quite rewarding. The downtown is quaint and has very fine restaurants. The hotel where we stayed, the Hotel Cheval, is wonderful. One block off the square with excellent accommodations, you can rest and recoup from a long day of wine tasting.

One notable difference in this area is the set up of the wine tastings. This is a young and growing area, so the emphasis on wine education during the tastings is in its infancy, as contrasted with Napa. The heart of what you get in Paso is good wine that is well-priced and a very relaxed atmosphere. You do not have caves and the established wine tours that are available in Napa Valley; yet the low-key, relaxed approach is really quite enjoyable.

Paso Robles is a quaint town situated off the central coast of California. There are now hundreds of wineries in this region putting out some very well-structured, quality Rhone varietals. There are delicious reds and whites that make a trip to this town very worthwhile.