The Terroir of Paso Robles
Here you'll find world-class wines – on par or better than Napa and Sonoma – but you'll also find unclogged country roads, undiscovered treasures and friendly winemakers pouring their vintages, sometimes from garages or back porches. You may hear people refer to Paso's "terroir." It's a term that refers to the climate and soil conditions that make Paso wines unique.
So what makes up the terroir?
The Terroir of Paso Robles
Here you'll find world-class wines – on par or better than Napa and Sonoma – but you'll also find unclogged country roads, undiscovered treasures and friendly winemakers pouring their vintages, sometimes from garages or back porches. You may hear people refer to Paso's "terroir." It's a term that refers to the climate and soil conditions that make Paso wines unique.
So what makes up the terroir?
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TEMPERATURE SWING: The Paso Robles area has a diurnal (day to night) temperature swing of 50°
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COOLING COASTAL BREEZES: Contributes to the temperature swing and also helps keep the fruit clean
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SOIL: Paso sports shallower loam and calcareous soil with larger amounts of limestone and calcium – more mineral-rich
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GROWING SEASON: The area also has a long growing season, which allows for more flavor development
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RAINFALL: Total rainfall is less than what the vines need, allowing vineyards to control the amount of water through irrigation
-
TEMPERATURE SWING: The Paso Robles area has a diurnal (day to night) temperature swing of 50°
-
COOLING COASTAL BREEZES: Contributes to the temperature swing and also helps keep the fruit clean
-
SOIL: Paso sports shallower loam and calcareous soil with larger amounts of limestone and calcium – more mineral-rich
-
GROWING SEASON: The area also has a long growing season, which allows for more flavor development
-
RAINFALL: Total rainfall is less than what the vines need, allowing vineyards to control the amount of water through irrigation
The Paso Robles Viticultural Appellation (AVA) is home to 200 wineries and 40,000 vineyard acres focusing on premium wine production. About 50 varietals are now grown in the Paso area, with Bordeaux and Rhone blends prevalent.
The Paso Robles Viticultural Appellation (AVA) is home to 200 wineries and 40,000 vineyard acres focusing on premium wine production. About 50 varietals are now grown in the Paso area, with Bordeaux and Rhone blends prevalent.