Paso Robles

“…a grape mecca with some 300 vineyards and perfect rows of lavender spilling down hillsides.”

- The New York Times

You’ll find El Paso de Robles halfway between the suburban sprawls of San Francisco and Los Angeles, nestled among rolling hills a few dozen miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. With its mineral springs, olive orchards, and vineyards, Paso rivals Italian resort towns in its charm and beauty. Long home to Salinan Indians, Paso was purchased from Mexico by James and Daniel Blackburn in 1857. Over the years, it has been host to celebrity hotels, Franciscan missionaries and goldrush pioneers.

Spanish conquistadors and Franciscan missionaries introduced wine grapes here before the pioneers arrived. The area’s first vineyards were created by the Padres of the Mission San Miguel. Today there are over 25 grape varieties and 40,000 acres of vineyards in the area.