Four days of top-tier wine, culinary pairings, and vibrant lounges mark a stylish new era for Paso’s signature event
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA) scored big this year by corralling sponsorship from Strauss, Europe’s leading workwear company based in Germany.
“It’s a pretty sizable sponsor,” said Joel Peterson, executive director of PRWCA. “We have a one-year deal but it can be a three-year deal if we want to. They love Paso Robles; they love the brand and we’re excited to deal with them.”
Peterson added that Strauss has sponsored other well-known brands, such as the 2024 World Series and the Kansas City Chiefs with logos on the teams’ uniforms. And, yes, PRWCA members get a 20% discount on purchases of Strauss workwear.
This year, the Paso Wine Fest kicked off, spotlighting Central Coast culinary masters. The Friday night Paired Paso celebration held at the Paso Robles Event Center brought together nine chefs who paired their cuisine with nine local winemakers. From the looks and taste of the spread, they were all top-notch.
The four-day extravaganza, PRWCA’s annual signature event, was held from May 15 through 18 and bookended with Thursday winemaker dinners and Sunday winery open houses. Friday’s culinary event was followed by the Saturday Grand Tasting, which drew a crowd of some 2,700, including attendees, vendors, wineries, and volunteers.
Friday night, tantalizing aromas filled the VIP Lounge, where some 210 foodies gathered to experience the Paired Paso soiree. There was a carousel of global flavors from Spanish Jamon de Iberico and grilled yakitori with quail egg to North African merguez sausage.
Photos by Mira Honeycutt/PRP
A trio of judges, Rachel Ponce, Adam Monteil, and Michel Barrera, picked Justin Munson as the winner of the Judges Choice. The owner of Oak & Wine Catering cooked up a delicious crispy quail served on potato salad that paired perfectly with Jacob Toft’s GSM blend.
Chef Dominque Benavidez got the People’s Choice vote. She served her albacore tuna crudo with a delicate strawberry puree paired with Hoyt Family Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir.
Other chefs in the competition included Candice Custodio paired with Cairjin Wine Cellars; Kyle Baca with Le Cuvier Winery; Brian Reimer with MAHA Estate/Villa Creek Cellars; Gregg Wangard with My Favorite Neighbor; Amy Baer of Epicurean Santa Barbara with
ONX Wines; Jeffry Weisinger of Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ with Peachy Canyon Winery; and Johnathan Benvenuti of Bar Becky with Thacher Winery.
On Saturday morning, the same VIP Lounge welcomed attendees with bubbles and oysters served by the soon-to-open Grace & Rose restaurant. There were an impressive charcuterie spread by Alba Provisions + Fruit, sweet treats from My Mama’s Macarons, Distillery Trail’s vodka cocktails, and Firestone Walker beer.
This year, although there were a few more activation lounges, the big ones like Daou, JUSTIN, and Austin Hope, known for their over-the-top grandiose lounges, scaled down a bit, while still offering great experiences. At Daou’sgarden setting enclosed with a picket fence, attendees lined up for its signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc. At Austin Hope, I was given a splash of the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon to pair with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
More stellar Cabs from JUSTIN were served at a much smaller setup inside the Frontier enclave, which also drew a crowd on the Strauss stage, which showcased its workwear collection. Calling themselves the French mafia, the trio of L’Aventure Winery, Clos Solène, and Benom Wines presented a Gallic spin on their attractive lounge, all Paso Rhône blends with a French accent.
Photos by Mira Honeycutt/PRP
With wineries and wines ranging from A to Z — from Ancient Peaks and Asuncion Ridge to Zobeto and Zanoli servinga wide selection of wines ranging from Albariño to Zinfandel — how do you navigate 125 winery set-ups in one afternoon? And with each winery serving a minimum of four wines?
I’d say start with Saxum, Paso’s ultimate cult wine known to draw a mob scene to its table.
Justin Smith, the mind behind Saxum, told me: “We brought a little over three cases. It’s going pretty quickly. Let’s see how it holds up.” He and his children, Colin and Olivia, started pouring at 12 noon and were finished by 2 p.m.
This year was Saxum’s second attendance at the festival. Smith poured at the 2022 festival and was absent at the 2023-24 festivals due to prior commitments.
In previous years, Smith stayed away from the festival’s downtown park venue. “I did go just to hang out, but not pour there,” he said. “It used to be too much of a big party in the park. That wasn’t our thing.”
It was a big coup for PRWCA to have Saxum participate in 2022 when the festival moved to the Event Center.“They’ve done a super good job,” said Smith. “It’s a great setting.”
At the Sextant activation lounge, winemaker Alex Frost, standing by three large dispensers, offered a choice of Grenache Rosé, a Bordeaux blend, and the Night Watch, a blend of Zinfandel Syrah and Petit Sirah. From its sister winery, Paris Valley Road Estate, chocolate mousse cups were served with Cabernet Sauvignon. At J. Lohr lounge, one could get a personalized bandana along with a taste of its Cuveé series.
Caliza’s Carl Bowker opted out of the activation lounge this year, preferring to be under a large tent where he had three long tables. “We want to be part of the rest of the wineries,” he remarked in the very noisy and crowded tent. Tablas Creek Vineyard also chose a tent location instead of the activation lounge this year.
Instead of three large tents for winery stations this year, there were only two along with a group of wineries housed in a cavernous indoor hall. Comments from some of the winemakers were not positive on being indoors. “It’s much better in the outdoor tent you can see all the people,” said Steve Martell of Kaleidos Wine.
Paso’s culinary scene was represented by some of the local restaurants serving delicious bites, among them Il Cortile, The Hatch, Della’s, In Bloom, Grace & Rose, Ciao Pepi and Hotel AVA.
Among the handful of newcomers, I met with Chris Lamoreuax, co-owner of Creekcut winery in the Willow Creek District. She and her husband Jason, new arrivals to Paso, produced 1,300 cases of their first vintage of 2022, mostly Rhóne-style wines.
“We’re entrepreneurs and have a passion for people, wine, and food,” commented Chris. Originally from Apple Valley, the couple has been visiting Paso for the past 20 years. “We love the community here. It’s our first experience at the festival and it’s amazing.”
Which sums up the Paso spirit of its winemakers, culinary masters and the community at large.
Feature Image: The Smith family of Saxum Vineyards appeared in their second Paso Wine Fest this year, and their first since 2022. Photo by Mira Honeycutt/PRP
