Community, Temperature Shifts, and Innovation in Paso Robles
This issue was published on November 1, 2023.
Happy Wine Wednesday!
And happy first day of November. I hope you had a safe and fun Halloween - whether that means trick or treating with little ones, partying in costume, or sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine and a bowl of candy (that would be me)!Today, we’re heading over to learn a little bit about the community, history, and terroir of Paso Robles then chatting with Maggie Tillman, co-owner and director of sales and marketing at Paso Robles’ Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery.So pour yourself a glass and let’s get our wine nerd on!
Paso Robles
Hot Springs, Community, and Innovation
I went to Paso Robles for the first time earlier this year and it quickly became one of my favorite trips. I knew that I was going to taste lots of delicious wines, but I had no idea that there was such a tight knit community of winemakers (including women winemakers) in the area!
So let’s dive into what makes this place so special.
Paso Robles (pronounced roh-bulls and not roh-blays) is about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles – a bit north of San Luis Obispo and just to the east of York Mountain AVA. The region is about 30 miles long by 40 miles wide, and has over 220 wineries over about 26,000 acres of vineyards (about 9% of total California vineyards) split into 11 AVAs, each with their own microclimate. The majority of wineries here produce less than 8,000 cases a year, and over 90% of the wineries are family owned and operated! This community of small winemakers and growers emphasize sustainable agriculture, innovation, and collaboration, creating a quickly growing region that is vibrant and constantly experimenting.
As always, let’s start with a quick history of the area:
Long before Paso Robles became known for wine, the Salinan tribe lived on the land amongst the healing, sulfur hot springs. The tribe called themselves “T’epot’aha’l”, meaning “People of the Oaks,” after the oak-covered hills that shield the region from the cool, ocean influence from the Pacific.In the 1790s, Franciscan missionaries brought grape vines to Paso Robles and began planting them in order to make sacramental wine. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Cortez also brought grape vines and encouraged settlers to cultivate them, although the area was still known for its healing hot springs amongst the tourists who traveled to the area.
The town officially became known as El Paso de Robles, meaning pass of the oaks, in 1857 and it was in 1882 that Andrew York (which York Mountain is named after) first planted commercial vines in the region: zinfandel. By this time, agriculture and tourism in the area had grown, with many calling the region “Almond City.” The 1880’s saw a huge expansion in planted vineyards as people saw York’s success with his vines and more people arrived with the expansion of the railroad. While many wineries did shut down when Prohibition hit the wineries in 1920, the large agriculture industry allowed some to swiftly pivot into almond, walnut, and olive oil production.
After Prohibition, a famous Polish concert pianist named Ignace Paderewsk introduced Paso Robles to the world stage. While initially visiting Paso Robles for the hot springs, he planted zinfandel and petite sirah vineyards. The wines produced from these vineyards went on to win international awards, quickly establishing Paso Robles as a world-class wine region.Many renowned winemakers came to the region to plant vineyards and people began to discover the diverse varietals that would grow (and thrive!) in Paso Robles. Cabernet sauvignon began taking over the region in the 1960s (about 50% of vineyards today), and syrah in the 1970s before the area was established as an AVA in 1983.And my favorite?
The region now produces a large amount of Rhône varietals (over 2,200 acres in 2006)!After a 4-year search to find the best California region for Rhône varietals, the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel in Châteaneuf-du-Pape, France purchased 120 acres of land in partnership with Robert Haas. They imported vines from their estate in France and established Tablas Creek Vineyard in 1989, known as “a pioneer of California’s Rhône movement.”Now onto the terroir.
A couple key features make Paso Robles a perfect place to grow wine grapes.First, it has the largest diurnal temperature range in California (meaning the biggest change in temperature between night and day). On some days, you might see a 50°F (or 30°C) difference in a single day (so definitely bring layers when you visit…)! Due to a combination of high altitudes (in some vineyards), some distance from the ocean, Monterey Bay to the north, Pacific winds from the west, and downslope winds from the Cholame Hills in the east, these massive temperature swings allow the grapes to get ripe in the sun and develop tannins during the day, then preserve their acidity, avoid getting overripe, and let the vines rest in the cool evenings. It also means that each of the 11 AVAs and each vineyard has its own microclimate.
Another factor is the unique soils. Paso Robles actually sits on the Pacific tectonic plate – a completely different tectonic plate than the rest of the continent! The pushing and colliding of the two plates (which meet at the San Andreas fault) over millennia has given this area an ancient seabed full of fossilized sea creatures and skeletons full of calcium carbonate, which resulted in unique calcareous soils. In addition to giving wines freshness and acidity, it also retains water extremely well, allowing for dry farming! Paso Robles is also one of the few in California with limestone soil. All of these factors have come together over countless millennia to create diverse soils that provide a truly unique canvas for growing many different varietals(and other agricultural products!).
This ideal geographical climate combined with the young, innovative community of wine growers and makers is what makes Paso Robles a special place. So many winemakers I talked to in the area emphasized the importance of sustainable farming and production, while also talking about different things they were experimenting with, and would always end the tasting by recommending other nearby wineries to check out and support.
Where else can you find independent, organic wineries producing 60+ varietals, including lesser-known varietals like Lagrein, Picpoul, and Blaufränkisch, while supporting, collaborating, and experimenting together?
Seriously, where? I’m on the hunt for more wine destinations!
Maggie Tillman
Co-Owner of Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery
Photo credit: @craftandcluster
Merobebe
Let’s start with some ice breakers…If you could have any celebrity as a personal sommelier, who would it be and why?
Maggie Tillman
Gabrielle Union. She’s part of the wine world and an East Compton Clover. What more could anyone want in a knowledgeable, wine-drinking pal?
Merobebe
What's your favorite wine-themed movie or book?
Maggie Tillman
The Billionaire’s Vinegar is a great read! Intrigue, greed, history, wishful thinking, and wine.
Merobebe
And your favorite wine and food pairing?
Maggie Tillman
I love food and I find that the time, place, and company are what really stick with me though. In that sense, my last favorite pairing is an unnecessary bottle of Krug with an old friend at a great Paso restaurant on a Monday night.
Merobebe
Let's go back to the beginning. You studied linguistics at NYU (same!) and transitioned from there into wine. Growing up, did you always know that your family would end up owning a winery?
Maggie Tillman
Not even a little! It was almost an eye roll between my siblings and I growing up. ‘Dad! We get it. You LOVE wine blah, blah, blah…!’ It truly feels like kismet that Alta Colina came together the way it has. After college, my plan wasn’t to move to Paso Robles and dedicate my career to building a wine brand. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and, eventually, I realized I’m all in.
Merobebe
Your dad was a home winemaker, but was there any other discussion about wine as a full-time career as you were growing up?
Maggie Tillman
For about a decade, my mom couldn’t park inside the garage because wine barrels took up all the space. It was a serious interest and active hobby for my dad (Bob) but the idea of a commercial vineyard and winery was always a someday, maybe dream. Between my parents moving to SLO County, Bob’s home winemaking, and the recession in the late aughts, the stars aligned in very surprising ways to bring Alta Colina to be. Creating a tangible product that comes from the earth, and doing that alongside my dad, has been a dream I never knew I had.
Merobebe
What initially interested you in linguistics? Are there any skills from that education that you've brought over to Alta Colina?
Maggie Tillman
I come from a long line of nerds. Some in my family speak numbers, I speak letters. While an introvert at my core, I’m a very curious person. I love new places and people and I found studying linguistics a great way to learn how language and culture interact. NYU also makes studying abroad relatively accessible to its students. I wanted to explore new places and meet new people while not falling behind in my major—turns out language classes are a great way to stay on track with a linguistics degree.
Merobebe
As the owner and director of sales & marketing, you've done a great job of not only showcasing your family's absolutely delicious wines but also creating unique experiences for your guests! Let's start with the most vital part of the tasting experience: Honey (the dog)! While there are dog-friendly wineries, most wineries don't have a wine dog welcoming you to a tasting. How did Honey get involved, and does she get paid with lots of treats and pets?
Maggie Tillman
Honey for the win! She really made it happen for herself. Turns out that a dog-loving neighbor adopted her from a shelter but, despite very good fencing around that property, she Houdini’d her way beyond the fence to visit us from time to time. Once we connected with the neighbor who adopted her, Bob actually did some backchannel communication to see if he was open to rehoming her.
My last dog (Jetsam, may she rest in doggie peace!) had passed away a few weeks before Honey started showing up and the neighbor agreed that she seemed to like it here and that a rehome would work out great. So here she is! Eight years later, Honey earns her keep as greeter and gets paid in belly rubs and cheese.
Merobebe
The Trailer Pond is another unique piece of your winery experience that's been featured in everything from Travel + Leisure to Architectural Digest. I actually have a friend who hosted her sister's bachelorette there years ago! What was the thought process behind the vintage travel trailers and how have you tied that into marketing for the winery?
Maggie Tillman
We must know. Did they love their weekend at the Trailer Pond?! (Note: They absolutely did!) Hope so—it’s an amazingly special spot. And I can take virtually no credit for the creation and management of the Trailer Pond! Years ago, I connected with Jaime Holm, an owner of the Tinker Tin Trailer Co. (now Tinker Tin Company). At the time, they restored vintage trailers and would rent them to folks all over the west.
We met at an impromptu lunch with friends (who all happened to be women who owned our own small businesses!) and we got to talking. Jaime and her husband, Carl, had thought that a Tinker Tin exclusive campground would be a cool endeavor. The dream scenario was a multi-trailer campground near a body of water, not too far from town, and with a tie-in to the local wine community. I was mentally checking off that list in my head as she talked through it and from there, no one said “no!” Bob didn’t say no. SLO County didn’t say no. Our insurance didn’t say no. And the Trailer Pond was born. We took over full ownership and management of the Trailer Pond in the summer of 2020 and we’ve been rolling with it ever since.
Merobebe
You now also have canned wine! Since most people don't think of canned wine when they think of premium wine, was there concern that this would degrade your 'brand'? How did you combat that?
Maggie Tillman
We love this question! It certainly crossed our minds that historically, well-made wines aren’t known for coming in cans or boxes or anything that’s not a glass bottle. We also believed our members and guests were ready for it! Plus, as a small winery, we get to communicate pretty directly with most of the folks who ultimately purchase and enjoy our wines so we get to explain how the wine is made and communicate that it’s another take on a beautiful rosé.
As always, we’ll only put our name on wine we’re truly proud of and want to drink ourselves, so we knew the product would be great.We also wanted to embrace and share the Trailer Pond in a new way through the beautiful watercolor label on our Canned Rosé. Our Winemaker, Molly Lonborg, and I worked with a dear childhood friend of hers (shoutout to Maya Rowland!) and the artwork is icing on the cake.
Merobebe
What are some other wine trends that you are seeing, and how will Alta Colina continue to innovate not just in marketing, but as a winery?
Maggie Tillman
I absolutely love the very slow (but very real!) trend toward alternative packaging and lighter weight glass (look at you Tablas Creek!). While cans and boxes aren’t necessarily appropriate for the wines we grow to age for years to come, they are perfect for daily drinkers. Many, many people purchase wine today that they’ll drink tonight or this weekend. As an industry, why would we stay married to glass bottles across the board when we all know that it’s the highest carbon footprint choice? And for wines for which we want the option of bottle aging, lighter weight glass is a no-brainer.
The old school association of heavy glass meaning higher quality is just not true – heavy glass is nothing but an aesthetic choice and I think wine drinkers are moving past that. Let’s keep the momentum going and keep the conversation building around sustainability across the industry.
Merobebe
Anything else you’d like to share?
Maggie Tillman
Come to Paso Robles! For folks who have been in the wine industry for years, Paso brings a lot more than the high ABV reds you might still think are a thing. For folks who have never visited Paso Robles or haven’t come in a while – there is so much amazing wine happening and our people…they’re just the best.
Connect with us at Alta Colina or head to pasowine.com or just show up and pick a road to drive – you’ll find something delicious. I truly believe that Paso has experiences and wines for everyone at every level of their wine drinking journey. It’s also beautiful, a half hour from the coast, and we have killer restaurants! Come hangout.
Get a wine-related movie or book pairing for your weekend.
Today’s pairing is Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession, and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California by Frances Dinkelspiel
This New York Times Bestseller and true crime story reveals the dark side of California’s wine industry. Dinkelspiel goes back into California’s bloody past filled with greed, murder, and arson – including a 2005 fire that destroyed more than $250 million worth of wine, including bottles made by Dinkelspiel’s own great-great grandfather in 1875.This page turner about the obsession and violence in California wine country pairs perfectly with a Paso Robles Rhône blend...
Read the reviews and get it from a local bookstore here!
That’s all for this week!
As always, feel free to reach out to me at cheers[at]merobebe[dot]com with your thoughts, questions, and suggestions! I want to know what wine topics you want to learn more about and meet the women in wine in your life.
See you next Wednesday!
Cheers,
Megumi