| Located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in San Luis Obispo County hides the historic central coast town of el Paso de Robles. The town's Spanish name, literally meaning "the pass of the oaks," accurately describes the oak tree speckled rolling hills of this country landscape that NikiAnne called "home" for the first 18 years of her life. To learn more about the Central Coast, Paso Robles, and its surrounding communities the following articles and links are a great place to start. |
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| Paso Robles, the next Napa...or better? By Adam Jarman ~ The Tribune, San Luis Obispo Just as ranches replace neighborhoods along Highway 46 while Highway 101 leads to homes and business, Paso Robles is at the intersection of a rural history and a future of wine and tourism. Honoring the area's growing wine industry, Forbes magazine called Paso Robles "the next Napa" in January 2002. But Gary Eberle, who has been making wine in the Paso Robles area since 1973, isn't convinced that the comparison bears out. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. "I don't think Paso Robles is ever going to be Napa," he said, because the city is - perhaps luckily - is too far from a major metropolitan to attract as many tourists. According to Forbes, Napa Valley attracts five million tourists a year but Paso Robles is making its own niche in the industry with one million annually. Eberle said the introduction of some of the county's finer restaurants and hotels have improved the area's appeal. But a persistent smal-town feel gives Paso a unique flavor, he added. "It's a double-edged sword," he said. "I love the rural area, and I like living in Paso Robles the way it is. But at the same time, I like the growth." One unique aspect of Paso is that visitors can go into tasting rooms and sip while talking to the wine makers themselves. That's something not easily found on the other side of the Bay Area, he said. Sheila Griffie, executive director of teh Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association, agreed that the growers and wine makers themselves are a big part of the local appeal. They take their work seriously, but don't take themselves seriously," she commented. Griffie doesn't see Paso Robles becoming the "Disneyland that Napa has become," but definitely sees wine as a big drae for area's tourism. |
| View from Pankey North Ranch (Shandon) |
| Paso Robles vineyards |
| Paso Robles, California |