At first glance it looked like a jungle, but as he walked around the vast property for the first time in 2017, sixth-generation winemaker Guillaume Fabre had a vision. The dead vines that surrounded him were gone, the overgrowth trimmed and the tasting room filled with visitors eager to sip his newest blend. He was certain after years of searching: His boutique winery, Clos Soléne, finally had a home in the rolling hills of Paso Robles, California.
What Fabre could see, his wife Soléne could feel. Stepping onto the grounds, she sensed that this was where her family was meant to settle and build their future. "I was at ease," she said.
"Right away, it was a feeling of 'This is home.' I could see the potential because of the soul in it." Two decades ago, Fabre came to Paso Robles for an internship, leaving France and its traditional winemaking methods for California, where vintners can take a more freewheeling approach.
He was not the first person — or Frenchman — to fall in love with the promise of Paso Robles, a town halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Its location facilitates ideal growing conditions. Paso Robles' terroir — the environment where a wine is produced — is "exceptional" due to the "diversity in soils, elevation and rainfall," Wine Folly said.
More than 40 different grape varieties flourish, from zinfandel to cabernet sauvignon, grenache to syrah, and there are nearly 300 wineries spread across 11 sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). Eac.