Last month, the town of Cambria, located in the 805, played host to the inaugural Paso BlendFest on the Coast, a wine-tasting event to showcase the distinctive blends of the most celebrated wine region in this part of the state. More than two dozen renowned wineries offered guests the opportunity to sample two or three, sometimes four, unique blends.
“As evidenced by Paso’s recent honor as Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the region has become known for rule-breaking, unconventional blends,” Jennifer Porter, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance announced in a statement. “It is now time those blends got their own dedicated festival.”
The event provided the best of both worlds, serving to awaken visitors to the complex tastes of Paso’s vino and to the stunning views of the coastline of Cambria coastline, which Forbes.com named “one America’s prettiest towns.”
The lush emerald-esque scenery of its pine-forested hillsides weaves a web of deceit, concealing Cambria’s struggle with drought, a problem that has been met with a robust awareness campaign to alert tourists of the essentially invisible situation. In fact, it rained the weekend of the festival, a sign perhaps that the gods favor this Paso-Cambria union. (If you want to split hairs, the event was actually held in San Simeon, but “the gods favor this menage” sounds a little too kinky for someplace this far out of L.A. — but then again, the festival is about meritage, I suppose).
Now, I sense (I guess this would be more along the lines of a premonition) that you’re thinking, “Dang it, I missed this wonderful opportunity to experience this wine-tasting opportunity in beautiful Cambria.” You’re in luck. Local winemaker Harmony Cellars is just 5 miles south of Cambria nestled in the hills overlooking the quaint, artisan town of Harmony. Join one of their upcoming harmonious vino events in Cayucos, Dana Point, Bakersfield, or their very own wine vault tasting.
And when you come, consider a stay at the El Colibri Boutique Hotel and Spa (5620 Moonstone Beach Drive). Located on the cusp of Moonstone Beach and at the edge of town, the charming getaway is an ideal destination for enjoying the luxurious comforts of home, while the boardwalk, just steps away, acts as a portal into timeless stretch of pristine coastline.
All photos courtesy of El Colibri Boutique Hotel and Spa.
Learn more La La Scoop about Cambria and other fun LA escapes.
Scott Bridges is an L.A.-based journalist who has worked as a police-beat reporter, a community newspaper editor, and a food and travel writer. He currently works as a freelance writer, contributing to The Huffington Post and Bizjournals.com, among other sites. He is a native Californian who lives on the Westside.
