In November, 2005 a group of winery principals in west Paso Robles applied to the federal Tax and Trade Bureau for recognition as a separate appellation, to be known as Paso Robles Westside. The line of demarcation follows the southern flow of the Salinas River and its parallel, California State Highway 101.

A wave of controversy followed. Local protestors quickly pointed out that a patchwork of soils and meteorological influences, including strong east-west influences from the Templeton Gap wind tunnel, make that north-south line simplistic and impractical. Still others felt that it was premature to define terroir-specific areas in an AVA which is itself still struggling for recognition.

Recently, three winemakers with over twenty years of viticultural and winemaking experience shared their views on this first proposed secession from the unity of Paso Robles.

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The winemakers:

Gary Eberle, of Eberle Winery, was introduced to food and wine at Louisiana State University while he was pursuing graduate work in cellular genetics. After tasting a sampling of fine, classified growth Bordeaux from his professor's cellar, Gary took a keen interest in Cabernet Sauvignon and moved to California to study enology at the University of California at Davis. During his work at Davis, Gary realized the untapped potential of the Paso Robles region and moved there in 1973. After founding Estrella River Winery, Gary opened his own winery with the release of his first eponymous label, a 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982. For twenty years, Gary has tirelessly promoted his winery and the Paso Robles region, frequently piloting his own plane to trade shows and tastings across the United States.

Justin Baldwin (Justin Vineyards & Winery) was an investment and international banker, until 1981 when he and his wife Deborah purchased 160 acres of land in the remote Adelaide Valley west of Paso Robles. In 1982, they planted 72 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay. By 1987 they were releasing their first estate wines. Justin has focused his efforts on producing world class Bordeaux-style blends from his estate vineyards. He is a pioneer in producing this style of wine in the Central Coast and his efforts have been rewarded by major wine trade publications.

Shannon O’Neill, a partner of and the winemaker at Maloy O’Neill, started his career with a degree in Fermentation Science from the University of California at Davis, and then interned in the chemistry labs of Atlantic Richfield and Chevron. Since 1982, Shannon has been managing three vineyards totaling 175 acres on both the East and West sides of Paso Robles, with vines spread across several different soil types and microclimates. On those 175 acres, he grows 15 different varietals and makes wine from all of them. There is also a five-acre experimental vineyard on the O’Neill Vineyards’ property dedicated to varietal, rootstalk, and clonal experimentation.