Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/998810
July 2018 WINES&VINES 15 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS E arlier this year, the city council in Paso Robles, Calif., unanimously approved a rezoning plan to a section of blocks on the northeast side of the city's central park, allowing small-scale production, in- cluding boutique winemaking. Christopher Taranto, communications di- rector for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alli- ance said the wine industry development will help the city achieve its goal of revitalizing some downtown neighborhoods. By rezoning a section of blocks between 13th and 15th Streets, and Spring Street and the Union Pa- cific Railroad, the city has made wine, spirits and beer production permissible for a signifi- cant portion of the downtown district — a first for Paso Robles. As for policing the volume of wine manufac- tured downtown, associate city planner Darren Nash said the existing layout serves as a primary limiting factor, as the use of existing buildings, not empty lots, make up the majority of vacant space available. Nash said those looking to make wine at large volume, will need to go outside downtown or even outside the county. City staff have recommended any company wanting to set up a production facility downtown to secure a conditional use permit beforehand. Deborah Longo of Montecito Choice LLC said she was hoping to break ground at the end of June on the new Paso Market Walk, a public market she describes as akin to Oxbow Public Market in Napa, Calif. While Longo has no specific plans to offer the space to winery tenants, she expects that nearly all retailers and restaurants within the market will sell local wine. In southeast Paso Robles, a cluster of winer- ies has moved into an industrial zone in the 3300 block of Ramada Drive. Like the nearby Tin City complex, the zone is slated to offer a walkable area for visitors while combining pro- duction and tasting rooms for wine, beer, spirits and cider producers. Cordant and Nelle wineries were the first wine-producing tenants to consti- tute the Ramada block properties about one year ago, followed by Seven Oxen, Anglim Win- ery, and Anarchy Wine Co. The block will also include a new brewery and distillery. —Jamie Lewis Paso Robles' Next Wine Wave Architectural rendering of proposed Paso Market Walk in downtown Paso Robles, Calif. RENDERING BY PROJECT M+