Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/237615
PHOTO: MICHAEL CERVIN INFLUENCERS OF PASO ROBLES More Influencers N ormally, it takes decades for a wine region to identify its strengths. Whereas Paso Robles has commercial vineyards dating to the 1920s, the area has experienced unprecedented growth and maturity only in the last ten years. Paso is a land of diversity, a place of leaders, innovators and those with a desire to be unfettered by convention. It's no surprise that Paso Robles is a booming wine region, but what exactly is happening in this quiet rural area midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco? Though Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties are the most widely planted grapes, representing 55% of total acreage, Syrah and other Rhône varieties command 17%—and that number is on the rise. Passion in Paso IL CORTILE AND LA COSECHA ARE CULINARY DESTINATIONS FOR HIGH-END ITALIAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN FARE by Meridith May / photos by Rob Brown Carole and Santos MacDonal, owners of highly acclaimed Il Cortile and La Cosecha restaurants in downtown Paso Robles. Photo taken at La Cosecha. Il Cortile is a cornerstone to Paso's wine country food culture. Along with restaurant trendsetters such as Artisan and Thomas Hill Organics, this much lauded dining spot set new heights beyond the cowboy chow the town once relied on as a staple. Chef Santos MacDonal puts a twist on Italian with housemade pastas and sauces and learning from such mentors as Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles, puts an authentic touch in such dishes as his white truffle risotto, which was the dish that first attracted his wife Carole in the early 2000s. "I was a film and TV producer in Los Angeles when I happened into Via Veneto restaurant," explains Carole, "where Santos was Chef. His food kept me coming back for more!" The two married in 2005 and ventured up to Paso Robles to settle, opening Il Cortile in 2009. This past July, the two opened La Cosecha, Spanish for "the harvest." The Latin American theme is inspired by Santos's native Honduran recipes. With flavors that span Honduras, Spain and Peru, the seasonal, fresh La Cosecha mixologist dishes are a farm-to-table learning Eric Carfagnini's sigexperience for the palate. We loved nature Plum Sour uses the pastalitos catracho, a Honduran Re:Find Gin, from Paso family recipe that Chef MacDonal Robles's only distillery. perfects at La Cosecha. Handmade corn dough becomes an empanada that houses potatoes and ground meat and is topped with cabbage. The wine list for both restaurants spans the globe but also highlight the best of the Central Coast. january 2014 / the tasting panel / 81 TP0114_66-108.indd 81 12/19/13 9:47 PM