Mention Paso Robles to some people and they only remember the town as one that Highway 101 skirts. A spot to fill up at the gas station, grab a mediocre hamburger and perhaps spend the night at some version of a Motel 6.

Then it would be on to Santa Barbara, L.A. or San Diego.

Not any more. In the last few years, in part due to the rebuilding following a devastating earthquake, Paso Robles has become a destination for wine lovers.

Once home to the fifth-largest uranium mine in the world, Paso Robles was to a large extent settled by Mennonites (their land holdings account for the massive tracts of verdant open land stretching almost to the Pacific about half an hour away). This open land is in conjunction with tens of thousands of acres planted to vines of almost every varietal.

From the outskirts of town on Highway 101 to the south you begin to sense the scale. Closer to town well known wineries appear — Meridian, J. Lohr, Firestone among them. Others, like Rabbit Ridge and the fascinating Anarchy Blend from Four Vines (syrah, zinfandel and mourvedre) are less well known but are certainly worth searching out. The addition of tasting rooms on the square in Paso Robles, such as the Midlife Crisis tasting room, and the opening of wine bars like Vinoteca (also on the square) makes sampling even easier if you just want to park your car and walk.

With such a large appellation to work from, the diversity of wine types and styles should not come as a surprise. Hillsides can be steep, as it should be so close to the ocean (just six miles at one point). Lying on the inland side of the Santa Lucia mountains, which also limits the amount of fog the region receive, the issue of terroir is paramount. Out of 614,000 acres overall, about 26,000 are  grape vines. As the fastest growing AVA in San Luis Obispo County, it ranks behind only Napa, Sonoma and Monterey counties in terms of planted acreage within California’s coastal growing regions.

With so many small wineries, a trip through Paso Robles is a chance to stop at any number of winery tasting rooms, both big and small. Swiss-owned and run Vina Robles — with its high tech and expansive tasting room — lies on one side of the town along Route 46 East amid other large wineries such as Eberle with its grand cabernets, Robert Hall and EOS Estate. Up in the hills, where Paso Robles was originally settled (and where that uranium mine sits, long shuttered) are such spots as Justin Winery, Norman Vineyards, Adelaida Cellars, Tablas Creek, Lone Madrone and Peachy Canyon.

Another winery worth searching out is Pipestone for its viognier, which is more like a sauvignon blanc or pinot gris and tastes nothing like its nose would suggest unless it is served too cold. The Treana red wine is also a treat with great fruit and body, in addition to being very food friendly. For fun, pick up a bottle of the Terry Hoage Vineyards 50/50 grenache-syrah blend. Any of the Justin wines would be a significant addition to a serious cellar, and the family-run Calcareous Vineyard certainly deserves time during your visit.

To compliment the hundreds of wineries and vineyards, a hospitality infrastructure has suddenly appeared. Restaurants such as Artisan, near the sprawling town square and owned by former Brix chef Chris Kobayashi and his wife Shandi, have ratcheted up the fine dining choices dramatically with a wide-ranging menu and has won a strong local following. Other such spots such as the Crooked Kilt Pub & Grille keep things lively as the night unfolds. In addition, there are a variety of French-themed bistros. Next to the new, intimate and stylish Hotel Cheval — the place of choice for visiting oenophiles — is Vivant Fine Cheese, where, with a little bit of notice, they are happy to tailor a picnic and cheese basket to match the wineries you plan to visit.

A bit further out of the way, the ultra-premium Justin Winery — owned by Justin and Debbie Baldwin — offers charming accommodations in their bed & breakfast that is actually a part of the tasting room. Four rooms in all, it has a country French dining room for the breakfast offered to inn guests and for daily dinners and weekend bistro lunches as well. It is well served by an award-winning cellar and an innovative top shelf chef and staff.

The entire Paso Robles area is refreshingly casual. Dogs at tasting rooms are plentiful and there is seldom a fee for tasting even the most coveted wines. Keep in mind that this region has embraced the making of fine wine, and now fine dining and lodging as well, with a serious passion. Yet what makes a visit to this somewhat distant spot such a treat is the fact the locals, the recent transplants and the first time visitors have not forgotten their roots. They seek to improve and to change, but not at the price of their heritage. As a place to spend a weekend, or even longer, it is very hard to improve upon. Look for the hidden treasures like the rosé from Anglim aged in French oak, or the wonderful zinfandels that abound. Also among the rich and very often surprisingly different blends, the lush flavors of a glass of ‘Paso blend’ by French winemaker Stephan Asseo from L’Avenure is a must taste. Paso Robles is a place where you can enjoy the hospitality of the people in an area where winemaking reaches back as far as those first settlements of the Catholic missionaries.

For more information, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance has a very useful Web site: www.pasowine.com. They also have a variety of special events throughout the year, so checking in now and then is definitely worthwhile.