Some wineries are named for a saint, a hill, or a Latin motto. Zobèto is named for three kids. Cliff and Christie Cate took the first sounds of their children, Zoe, Beck, and Torin, and made a word and a winery out of them, a small, family-run, boutique label on the west side of Paso Robles. Tastings are poured by the owners themselves, and the GSM reds in the glass carry the same warmth as the name.

A winery named for three kids

Zobèto is the work of Cliff and Christie Cate, a family-owned, boutique winery rooted in craft, hospitality, and a deep connection to place. The name is a quiet family signature, built from the first sounds of their three children’s names, Zoe, Beck, and Torin, the kind of detail that tells you exactly what kind of winery this is, personal and made with love.

The Cates pour their tastings themselves, a rarity that turns a visit into a real conversation rather than a transaction. In 2023 they reached an important milestone, planting their own estate vineyard, a long-term bet on shaping wines from their own land and their own hands. Until those estate vines mature, they source high-quality fruit from thoughtfully farmed vineyards across the west side, in the Willow Creek and Templeton Gap AVAs.

Zobèto takes its name from the Cate family’s three children, Zoe, Beck, and Torin, and the owners pour every tasting themselves.

West-side fruit, marine-cooled

Zobèto pours on the west side of Paso Robles, in the cool Templeton Gap District where a gap in the coastal range channels Pacific fog and ocean air inland. The warm afternoons ripen Rhone grapes fully, and the cold nights that follow preserve the acidity and freshness that keep the wines balanced rather than heavy, exactly the daily rhythm Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre were built for.

The Cates choose their fruit from two of west Paso’s best districts. Willow Creek brings high-elevation, calcareous, limestone-rich ground that gives wines structure and minerality, while the Templeton Gap adds its marine-cooled freshness. Sourcing across these neighboring AVAs lets a small winery blend the best of each, and the family’s new estate vineyard will eventually add a home-grown voice to the mix.

The wines: the Rhone trinity

Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre sit at the heart of Zobèto, the holy trinity of Rhone reds the Cates believe best express the balance, character, and warmth of Paso Robles. Bottled on their own or blended into GSM, these grapes give wines that are generous and fruit-forward but kept lively by the cool-night freshness of the west side, the kind of reds that are easy to love young and built around the table.

Because the production is small and the tastings are personal, the wines carry a handmade quality and a clear point of view. This is not a factory chasing trends, but a family making the wines they most want to drink and share. For visitors, that means honest, well-made Rhone reds poured by the people whose name, and whose children, are on the label.

What to pour it with

GSM reds are some of the most food-friendly wines in the world, built for the grill and the casual table. Pour the Syrah with something smoky and charred, grilled lamb chops, barbecued brisket, or sausages with herbs, where the wine’s pepper and dark fruit meet the fire. The Grenache, softer and brighter, loves roast chicken, pork, or a mushroom dish, while the Mourvedre brings an earthy, gamey edge that suits braised meats and stews.

The shared logic is simple. These reds carry moderate tannin and good acidity, so they want protein and a little fat to round them out, and they handle herbs, smoke, and savory spice better than a big, tannic Cabernet would. A GSM blend is the wine to bring to a backyard cookout or a Sunday roast, generous enough to please a crowd and balanced enough to keep everyone coming back for the next glass.

Zobèto Wines: common questions