The spirits of Paso Robles, Calif.

Joe Barton, left, and Steve Kroener, co-owners of KroBar Craft Distillery in Paso Robles, hold up empty 5-gallon American oak barrels to be filled with brandy and rye whiskey at their dispensary in Paso Robles.

Barbara Ferguson, left, of Paso Robles and Becky Hampton of Cambria make their way into Pendray’s Distillery in Templeton.

Lola Glossner, owner of Pendray’s Distillery in Templeton, Calif., just south of Paso Robles, checks the aroma from a glass of nebbiolo brandy inside the storage warehouse.

Pendray’s 80 proof brandy is made from grapes produced on the distillery’s property.

Patrick Brooks, left, Don Burns and Mark Sahaydak, co-owners of Wine Shine, hold samplings at their headquarters in Paso Robles.

At Wine Shine, from left, mango ginger black peppercorn brandy, charred oak and bitter orange peel brandy, hibiscus and fresh lemon brandy, pure neutral brandy and oaked brandy. They’re all produced using Wine Shine’s grapes.

Alex Villicana, owner, distiller and winemaker at Re:Find Handcrafted Spirits in Paso Robles, climbs amid American oak whiskey barrels ranging in size from 5 to 15 gallons.

Re:Find Handcrafted Spirits’ Villicana uses a digital thermometer to check the contents of a 600-liter copper hybrid column still.

Randy Phillips, owner, winemaker and stillmaster at Red Soles Winery & Stillhouse in Paso Robles, stands next to an alambic pot still used to distill alcohol from wine into brandy.

Lauren Lockwood, 58, of Santa Rosa, left, Chris Voci-Nam, 52, of Cupertino, and Janet Wagner, 59, of Atascadero, sample the limoncello unaged, 80-proof brandy at Red Soles Winery & Stillhouse.

Alyssa Mead rings up customer Michael McGean, from Bend, Ore., inside Di Raimondo’s Cheese Shop in downtown Paso Robles.

Michael McGean, of Bend, Ore., studies the cheese counter at Di Raimondo’s Cheese Shop, which sells local, imported and domestic cheeses.

Carole MacDonal, center, owner of Il Cortile Italian restaurant in downtown Paso Robles, seats customers Wendy Mivarik and her husband, Bill. The Santa Margarita couple were celebrating their 25th anniversary.

Red beet tagliatelle with roasted quail ragu is one of the items on the menu at Il Cortile.

Shoppers make their way out of Reminisce Antiques Etc. in downtown Paso Robles.

Linda Fredericks of Templeton shops at Reminisce Antiques Etc.

Paso Robles is set amid rolling hills, many of them covered in grapevines now. Here the view is from Daou Vineyards and Winery.

Tim Richardson gives his son Avrie, 1½, a ride through downtown Paso Robles.