Anyone who has ever seen Laverne & Shirley would probably recognize Carmine Ragusa's bright blue jacket with yellow-braided "The Big Ragoo" embroidered on the back.

"Is it real?" my husband wonders aloud.

Winemaker and D'Anbino co-owner Carmine Rubino chuckles. "The actor, Eddie Mekka, gave it to me because he said, 'You're the real Carmine.'

"All of this," he gestures to a room filled with an impressive collection of music and Hollywood memorabilia, "sat in my garage until the kids got it into their heads to incorporate it into the tasting room."

Good call on their part.

It's hard to imagine how Paso Robles wineries survive in a wine country region saturated with more than 160 vintners. Hard, that is, until you stop and take some time to get to know the people behind the wine labels.

The secret to success in Paso Robles? Everyone has an extraordinary story to tell. A trip here becomes as much about discovering those stories as it is about sampling some of the most diverse varietals in California.

Rubino and nephew John D'Andrea grew up like brothers in Newark, N.J., where they fostered a love of music that eventually took them West.

Both built storied careers, D'Andrea as a singer, musical director and producer; Rubino as a recording engineer. Their story and success is documented in the tasting room through the autographed celebrity photos and gold and platinum albums lining the walls, the two Emmy statues in a lighted display case, and the stage where their all-family band plays to a packed house.

D'Andrea and Rubino landed in the wine business when a real estate agent showing them area property suggested they try growing grapes.

" 'You don't have to know anything about it. You don't need to harvest them yourselves,' he told us. You just cash the big check."

That's not exactly how it turned out. Before long, family members were in the fields and making their own wine. The family band - saxophonist, drummer, guitarist, and more - inspired the wine label.

Live music has become a tasting-room staple, with events each month ranging from swing lessons to wine and music pairings. The "D'Anbino Storytellers" night is also popular, as D'Andrea and Rubino share memories from their music days and stories about celebrities they've met, including John Lennon and Joe Pesci.

"The first time," Rubino says, "we only got through one year."

Among their top wines are Orchestration, a syrah blend with cabernet and petite sirah, and Quadraphonic, a cabernet sauvignon blend with cabernet franc, merlot, and syrah.

Also check out their one-of-a-kind bar, designed from the inner workings of three spinet pianos.

The prestige of downtown tasting rooms has grown this year with two newcomers - Kiamie Wine Cellars and Clayhouse Wines.

In April, co-owners Greg Johnson and Aram Deirmenjian opened Kiamie in the historic Granary Building, once a flour mill.

The winery has quickly grabbed attention with its smooth R'Own and Kuvee blends. Of special note is the R'Own, which adds 8 percent zinfandel to the typical Rhone varietals of syrah, grenache, and viognier.