I had the best celebration in Paso Robles. Sometimes birthdays are just another day in a year. This year I was surprised and Nancy decided to take me wine tasting in Paso Robles. I was excited because I have never been and was not disappointed. The countryside is beautiful, the vineyards are incredible, and the food is amazing. Now I live in Temecula which has over 50 vineyards in the Valley. So I am not a stranger to enjoying great wine. In Paso, they have over 300 vineyards and I never tasted a bad wine. Were some wines better than others; of course. Were some wines some of the best I have ever tasted; definitely! Let me try to detail some of my experiences.
Wineries Visited
We visited 13 wineries in 4 days. We did not slack off this trip and sit by a pool. It’s a good thing we had a driver for most of our visits, or else I am sure we would have had fewer tastings. Our driver for the whole time was J.J. Could not have found anyone better. He seemed to know everyone at all the wineries we visited. This made our trip so much more enjoyable. We did our research and still could have visited more outstanding wineries.
At this time in Paso Robles, reservations are needed for all wineries. Can you get in without a reservation? Not likely, because of the new COVID requirements. We worked on getting our reservations a couple of weeks before our trip. Were we successful for all the times and wineries we wanted to visit? No, but we did pretty good.
First Day Visits
1st Day
⚫ Robert Hall Winery – As we were driving in from Temecula, we were excited to start right into our tastings. We had an awesome wine and food pairing at Robert Hall. Chef Michael Learned prepared the perfect food, with the wine varietal that was being poured that day. The food tastes included oysters, Kurobota pork sliders, wedge salad, and a cassoulet-type dish with white beans, spiced chicken thighs, and chicken sausage. I would definitely come back and do this wine and food pairing again!
Our favorite wines from Robert Hall were their Vermentino, Carignan, and Cabernet.
The Food Pairings at Robert Hall
⚫ Sculpterra Winery – What brings people to Sculpterra is the artwork and sculptures that cover the winery. Sculpterra was showcasing the artwork of Robert Maja which I enjoyed. They are worth the visit. Our favorite wine was their Statuesque which was a Cabernet-Syrah blend.
Sculptures and Artwork from Robert Maja at Sculpterra Winery
⚫ Kynsi Winery – Nancy is a big fan of pinot noir and heard that Kynsi down towards San Luis Obispo should not be missed. We decided to squeeze them into our schedule on the chance we could get to taste their Pinots. We were so happy we did. The wines were fantastic!
⚫ Daou – What a beautiful winery this is. The views are amazing. Christina was our Wine Host and was very knowledgeable. She made our visit perfect. Our favorite wines were their Cabernets and Pinot Noirs.
2nd Day Visits
2nd Day
⚫ Austin Hope – Our first tasting was at 10:00 AM. A little early for some; but hey…it’s Five O’Clock Somewhere! Right? Austin Hope is a very nice setting to relax and taste some wine. And we did. They have separate seating areas for all those that visit. We felt nicely secluded if that is one of your concerns. Our favorite wines were the Legrein-Petite Syrah Blend, Cabernet, and Grenache.
⚫ Adelaida – We enjoyed this visit. They had a few picnic tables at their facility that we could use to bring lunch and sip some wine. Our favorite wines were their Syrah, Cabernet, and their version of a GSM called Anna’s Red. (GSM is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. This type of blend is produced by many of the Wineries in Paso Robles and use the term GSM as a shortcut in discussing these types of blends.
⚫ Turley – Well known for their zins. We were their last reservation for the day. It was very quiet. I sat at a table with a chair that kind of rocked from side to side. Wines were great; facility and experience were just a little…blah!
3rd Day Visits
3rd Day
⚫ Opollo – It was our 3rd day having a minimum of 3 tastings per day. I won’t deny it may have been a little tough making another 10:00 morning tasting. And yet, we trudged forward and started the day enjoying a great bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pizza with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for breakfast with our tasting which started with a very nice 2019 Roussanne. Our favorite wines were the Cabernet and the Mountain Zinfandel.
⚫ Calcareous – This winery was another one of our favorites with a magnificent view of the surrounding Vineyards at an elevation of 1,550. We could view across the way to the Daou Estates which are even higher at an elevation of 2200. We were getting a little hungry and smelled their wood-fired pizza oven running overtime. It was hard to say no. The chocolate moose with a caramel sauce was hard to say no to also! Everything was delicious!
Our favorite wines were the Devils Canyon Syrah and the Tres Violets GSM Blend.
⚫ Jada – As per their website, “Jada Vineyard and Winery has immersed itself in the use of sustainable and organic farming practices”. Their facility was quite comfortable and we were able to spend a nice amount of time enjoying their wine. Our favorites were their 2017 Hells Kitchen (Syrah-Grenache blend) and 2017 Sawbones Blends (Cab-Syrah blend). Thank yous go to Michele for introducing us to the Jada Wines.
Vineyards and our wine host Michele at Jada Winery
4th Day Visits
4th Day
⚫ Tablas Creek – Jenny was our Wine Host and again we were fortunate to have someone knowledgeable about Paso and its wines. It just so happens that she is studying winemaking and was able to easily answer all our questions and provide a lot of history of the region. We found out that Tablas Creek is the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified vineyard, with a mobile flock of sheep and alpacas, cover crops, and Biodynamic vines. We got the low-down on why there are so many vineyards that are dry farming and why there are some vines that are head-trained. (Head-trained-They are the vines that are without the support of a trellis and are relatively short that grow straight up.)
Our favorite wines at TablasCreek were Rousssaine, Vermiento, and GSM Blends. (The Tablas GSM blends are beautifully fragrant, good fruit, and well-rounded. We tasted one that had Grenache as the Primary grape of the blend and the other that Mourvedre which was the Primary grape. They were both excellent.)
⚫ Brecon Estate – We decided to bring a small picnic to go along with our tasting at Brecon since they were one of the few wineries where this was allowed. Be careful because most of the vineyards do not allow outside food on the premises. We did check first.
Our favorite wine from them was “42” which is a Rhone Blend. As they say on their website, “Like our “42” this is inspired by the “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.” Making it a wine with the answer to the ultimate question, life, the universe, and everything! While I don’t think we will be launching a Brecon into space any time soon we do reach for the stars with this blend. A soft, velvety smooth, intriguing mix of flavors and a stunning length.”
⚫ Law – Probably our favorite Winery of our visit to Paso. The wines we had were variations on Rhone blends. One of our favorites was called Audacious which is a blend that includes Grenache, Cabernet, Carignan, and Syrah. We could have stayed there all day relaxing and sipping wine in front of their fireplace; but, alas, our time was up! Would like to thank Jessica who sat down with us during our tasting and educated us on all about Law wines.
Meals During Our Stay In Paso
We kept ourselves busy visiting wineries this trip. That didn’t stop us from having some great meals!
Buena Tavola-Seafood Pasta and Lamb Chops; Enoteca-Rib Eye and Double Pork Chop; The Alchemist-Bone Marrow, with a Cherry, Onion Jam, Tiger Shrimp, Seasonal Salad with Crushed Pecans and Berries; Jerk Seasoned Chicken Wings, Bucatini Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Fresh Ricotta.
Chocolate Martini at Enoteca; Yazi Vodka Ginger Martini at Buona Tavola; Smoke Infused Manhattan and Lemon Drop at the Alchemist
The food, wine, and people in Paso Robles are just incredible. We did not even come close to scratching the surface of what is available in this fine area! We definitely will be back to explore more. Hope you enjoyed my post on our trip to Paso Robles. Please leave some comments and let me know what are some of your favorite wineries. As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!
