Visiting Paso Robles: The ‘Other’ Wine Country of California

We recently visited California’s other wine country, Paso Robles. Paso Robles (pronounced as pa·sow row·blz) is fast becoming a go-to destination for wine enthusiasts, especially those wanting to avoid the crowds in Napa and Sonoma, or avoid the unfortunate uncertainty created due to the summer and fall forest fires in northern California.

Paso Robles has, what I would call, gorgeous California weather with day time temperatures in the fall between 65 and 75, and night time around 45. This apparently compares to summer in the Mediterranean region and suits a variety of grapes esp. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and the Rhone-varieties of GSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre).

Day 1: We flew into Fresno CA as we have family there and wanted to visit them also. Paso Robles is a pleasant and interesting 2 hour drive from Fresno. Along the way one can see expansive farms (almonds, olives, oranges, cotton) where California grows the food we eat! Getting in and out of the Fresno airport, the availability of flights from the east coast and the rental car situation all made this the best choice in hindsight. 

We checked into our resort: Allegretto. The pictures on their website do not do justice to this vineyard resort. It’s like living in a warm inviting house on a vineyard in Tuscany! The owners have decorated the entire resort with interior and exterior pieces they collected over their travels – the outdoor Indian style swings were one of our favorites. And to add to this the resort has very friendly service, luxurious rooms, cute llamas on the property, a great restaurant and sunset views. A joyful place to come back home and relax every evening.

We split our vineyard explorations into two parts: we took a semi-private tour and visited 4 boutique wineries on the first day. And the next a few days, we just picked one or two marquee wineries to visit and spent more leisurely time there. Reservations are highly recommended for all wineries esp. due to covid restrictions. We tried walk-ins into some wineries and they were full.

Day 2: Tour with The Wine Line: We had picked 4 wineries to visit, from a list of 10 or so, on the East side. The van picked us up from our resort in the morning and there was only one other party of two during the tour. We got about an hour or hour and a half at each vineyard which was plenty of time for tastings and brief explorations. 

Vineyard 1: La Vigne: A cozy, family owned winery with really great tasting wines, awesome cheese pairings, and very friendly service. The wine-cheese pairings were a very pleasant surprise addition to the tasting experience, which in hindsight was not a norm at other wineries that we visited later in the day. Highly recommend adding this vineyard to your experience. 

Vineyard 2: Bianchi: A premium winery with a modern tasting room, with views of the estate and a water fountain. We had our packed lunches here. The wines were good too!

Vineyard 3: Steinbeck Wines: As you enter the compound, you are greeted with vineyards on both sides of a small road, with an interesting trivia: a plane crashed into the vineyards in 1956! Steinbeck was also a cozy tasting experience with the owner himself giving tours around the vineyard in his WWII era jeep :-). The winery has a rich history documented in the tasting room and a cute vineyard puppy. Worth putting on your list.

Vineyard 4: Vina Robles: The final winery of the day was the Vina Robles, a larger estate, as compared to the others on the tour, with a great selection of reds and whites, and a full menu too.

Overall, a great first full day in Paso Robles: plenty of sun, experiencnig the Paso Robles wines and cheeses, and great views in every direction.

Day 3: The next day Julia surprised me with the plan: horseback riding! The ride started on a vineyard nearby and we took an hour-long stroll through the backcountry. Another awesome experience to add to your itinerary as you learn interesting history of the area, walk through dried river beds and ride between aisles of grape vines. 

In the afternoon, we went to one of the marquee vineyards of Paso Robles: Daou Vineyards. This experience was a touch above the rest on the trip: expansive views of the estate, delicious food, and splendid wines. As soon as we entered, we were greeted with a glass of their rose, and once we were done with the tasting we walked around the estate for gorgeous views and pictures. 

Later in the evening, we went to Downtown Paso Robles: a small, yet exciting, downtown with diverse restaurants and shops. We went to The Alchemists’ Garden which had innovative cocktails (a good break from the wines!) and interesting appetizers.

Day 4: The next day’s wine tasting was at two mid-sized boutique wineries, each with a highly unique feel to them: Oso Libre and Austin Hope. Both these wineries were on smaller estates (as compared to Daou), and what stood out was the super friendly experience, coziness of sitting right next to the vineyards, rich history of their grapes, awesome wines, and informative tasting notes from the host. 

But that’s where the similarity ends. Oso Libre, meaning “Free Bear” in Spanish (and a play on the last names of the couple who founded it), had an old world charm to it with cultural influences from old California and Mexico seeping into the experience. Austin Hope, on the other hand, had a fun vibe to it, with great music playing through the speakers (a first for us at a vineyard), elevating the experience. They had cozy cabanas overlooking the vineyards – a great experience!

Later in the evening we headed to Downtown again. This time we ate at The Hatch – another great find. Unique and luxurious cocktails, delicious appetizers, and their famous fried chicken – simply a great experience.

Day 5: We took a break from wine country and headed to San Luis Obispo, a short 40 minute drive from Paso Robles. First up was a brief beach stop to ‘touch’ the cold Pacific ocean (both of us have lived in South Florida and nothing beats the warm waters of the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.) Next, we stopped by Cave Landing, an interesting hiking spot with cliffs along the ocean, and one can hike down to the ocean and see the rock formations cut by the water. 

San Luis Obispo is a small upscale town with lots of interesting shops and restaurants in the downtown area, esp. along the creek. We met with Julia’s aunt and uncle for lunch at Novo, a delicious restaurant with great ambience on the back patio. It was also fun to stroll around the shops in the area after lunch.

On the way back we stopped by the Montaña de Oro State Park to experience the beautiful sunset views and changing colors of the landscape and the ocean. This is a must-visit if you are in the area during sunset! On the drive back we stopped by the Flour House for some really awesome wood fired pizzas.

Day 6: Over the last a few days of the trip, we headed back to Fresno and stayed with family. It was great to catch up, share the wine stories (and wines), enjoy Diwali celebrations, and great home cooked food!

Overall, a fun week-long trip to the west coast. A huge thanks to my partner, Julia, who planned most of the activities on this trip! Hope you find this blog post useful as you plan your Paso Robles – the other California wine country – trip. 

And, remember, age is just a number, unless you are a bottle of wine 🙂

Namaste,

Abhi Khune

Abhiram Ganesh Khune