Introduction

Not long ago Paso Robles was a cattle town with very little viniculture. Has that changed! Now there are over a hundred wineries that are regularly open to the public. Paso is really three rather distinct areas. In the mountains to the west of Highway 101 are the Far Out Wineries and they are. Drive narrow mountain roads with wonderful scenery and vistas to these secluded tasting rooms.

To the west of Highway 101 and along Highway 46 West is a winery patch with some larger wineries mixed in with mom and pop wineries in barns. To the east of Highway 101 and Paso Robles are the wineries along Highway 46 East and scattered through the low hills. Lots of variety to explore here also.

We find the wines on the east side to be softer and a bit less interesting for us. However, that isn't always true and we often stop by Locatelli and Meridian when we are in the area.

Paso is the best base for exploring this region and has plenty of traveler services with a nice range of lodging and dining.

We are adding almost 50 more wineries for this region. There has been an explosion of growth there in the past year.

- Jim Preston

Must See Paso Robles Wineries - an introduction to the region.

• Robert Hall and Vina Robles
  • Architecture and interior - they both have incredible architecture, pick one, or both. They live next to each other.
• Bianchi
  • Landscaping - gardens, big pond, view.
  • Architecture - beautiful tasting room with patio by the pond.
  • Picnic site - patio by the pond.
• Castoro
  • Architecture and interior - nice Italian design.
  • Landscaping - extensive and beautiful.
  • Picnic areas - try to get the romantic table for two on the little deck next to the vineyard, or under the arbor! One of the best picnic areas in the region.
• Lone Madrone
  • Landscaping - gardens, farm animals.
  • Architecture - not sure how to describe the fairly tale ambiance.
  • Picnic site - picnic with the farm animals for entertainment.
• Eagle Castle
  • Landscaping - A mote! Great views.
  • Architecture - A castle that seems a lot like a castle.
• Halter Ranch
  • Landscaping - gardens, big oaks, old ranch ambiance in rolling hills. Very California.
  • Architecture - well maintained old ranch house.
  • Picnic site - beautiful site to picnic in the hills.
• Wild Coyote
  • Landscaping - Southwest theme gardens with landscape art.
  • Architecture - Southwest adobe.
  • Lodging - a few rooms available.

Off-The-Beaten-Track Paso Robles Wineries

This region is full of off-the-beaten-track wineries! We'll give you a few suggestions to get you started. Once you learn the lay of the land you'll have a blast exploring in the boonies.

• Mitchella - This little winery is hidden behind Robert Hall and is a wonderful secret.
• Clautiere - Nice ambiance in the hills but the landscape art and maybe "different" tasting room decor is a treat.
• Dunning - Hey, you wanted wineries in the sticks. Visit the Dunnings in their little working winery.
• Thunderbolt Junction - The long and winding mountain roads take you deep into a canyon to a rustic winery. Great views along the way.
• Cass - Remote but popular for events, picnicking, and the interesting tasting bar.
• There are so many more such wineries, far too many to mention.

Romantic Paso Robles Wineries

A special ambiance for long quiet conversations and enjoying love. Usually we have a secluded outdoor scene in mind. This is one of the more romantic wine regions in California so the selection of romantic wineries is larger than most. Here are a few top ones.

• Still Water - beautiful landscaping with water features.
• Bianchi - patio seating by the pond.
• Castoro - nice landscaping and there are a couple of tables next the vineyard that are perfect for romance.
• Croad - deck seating with a great view.
• Halter Ranch - renovated large older home with a huge yard and big oaks. Nice patio for romantic encounter.
• Carmody McKnight - beautiful mountain setting around ponds and well-landscaped.
• Justin - romantic tasting room with comfortable seating.

Notes

Your tastes change frequently. Do wine ratings, gold medals, etc. really matter?

We have hundreds of winery interview videos in winery profiles. We shoot these at winery events because that is the cheapest way to gather content. It would be nice to go to each tasting room but this gets very expensive quickly. See our Compare Winery Features search engine for which wineries have videos in your target region.

We are adding our Discover California Wine Regions videos to the Recommended Wineries by Region pages.

California Wine Travel Planner