3 Winery Picks in Paso Robles

Posted on April 5, 2020 By Nadya B

Lots of travel memories have been popping up for me lately. March is when I typically take my first trip of the year, so I’ve been looking at photos from March trips to Zion, Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, Toronto and, last but not least, Paso Robles.

I never did blog the Paso Robles trip because, well, lots of wine was consumed on that trip and blogging it was the last thing on my mind at the time. However, my memories from Paso Robles together with this quarantine meme inspired me to finally do a blog post.

Half of us are gonna come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks and the other half is gonna come out with a drinking problem. There is no in between

— Mat (@matchu_chutrain) March 19, 2020

I am on track to become both of these at this point. 🙂

I’ll share my favorite wineries in Paso together with some wines from there you can actually get at the grocery / wine store.

How to Get There

Paso Robles is about 200 miles from both San Francisco and Los Angeles, making it an easy weekend trip from either of these major cities. Many, if not all of these wineries offer their wines directly on their website or distribute through grocery/wine stores, so you can experience their wine without going there!

When to Go

Springtime is a great time to visit Paso. Nights will still be cool, but the days are gorgeous and not too hot. It’s also not too crowded, even though we visited on Easter weekend. I don’t have hotel recommendation, since my friend and I stayed in a private bedroom in someone’s home via AirBnB – a great way to keep costs down! We spent 4 days/3 nights there and felt that was the perfect amount of time.

Best Overall Experience: Justin

Justin Winery was the first stop during our first full day in Paso. They have an excellent restaurant on site – you never want to start wine tasting on an empty stomach. Keep in mind this place is remote: we used ride sharing services to get there, but it took a while to find one to pick us up once we were done. This was back in 2016; things likely have changed for the better. There is also an inn on site, so you can simplify everything and just stay on the scenic grounds.

Wine Pick: Justin Sauvignon Blanc

Best Views: DAOU

This winery wins a BAG Award (Balabanova’s All-Time Greatest) for the best view in Paso, but the wine is pretty good, too! We went without a reservation, but you should consider one if you’re visiting on a busy weekend or in the summer.

Wine Pick: DAOU Cabernet

Most Unique Grounds: Sculpterra

We visited Sculpterra on our last day and fell in love with the grounds. There is an entire sculpture garden, and their tasting room is beautiful! I believe they only sell their wine directly, so I don’t have a wine pick, but their 2017 Heroe won second place for Best of Show last year.