5 Reasons You Need To Visit:
I got a call from a friend who was on her way down to Paso Robles who asked for recommendations. We were so happy she asked that we not only had recommendations for her but we gave her and her husband a free tasting in a private room in one of our favorite wineries. If you need recommendations on California wine, please feel free to reach out and ask!
Well, this place is a gem for a lot of reasons. On our visit we explored a lot of great reasons to visit this small town in Central California.
Here are 5 reasons you really should plan a visit to Paso Robles soon.
1. Sea and Country
Stay by the ocean and relic in the countryside on the same weekend. There’s a saying in California that we’re proud to say; on the same day, you can ski and surf.
Well, it’s kind of like that when you visit Paso except that as we get older and skiing and surfing just doesn’t do it anymore, why not relic in the country drinking wine and have dinner by the sea that same night? If you do some digging around, you’ll find great places to stay whether by the ocean or in the countryside, all within a few hours of Los Angeles.
From the beach towns to the neighboring towns of Paso Robles, there are also towns like Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Cambria and Pismo Beach that are all popular towns frequented on the weekends just on their own.
When our friends visit Paso Robles, they like to stay in Cambria, which makes for a great weekend getaway. Like I said, sleep by the ocean and have wine in the country during the day.
2. Discover unique grapes
If you’re just familiar with cabernet sauvignon and Pino Noir, you might want to expand your knowledge a little bit more on grapes and what better way than to discover the grapes in Paso Robles. The uniqueness is all about the grapes.
Try the Rhone Varietals such as Grenache and Mourvedre for a change. These were a nice change and worth discovering as well as a nice way to add to your collection as they’re more distinct to the area than the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Knowing your grapes is part of understanding the art of wine and being able to pair your special dinner is a good enough reason. Why not discover the unique wines of this area while growing your knowledge of California wines?
3. Budget Friendly
In a cute sort of way…
The location of Paso Robles is far enough not to be affected from all the sometimes pretentious “farm to table” flair of Los Angeles and San Francisco or even Santa Barbara and I like it that way. There’s nothing “hipster” about this place but down to earth folk who take great pride in their town.
So don’t bother asking for an almond latte with a double shot of espresso topped with vanilla if you’re in a café. Just order the darn coffee and let them come by and top you off. You’ll have a feeling that will bring you back down to earth. And that’s good isn’t it?
The tastings, the wines, the food and the accommodations are all very reasonable here. The budget friendly town is what really makes the drive worth it for a lot of couples that need a getaway from the kids or just a weekend away that won’t break the bank or maybe both!
“Tastings:
Tastings are still relatively affordable at around $10-$20 and not too long ago, they were $5 bucks in the farmer’s home.
Buy a bottle and they’ll credit you back the tasting. It’s as simple as that. Stay in a place for around $100-$150 a night and splurge if your upwards of $250 a night.”
4) Best way to unplug
The atmosphere here is so laid back that it not only feels like you’re stepping back in time with the richness of it’s history, but so are the people. This is California’s small town feel at it’s best.
You won’t even find the purest of small downs in Santa Barbara or the surrounding areas in Sonoma County that compare to Paso Robles. It’s as pure as the girl next door that has absolutely no clue and you kind of like it that way.
5) A Memorable 4th of July
The most memorable 4th of July is in Cambria. All the locals in the surrounding towns come out to the beach to watch one of the most amazing firework shows I’ve ever seen. The fireworks are lit right off the pier with thousands of revelers on the beach hanging out til sunset.
“Tip:
Choose Cambria over Morro Bay to watch the fireworks. It’s known here that the beach in Cambria has less fog than the towns south of here like Morro Bay and even Pismo Beach. ”
More Recommendations:
Great wineries in Paso Robles
We just won’t cancel one of our club memberships from Paso Robles. Yes, yes – I know you can buy this wine in a Total Wine and even a BevMo but when I asked why we still have this membership my husband said, “we wouldn’t have any if it wasn’t being shipped to us.” And there you go.
Best Winery:
Sextant Wines is the best membership. They always have a very nice gift with each delivery, they have a beautiful room just for members and well, their wine is just good!
Best place for lunch and a tasting:
Cass Winery has a very nice lunch you can have with your tasting which I find rare. It’s actually so rare that recommendations are highly recommended.
Most unique wine tasting:
Dubost Winery I found the most unique not because it was hard to find but their wines are very unique. Try their Blood of Jove for example if they still have it. It’s truly, yes, like drinking blood but in a good way. Sort of. Part of the appeal was looking around for the tasting room that was in a barn and when I opened the door, I was greeted at the door and much to my chagrin when I asked her where the tasting room was, she said, come on in! Well, ok!
Best wine tour:
Halter Ranch has an amazing tour. The history, the process of how they make wines and the beautiful rooms where one had this most amazing and v e r y expensive table, all make the tour worth your while. The wines are good but I remember the tour the most.
What do you like most about Paso Robles?
For questions, please feel free to ask too!
Thanks for reading…