Paso Robles Wine Country Archives - Wine Country Getaways

Paso Robles Big Three Wineries

by Joe Becerra

Once a cowboy and cowgirl town, Paso Robles is now a wine country destination for wine lovers and tourists. More than 200 wineries and eleven Wine AVA’s await the traveler. In this article, we focus on what we call the Big Three Wineries in Paso Robles. Paso Robles Big Three Wineries If you love visiting … Read more

J Lohr in Paso Robles

by Joe Becerra

National Geographic and the Somm Journal are teaming up to present a virtual exploration of wineries worldwide. The series is “Unique Wine Regions of the World.” In the most recent virtual experience, J Lohr Vineyards & Wines represented the wine region of Paso Robles. Paso Robles Wine Country Paso Robles is one of our favorite … Read more

Stolo Family Vineyards has a Niche

by Joe Becerra

A Visit to Stolo Family Vineyards – Why you should go Paso Robles is a hot spot for wine country travelers. The downtown is booming with high-end restaurants and boutique shopping. There are enough tasting rooms in and around the famous City Park to spend an entire day. To the immediate west and east are … Read more

The Ever-Changing Paso Robles Wine Country

by Joe Becerra

Paso Robles Wine Country Two-Day Getaway It has been a long two years since we spent time in the Paso Robles wine country. Our very first visit to this wine country was in 1998, and we have returned on numerous occasions. You can’t imagine the growth in the wine and food scene since our first … Read more

Paso Robles Art and Wine Tour in September

by Joe Becerra

15 Paso Robles wineries to participate in the Erin Hanson Art & Wine Tour 2015 Something quite different will take place in the Paso Robles wine country in September. Fifteen Paso Robles wineries will participate in the Erin Hanson Art & Wine Tour 2015. These select Paso Robles wineries will feature the oil paintings of impressionist artist … Read more

Brecon Estate – shifting wine styles on Vineyard Drive

by Joe Becerra

Brecon Estate is where the Norman Monster Zin once roamed One of the old standby Paso Robles wineries, Norman Vineyards, sold its facilities and vineyards on Vineyard Drive in 2013. It is now Brecon Estate, with a totally different approach to winemaking. The Norman winery continues to operate in a warehouse area of Paso Robles. In 2014, … Read more

Girls Weekend in Paso Robles

by Joe Becerra

The Grapeline was one of those “college kid” recommendations that did not disappoint. A full day on the Grapeline includes your lunch, all of your tastings, transportation, and, of course, the charming driver/wine expert.

Paso Robles – Highway 46 East Wineries – Quick Getaway

by Joe Becerra

Highway 101 divides the Paso Robles wineries from East to West. Many of these wineries are located on spectacular backroad country on both sides of 101, very scenic and peaceful. Those wineries are mostly far off and take a bit of exploring. If you are short on time, try the wineries that parallel Highway 46 East. We paid a visit last Sunday to four wineries on the very busy Highway 46 East.

The first winery we visited was the Broken Earth winery that took over the facilities vacated by the EOS Winery. EOS Winery was purchased a couple of years ago by Foley Family Wines. The group moved the winery operations to another area of Paso Robles. The Broken Earth winery redid the color scheme and the picnic area, and it looks beautiful. The tasting room is spacious. We tasted several of the wines and felt that they were good but none that wowed us enough to purchase any for home. Although the picnic area is beautiful, the traffic noise from Highway 46 is somewhat unsettling.

Which are the best wineries to visit in Paso Robles?

by Joe Becerra

We first posted our Paso Robles Wine Trails section on WineCountryGetaways.com in 2004. Maybe at that time there were 100 wineries in the area. Since that time, the area has experienced astonishing growth and now the number of wineries stands at over 200. The last couple of years, we have visited the Paso Robles wine country on several trips with the goal of revising and adding wine trails to our Paso Robles wine region.

When we first began exploring Paso Robles, the wine region was most noted for its big and bold Zinfandel wines. Peachy Canyon, Tobin James and a few others were gaining attention and popularity for their Zinfandel wines. But things are changing, and particularly on the Westside of 101, with many wineries concentrating on Rhone-style wines. The pioneer winery in this area is the Tablas Creek Winery. They imported the rootstock of several Rhone varieties from France and planted them on land they felt was similar in soil and climate to that of southern France. Tablas Creek has a nursery, and local wineries can purchase budwood and grafted vines to pursue the making of Rhone wines.

Turtle Rock Willow Creek Cuvée rocks in Paso Robles

by Joe Becerra

Note: Since the writing of this article, Westberg and Turtle Rock are closed.

Rarely do I get overly excited about a wine, but in this case, I must write and rave about a wine I discovered while in Paso Robles a couple of weeks ago. Janelle and I were traveling the backroads of Paso Robles on the west side of Highway 101. We stumbled upon a winery by the name of Westberg Cellars. It is a very hidden winery and for whatever reason, the winery is not listed in the local wine guide produced by the Paso Robles Wine Alliance.