Not all tastings are built alike! Here are the 5 must visit wineries to have an amazing tasting experience at the most gorgeous properties in the Paso Robles.
Booker Vineyard
Booker's Eric Jensen originally started out just selling grapes to other producers, but in 2005 Eric and his wife Lisa began making their own wine under the tutelage of two Paso Robles legends: Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery and Justin Smith of Saxum Vineyards. Booker's production is mostly Rhone style wines such as Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre (GSM) blends, or single varietal Grenache and Syrah, but they have some newer, more experimental bottles such as a Tempranillo. Their tasting room, built by Signum Architecture, is a sleek, minimalist and modern building that flows perfectly with the hillside, and matches their modern approach to their winemaking. We recommend either the Terrace or Cave Tasting, and be sure to ask for a tour of the facility to see how they use technology to enhance their winemaking.
Tasting to Get: Terrace Tasting ($100 per person) or Cave Experience ($250 per person)
DAOU Vineyards
One of the hottest wines on the market now, you can find DAOU's wines in huge stores like Bevmo, Ralph's and Whole Foods. They are best known for Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, and Chardonnay. Their mass production wines are very good especially for the price, but their higher end wines are the real selling point of this tasting. The crown jewel of DAOU's portfolio is Soul of a Lion - a cabernet dominant Bordeaux blend that is not too sweet and has perfectly structured yet soft tannins. Their estate is an enormous Spanish style hacienda sitting atop one of the highest mountains in the area and offers panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards. The best part about this tasting is that you can always upgrade to individual glasses of any wines they are offering that day and you can order food from their kitchen. Because of this, we think it is best to go with their standard tasting and add on any wines you would like to try later.
Tasting to Get: DiscoverDAOU Experience ($50 per person)
Epoch Estate Wines
It is safe to say that Epoch Estate Wines is the king of the York Mountain AVA, located on the western edge of the Paso Robles AVA. In 2010, Bill and Liz Armstrong purchased the cherished York Mountain Vineyard, which was founded in 1882. They replanted the vineyard and now make stellar York Mountain Syrah, Grenache and Viognier. They also own the phenomenal Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards in the Willow Creek district of the Paso Robles AVA so you can explore the differences in each AVA's terroir side by side. The estate itself is absolutely gorgeous and nestled in a pristine forest atop the mountain. The tasting room is a reconstruction of the York Mountain Winery by Lake Flato Architects and B.K Architect LLC, and masterfully blends history and modernity.
Tasting to Get: Signature Tasting ($40 per person)
Justin Winery
Visiting the estate at Justin Winery is a must - the tasting room is a beautiful modern farmhouse nestled right in some of Justin's vineyards and also includes an upscale inn for those who want a rustic yet luxurious place to stay. The best time to go is during lunch so you can enjoy their Michelin Star quality food while you taste their wines. They offer a vast array of styles from Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone varietals and Malbec to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier so there are options for every palette. Ask about the house-made chocolate pairing too if you are looking for something even more decadent.
Tasting to Get: Estate Wine Tasting and Lunch - Premium Tasting Flight ($80 per person)
Tablas Creek Vineyard
When the Perrin family of Rhone's Château de Beaucastel partnered with legendary wine importer Robert Haas and his family to create Tablas Creek Vineyard, they pioneered the Rhone movement in California. Since then, Paso Robles has been largely dominated by Rhone style producers. All of Tablas Creek's wines are still true to the traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape style and the vines are propagated from cuttings from Beaucastel's vineyards. In my opinion, Tablas Creek makes hands down the best white Rhone varietals in California. The standout wines are their flagship red Esprit de Tablas and white Esprit de Tablas Blanc - these best demonstrate how well suited the Paso Robles terroir is for growing Rhone varietals. Their tasting room is a classic Spanish style building with plenty of patio space so if it isn't too hot we definitely recommend sitting outside or doing the vineyard tour to see the sheep roaming around the vines!
Tasting to Get: Vineyard Tour + Tasting ($30 per person)
Bonus: Ledge Vineyards
We didn't include Ledge on our top 5 because the public technically cannot book a tasting there but this is probably our favorite winery in Paso Robles. Owner and winemaker Mark Adams learned winemaking under Saxum's Justin Smith, and was assistant winemaker at Saxum for many years. He started Ledge Vineyards in 2005 and really started to gain steam in the 2010s. Mark makes top notch Rhone style wines and in the last few years major critics have started to notice - Jeb Dunnuck recently awarded 98 points to Ledge's 2020 Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah.
If you are interesting in doing a tasting at Ledge, drop us a note and we would be happy to try to arrange one at the vineyard.
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