Wineries

With hundreds of wineries in the area, planning can get overwhelming fast, so I’ve grouped my recommendations by location to make things easier. As a general rule, I never do more than three wineries in a day. That third stop is usually going to be your chill spot, because by then, let’s be real, your palate is probably tapped out anyway, and unless you want to forget dinner and have the next day be a wash, there’s no point in getting that tipsy.

Option One - Tin City

Just off Highway 101, Tin City is an industrial park turned wine wonderland. Warehouses and garage bays have been taken over by innovative winemakers, mostly small producers who source their fruit and use the raw, unglamorous buildings as tasting rooms and production space. It's a walkable cluster, which is part of the charm and part of the danger: blink twice, and you've hit seven wineries and are calling a ride before you know it.

Hubba Wines - Riley Hubbard-Roddick is one of my favorite people, and her wines are aptly named after family and friends. The Mushroomhead, named for her sister's unfortunate childhood hairstyles, is a favorite, and the Mutha Chardonnay and Spoonman Chenin Blanc are staples in my house. That same familial warmth carries into the winery itself, tucked away in the back of Tin City. Check the schedule for Hubba's Friday evening concerts, with an eclectic mix of music and rotating food vendors. It's always my first stop when I get into town, and Riley makes some genuinely beautiful, graceful wines.

Field Recordings - Owned by Andrew Jones, the undisputed godfather of Tin City, Field Recordings makes fun, approachable wines with branding and labels so on point you'll want to buy everything and throw a party. Jones's day job is in the nursery business, importing and selling grapevine clones and cuttings, and that access shows: he crafts wines from both traditional and obscure varietals most winemakers never get their hands on. The tasting room matches the wine's personality; a chill living-room vibe complete with a claw machine and leather couches.

Etto Pasta - This is one of the only permanent places to eat in Tin City, which, after some wines, is pretty important. The menu ranges from homemade pastas to salads and Italian appetizers. While the food is totally solid, the wine list is fun and a great way to try some local wines without visiting more wineries. It’s an order-at-the-counter spot, but the vibes are more of a proper sit-down, white napkin restaurant.

Proof and Gather - If you’re not looking for a full-on sit-down restaurant, this little bakery is a perfect stop to share a pizza and grab some delicious breads to snack on at your next stop. I can’t say enough good things about their cookies!!

Option Two - Willow Creek and Adelaida

Royal Nonesuch Farm &Lopai Cellars - Royal Nonesuch Farm and Lopai Cellars is a great combined stop. Royal Nonesuch is owned by Paso veteran winemaker Anthony Yount, who crafts cool-climate Syrahs and vineyard-specific wines that are gorgeous representations of the York Mountain AVA. Lopai is owned by father-and-son duo Paul and Brian Lopez, who step outside the huge fruit bombs of other area wines to make some memorable blends. The two wineries share a tasting room, so it's worth making a destination of it, enjoy the open-air space with wonderful art, visuals, and views of Paso Robles' bucolic westside countryside. Oh, and you'll hear the neighboring farm's goats too.

Alta Colina - Alta Colina is another great destination for tasting, mainly to do the Sundowner Deck tasting, where you can take in the breathtaking views over the epic vineyard the Tillman family has crafted their wines from. The wines lean big and bold, and the Old 900 Syrah begs for a steak, which is exactly why you need to take a bottle home.

Option Three - Templeton

I grew up on this side of Paso, and if you ask me, it's still the realest version of the area’s wine country before oil money, concrete fortunes, and medical supply empires started building tasting rooms that look like they belong in Napa cosplay.

The Fableist - This is the kind of place that makes you fall for the story as much as the wine. It's the brainchild of Curt Schalchlin (of Sans Liege) and Andrew Jones (Yes, the Field Recordings/Tin City guy). Every bottle is tied to one of Aesop's fables, a little moral packaged with your wines, and the outdoor patio overlooking the vineyard is the kind of unpretentious pretty that doesn't need a marble tasting counter to prove itself. The wines are super well priced, and I’m a huge fan of the Tempranillo and the Albariño. Fun fact - this is the Pomar Junction vineyard, and there’s a caboose in the back. My mom used to walk here from our house to pick up her shipments.

Clesi Wines- This is truly an old-school family-owned winery vibe. Chris Ferrara, who's been farming Italian varietals around Paso since before it was a "thing,” makes wines you genuinely can't find anywhere else in the area: Aglianico, Nero d'Avola, Negroamaro, Dolcetto, wines that taste like they wandered out of an Italian countryside and decided to stay in the Templeton Gap. The tasting room is rustic, low-key, surrounded by gardens and actual chickens (and yes, you'll hear goats here too). Chris named the winery after his great-great-grandmother Anna Clesi, and that homegrown, family-first feel is exactly what's disappearing from so much of Paso. If you’re lucky, the Ferraras will be selling their fresh veggies and eggs! They also have a cheese and charcuterie fridge, so it’s a welcome addition to a wine tasting.