{"id":24672,"date":"2018-05-11T07:49:26","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T14:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/?p=24672"},"modified":"2025-08-24T20:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T03:31:13","slug":"paso-robles-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/paso-robles-california\/","title":{"rendered":"WINE TASTING HIDDEN GEM: PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve heard of Napa and Temecula, you\u2019ve seen Santa Ynez in the movie Sideways, but there is a hidden wine tasting gem nestled in the heart of the Central California Coast. I won\u2019t tease you any longer, it is Paso Robles. <\/p>\n

Paso Robles is an enormous wine producing region, where there are over 200 wineries and new ones are opening every year. There are large wineries serving dozens of wines as well as family-run vineyards with an emphasis on quality over quantity. Relaxed and rural, the vibe is as unpretentious as it gets. Don\u2019t expect fancy (jeans are common) but do expect a place where you can have a real wine education and wear a pretty dress surrounded by vineyard covered hillsides.<\/p>\n

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GETTING TO AND STAYING IN PASO ROBLES<\/h3>\n

Paso Robles is a 3-hour drive from San Francisco, 2.5-hour drive from Santa Barbara, and 3.5-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles. The nearest small airport is San Luis Obispo (SBP), with a 30-minute drive to Paso Robles. Although there is a town square with delicious places to eat, the area is sprawling. I recommend having a car, not for your wine tasting day, but to get around easier. It is not the easiest wine tasting region to get to, but it feels like a real break from life in San Francisco or Los Angeles.<\/p>\n


\nThere are a few hotels in the area, but I recommend staying at an Airbnb. Each time we visit, we have found darling, spacious Airbnb\u2019s with a very home-decorated vibe (think doilies and framed animal images). Since you have your car with you, why not stay a little out of town in the picturesque hills? We also enjoy having an Airbnb with a kitchen, so we can cook a tipsy-meal after a day of tasting. <\/p>\n

It does get quite warm in Paso Robles during the summer time, but early and late summer are delightful times to visit. In the early spring, the grasses between the vines will be green with the actual vines being barren. In the summer, the grasses turn yellow and the vines are full of big green leaves. The fall is harvest season and the leaves begin to turn yellow in November.<\/p>\n


\nTHE BEST WAY TO GO WINE TASTING<\/h3>\n

The beauty of Paso Robles is that the tasting rooms are at the vineyards. You can walk outside each tasting room and see the grapes that produce the wine you taste. Such a lovely experience comes with the logistical challenge of how to get from place to place when tasting wine. This is where the Wine Line<\/a> comes in. Not like a normal wine tour, the Wine Line allows you to choose the wineries you visit (within a reasonable distance). This freedom to choose the wineries and not having to select a designated driver is my favorite way to experience wine country. This is not a sponsored post, I want everyone to be safe and have a good time!<\/p>\n


\nHere\u2019s how it works: for $70 per person the Wine Line will pick you up from your hotel or Airbnb (extra charge for a distant pickup location), and drive you to taste at about 4 or 5 wineries. Book online and let them know which wineries you want to go to. You will be in a van with a variety of other people, who will not necessarily be going to the same wineries.<\/p>\n

Your driver will drop you off, introduce you to a tasting associate inside, and leave you to taste for about 40 minutes. If you decide to buy wine, your driver will carry your bottles to the van and it will be safe for the rest of the day. You can order a picnic lunch through the company, have your driver drop you off downtown, or bring a picnic to eat at one of the scenic wineries (my favorite option!). <\/p>\n

Other ways to taste wine include driving yourself, doing a wine tour with pre-selected locations, or hiring a personal driver. If driving yourself, please be safe and spread your wine tasting out across many days. If you are in a large group, a personal driver might end up being less expensive, so do a little research.<\/p>\n

\"Wine<\/p>\n

WINERY RECOMMENDATIONS<\/h3>\n

After several trips to Paso Robles, there are a few stand-out wineries. Be sure to do some research ahead of time as there is turnover of wineries and a few of my favorites have already disappeared. Some of my favorites are:<\/p>\n