Hey there, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. Today we're doing a destination
review of Paso Robles. Paso Robles (yes it's pronounced "Ro-bulls" instead of
"Ro-bless") is located in central California, about 30 miles north of San Luis Obispo.
It's a popular spot to do wine-tasting, as there are approximately 200
family-owned wineries in the area. It's a great place to escape the bigger
metropolitan cities of California like San Francisco and Los Angeles, and is
about a three to four hour drive from both cities. "Paso", as the locals call it,
is known for its diversity of wines and innovative winemaking. According to the
website Wine Folly, the key styles that make Paso famous are: Zinfandel, Cabernet
Sauvignon, the Rhone blends, Cal-Italians, as well as some of the innovative blends.
While there are ton of places to visit in Paso, here are some key highlights
from my trip in March 2017. 1) Wine tasting: Whether you're a wino or
just a casual drinker, visiting a winery is a great way to escape the big city
and spend a day drinking and learning more about wine. During my last visit, we
visited three wineries. The first was Linne Calodo.
The second was Turley Wine Cellars, and the third was Wild Horse Winery. I highly
recommend all three of these wineries. All had very unique and distinct features.
Most were pretty relaxing, unlike some of the more hipster wineries in Los Angeles.
We'll cover those in another video. 2) Olive oil tastings: While
much of the focus is on wine when visiting Paso,
there are also some excellent olive oil farms to visit and learn more about
olive oil. One of my favorites is Kiler Ridge. During their tour, they basically
walk you through their popular oils and also explain why commercially available
oils may not be what you think they are. In fact, when I visited their farm a few
years ago, I was so impressed by the tour that I signed up for their club and now
I receive shipments twice a year. 3) Downtown Paso Robles:
Paso has a great downtown area filled with cafes art galleries and
awesome restaurants. In addition, they host festivals all the time, so check in
advance to see if one is happening during your trip. You can find details at
the official Paso Robles downtown website. In terms of lodging, while there
are major hotel chains in the area, I highly recommend staying at a winery if
possible. It's a very unique and interesting experience. The prices range
and are definitely higher for some of the more well-established wineries.
During our last visit we stayed at an Airbnb located on an actual vineyard.
The house was incredible and it included a barbecue and also a patio area in the
back. Since we were actually on a working vineyard, the views were spectacular. I've
included the link below in case you haven't used Airbnb before and want to
receive a discount on your first booking. Lastly, here are some tips before
visiting Paso. 1) Make appointments when visiting wineries: Some
wineries do not require a reservation, but it's always good practice to call in
advance just to verify. Sometimes wineries will have private parties as
well, so you want to make sure that their normal tasting hours are still valid.
2) Pack food and snacks when visiting wineries: Wineries are generally
supportive of people bringing in food. Just make sure to purchase some wine and
enjoy the scenery and peacefulness that comes from being on a vineyard or winery.
3) Join a winery to get discounts: Most wineries will waive their
tasting fees and give big discounts on their wine if you join their club. If you
find one that you like, I highly suggest joining. Some wineries also host member-
only events where you can get a more intimate look at the process and wine
produced. 4) Ride-sharing services may be limited: Uber and Lyft
are both available in the Paso area, but the supply tends to be pretty low. Also, I
noticed that my cell phone reception was pretty spotty, especially in some of the
distant wineries. Keep this in mind, especially if you're visiting multiple
wineries in one day. Another option is to hire a designated driver that will basically
drive from one winery to another or back home.
We personally didn't try this service, but it seems to be pretty popular in the
Paso area. I'll include a link below to some of the options. 5) Bring
your purchased wine to dinner: Most of the restaurants in Paso allow you to
bring your own wine to dinner and some don't even charge a cork fee. This is a
great way to enjoy the wine you may have purchased during your wine tasting.
6) Avoid leaving wine in a hot car: This is
something I ran into on my last trip to Paso.
I recommend packing a cooler, if possible, so you can keep your wine cool in the
car. Of course, make sure you bring the wine in as well when you get to your
hotel or house. Keep in mind too that most wineries will ship wine to your
address for free as well. That's always an option.
7) Check out Templeton: Though most people concentrate their time exploring Paso,
don't be afraid to venture south to Templeton. Templeton has a lot of great
farms and vineyards, and is generally cheaper than Paso. Definitely don't rule
it out as a place to stay or explore during your visit. I've included links to
most the places mentioned in this video. Also, if you have any recommendations,
comments, or questions, please leave them in the comment section below. If you
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updates. Until next time, travel safe and travel smart.