Paso Robles Guide – What Not to Miss

paso robles, justin winery

So if you’ve seen my Instagram, you know that I love to go wine tasting. In addition to going to the Santa Ynez Valley I also like to go to Paso Robles which is 3 to 4 hours away from Los Angeles.  When we go to Paso Robles we usually spend 2-3 days, after that my husband and I are over wine tasting.  That’s why I also give suggestions on other things to in the area besides wine tasting. So, here is my list of things to do when you’re in Paso Robles for 48 to 72 hours:

Where to Stay in Paso Robles

  • La Bellasera Hotel Every time we’ve been to Paso Robles we stay at La Bellasera, it’s centrally located and has nice amenities.  They call it a “luxury hotel”, but I feel that it’s a solid 3.5 star hotel.  If you don’t want to venture out for dinner after a long day of wine tasting, the Enoteca Restaurant on site has a great menu.

Where to Eat Breakfast

  • Vics Café is our only go to spot for breakfast. We stumbled upon this restaurant on our first morning in Paso, 3 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that they have gluten-free toast (I’m gluten free) as an option for breakfast.  My husband loves traditional hashbrowns and they serve those as well.  As a kid, I lived in a small town in Texas, this restaurant reminds me of the no-frills, solid breakfasts places that we would frequent as a child.  Suffice it to say, with gluten free toast and hash browns, we don’t go anywhere else for breakfast.

Where to Eat Lunch

  • Di Raimondos Italian Market and Cheese Shop- Well if you saw my blog from last month you know that I love a good picnic.  If you like a picnic too I highly recommend going to Di Raimondos to pick up some yummy nibbles for your picnic.   This recommendation came from my friend Ashley and she was spot on.  They have a wide assortment of meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, etc, basically anything you need for a picnic and then some.  On our last visit we even picked up some cheese knives and utensils to add to our picnic basket.  One thing to mention is that while some of the wineries do offer food options, we like to bring our own food because we bring only what we like and given that I’m gluten free, I have many more options if I bring my own picnic items.
  • Fish Gaucho  We’re often wine tasting around lunch time, but if we’re in Paso for lunch, this is our spot. Silly name aside, they serve a solid Mexican dishes and I really love the chilaquiles.

Where to Eat Dinner

I can only recommend 2 restaurants at this time because some of the others we’ve tried have not been ones that I would recommend.

  • Il Cortile  This was a restaurant that my husband found.  They have great Italian favorites on the menu.  I was a fan of the grilled salmon.
  • Thomas Hill Organics  You’ll find great farm-to-table options at this popular restaurant.  This was another recommendation from my friend Ashley.  If the weather permits, I would recommend siting in the outdoor courtyard.  The chicken and pork chop main course options are very tasty.

Wineries to Visit in Paso Robles

One thing that I would be remiss not to mention is that both me and my husband usually do not like heavy red wines and Paso Robles is known for their red wines, notably cabernet sauvignon.  We much prefer lighter chardonnay and pinot nior varietals which must have a cooler climate like the Santa Ynez Valley to flourish.  Some of the wineries do offer chardonnay and pinot nior varietals in addition to heavier options.

  • JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery  This is the only winery that we are members of in Paso Robles.  Some people consider this winery to be “too big” or that it “sold out” because they are now owned by Fiji Water.  I have to say that I don’t agree.  On our first visit we did the winery and cave tour, we had a fabulous tour learning about their wine making process and tasting library wines including their standouts ISOSCELES and Justification.  While we don’t usually like heavier wines, we love most of the wines we taste at this winery, prompting us to join their wine club.  Our wine and cave tour was led by Mark and we always request a tasting led by him every time we’ve visited since.  What we like: ISOSCELES, Savant and Malbec Reserve.
paso robles, Justin Winery
Justin Winery

 

 

paso robles
during our wine and cave tour at Justin
  • Wild Horse Winery  This winery is off the beaten path, but I would definitely put it on your list.  They source their wine from many areas, including the Santa Ynez valley.  We always end up with wine every time we visit and it’s usually their Reserve Chardonay and Pinot Nior.  Another fun thing to mention is that they have llamas on the property so make sure to say hi.  There were 3 on our first visit Floyd, Dolly and Salvador Dali, but sadly one passed in the last year.
paso robles
With the Llamas at Wild Horse Winery

paso robles

 

  • Calcareous Vineyard – This was the first winery in the area with an impressive view.  I loved our experiences at this winery, the people that work here are so kind and welcoming. We enjoyed our tasting on the beautiful lawn over looking the valley and had very attentive service, he seemed to know exactly when we were ready for our next pour.  Both times at this location they gave us tastings of items not on the menu.
paso robles
Taking in the view at Calcareous Vineyard
  • Eberle Winery  This is the only winery we found that offers free wine cave tours without a reservation.  We found this winery to have a very relaxed feel.  They offer a choose your own wine tasting, they have a very extensive wine list and you can choose the 5-6 wines you want to taste rather than the wines they want you to taste.  This is great for people that know the wine varietals they like and don’t like.

Other Places to Go near Paso Robles

  • Hearst Castle– I highly recommend spending an entire day at Hearst Castle, it’s about an hour from Paso Robles in San Simeon.  You will need to make reservations for any of the tours and you should probably do so in advance of your visit.  If you only have a few hours, I recommend that you take a tour of the grounds and the grand rooms. If you have longer than that I would recommend going to see the offices and the guest houses.  Please note that you will have to take a shuttle bus to get to the estate, so that will add time.
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle Grounds
Hearst Castle
Part of the Grand Rooms Tour
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle Grounds
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle Grounds
Hearst Castle
The pool at Hearst Castle, which is currently under construction.
Hearst Castle
Taking in all the sights at Hearst Castle.

 

So there you have it.  Let me know some of your favorite places in the comments below.

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