Paso Robles Wine Country Getaway - January 2004

We travel with our friends to Paso Robles for a two-night wine country getaway. We arrive in Paso Robles just in time for lunch. We are anxious to see the impact of the recent 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the downtown area and the wineries. Unfortunately, many of the historic buildings have been severely damaged in the quake. Some of the wineries experienced various degrees of damage but nearly all are open and eager to receive visitors. We are very happy to see that the town is upbeat and determined to rebuild.

We purchase a takeout lunch at the Panolivo Restaurant on Park St. They have a French style menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We drive out to the Peachy Canyon Winery, a ten-minute drive from Paso Robles. Peachy Canyon has a very spacious and beautiful picnic area surrounded by hillside vineyards. Peachy Canyon is a Zinfandel specialist and we choose their Westside Zinfandel to enjoy with our picnic lunch. The Zin is perfect with our roasted lamb sandwiches.

After a very leisurely lunch, we head up the hill on Bethel Rd. to Castoro Cellars. They have a packed house but the winery staff is very efficient at taking care of everyone. Castoro has a terrific selection of wines and they are good values.

Our next stop is Midnight Cellars on Anderson Rd. off Highway 46. This winery specializes in red wines, making 7000 cases per year. Surprisingly, this small winery attracts a good number of visitors and several of their wines sell out quickly. We think Midnight Cellars has a great selection of wines. We can’t pass up the bargain sale price on very delicious Sangiovese wine. We split a case with our friends.

We backtrack on Highway 46 towards 101 and turn left onto Arbor Rd. and then left again at Live Oak Rd. Our destination is Windward Vineyard. They produce Pinot Noir wines exclusively. They have 15 estate acres planted with Pinot Noir grapes that are clones from vineyards in the Burgundy region. These 15 acres are in the ideal climate and terrain for the Pinot grape. During the hot summer months, this area receives an afternoon ocean breeze cooling the vineyards to the ideal temperature for growing Pinot Noir. We pay $5 to do a vertical tasting of four Pinots for the years 1998 through 2001. Each wine has its own distinctive aroma and flavor. We like the 1999 the best. If you are at all interested in Pinot Noir wines, we certainly recommend a visit to Windward Vineyard.

It is time to head back and check into the historic Paso Robles Inn. Our room is equipped with a gas fireplace heater, microwave, and small refrigerator. We receive a special room rate of $105 per night because of a wine event sponsored by the wineries on Highway 46 East.

Our dinner choice is McPhee’s Grill located in Templeton, about a ten-minute drive from the Paso Robles Inn. The “locals” rave about this restaurant so it is time we gave it a try. We are not disappointed. The food is fabulous. We rate McPhee’s a 4.5 on our 5 pt. scale.

Day Two
After pastries and coffee for breakfast at Panolivo’s, we stroll through the downtown area of Paso Robles. This gives us a chance to survey the earthquake damage up close. The most heavily damaged buildings are brick structures and many will have to be rebuilt. Most of the shops are open and several indicate that they will be open by the end of the month (January).

We start our wine tasting venture around noon, first picking up a deli lunch at the Odyssey Café on Pine St . The first winery on our list is EOS. Today, we are traveling on Highway 46 East. EOS is a beautiful estate winery. There is a self-guided wine tour and a a large picnic area. They produce wines under three labels, with the EOS label their flagship wine made from their estate vineyards.

Our next stop is the Tobin James winery, the last winery driving east on Highway 46. You might think for a minute that you are in the wild west as you enter this saloon-style tasting room. As you belly up to the bar, you get a much different feeling about this tasting room. It is a fun atmosphere with a not-so-serious approach to wine tasting. Tobin James pours generously from a long list of varietals including some their reserve wines.

We head back toward Paso Robles and stop at the Eberle winery. This is the ideal spot for our picnic lunch. The picnic tables are on an overlook, with a view of beautifully manicured vineyards. Following lunch we to go down into the Eberle wine caves where the winery is having a special pouring of Cabernet Sauvignon. First we do a barrel tasting of the 2002 Cab. Then we do a vertical tasting of 1991, 1995, and 1998 Cabernets. What a great way to experience the aging process of these Cabernets.

Our final stop is Rabbit Ridge Winery. This winery has been operating in the Russian River region but recently moved to a beautiful new facility in Paso Robles. To get to Rabbit Ridge we travel from Eberle on Highway 46 E on to 101 north. There are signs posted along the way pointing to the winery. We found many of their wines to be very good, especially the Paso Robles Syrah and Zinfandel. Presently, the winery is open to visitors only on the weekends or by appointment.

It is back to the Paso Robles Inn for R &R before we head to dinner. Our dinner destination is one block away, the Alloro restaurant. We have eaten here several times and the meals never disappoint. The wine list is extensive with many local wines available at very reasonable prices. We rate the food a 4.0 on our 5 point rating scale.

Day Three
The next morining, we stop for coffee and pastry at the Café Vio, a great little coffee spot on Riverside. This morning, we take a ride out to ocean to the quaint little town of Cambria. The day is spectacular and the ocean views breathtaking. This a great side trip before heading home after a fun-filled weekend of wine tasting, dining, and relaxation.