|
Paso Robles Downtown Wine Tasting Rooms | Wine Bars
Wine Country has arrived in Paso Robles!
A sure sign of the popularity of this wine region is the increasing
number of tasting rooms and wine bars that have recently opened
in downtown Paso Robles. The wine crowd has discovered this wine
region.
 Silver
Stone Tasting Room
|
|
The tasting rooms and wine bars in Paso Robles have organized
themselves and have developed what is called the Downtown Paso Robles Wine Trail.
Brochures on the wine trail are available at the Chamber of Commerce at 1225
Park Street or at any of the tasting rooms on the trail. In the fall of October
2006, we walked the wine trail. We discovered some very interesting wines and
had a wonderful experience, but there were a few glitches on the wine trail.
One tasting room was still under construction. There was one tasting room
address we never could locate, and one tasting room was closed even though the
hours on the door indicated it should have been open. Oh well, this just goes
to show that Paso Robles is a laid-back town adjusting to the wine scene culture.
Tasting Rooms in Paso Robles
Silver Stone Cellars
At Silver
Stone, long-time winemaker
and consultant Dan Kleck is brewing up some delicious wines.
Dan does the winemaking, while his wife Debra tends to the
business end of Silver Stone. Debra is also the creator of
some very fine handcrafted jewelry that is for sale in the
tasting room. Dan has struck deals with some of the top wine
growers in California. Add this factor to Dan’s wine making
skills and the results are some very good wines. For a $5 tasting
fee visitors can taste a good assortment of wines. Our favorites
were the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and the Cabernet made from
vineyards in the Napa Valley
Mid-Life Crisis
or Wines on Pine
This tasting room started out as a co-op of a few
very small wineries but now is home to only the Mid-Life
Crisis Winery. This is a very small winery owned
and operated by Kevin and Jill Mittan. Their first vintage was 2004. They still
have their day jobs and tend to the winery when time allows. For such a small
winery, 1000 cases per year, they produce an impressive ten varietals of
wine. Our favorite, the Sangiovese.
Bear Cave Cellars
Owners Marilyn Curry
and Brad Kinman |
No doubt Bear
Cave Cellars is the most
unique tasting room in downtown Paso Robles. Without our
wine trail map we definitely would have missed this spot.
The tasting room is actually on the second floor of a small
office complex. We knocked on the door, entered and found
nothing resembling a tasting room. Hard at work at their
desks were Barry Kinman and his wife Marilyn Curry. Yes,
indeed they said, we were in the right place. Besides practicing
law, these two are the owners of Bear Cave Cellars.This
law office doubles as a legal tasting room. We were able
to taste two of the four wines produced, a Zinfandel and
Syrah. Both were excellent. Barry is the wine maker and buys
his grapes and makes his wine, renting space at existing
wineries in the Paso Robles area. Barry
and Marilyn hope to have their own winery facility
with a tasting room in the near future. |
Arroyo Robles Winery
Arroyo Robles is
another fine example of a small family owned winery operating in
Paso Robles. The family has estate acres of vineyards in the Paso
Robles area and expects to have their winery in operation in 2007.
At the moment, they process their wine in other facitlities but
have this delightful and beautifully designed tasting room open
to the public. It is on the corner of 12th and Park.
Vinoteca Wine Bar
Vinoteca
Wine Bar was the first wine bar in Paso
Robles and also in the county of San Luis Obispo. The wine
bar opened in 2001 and has been going strong ever since. Vinoteca
has an excellent selection of local wines by the glass and also
a flight menu of wines. The place is very cozy and a popular spot
around the cocktail hour. On Wednesdays, Vinoteca invites a local
winemaker to pour and talk about their wines. Hors d’oeuvres
and cheese plates are available. This is very happening place.
Other Tastings Rooms in Town
Anglim Winery
Christian Lazo Winery
Pianetta
Winery
Edward Sellers Vineyard & Winery
Orchid Hill
Winery
|
