Recommendations of CA Central Coast Wineries to Visit

Hello Everyone,

Next month I'll be on vacation in the San Luis Obispo area and plan to do some wine tasting. We were last there a couple of years ago and visited a few places but, this time we'd like to incorporate more winery visits as part of the vacay.

Do any of you have any recommendations of your favorite wineries to visit? We're staying in Shell Beach so anywhere from Paso to Nipomo is fair game. We actually we'll be there from Sunday to Friday so I have to keep in mind to visit a place that is open daily rather than just Sat and Sun.

So far I have Saucelito Canyon on the list and a re-visit to Kelsey See Canyon. We usually like small places but, we've always liked Wild Horse so we're looking to visit them during this trip this time.

Any recos would be appreciated and thank you in the advance for your advice!

~Christine S. (Shortie)

Two we particularly enjoyed on the west side of Paso were Tablas Creek and Adelaida.

Hope you have a great time!

My wife and I have gone to a number of wineries in the Paso Robles area. Our favorite wineries we've visited there so far include Justin, Silver Horse, Turley and Harmony. Justin has a nice tour of their facilities you can reserve to do along with their tasting. We particularly like their Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends (Justification and Isosceles). Justin would be a good place to visit in a loop with the nearby Tablas Creek and Adelaida. Silver Horse is a newish, attractive winery on the east side in an isolated area. Though we visited on a sunday afternoon in June, we were the only guests present. We particularly liked their red blend called Sage. Turley is also an attractive winery down in Templeton. We also went there on a sunday afternoon, about a week after visiting Silver Horse, and it was fairly crowded, perhaps being closer to town and the freeway, but they had several servers to handle the crowd. Though a lot of people don't like their fruit forward taste, we enjoyed their Zins and white wine blend. We enjoyed the wines at Linne Calodo, west of Paso Robles, but their tasting bar is small, and with a dozen guests it was overcrowded, and my wife and I ended up isolated in a corner and fairly ignored by the overwhelmed single server that day. Harmony Cellars is on the coast west of Paso Robles. Their winery is in a rustic, barnlike building. They make decent every day use wines, mostly in the $10-$20 range.

[Jenise]

Christine, I spent three days in Paso with friends two years ago. We restricted our tastings to the west side, and by far the standouts of the trip (we like small wineries as well and our visit to the one large one, Justin, only reinforced that preference) were Tablas Creek and Pipestone. Well-crafted wines consistent across the ample line-up of wines presented, and in the case of Pipestone--lots of heart.

I am curious, Jenise, as to what you didn't like about Justin since our tour of their winery was a highlight of our last trip to Paso Robles? Our tour guide was very friendly and informative. After the tour, we enjoyed tasting most of the proferred wines, and particularly their Cabernet Sauvignon. I personally think their Cab, which sells for about $25, as good as many with the more prestigious Sonoma or Napa Valley name on their label that sell for twice as much.

Of course, I understand that each person's particular experience at a tasting room could vary greatly, depending on how crowded they are when you arrive, what mood your servver is in, the quality of the particular wines they are serving that day, the weather, etc. We've had bad experiences at wineries, both large and small, others have recommended highly.

A couple of suggestions that might be a little more out of the box would be Caliza and Alta Colina.

Turley probably is the best known winery in the region these days and their tasting room experience, describing it as crowded might be generous....I've joked with people that they'll try and sell you the dirt from their garden if you let them....all that being said they do make some great wine.

Paso makes for a great trip, I'll probably be back in Jan which is a great time of year on the central coast.

Hi all! New to the group and probably very late to this discussion, but maybe for future reference - hands down the BEST winery to visit while in Paso Robles is Tobin James. If you're looking for both good wine and fun, Tobin James is the place for you. It's also open a bit later than other wineries. Often, I'll go into a winery and will taste and like some of the wine, but not all of the wine. Very rarely has there been a time when I have gone in and tasted and liked everything that was poured for me - and the folks at Tobin James will not stop at 3 or 5 tastes. Most of the time they will let you try most, if not all, of the wine in their portfolio. At first glance, it may seem a strange place with the bright colors and large star which makes this winery unique - or maybe the gigantic western-style bar inside - but this place is colorful both in the charming people that run the place as well as the wines poured. These people really know how to throw a party too, so if you have the time and money to do it, I highly recommend one of the dinners they host.
I typically like Zins, Pinots and Chardonnays and Tobin James does a good job in these varietals as well as many others, so there's bound to be a wine for everyone. Maybe you're "Ballistic" for Zinfandel or like a "Notorious"ly good Cabernet. Maybe a little "Black Magic" Sirah would me more your style, or perhaps you have a bit of "Pinot Envy"? No matter what you're looking for, chances are you will find it at Tobin James. Belly up to the bar and talk to Lance (he's fun) and even Tobin James himself. They will be happy to chat you up and talk about their wines. If you're like me - you may even join the James Gang after your very first visit.

In Vino Veritas
Karen

Hi Karen-

Welcome to the boards. You're certainly a big fan of Tobin James, and not alone on that count. Any other places you're recommend in the area?

Hi Mike and thanks! I do remember liking some of the other places that have already been mentioned in this thread including Adelaida and Pipestone. Peachy Canyon is another one that's worth a visit, particularly if you like the smaller family-owned outfits. It's been a few years since I've been down to the area, but the last time I went down to Tobin James, there was another winery nearby by the name of Chimera which I checked out and then went home with a case of white wine that was very similar in taste to a moscato.

In Vino Veritas
Karen