By Last Updated on November 8, 2022
It’s no wonder Paso Robles is being touted as California’s hottest wine region (and we don’t mean temperature by the way). Paso Robles wineries are among the best anywhere.
Well over 200 Paso Robles wineries dot the magnificent rolling hills and valleys of Central California. It’s long been one of California’s best kept secrets – but oh my, that has changed. Despite more wine lovers hearing about and heading to this delightful destination for award-winning wines and stunning picturesque views, Paso Robles has and intends to maintain a small town feel with the strong sense of community as its forefront. So, it should come as no surprise that most of its wineries are family owned and operated.
Why do we love Paso Robles wine so much?
Location. Paso Robles is only 30 minutes from California’s awe-inspiring Pacific coast. And those cool ocean breezes are a significant part of this area growing such incredible grapes.
The wineries. You won’t find Paso Robles wineries all located within a few miles of one another. Rather they are scattered throughout the region, each specializing in vintages that reflect the unique terroir of the landscape they occupy.
Each time we visit Paso, we make a point to check out some new wineries. And we are always pleased. The wines of this region are phenomenal, the winemakers often on-site, the tasting rooms are lovely. And the views…well, they are simply magnificent!
Here are some of our favorite Paso Robles wineries. They have been elected for their wines (obviously an important criteria), but also for their stunning vistas or uniqueness of the winery properties.
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Paso Robles Wine
DAOU Vineyards
This multi award-winning winery is renowned for its sprawling Mediterranean-style tasting room, panoramic mountaintop views, luscious fares, and elegant fine wines. DAUO’s indoor and outdoor patios are perfect places to take in the beauty of the area, and the engaging friendly staff will happily assist with an expertly paired tasting flight or gourmet meal suggestion.
Reservations are required and book up far in advance, so you’ll have to plan your visit here well in advance. Then you’ll fully understand why it’s so popular, and so well worth it!
Alta Colina
With its sweeping wine country vistas and top-quality organic wines, Alta Colina always brings a smile to our faces. Add in the fact that they have a campsite called The Trailer Pond with five refurbished vintage campers lining the shores of a private pond, and this is definitely a unique place.
Owner Bob Tillman is an absolute delight, full of fun stories including how he transformed his engineering career into a successful boutique winemaking business. This is a very fun and special place to visit.
JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
JUSTIN not only helped pioneer Paso Robles wine, but its setting with endless rolling hills of vineyards and an absolutely gorgeous estate tasting room and restaurant are icing on the cake.
Both the wines and the food are amazing and servers here are experts at pairing the perfect wine with your lunch or dinner selections. JUSTIN also boasts an upscale boutique hotel. Bottom line, this is a place you’ll want to come and spend some time. The vibe here says it all. And don’t miss JUSTIN’s cave system and Isosceles library located deep within the labyrinth of the cave.
Pro tip: book a room and stay the night at JUST Inn.
Summerwood Winery & Inn
Slightly smaller than some other wineries in Paso Robles, Summerwood is a quaint and charming property with a picturesque bed and breakfast, lovely tasting room, really good wines, and farm-fresh cuisine.
We love the rolling terrain, lawn and gazebo setting, and the overall ambience this winery projects. This is a wonderful place to enjoy some of the winery’s luscious reds and whites in a picture-perfect wine country setting.
Pro tip: book a room and stay the night at Summerwood!
Tobin James Cellars
Welcome to the Wild West. The setting alone here is fascinating. The winery and tasting room are located on the site of a former stage-coach stop and the rustic tasting room looks just like a saloon with an 1860s Brunswick mahogany polished bar and even a brass foot rail.
You’ll love the property, but also the delectable wines and stone-patio grotto which features an Italian pizza oven. This place is so darn fun and eclectic, you just can’t miss it.
Eberle Winery
The Eberle Winery property sports incredible views of the Santa Lucia Mountains in the distance. This is a place you’ll want to visit on a beautiful day to spend your time basking in the beautiful outdoors. And if you can, stay for a stunning sunset. Guests also revel in Eberle’s popular outdoor lawn games like bocce and bags (aka cornhole).
What we find so totally impressive here is the 16,000 square feet of exceptional underground caves. You can even book a wine and food pairing cave experience if you like. You just can’t beat that!
Tablas Creek
It’s worth mentioning that few Central Coast wineries can claim a pedigree like Tablas Creek, a joint venture between American wine importer Robert Haas and the iconic acclaimed Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe producer Château de Beaucastel.
All that being said, what we love about Tablas Creek other than its fascinating history is that despite its many accolades and awards and a favorite winery choice of many wine connoisseurs and wine magazines, we don’t find the winery pretentious, and the tasting room and grounds are lovely. And yes, their wines are awesome!
Calcareous Vineyard
Perched 1,500-feet above sea level overlooking the expansive Salinas Valley, Calcareous is so-named as the massive rock formations under its foundation is calcareous, a chalky, calcium-carbonate limestone.
The wines are superb, but the real gem of this property is the stunning scenery and 180-degree breathtaking views of the area from its all-glass walled tasting room and outdoor patio. This is a place you want to order a bottle or a flight of wine and just hang for a while and take it all in.
Halter Ranch
If you’re looking for a quaint and more countryside atmosphere, then Halter Ranch is a perfect choice for your winetasting experience.
Located on top of a hill with soft accompanying breezes, the winery with a lovely tasting room offers some amazingly serene and pastoral views. But those looking for a bit more curiosity and adventure will also love the horseback vineyard tours, cave, and Land Rover adventure tours the winery offers.
Niner Wine Estates
This all-estate winery owned by the Niner family achieves a perfect balance of sustainability and aesthetics. The tasting room is gorgeous – featuring a toasty fireplace (perfect for cool evenings), high ceilings, and impressive stone architecture.
Though we’re impressed with their commitment to the environment, using dedicated solar paneling, their wines by Winemaker Molly Bohlman are impressive, as is their delectable restaurant serving creative cuisine with edible flowers, plants, and vegetables grown on-site in the estate’s gardens.
There’s no doubt when we visit Paso Robles again, we’ll have more favorite wineries to share with you. Keep in mind that like us, you have to pick and choose on each visit. Hopefully, this list will make it easier for you, and that you’ll enjoy the special magic and vibe we feel each time we visit Paso Robles.
Cheers and enjoy a bottle—or two—of Paso Robles wine for us!
Paso Robles Wineries with Inns
We know you don’t want to drink and drive, so stay the night! Here are some Paso Robles wineries we love with inns:
JUST Inn at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
Top-Rated Tours in Paso Robles Wine Country
Don’t want the hassle of planning out your trip to Paso Robles wine country? Check out these top-rated tours from Viator that will get you out and about to check out multiple wineries in one day:
Paso Robles Wine Adventure with pickup from Paso Robles, CA
Introductory Wine Tour of Paso Robles on Electric Bikes
Private Sidecar Winery Tour through Paso Robles
What do you think?