Visiting California wine country is one of the most beautiful & enjoyable trips this state has to offer. However, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many wineries to choose from. My best advice is visit one or two of your favorite well known vineyards & then get on the back roads and have fun exploring!!
That's what I did for an entire week straight. The Central coast & valley have a lot to offer. These were a few of my favorite stops. I'll begin with Santa Barbara and
Jaffurs. The tasting room at Jaffurs is unique. It's basically in a garage where they also do all of their wine making, mostly Rhone varietals. Of the 10 or so wineries I visited in downtown Santa Barbara, this one had the best wines. I especially love their Mistress Pinot Noir & Verna's Vineyard Syrah.
As you travel further inland, the ocean disappears and the vineyards roll upon the hills for endless miles. Just past the unique village of Solvang lies my favorite Chardonnay of all time at
Gainey Vineyards. There are so many things to love about Gainey. The tasting room is in the barrel room which is so much more fun than standing at a bar. The people here are fabulous! Both knowledgeable & entertaining. But the wine, especially, yes, you guessed it, the Chardonnay is out of this world delicious.
On the other side of the freeway lies the Santa Rita Hills, a distinct part of the greater Santa Ynez Valley AVA. Wineries here are a little more spaced out but worth the extra effort to get there. My favorite,
Lafond. I litereally came upon this winery by chance and thank goodness I did. The vineyards were close enough to walk through and what they produce is simply amazing wine. I gotta say the Chardonnay was lovely here as well, a perfect balance of citrus & oak. Not surprised it's won 2 gold medals and received 90 points from wine spectator. Absolutely delightful!
Venture north an hour & a half and you will find yourself in the ever popular Paso Robles. There's only one place to start your wine adventure here and that's at
Tobin James. Nobody does Zin like this place and their wine club has an incredible 24,000 members. The energy of this tasting room is vibrant & loud, but you can always chill on the lovely patio. The staff is amazing. Your only difficult task is choosing which of their 8 zinfandel options you want to take home with you, or just do what I did and bring them all!
Ok, remember when I mentioned back roads?
Steinbeck is a very good example of why we, wine lovers, explore back roads. I absolutely love the rustic charm of this place, but even more so, I love the story of the vineyards told here. Now I have a tendency to roam perhaps where I shouldn't because I'm curious and well, the best photo opportunities do not usually present themselves, you have to search for them. When I got "caught" here doing just that, I was welcomed with a smile and was told to enjoy myself. Now that's my kind of people! I love a wine maker who loves to share his craft. But just to clarify, I always wander with respect. Now on to what those vines produce. The meritage wines are phenomenal. They have one known as "The Crash" It's a blend of Cabernet, Petit Sirah, Viognier, and Zinfandel. Whoa! The name says it all, which, by the way, is known as Steinbeck in a glass. I also enjoyed The Voice which was described to us as a "stunning expression" of the Steinbeck story. Stunning, it was, indeed. Being the literary nut I am, you know I'm closing this one with a quote from John Steinbeck ... "Two gallons is a great deal of wine, even for two paisanos" I'll take two gallons of Steinbeck wine anytime.
After reading bit of Steinbeck, I enjoyed coming upon this beautiful place known as
Halter Ranch. Imagine my excitement when I found out they have CAVE TOURS! by appt only on Sat & Sun. What?!?? And Land Rover excursion tours. There's a lot to explore here. But first, try their flagship wine, a Bordeaux blend known as Ancestor. And I think my favorite food pairing wine goes to their Synthesis, a rich blend of Cabernet & Syrah. Both are quite lovely.
I think my wine brain was active enough now for some serious education and the place to get that is at
Tablas Creek. A partnership between Chateau de Beaucastel in France & the Haas family of Vineyard Brands, the vineyard is organically farmed and uses biodynamic practices. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented using only native yeast. I was so impressed with this process, the staff, & the wines. I especially loved the Dianthus Rose'.
When you're ready to relax and enjoy one of the best views Paso Robles has to offer, head to
Daou Vineyards. Probably one of the priciest tastings but definitely worth it. The wines here, especially the Estate Soul of a Lion rival any Napa Cabernet. It's not on the flight list but these folks were willing to share all of their wines and that's a pride I admire. The Reserve Seventeen Forty, a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc & 30% Merlot was also exquisite. We actually showed up near closing as they were getting ready for a private event but they were more than kind enough to let us stay and enjoy whatever we like. I got the instinct feeling that these two brothers, George & Daniel, are very passionate about what they do. Yes, the scenery is beyond breathtaking and well worth the curvy roads to the top, but the wine here is top notch. I was actually reminded of something my grandmother used to say to me while visiting here. "Beauty is not in what you see, it's in what you do." The Daou brothers make beautiful wine.
Central California has a lot to offer wine lovers. If you are thinking about spending just a day or two here, plan it out carefully. I had trouble with only a week! Enjoy whatever time you have, and as always, Cheers!
Visiting California wine country is one of the most beautiful & enjoyable trips this state has to offer. However, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many wineries to choose from. My best advice is visit one or two of your favorite well known vineyards & then get on the back roads and have fun exploring!!
That's what I did for an entire week straight. The Central coast & valley have a lot to offer. These were a few of my favorite stops. I'll begin with Santa Barbara and Jaffurs. The tasting room at Jaffurs is unique. It's basically in a garage where they also do all of their wine making, mostly Rhone varietals. Of the 10 or so wineries I visited in downtown Santa Barbara, this one had the best wines. I especially love their Mistress Pinot Noir & Verna's Vineyard Syrah.
As you travel further inland, the ocean disappears and the vineyards roll upon the hills for endless miles. Just past the unique village of Solvang lies my favorite Chardonnay of all time at Gainey Vineyards. There are so many things to love about Gainey. The tasting room is in the barrel room which is so much more fun than standing at a bar. The people here are fabulous! Both knowledgeable & entertaining. But the wine, especially, yes, you guessed it, the Chardonnay is out of this world delicious.
When you're ready to relax and enjoy one of the best views Paso Robles has to offer, head to Daou Vineyards. Probably one of the priciest tastings but definitely worth it. The wines here, especially the Estate Soul of a Lion rival any Napa Cabernet. It's not on the flight list but these folks were willing to share all of their wines and that's a pride I admire. The Reserve Seventeen Forty, a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc & 30% Merlot was also exquisite. We actually showed up near closing as they were getting ready for a private event but they were more than kind enough to let us stay and enjoy whatever we like. I got the instinct feeling that these two brothers, George & Daniel, are very passionate about what they do. Yes, the scenery is beyond breathtaking and well worth the curvy roads to the top, but the wine here is top notch. I was actually reminded of something my grandmother used to say to me while visiting here. "Beauty is not in what you see, it's in what you do." The Daou brothers make beautiful wine.