Paso Robles Wineries Most Popular Wine Tasting Trail – Part Two
Click HERE for Part One
So you tested out the first half of the Paso Robles Wineries Most Popular Wine Tasting Trail and now you are ready for more! Our second half of this series focuses on wineries that like the last trail are notably popular due to Yelp reviews, reservation requests, touring company stats and many other factors that shout “We are Awesome!” to the community. All of our Paso Robles wineries are awesome, but this group from part one and two are mainstream and well known.
1. Lone Madrone
Directions and Info: geo.to/LoneMadrone
Lone Madrone has a great variety of wines that we have talked about a lot on this site. We are fond of their unique winemaking and the different ways they suggest to drink their wines. They got “Winemaker of the Year” which has gained them some well deserved recognition as well as opened a separate cider brewery in Atascadero which has Bristol’s and also offers tasting. One of my favorites is the “2012 Zin of Steel” which is served chilled even though it is a deep red Zinfandel. It goes great with my goat cheese appetizers and even better with my summer BBQ filets! The cider is also a great alternative to wine if you want something dry, crisp and ready for a hot day. It pairs well with most any meal because its not too sweet and it has that cool gluten-free element for us ‘anti-wheaties’.
2. Daou Vineyards
Directions and Info: geo.to/DaouVineyards
Daou Vineyards has a STUNNING view of the vineyards and landscape that surrounds their tasting room and facility. They are a very popular destination and have exclusive wines just for wine club members which makes their members very lucky indeed! One of my favorites is the 2011 Daou Celestus which is a very complex red blend. Just reading the description you could swear you are going through a romance novel and the mix of 59% Syrah, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot is a combination that is easy on the palate and excellent to pair with your favorite foodie morsel.
3. Tablas Creek
Directions and Info: geo.to/TablasCreekVineyard
You simply have to go to Tablas Creek to really see and appreciate all that they are and do to make such authentic and beautiful wine with all of their green methods helping our environment even if it is a harder and a longer process. The tasting room is open and bright, you can see some of the facility through their glass walls and you get the opportunity to try dry farmed, organic wines that have complexity and body. Being a Rose’ junkie I LOVE their 2013 Patelin de Tablas Rose’ that is very different because of their unique mix of Grenache, Mourvedre and Counoise. They have a large scenic picnic area as well for you to enjoy your picnic and wine, plus they offer two tours a day of their winery, vineyards and facility to get the full experience.
4. J. Lohr Vineyards
Directions and Info: geo.to/JLohrVineyards
J. Lohr Winery is a family run business and has the heart and soul of their hard work written all over their success and fantastic wines. They serve many labels and varietals with their flagship Cabernet Sauvingnon being the most well known. They distribute all over the world but we have the honor of having one of their two tasting rooms here in Paso Robles! One of my favorites is a very different and peppery red which is their 2012 Painter Bridge Zinfandel which delivers a bit of spice and pairs well with my favorite Italian dishes. I love the fact that they are also sustainable, have truly considered their impact on the environment and can still offer an outstanding product.
5. Tobin James
Directions and Info: geo.to/TobinJamesCellars
What can we say about Tobin James? It is just a great place to wine taste. You have an extensive list of wines, my favorites are on the Reserve List which I always ask for right out the gate. You have this great party feeling like their is a celebration happening and you just happened to be invited! The atmosphere is festive to say the least, you also have the option of joining one of the largest and well known wine clubs in all the land which offers discounts on wine, their huge pick up parties and trips/cruises that feature their wine on hand. The 2011 Zinfandel “Fat Boy” Reserve is my favorite and worth every drop. This is a great last stop on this trail, many times you get some gourmet pizza or goodies from their chef and it leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. 😉
For more great wine trails with all the details follow us and we will keep you in the “insider’s loop”.
PART ONE for all of you who missed the first wine trail!
[youtube]http://youtu.be/eC9fam-hpjA[/youtube]
