WINE: J. Lohr (jlohr.com) and Jordan Winery (jordanwinery.com) are well-known, beautiful places to visit, and make some fantastic wines. It’s become so popular to try to get off the beaten path or go to tiny producers that sometimes we forget that the larger, more well-known places got that way for a reason, and have budgets that allow them to make wines that others can only dream of… So don’t get caught up in the hype. That said, here are the smaller producers and family-owned wineries that I would highly recommend visiting; all are within 10 minutes of each other and make for a perfect day. Terry Hoage Vineyards (terryhoagevineyards.com) TOP PICK is beautiful, rustic, classy, and the best guest experience. The wines here are fantastic (can’t pick a favorite) and hard to find, and you can’t help but love owners Terry and Jennifer. Call for a reservation. J Dusi (jdusiwines.com) has a brand new tasting room and is making really fun, tasty wines (favorites are Pinot Grigio and Fiorento). While they aren’t the most complex wines, they are high quality, and the family has deep roots in Paso and is famous for their kindness and vineyards. Epoch (epochwines.com) wines are new and sassy, with old world style. The historic winery is currently under construction, but the wines are put together with care (especially the Reserva Tempranillo) and the temporary tasting room nicer than many permanent wineries. They seem to like the name pronounced “Epic,” and are down a winding road, so plan to mispronounce it if you get lost or want to sound local. Of all the wines I tried in Paso, L’Aventure (aventurewine.com) is simply the best. The tasting room is small, dusty and busy, but it’s a fun drive down a long dirt road and worth every minute. My favorite wine was Côte à Côte, and it’ll last you a long time in the cellar or is perfect for drinking now. Optimus is the entry level red ($45) and a great buy, but probably best to decant or save for a while if you value delicacy and subtlety in wines. DINE: There are more dining options than I could possibly try so I’m going to tell you my two favorites and then a couple of suggestions from Chris Taranto, the communications Director at the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (pasowine.com), which is your best resource when it comes to Paso Robles for… well… everything. If you stayed at the Paso Robles Inn, eat there, or walk to Chico’s Café (chicoscafepaso.com) or the Amsterdam Coffee Shop (no website). If you stayed at Summerwood, EAT THERE and consider getting some stronger coffee elsewhere if you’re a coffee lover. For lunch, go to Thomas Hill Organics (thomashillorganics.com) and sit on the patio. Food here is fresh, local, and from Thomas Hill farms. The menu changes with the seasons, as do imaginative creations and sauces, but they always offer hearty staples and killer local wine options. Artisan (artisanpasorobles.com) TOP PICK is the hottest spot for dinner and best representation of Paso’s local and sustainable practices and culture. If you’re staying longer or Artisan is booked, head to Bistro Laurent (bistrolaurent.com) for French cuisine, La Cosecha (lacosechabr.com) for Tapas, or Villa Creek (villacreek.com) for “old-style California fusion.” There are chic bars and fun spots along the square, but Pine Street Saloon (pinestreetsaloon.com) is the hot spot where locals, winemakers and people from all walks of life gather. It’s a total dive, but can’t be beaten. BY IAN WHITE Halter Ranch is making some killer wines and is well worth a visit Epoch Estate Winery L’Adventure Terry Hoage Vineyards Janell Dusi (second from left) and team at J. Dusi Wines Jennifer and Terry Hoage
NVLife_NovDec_2013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above