The Scenic Wineries and then some..

Today we started out at Calcareous Vineyard calcareous.com.   What a beautiful, panoramic view they have! It has to be one the best views I've seen in Paso.   Plus they have a lot of great outdoor seating to enjoy the view.   They have wine and food pairings on the weekend, but not during the week so I can't speak for the food.   However, the Traveling Hillbilly thinks this might be a great place to grab lunch or a snack.

After that we headed to Chateau Margene chateaumargene.com.  Given it was not on a hilltop the view was not quite as spectacular as Calcareous, but was still a beautiful place.  Wines were pricey, but good.

For lunch we headed to Aron Hill Vineyards aronhillvineyards.com.   They have delicious salads and paninis.   We didn't do a tasting here, but I did order a glass of their Chardonnay with my lunch.  It was delicious.


We had time for one more stop before calling it a day.  We headed to Herman Story hermanstorywines.com.   They are typically only open Thursday-Sunday, but thanks to our friend Edgar, of Bodega de Edgar, bodegadeedgar.com we were able to get an appointment.  They treated us so well and we got to try a lot of great wines!   Russell and his team seem to truly enjoy what they do and you can tell they have a lot of fun there.   Hank, Russell's dog, was also on sight and he was a lot of fun too!

The Traveling Hillbilly Will not Be Deterred by the 405 Closing!

What better way to spend the long holiday weekend than wine tasting in Paso Robles?   Actually heading up on Sunday to go wine tasting Mon-Wed is better, this way you beat the crowds.   Traffic on the 405 wasn't too bad heading out Sunday morning, however we figured why run the risk of getting stuck and headed up PCH.  Plus, it's much more scenic drive.  

We had a great day driving up the coast and stopped at one of my favorite wineries, Zaca Mesa zacamesa.com on the way to Paso.  With Monday being a holiday, it was packed on Sunday.  It's not nearly as much fun to do a tasting when it's so crowded.  The staff is just so busy pouring they do not really have time to talk to you and share information about the wines.  Despite the crowds, the wines of course were delicious and we got to meet Cheeseburger, commonly know as Cheese, a boxer/great Dane mix!   He was a pretty cool dog.

We figured we could make one more stop before heading to the hotel, so we stopped at Fess Parker fessparker.com They also make some great wines, but their wines are little on the pricier side, so it's usually not the best place to try and buy and everyday red.  However, they had quite the deal on one of their blends.   Unfortunately it wasn't on the tasting menu so we bought a bottle to try and then wound up buying a whole case.   The price was just too good to pass up.

A Great Morning Run

There's nothing like getting up and running before most of the world has awaken.   The Traveling Hillbilly recommends running first thing in the morning when on vacation.  It gives you a chance to explore your new surroundings in the calm, peace and quiet of the day.   This morning, as I rounded the corner for my second lap around the trail, I spotted a deer.   We looked at each other, paused for a moment and then just watched one another.    Surprisingly the deer didn't run away.  She kept a close eye on me as she proceeded to graze, but stayed close.   Just one of those magical moments that make you realize how inconsequential most of the things we stress about everyday truly are.

My favorite Four Vines is Gone!

The Traveling Hillbilly has been very disappointed to discover that my favorite winery, Four Vines, has been sold and is no longer.   It is now called Cypher.   We stopped and tried to do a tasting but it was very crowded.    We'll try and go back tomorrow before the crowds hit.   I'm trying to keep an open mind but I don't see how they can live up to Four Vines.

Wine Tasting in Paso Robles

As most of you know, the Traveling Hillbilly has been wine tasting many times before.   I have enjoyed every one of them!   However, I have to say, this trip has been a whole new experience.   My sister and the crew from Kansas City had their local wine store and distributor set up some private tastings for us.   We've had the chance to meet the winemaker in some instances and tasted 10+ wines at many of the wineries.  It was nice to take our time and truly learn about the wines and see the passion these people have for their them.   Plus you can't beat spending the day wine tasting while you know most everyone else is working!

The Traveling Hillbilly also highly recommends planning your tastings during the week vs. the weekends.  It's typically less busy so you get more personal attention and your have a greater chance of tasting some wines that aren't on the tasting menu.

Some favorites so far

Halter Ranch - The main house kind of looks like an old brothel from the road, it's got a great little covered bridge and the old barn just completes the ambiance.   Hopefully you'll be lucky enough to meet Jason

Kiamie - Just a small operation with a big heart and passion for wine making

Barrel 27 - you can taste wines from the Barrel 27and McPrice Myers labels.   If Edgar is around be sure to ask if you can taste his Bodega de Edgar wines.   Edgar has some great stories, stories almost as good as his wines.

Paso Robles in 48 Hours!

A last minute trip to Paso Robles turns out to be just what the Traveling Hillbilly needed. After spending the morning trying to reschedule a few things, it was time to hit the road for a quick getaway. As a lot of you know, the Traveling Hillbilly has been wanting to spend more time wine tasting in this region since the great Highway 1 drive last year.

A friend of mine was on his way back from doing the infamous Highway 1 drive and we decided to meet up in Paso Rablos for a couple of nights.

Luckily the Traveling Hillbilly got out of town early enough to avoid the dreaded “rush hour” traffic and arrived in Paso Robles, just in time for dinner. Coincidentally, my friend arrived just ten minutes later. Where to go when there are so many choices?

We headed downtown and after walking around for a bit, decided on Berry Hill Bistro. What a great decision. If you’re ever in the area, the Traveling Hillbilly highly recommends (www.berryHillBistro.com 114 Pine Street Paso Robles, CA 93446, 805-238-3929). The Raspberry-Chipotle Chicken sandwich is delicious. And according to the Traveling Hillbilly’s friend, so is the Chicken Florentine sandwich. If you’re with a friend, share an order of the frites (fries), served with three dipping sauces (garlic aioli, wasabi source cream, chipotle ketchup). The wasabi sour cream is yummy! Plus, if you’re into wine, the pours are very generous.