The Best Wineries & Food in Paso Robles, CA

Looking for a relaxing weekend sipping wine with amazing views? Then Paso Robles is your answer.

My husband and I traveled to Paso Robles (without kids) for an anniversary trip. We flew into Monterey, California and drove down the coast on Hwy 1. What a beautiful drive!

For details on our Hwy 1 drive from Monterey down to Pismo Beach, check out my post on our Hwy 1 drive. So many stunning views and places to stop!

This post below covers some of my favorite wineries and food stops in and near Paso Robles.

Free itinerary at the bottom of this post!

Paso Robles

Paso Robles surprised me.

I wasn’t expecting to like it so much. It’s a cute little town (population only around 32k). There is a decent size park/grassy town square in the heart of downtown with lots of shops and restaurants surrounding it.

Also, we came here for the wine, but my FAVORITE thing that we did here was an olive oil tasting at Kiler Ridge Olive Farm. I’ve never done a real olive oil tasting before. This was mind blowing and eye opening. I learned so much, and I will never look at olive oil the same again. See more on this below.

Weather

When we drove inland to Paso Robles from the coast, the temperature jumped up about 20 degrees. I found it crazy that in less than 30 miles, the temperature could change this drastically! So wear layers and plan accordingly if visiting the coast!

I like to use weather spark to see average temps year round when trip planning. We traveled here in August and there were definitely some hot days.

Top 6 Favorite Wineries

We were able to make it to 2 wineries a day (one in morning around 10am and one after lunch). Most wineries close late afternoon, so just be sure to check their hours. And also.. make reservations!

Below is a list of my favorite wineries near Paso Robles.

1. Daou Family Estates

Where do I even begin.. Daou is stunning! The views here are breathtaking. The grounds are perfectly maintained with beautiful landscaping. And the wine.. fantastic.

When we walked in, we were greeted with a glass of dry rosé and then lead to an outdoor table for our tasting. They have plenty of umbrellas for shade which was nice on the hot day that we visited.

This was the most expensive tasting we did ($50 per person), but it was well worth it for the quality of wine, the views, and the very knowledgeable staff.

Here is Daou’s website for more info and to make a reservation.

2. Opolo Vineyards

Opolo has a beautiful outdoor patio area for tastings with plenty of shade. The day we went, we saw lots of hummingbirds flying around the garden area as we sipped on wine.

I fell in love with their Chardonnay and Montagna Mare (blend of Sangiovese and Barbera). I don’t think there was a wine on the tasting list that I didn’t like.

Here is Opolo’s website for more info and to make a reservation.

3. Calcareous Vineyards

The tasting room at Calcareous sits on top of a hill, so the views here are great! We chose to visit this winery because the owners/founders are from Iowa (which is where we are from).

The tasting was all reds which we kind of liked. Our server was very knowledgeable in the wine industry. She talked about the different soils that their grapes are grown in and how that effects the grapes.

Here is Calcareous’ website for more info and to make a reservation.

4. Pear Valley Vineyards

Pear Valley is another beautiful vineyard. They have a gorgeous oak tree on top of a hill. At the top of this hill are panoramic views of rolling hills full of grape vines.

One thing I really liked about this place was that you get to create your own tasting menu. You get to pick the 6 wines that you want to try.

Here is Pear Valley’s website for more info and to make a reservation.

5. Ancient Peaks Winery

Ancient Peaks is located in Santa Margarita. Their tasting room is located in town and the actual vineyards are just outside of town.

They have 2 different tasting menus to choose from which is nice. They do a good job here at explaining the different soil types. And as with every tasting, the more questions you ask, the more you will learn!

Here is Ancient Peaks’ website for more info and to make a reservation.

6. Stolo Vineyards

Stolo is a boutique winery that is located just outside of Cambria. They have some unique and very interesting wines. And the property is so pretty and peaceful.

They have a beautiful open ‘meadow’ where they do their tastings. They also have a garden with lots of flowers (including some giant sunflowers when we went) and some goats. This would be a perfect place for a picnic!

Here is Stolo’s website for more info and to make a reservation.

Other Winery Recommendations:

The following recommendations came mostly from locals (we asked each person doing our tasting what their other favorites are):

• HammerSky Vineyards
• Sculpterra Winery (and Sculpture Garden)
• J Dusi Wines
• Castoro Cellars
• J Lohr Vineyards (temporarily closed when we were in Paso Robles)
• Tooth & Nail Wine
• Niner Wine Estates

Olive Oil Tasting

Aside from wine, Paso Robles is also known for its olive groves. I’m so glad we did an olive oil tasting while we were out here. This was my first time ever doing a real olive oil tasting. And honestly this was my favorite part of our trip!

We visited Kiler Ridge Olive Farm. The person doing our tasting here was so knowledgeable and taught us so much.

I was shocked to discover that not all Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) that you buy at the store is actually 100% EVOO. They taught us what to look for when buying some at the store!

The Food Scene

The food scene in Paso Robles is solid. There are lots of good options to choose from! Below are my favorites. Download the Yelp app for more restaurant ideas and to see reviews, ratings, and pictures!

Breakfast

• Sasquatch Coffee – Lots of fun options on the menu
• Kitchenette (in Templeton) – wide variety, elevated breakfast items (acai bowls, mushroom polenta, breakfast burrito & sandwiches), nice outdoor patio area
• Cowgirl Cafe – hearty breakfast classics
• Joe’s Place – hearty breakfast classics

Lunch/Dinner

• Fish Gaucho (only serve lunch Friday-Sunday) – amazing tacos
• The Hatch (only serve dinner) – check their daily specials (fried chicken only served Monday & Tuesday)
• TASTE! Craft Eatery – love the concept: pick 2, 3 or 4 items, mix and match to create your ideal meal (sliders, salads, mac, fries)
• Roots on Railroad – old shipping container turned into ‘permanent’ street vendor with lots outdoor seating (The Backyard Beer Garden), menu includes lobster roll, fried chicken sandwich, burger.. wide variety!
• Comfort American Kitchen – classic American comfort dishes that have been elevated!

Lodging

I would recommend staying near the downtown city park if you want to walk to coffee shops in the morning, shops during the day, and to breakfast/lunch/dinner. Some options would include:

• Paso Robles Inn
• Hotel Cheval
• The Piccolo

My husband and I stayed at La Bellasera (pictured above) which is about 3 miles south of downtown Paso Robles. We loved it! They have a nice outdoor pool & hot tub, gorgeous lobby area, and a nice restaurant (Enoteca). It is also close to some stores (including Target) for anything you forgot to pack for your trip!

Other Things to do

• Explore the shops in downtown Paso Robles
• Explore Tin City – wine, food, beer, & spirits
• The Travel Paso website has many other great ideas

Free Itinerary

Other Posts You Might Like:

• A Weekend in Wine Country – Sonoma/Napa
• Hwy 1 Drive: Monterey to Pismo Beach

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