Why wine tasting in Paso Robles is one of our favorite activities.
Wine tasting in the Paso Robles AVA is such an incredibly rich and diverse experience for wine touring enthusiasts. With over 200 wineries and a variety of micro climates supporting scores of varietals, (one owner we talked to said they grow 52 varietals themselves!) you’ll find new favorites on every visit!
The layout.
The Paso Robles AVA is California’s largest. Encompassing over 600,000 acres, with about 40,000 acres cultivated with vineyards, there’s a lot of ground to cover! The huge AVA as of 2014 has been divided into 11 sub-AVA’s. Over time, there will likely emerge identifying characteristics of the sub-AVA’s. For now, I think describing Paso as “…the wild west of California wine,” is pretty spot on!
Generally, wine tasting in Paso Robles takes two different directions, east side or west side. The west side of Paso has a greater concentration of wineries, and the drive through the country side is beautiful. Large Spanish oaks line rambling and undulating country roads, with wineries around every corner.
The east side delivers a plains experience – flat, dry lands, perfect for warm weather varietals. Here, the winery density is quite a bit lower than the west side. Be prepared for longer drive times between stops!
Tip: If your time or transportation is limited, the downtown area is a great option. Downtown now has tasting rooms for 20 wineries.
The wines.
Remember that quote I highlighted earlier – “Paso Robles in the wild west of California”? We met a charming couple who are long time farmers in the area, and they told us, “we grow varietals from A-Z, 52 in total.” !! With so many different microclimates and soil profiles (over 30), it seems everything is possible.
But what is popular? Here’s what’s being tracked:
| Variety | % Total | |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | 39% | |
| Other Red | 16% | |
| Merlot | 14% | |
| Syrah | 9% | |
| Zinfandel | 8% | |
| Chardonnay | 5% | |
| Other White | 5% | |
| Sauvignon Blanc | 2% | |
| Pinot Noir | 2% | |
| Total | 100% |
So, about 88% red, 12% white, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but notice the second most cultivated red and white is “other?” Lots of experimentation going on, which is wonderful! You’ll find interesting blends (the most popular being the classic Rhone-style GSM, Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre), plus bottlings of less familiar single varietals, such as Cabernet Franc and an up and coming white, Albarino.
But, are Paso Robles wines any good?
For US wines, the Napa AVA has traditionally been the gold standard. (If you don’t know why, it’s fun to watch an older movie, Bottle Shock, about an international wine competition in the mid-’70’s which put Napa on the map).
Well, move over, Napa! The 2017 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines in the world placed 5 Paso wines in its top tier (top 26), just behind France, which had 6.
Paso Robles wine tasting fees
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! And, look, he brought you FREE WINE TASTING IN PASO ROBLES!
In our experience, free wine tastings are a ship that sailed long ago, Paso is such a surprise – as of this early 2024 writing, there are nine wineries still offering free tastings!
Generally, wine tastings are in the $20 to $25 dollar range in the region, and some are ranging up to $45. There are very few free wine tastings left – as of early 2024, try these last bastions of what wine tasting used to be about:
Rasmussen
Glunz
Caparone
You’re welcome! But, please remember, wineries want you to sample wines to encourage you to become customers. Please don’t be “that one” – the one that’s just out looking for a cheap drunk. (I’ve got a little blog post on “Wine Tasting Etiquette for Wine Passports,” same considerations apply.)
As an added bonus, here’s a link for more Paso Robles wine tasting discounts. We have not used these discounts (generally BOGO – we love having more money in the budget to buy the wines we love!), hopefully, they’ll work for you!
So, that’s my quick overview for wine tasting in Paso Robles. We are affiliates with Priority Wine Pass – the pass also has winery partners in Paso Robles, as well as Napa, Sonoma, Temecula — basically all over California, plus Washington and Oregon. For $49 (ONLY when you use coupon code WINERY at checkout), it’s a great all purpose tool to enjoy wine touring!