Two Day of Tasting in Paso Robles (part 2)

Our second day of tasting in Paso started early with a visit and private tasting at Hope Family Wines. Hope was the very first winery we visited in Paso back in 2012 and we recently had the pleasure of meeting Austin Hope at a local tasting. The Hope Family Wines portfolio includes Treana, Austin Hope wines, Quest, Liberty School, and Troublemaker all of which we have enjoyed over the years. The picturesque winery and vineyards along with a beautiful tasting room are inviting, warm and comfortable. We were expertly guided through the tasting by Ricky who provided great information about the wines and winery. The standard tasting consists of 5 wines. Since this was a reserved tasting we were treated to a lovely plate of cheeses and nuts as well as a couple of additional wines in the line-up. This was the perfect start of day two.

From Hope, we made a quick stop at Sextant Wines. Their stunning tasting room sits on a hill overlooking the beautiful vineyards and large oak trees in the heart of the El Pomar district of Paso. We tasted through a nice selection of wines including a Grenache Rose, Zinfandel, Tannat and an amazing GSM called Passage.

Located next to Sextant was our 3rd stop of the day, Barton Family Wines. Their wine brands include Barton, Grey Wolf, and Grey along with a distillery called Krobar. The winery and tasting room have a nice, laidback feel with an expansive, inviting patio. In addition to a great selection of wines on the tasting menu, they have Barton’s Kitchen which serves sandwiches, salads, and a nice meat and cheese platter.

Our final tasting of the weekend was at Seven Angels Cellars located in the Templeton Gap. 7 Angels is a small family-owned winery making exceptional boutique wines. The owners Greg and Pam Martin have a hand in every part of the business and their passion for what they do is evident in the wines they produce. Denise and John, our hosts for the tasting, are extremely knowledgable and fun and guided us expertly through the wines, history of the winery and process in which they are made. We truly loved all of the wines we tried as well as the casual, warm setting.

Next on our agenda was an early dinner and concert at Vina Robles Ampitheatre. A must stop for dinner in Paso is Buona Tavola. Serving tradition northern Italian cuisine Buona Tavola was even better than our last visit several years ago. Their extensive menu includes starters and entrees made with fresh ingredients, handmade pasta, and classic Italian flavors. The elegant but casual atmosphere and impeccable service added to the perfect meal.

The last event on the agenda was a Counting Crows concert at Vina Robles Amphitheater. This is an intimate open-air venue, on a small scale, so all of the seats are great. A bonus to attending a show here is that there are several bars on-site all serving local beer and wine selections. The show was truly the highlight of a perfect weekend in Paso Robles wine country. We’re already planning our next trip!

Did you miss the first part of this story? Check out the post here. Wondering about some do's and don'ts of visiting a winery? Our blog about winery etiquette has some great information - read it now.