Trip to Paso Robles – Day 4

Refortified after a relaxing late night around the fire pit we set off for Epoch Estate Wines. Epoch’s wines are from a combination of Paderewski Vineyard, Catapult Vineyard and York Mountain. The tasting room is on the historic York Mountain Winery property. It’s the love of two geologists – Liz and Bill Armstrong who assembled these vineyards and renovated the York Mountain structures to create … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 4

Trip to Paso Robles – Day 3

This time of year the hills in California’s Central Coast are extraordinarily beautiful. It’s the vibrant greens before the browns of summer that make it so spectacular to witness. We started off the morning at Thacher Winery and Vineyard. It has a massive 100 year old barn, stable, gardens and orchards. When Sherman Thacher and his wife purchased the property in 2004 the ranch had … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 3

Trip to Paso Robles – Day 2 – Tin City

Just outside of downtown Paso Robles is an industrial area turned into the home for over forty wineries, distilleries and breweries. Park your vehicle and spend the day here. Some tasting rooms in Tin City accommodate walk-ins. We made reservations for all our tastings. Jacob Toft’s tasting room was our first of the day. They’re a small Central Coast producer sourcing from some of the … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 2 – Tin City

Trip to Paso Robles – Day 1

Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles, once a Almond growing region has grown into a major wine region. The rolling hills are studded with over 400 wineries with a majority making Rhone varietal wines. Over 4 days we toured the west side of Paso Robles and tasted at 13 wineries. Yes, that’s a big number in 4 days but using some restraint … Continue reading Trip to Paso Robles – Day 1

“a winery built around the spirit of wine itself”*

We were on a mission to try Mending Wall’s Petite Sirah. It was our only appointment of the day while we were doing some trip planning in Napa. Our host was Amy and we will forever remember her for one of, and I truly mean this, best tastings we have ever experienced. Mending Wall wines are one of Thomas Rivers Brown’s many accomplishments. He makes … Continue reading “a winery built around the spirit of wine itself”*

Paravel Pick Up

It’s difficult not to be moved by the view when you drive to Howell Mountain. We’ve driven there twice since the 2020 fires and both times I was struck with a feeling of despair seeing the devastation of homes, wineries, and charred hills. Thankfully It’s all coming back. Sonoma and Napa residents, and winery owners in particular, are nothing if not resilient. For Jon and … Continue reading Paravel Pick Up

Planning a Sonoma Wine Trip – Updated

Sonoma is the perfect place to enjoy a wine country adventure after the year long pandemic lock down. The wineries are incredibly eager to have visitors back and there is no better place to relax. We’ve been busy updating our local recommendations to make it easy for you to plan your visit. Check out the Local Favorites page and get started! There are some amazing … Continue reading Planning a Sonoma Wine Trip – Updated