Vegas to Paso Robles to Monterey with a stop at Lone Madrone – Day 1 The Scenic Route 2021

Aug 27, 2021

From Paso Robles to Monterey

First return trip into the wild. It had been so long, but it was like riding a bike. Well, riding a bike with a mask on, a few more precautions, and a bit of extra patience checking into hotels…

We finally felt confident enough to get back out there. We had been planning our August trip for a while and crossing our fingers.

This seemed to be a relatively safe adventure. So we packed the car with camera gear, clothes, snacks, hand sanitizer, and facemasks and headed back into the wild.

Okay…it wasn’t all wild. Lots of it was wine tasting, but it was 15 days outside of not just our house, but our state.

Here is our extended version of Day 1 of our adventure!

Day 1 Leaving Las Vegas

Day 1 began as we left Las Vegas to start our 15-day adventure across 3 states and over 15 AVAs. But today, was just about tasting some wine and getting to the coast.

Day 1 The Scenic Route Vegas to Monterey

Before returning home, we would put 3,400 miles on the car and taste wines from at least 55 different wineries!

We were up and out early as the sun was rising. There were clouds in the distance as we headed down past the strip, and Vegas wished us well on our trip with a couple of rare rainbows.

Vegas wished us a good trip with double rainbows

We were off through the desert to Paso Robles. It was a cloudy morning, with rain at times. Sound terrible? It wasn’t. The rain saturated the soil and made the colors more vivid and the clouds allowed the sun to sneak through making for some dramatic desert scenery.

Vegas to Paso Robles and Lone Madrone

We passed through the Mojave Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Pass, and traveled through the rolling hills that look like they are draped in suede that lead you into Bakersfield.

After a brief stop at the Square in downtown Paso Robles, we headed into the western mountains on the winding Adelaida Road.

Lunch found us at Lone Madrone’s Tasting room with a table outside with a view and a delicious cheese plate to taste through these wines by Neil Collins (winemaker at Tablas Creek) and his son Jordan. Oh…and some of their hard ciders also. (I promise you details in full in another post!)

The Pacific Coast Highway and Monterey

After lunch we drove to the coast, picking up Hwy 1, the Pacific Coast Highway in Cambria. With windows down, we soaked in the salt air arriving in Monterey in time for dinner.

Fish and chips and beer on a patio at Old Fisherman’s Wharf with sunset over the boats…yeah, that’ll do for a great end to Day 1.

Sunset over Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey on The Scenic Route 2021

But that’s just day one. We have 2 states, 14 days, and miles to go! More adventure to come!

Want the whole story? You can check out our Trip Overview here!

The Scenic Route 2021 – The Overview

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Robin Bell Renken I have always loved people’s stories. I spent a career in Theatre helping to tell stories, as a Stage Manager. Daily enabling artists to freely and safely tell stories through their art. Then I fell in love with wine. There are so many details, so many nuances, not just in the glass, but in the vineyard, the region and the people. As I met winemakers and vineyard owners and even the people in the tasting room excited to pour me a glass and tell me the story of this wine, I knew these were stories I wanted to share. I completed my study and became a Certified Specialist of Wine and continue learning daily as I meet and interview people in this industry.

Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

The Scenic Route 2021 – The Overview

Aug 26, 2021

The Scenic Route 2021

After being cooped up for over a year, we were ready to get back out and safely explore, and the Wine Media Conference in Eugene Oregon gave us a reason to head North. Of course we took The Scenic Route, making time for beautiful scenery and lots of wine country.

While we will break this down further with details on each day and features on many of the places and wineries, we wanted to give you the overview of our fast paced 15-day adventure #TheScenicRoute2021

Before returning home we would put over 3,400 miles on our car.

*This trip was planned to attend the Wine Media Conference as well as the Pre-Conference Tour in the Umpqua Valley. These events are sponsored by wineries and regions so that the wine media can get a glimpse into these areas.

We additionally coordinated with PR and Marketing people to visit and cover wineries that they represent. In other cases, we coordinated directly with the winery.

In several instances, our overnight stay was picked up, occasionally a meal, and typically tastings were comped.

Regardless of all of that, the opinions given are our own.

We are grateful to the winemakers who took the time to speak with us so that we can really give you an accurate feel for the story behind the wines.

The Scenic Route 2021 – The Trip North

Vegas – Paso Robles – Monterey – Half Moon Bay – Healdsburg – Redding – Southern Oregon – Roseburg – Eugene – Walla Walla

Vegas to Walla Walla via Paso, The Pacific Coast Highway, Oregon Wine Country and the Columbia Gorge (via Google Maps)

The Scenic Route 2021 – The Return Trip

Walla Walla – Willamette Valley – Eugene – Yosemite – Vegas

The Return Trip Walla Walla, Willamette, Eugene, Yosemite and home (via Google Maps)

Day 1 Lone Madrone and the Coast

Day 1 of the Scenic Route 2021 began as we left Las Vegas to start our 15-day adventure across 3 states and over 15 AVAs.

Our first stop was Paso Robles, where we headed to Lone Madrone in the hills on Adelaida Road.

We enjoyed lunch and tasted through their wines and ciders and took in the view

Then we headed to the coast, rolling down our windows and taking in the salt air as we enjoyed the scenery on the spectacular Pacific Coast Highway

Our day ended with fish and chips on the Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey.

Day 2 The Coast and Selby

Day 2 saw us continuing up the coast past Santa Cruz to Bonny Doon Beach, immersing ourselves in the natural beauty of the area

Lunch that day was at Sam’s Chowder House, a popular stop in Half Moon Bay, with terrific food and great views.

Then it was on to San Francisco and across the Iconic Golden Gate Bridge to arrive finally in Sonoma’s Healdsburg, where we met with Susie Selby of Selby Winery.

Susie has continued the vision of this winery that she began with her father. Her wines have been served to 4 different administrations in the white house.

Our day finished with a drive through the beautiful and windy Mayacama Mountains.

Day 3 Troon

Day 3 began at the Biodynamic and Regenerative Troon Vineyard in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley.

General Manager Craig Camp gave us a tour of the property and introduced us to some of their biodynamic practices.

The property recently became only the 2nd winery in the world to achieve Regenerative Certification. They follow the Regenerative motto “Farm Like the World Depends on it!”

We tasted through some of their unique wines including their Kubli Bench Amber and their 2020 Fizzante dry red sparkling wine.

Day 4 the Umpqua

Days 4 & 5 took us to the Umpqua Valley, where we actually began with dinner at True Kitchen + Bar on Day 3.

Day 4 took us to the wineries, beginning with Meadows Estate where they were joined by Triple Oak Vineyard. The Meadows Family are relatively new to the region and you can expect to hear more about them from us soon!

We headed to Elkton where we tasted in the Brandborg cellar and then headed upstairs to taste with Lexème, whose winemaker Christopher Hudson is also the President of the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association.

Our next stop was Bradley Vineyards where Tyler Bradley and Colin Duddy poured wines from Bradley and River’s Edge, respectively, for us on the Bradley patio overlooking the vineyard.

Lunch was at Reustle Vineyards, where we enjoyed their Sauvignon Blanc on the deck with avocado toast and then were treated to a sit-down lunch in their caves, paired with their wines.

Then we were then off to Cooper Ridge Vineyard near Roseburg to sip their wines and enjoy some spectacular views,

It was just a short drive across the road to Knostman Family Winery. Their tasting room is perched on the edge of the North Umpqua River.

Dinner was at the historic Parrott House, a restored home turned event center, with a great atmosphere, and delicious food. (oh and did I mention they have a Bourbon bar?)

Day 5 More Umpqua

Our second day in the Umpqua began at Spangler Vineyards, where they concentrate on Bordeaux varieties, then we headed to Abacela where they specialize in Spanish Varieties.

General Manager Gavin Joll gave us the history of this winery where research and science are key. We tasted through Albarinos and Tempranillos, alongside a cheese board with local artisan and Spanish cheeses.

Veraison had begun here and we snuck into the vineyard to take a peek at the purpling berries.

Our next stop was the family-owned Delfino Vineyards where owners Jim and Terri Delfino walked us through their history and their wines.

Then it was onto Melrose Vineyards where Wayne Parker opened their doors and welcomed us like family. We enjoyed a delicious vegetarian lunch and were invited to pair it with any of the over a dozen wines that they currently have in their lineup.

We next visited Hillcrest Vineyard, the first commercial winery in Oregon, that is now run by Dyson DeMara. Dyson brings a vast education and understanding of wine from around the world and translates that into an in-depth exploration of the terroir of this region, through the use of concrete fermenters, and extended maceration.

Dyson is also part owner of our next stop, the Urban Winery, Paul O’Brien. Winemaker, Scott Kelly walked us through their renovated Chevy Dealership gone winery and we even did some barrel tasting.

We finished our visit in their beautiful tasting room sipping their Malmsey (their nod to the sweet wines of Madeira)

Our last wine stop of the day was Trella, located in a historic building on Jackson Street in downtown Roseburg. This building dates back to 1913.

Dinner was at Catch 22 where they serve elevated fish and chips in a renovated church.

Days 6-8 and the Wine Media Conference In Eugene

Days 6-8 took us to Eugene and the Wine Media Conference with Zephyr Conferences Allan Wright kicking off the event.

First-day sessions were filled with educations sessions for writers and media, as well as tastings with DOC Delle Venezie and The Sweet Wines of Bordeaux.

This was followed by more tastings with the Live White Wine Social. Where attendees have 5 minutes to listen to a winery speak about their wine, taste the wine and get out a social media post. (It can be a little bit of mayhem, but fun mayhem)

The day ended with a little downtown Eugene, where Travel Lane County invited us to the 5^th Street Alley and the newly opened Gordon Hotel. Local winemakers poured while we enjoyed small bites and artisan charcuterie and cheeses, as well as the view of the newly opened shops below in the Alley.

Day 2 of the conference had us tasting again with a session on Pecorino D’Abruzzo as well as the wines of Italy’s Le Marche. Followed by an entertaining lunch with friends at a local Japanese steak house.

The afternoon session had us tasting Oregon Sparkling Wines from traditional method sparklers to interesting varieties to other methods, like ancestral, Pet Nats, or even Piquettes! The diversity of styles and the quality of wines meet here in Oregon.

This session was followed by the Live Red Wine Social and a conference wrap-up! WMC21 was in the books.

WMC2021 (The Wine Media Conference) in Eugene OR

Day 9 The Columbia Gorge and Caprio Cellars in Walla Walla

Post-conference on Day 9 we headed into the Columbia Gorge to soak in some nature including Wahkeena Falls and the Bonneville Hatchery where we met Herman the 80-year-old Sturgeon at their Interpretive Center.

We made a quick stop in the beautiful and bustling town of Hood River to pick up breakfast, then continued on to Caprio Cellars in Walla Walla.

Emily their hospitality manager met us at the door with sparkling wine. We found a comfortable spot outside to sit and they led us through a tasting of their wines, paired with delicious gourmet bites.

This wasn’t something special, this is what they do for each and every guest that walks through their door.

The location just south of Walla Walla has beautiful views of the Blue Mountains and of the Walla Walla Valley

That evening we stayed at The Finch, a fresh and quirky boutique hotel in downtown Walla Walla and picked up dinner to-go from Chef Andre Bopp’s AK Mercado downtown.

Day 10 L’Ecole No. 41 and back to the Willamette

The next morning Day 10 we breakfasted at Clairette’s, a great local spot just a block or so from the hotel.

After breakfast, we met Constance from L’Ecole No. 41 at their Seven Hills Vineyard. She took us up to the Ferguson Vineyard that sits on an ancient lava flow with soils of fractured basalt. From here at the top of the vineyard, the entire Walla Walla Valley is laid out before you.

We returned to the Schoolhouse to do a tour and tasting, before heading back through the gorge to the Willamette Valley.

That night we stayed at the beautiful Utopia log cabin on the same property as their winery. They have beautiful views of the Ribbon Ridge AVA and stunning starscapes at night.

Day 11 – Lenné Estate – Bells Up – Utopia

Our Day 11 morning started early at Lenné Estate Where they have a stunning tasting room that looks like it was plucked out of the French countryside.

Located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA we climbed the steep Kill Hill Vineyard to the top to take in the views and learn about their prized poor Peavine soil.

We finished our visit with a tasting with owner/winemaker Steve Lutz who explained his winemaking style.

Then it was off to Bell’s Up in the Chehalem Mountains. Co-owner, Sara Specter designed a barn quilt sign for their tasting room. Dave Specter began as a garagiste winemaker in Cincinnati, the couple moved her to Oregon to fulfill their winemaking dreams.

We returned to the Utopia Vineyard to meet the owner and winemaker Dan Warnshuis, see the vineyard and taste his wines in the tasting room.

We had one more night at the beautiful Utopia cabin. Talk about a spectacular view to enjoy with your morning coffee!

Day 12 Youngberg Hill

Our final day (Day 12) in the Willamette found us at Youngberg Hill in the McMinnville AVA.

Owner Wayne Bailey took us on a vineyard tour, describing the soils and microclimates of the different blocks. We met their 2 Scottish Highland cows, saw the goats and the chickens…they try to create some biodiversity here.

Back at their beautiful Inn and tasting room, we did a side-by-side Pinot tasting to truly see the difference those soils make in the wine!

In addition to the Youngberg Hill wines, they also craft the Bailey Family Wines, crafted from the best fruit on the estate and available by allocation only.

Day 13 The Wineries around Eugene

Day 13 was spent exploring Eugene with friends who took us to Bluebird Hill Cellars, in Monroe, where we tasted through their wines with owner Sue. Then we made a quick stop at Benton Lane to get a sneak peek at their renovations before heading to Hayworth Wine Bar, to share a bottle of their Haymaker blend and gobble up two charcuterie platters. (Thanks to Alyse and Neal of Winery Wanderings for this great introduction to the region!)

Days 14 and 15 Yosemite

Our final days of The Scenic Route 2021 took us back into nature to Yosemite. We soaked in the natural beauty, exploring the Tuolumne Grove and taking in the sites on the Tioga Road before returning to Vegas.

Yosemite Dana fork of the Tuolumne River

Details coming!

Watch for details on all the amazing places and wineries we visited, coming soon to Crushed Grape Chronicles.

More Deep Dives into Wine Country

This is not the first time we have headed off for two weeks divided between wine country and natural wonders. Check out some of our previous trips!

The Scenic Route 2019
- In the summer of 2019, we took a similar trip into Southern Oregon, The Columbia Gorge, Yakima Valley, and Walla Walla, exploring many of the wine regions and meeting winemakers!
Our Aussie Wine Adventure
- In October of 2019, we spent 2 weeks exploring New South Wales Australia and attending the 2019 Wine Media Conference held in the Hunter Valley.
WBC 18 in Walla Walla the Sweeping Overview
- Our first trip to the Yakima Valley and Walla Walla!
Travel California, Top Wine Destinations
- This 6 day trip takes in Paso Robles, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Napa and the Livermore Valley.

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on all of our posts.

When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.

2017 The year in retrospect

Dec 30, 2017

I’ve started this post at least 3 times. How to sum up a year? My tendency is to go analytical and spin out the year chronologically. But remembering a year doesn’t really work that way. Even scanning through my Instagram feed, I found my mind drifting, one memory taking me to another, rarely chronologically and I would swipe from one end of my feed to the other as the thoughts took me. The visuals, the photos, were the things that drew me in, so that is what I want to share with you.

A Year of #_______Strong and of people coming together

2017…It’s been a year. It was the year of #(currentdisasterousevent)strong. There were so many, it was overwhelming at times. These events, that used to happen in some far away place, to people we didn’t know, suddenly, as we become a global community, have become things happening to people we know in places we have often seen. I had friends in Florida, Houston, in Sonoma, in New York City, in the Dominican Republic. And then of course there was Vegas. That’s home, and while I was not on the strip that night, many people that I work with daily and care for deeply, were. It was a year of stress and struggles, but also a year of people coming together. These events reminded us what is important, they caused us to be in touch with people who are dear to us and let them know they are dear to us.

Nature and home

As I sifted through the photos from this year, the ones I found the most moving, were those I took on our family farm early this spring. No, they have nothing to do with wine, but returning to this place during some torrential spring rains, brought some perspective to the year. The day was wet and rainy, but it only drizzled a bit while we were there. We watched the creek rush overflowing it’s banks, and trudged from the ridge to the meadow and were soaked to the bone by the the dripping trees and wet underbrush by the time we left, but bits of astounding beauty were everywhere.

Fungus on the Farm

My Waterfall

Friends and Wine in Virginia

While we were on the East Coast we were able to catch up with friends and spent a weekend with my best friend and another friend from college as well as their husbands and did a bit of exploring of Virginia Wine Country. A few years ago, we did a girls weekend in Virginia wine country and this was a great opportunity to do Wine Country II, Electric Boogaloo tour with the boys.

I did a bit of research on the history of Virginia Wine Country before we traveled, and we tried to take in a few different areas starting at Chrysalis and Stone Tower in Northern Virginia. Chrysalis Vineyards is the Champion of the Norton Grape, a grape native to North America and have their tasting room at the Ag District Center. The Winery is the vision of Jennifer McCloud who started Chrysalis in the late 1990’s. This is a from scratch business. In Todd Kliman’s book “The Wild Vine – A forgotten grape and the untold story of American Wine” he talks about meeting Jennifer at the Vineyards and riding out with her in her pickup to see the vines. She is the heart and soul of this winery.

Norton Grape Vine at Chrysalis Tasting Room

Stone Tower Vineyards, is something completely different. You drive up Hogsback Mountain to find an impressive Estate with a “stone tower” hence the name. Part of the property had been in the family for 40 years and in 2005 they added to the property when a neighboring farm was available. Many of their vines are still too young to yield fruit, so their winemaker brings in juice from California for some of their wines, which are labeled under “Wild Boar Cellars”. Regardless, the wines were all beautifully made and the Estate wines made from grapes grown on site are really exquisite. The tasting room at the vineyard in Loudoun County is expansive and beautiful and as such is overflowing with wine tasters from the DC area on the weekends, so go early!

Stone Tower Winery in Virginia

We ventured south from here to meet my dearest friend at Barboursville Vineyards in Central Virginia. This Vineyard is on a historic estate between Monticello and Montpelier. On the property lies the remnants of the home designed for James Barbour by Thomas Jefferson. In 1976 the Zonin Family, who command a portfolio of 9 wineries in 7 regions of Italy, acquired the property.

Barboursville Vineyards

We then headed to Charlottesville (this was early in the year, before they needed a #CharlottesvilleStong). We had a great dinner on the Historic Downtown Mall and then planned our morning trip to Monticello.

Jefferson wanted so desperately to grow grapes and make his own wine. He was a renaissance man and as such tended to get wrapped up in some things to the detriment of others. The property is beautiful, the house unique and quirky, with it’s wine elevator among other things and the gardens are lovely, if filled with non native species. The vineyards speak to the longing to make his own wine and on this spring day, in the mist, they seemed to echo this.

Monticello

Vineyards at Monticello

We had lunch at the historic Michie Tavern and visited a few other wineries, a standout being Blenheim Vineyards, owned by Dave Matthews.

How much California Wine Country can you see in 6 days?

August took us on a Flash Tour of the California Coast and it’s wine regions. We spent 6 Days traveling the coast hitting Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, the Livermore Valley, and Santa Cruz. You can check out our travels here. The trip was amazing, here are some visual highlights.

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Other highlights

Those are the big highlights, but we were busy all year.

At the beginning of the year I did a tasting of Natural Wines with Matthieu at the farmers market.

We did a Superbowl Wine Party How to pair with Everything! And we did pair with everything!

In April we did a Virtual trip to the McLaren Vale in Australia with our friend Dean being our Wine Reporter at Large

In May and June we dove into Rosé with some basics and tastings. July saw us drinking lots of bright whites, as you would expect in the summer in Vegas, and then

We found ourselves back in Santa Barbara again in October and spent time in Lompoc in the Wine Ghetto, Solvang and downtown Santa Barbara.

Beyond that we traveled closer to home and did some amazing at home pairings. Including a wonderful Grenache Vertical and some Wine and Chocolate bark pairings.

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Onward to 2018

And what about 2018? I love the New Year. It always feels like a clean slate. Will there be good wine and some wine travel? Yes! Adventures and meeting new people and sharing their stories is what we are all about, and we get better at this all the time. Plans are in the works for this year, but who knows where the wind may blow us. I look forward to more spontaneous trips this year.

And I have been inspired seeing people post their “power words” for the new year. Mine…”Exploration”. I love research and if I want to be more spontaneous this year, it actually probably means chasing tangents down the research rabbit hole, and I’m okay with that! I do have a few things on my list. Expect to see more on French wines and wine regions this year. Between trips to wine regions, we will be taking some virtual trips to France and digging in deeper to it’s wine regions. There is a reason that when people think of wine, they first think of French wine. I am also anxious to search out more “natural wines”. I know, I know, it’s a really open term, but I love pét-nat and I want to explore deeper into this movement and I’m anxious to see how this category of wines develops and evolves. And then of course there will be the tangents. I always start the year with plans, and I will be sitting down soon to create my list for 2018. By the end of 2018 I am sure that I will have happily strayed from it.

Happy New Year! I’m off to make my exploration planning list. I should probably pour a glass of wine as I head down the rabbit hole.

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Flash tour Central Coast – Day 4 – Santa Cruz to Paso Robles on the Pacific Coast Highway

Aug 17, 2017

More of the Flash Tour! We are back on the Central Coast for Day 4. Today is about the call of the ocean, and we spend much of the day on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Day 4 Santa Cruz to Paso Robles to Solvang

To the Pacific Coast Highway

Day 4 we were up early and heading to the coast again. This time through San Jose then onto Rt. 17 to Santa Cruz. This glorious stretch of road is notoriously dangerous, but is tree lined and beautiful running through Scotts Valley with Redwoods to the North. This drive takes you to Santa Cruz and then Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. We drove to just before Davenport and enjoyed the scenic drive up Bonny Doon Road for a bit. Then it was back to enjoy the coast on Bonny Doon Beach. It was still early, so we hopped back on the 1 heading north and took in some more of the coast. We came upon Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve in the Rancho del Osos- Big Basin Redwoods State Park. As you drive up the coast looking at the ocean suddenly this burst of mountainous beauty catches your eye from the other side. We stopped and took in a little of the view before heading back down to Davenport and the Bonny Doon Tasting Room.

: Bonny Doon Beach Sign

: Bonny Doon beach

: Flowers on the edge in Davenport

: The Coast Line North of Davenport on Highway 1

: Rancho del Osos- Big Basin Redwoods State Park – Theodore J. Hoover Natural Preserve

: Theodore J. Hoover Preserve

Bonny Doon Vineyard Tasting Room

Bonny Doon…there is so much to say here. The first of the Rhone Rangers, Randall Grahm has been a winemaking pioneer in California. I will treat you to a full post on Bonny Doon, Randall Grahm and all of the really great and interesting stuff, but for now…visit the Bonny Doon Vineyards Website and have a quick read. We had an amazing tasting in their tasting room which sits right on the Pacific Coast Highway, then went across the street to enjoy the view and have a picnic lunch.

: Bonny Doon Tasting Room In Davenport CA

: Le Cigare Volant at the Bonny Doon Tasting Room

: A Proper Claret – Bonny Doon

Paso Robles – Tablas Creek Vineyard

We hit the 101 and proceeded to Paso Robles heading straight for Tablas Creek Vineyard, where we did a tasting and took a look at where the vines were in veraison. They were pouring two interesting wines, Clairette Blanche and Terret Noir. Tablas Creek imported Clairette Blanche to the United States in 2003, it was released to them in 2009 and planted in 2010. The half acre block of Clairette Blanche at Tablas Creek is one of the only plantings in California. The Terret Noir is a blending grape from Chateauneuf du Pape. This vine was brought in from the Beaucastel Estate in Chateauneuf du Pape, as part of Tablas Creek’s goal to have all the Chateauneuf du Pape varieties. Watch for tastings and pairings with these two rather unique wines. And if you are a wine geek, get yourself to Tablas Creek Vineyard. If you can’t make it there, visit the website, you will find a ton of fascinating educational information on Rhone wines. Of course you will also find loads of information here on our website. We were lucky enough to do an interview and tour with Jason Haas their General Manager and had fascinating discussions on a wide range of topics including the Rhone Varieties, the Adelaida AVA and using Foudres, dry farming and more.

: Tablas Creek Vineyard Winery in Paso Robles Adelaida AVA

: The Grounds at Tablas Creek

: Mourvedre ripening at Tablas Creek in the Adelaida AVA of Paso Robles

: Grenache Noir in veraison at Tablas Creek

A little more PCH

Then it was back on the road to Solvang in Santa Barbara County where we would stay for the next 2 nights. Luckily were were not in a hurry, so we drove SR 46 to the Beach and up a little to Cambria and then took the Pacific Coast Highway to Morro Bay and SLO before getting back on the 101 to see sunset out the back window and moon rise out the front as we drove into Buellton.

Morro Bay and Morro Rock on The Pacific Coast Highway

Day 5 takes us back to Santa Barbara! Come back for more of the trip!

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West Side Paso Robles – the Highlight Reel!

Sep 4, 2013

Daou Over-Look

We spent the weekend in Paso Robles arriving mid-afternoon at DAOU where they were having music out on the patio. The views from this vineyard are incredible.

It is 360 degrees of the Paso Robles area from the top of a mountain on the West side. Watch for a slide show of amazing photos of the view coming up this next week!

Tablas Creek Wine Walk

The end of our day was filled with a Vineyard Walk at Tablas Creek. The walk was led by Tablas Creek Viticulturalist Levi Glenn. We and about 50 other wine lovers hiked through the vineyard tasting wines as we walked learning about the vineyard and the grapes and then enjoying small bite pairings prepared by Chef Jeff Scott. We watched the sunset by the head-pruned Tannat. This was just a joy. We promise a video in the next week or so to let you enjoy the walk with us vicariously!

The next morning found us up too early again, so we roamed the West Side hills enjoying the views.

Lone Madrone Tasting Room

We started our day of tasting at Lone Madrone’s new tasting room across from the Adelaida entrance. This is Neil Collins’ winery (the winemaker at Tablas Creek). The renovated barn is beautiful with great art. Inspired by this little bit of Paso Robles 6 degrees of separation we headed to Le Cuvier. Okay, let me double back and explain. When Neil first started in Paso Robles he was working at Adelaida for their winemaker at the time, John Munch. Tablas Creek stole Neil away from Adelaida and then John Munch left Adelaida. He now is the co-owner and winemaker at Le Cuvier.

Le Cuvier View

So after an evening a Tablas Creek, a tasting at Lone Madrone where else could we go but Le Cuvier. They do small pairings with all the wines here. John Munch is an exceptional character and his wines are unique. His flamboyant writing style makes his blog well worth the read! You can look forward to a fascinating blog post on this fascinating man.

Jada Patio

Our next stop was Jada on Vineyard Drive where they do cheese pairings with all of their tastings. The hospitality here was exceptional. We were greeted downstairs and guided up to the tasting room and offered a table on the patio. They brought us our cheese and they came around with each wine. This is a young winery, but the staff is knowledgeable and thoughtful and really made this a great experience.

Vineyard at Proulx

On our last trip we had stopped by Shale Oak and I found that Kevin Riley their consulting winemaker had his own winery called Proulx (pronounced: Pru). We stopped by to find Kevin and his wife Genoa running the tasting room and were able to taste their wines and have a great conversation with them.

Halter Ranch Dinner

This day finished with the Vineyard View BBQ at Halter Ranch. We were early, so we sat and enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio by the tasting room and then headed up for the dinner. The food, the wine and the view were all perfect. To top it off we were seated alphabetically which put us next to the Sass family and we enjoyed the evening chatting with the winemaker, Kevin Sass’ parents, brother and sister-in-law. Good wine and good company…that’s what this is really all about. You can expect some great photos and a blog with more details on this wonderful and relaxing dinner.

Sunset Moonstone Beach

Our final day saw us paying homage to the sea, which brings the climate that allows all of these grapes to thrive. We headed out to the coast and drove from Morro Bay to Ragged Point enjoying the views along the way.

So that’s the highlights! Stay tuned for photos, videos and more detailed blog posts!

Pacific Coast Highway

Vegas to Paso Robles to Monterey with a stop at Lone Madrone – Day 1 The Scenic Route 2021

From Paso Robles to Monterey

Day 1 Leaving Las Vegas

Vegas to Paso Robles and Lone Madrone

The Pacific Coast Highway and Monterey

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The Scenic Route 2021 – The Overview

The Scenic Route 2021

The Scenic Route 2021 – The Trip North

The Scenic Route 2021 – The Return Trip

Day 1 Lone Madrone and the Coast

Day 2 The Coast and Selby

Day 3 Troon

Day 4 the Umpqua

Day 5 More Umpqua

Days 6-8 and the Wine Media Conference In Eugene

Day 9 The Columbia Gorge and Caprio Cellars in Walla Walla

Day 10 L’Ecole No. 41 and back to the Willamette

Day 11 – Lenné Estate – Bells Up – Utopia

Day 12 Youngberg Hill

Day 13 The Wineries around Eugene

Days 14 and 15 Yosemite

Details coming!

More Deep Dives into Wine Country

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2017 The year in retrospect

A Year of #_______Strong and of people coming together

Nature and home

Friends and Wine in Virginia

How much California Wine Country can you see in 6 days?

Other highlights

Onward to 2018

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Flash tour Central Coast – Day 4 – Santa Cruz to Paso Robles on the Pacific Coast Highway

Day 4 Santa Cruz to Paso Robles to Solvang

To the Pacific Coast Highway

Bonny Doon Vineyard Tasting Room

Paso Robles – Tablas Creek Vineyard

A little more PCH

Day 5 takes us back to Santa Barbara! Come back for more of the trip!

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West Side Paso Robles – the Highlight Reel!

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