J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is dedicated to producing flavorful wines that are the finest examples of quality and flavor from our given appellations. We are committed to honesty, excellence and service, with a respect for our employees, suppliers, customers, and the long-term health of our company and the environment.

Tucked into the hillside east of Paso Robles, along California’s enchanting Central Coast is Robert Hall Winery, where years of hard work and infinite attention to detail are invested into every bottle of wine we make. As farmers first, the goal is to nurture the land and coax from it the finest fruit possible from the vineyards on the Hall Ranch — each with its own personality and each expressing unique nuances that strive to capture the essence of Paso Robles.

An entrepreneur with tremendous business acumen, Robert L. Hall’s past success include ventures in construction, bowling centers, travel agencies, restaurants and champion horse breeding. A native of Minnesota, Robert resided in Arizona prior to finding a home in the Paso Robles AVA. https://www.slovisitorsguide.com/paso-robles/award-winning-wines-hospitality

Sarzotti Winery and Vineyard serves as the Sarzotti family’s vehicle for sharing what they love to do—make wine. The winery is owned and run by the Sarzotti family, and they see it as a way to do what their family has been doing for generations: to make wine that can be enjoyed with friends and family.

Jim Sarzotti and his wife Cheryl as well as their son James and his wife Jenne, all live and work on the Sarzotti Winery and Vineyards property in beautiful Templeton, CA. James and Jenne’s children also live on the property. The Sarzottis have farming in their blood—fifteen years ago they relocated to Paso Robles from Southern California at James’ suggestion. James knew that his father had always loved to grow grapes and make wine, and saw in Paso Robles an opportunity to do this together as a family.

https://www.slovisitorsguide.com/paso-robles/sarzotti-winery-and-vineyard

Celebrating 26 years | Family owned and operated

Founded in 2003, Line Shack Winery was the realization of over two decades of Balentine family winemaking experience. With this venture, owner/winemaker team Bob and Daphne Balentine set out to produce affordable, world-class wines from California’s Central Coast, particularly from the new San Antonio Valley AVA in Southern Monterey County. The San Antonio Valley is the site of California’s second mission, Mission San Antonio, where some of the first wine grapes were ever planted in California. This region provides warm days followed by cool nights, enabling fruit to achieve extended hang time and maximize its true varietal characteristics.

Our vineyards are located in the San Antonio Valley, a 1200 foot high Mountain Valley in the heart of the Santa Lucia mountain range and several miles inland from the Pacific Ocean on the Central Coast of California. The region is quickly becoming renowned for the excellent warm-climate Bourdeaux and Rhone grape varieties. The wines produced are intensely flavored, full-bodied reds and whites of exceptional character.

To round out our portfolio, we source small amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit from the cooler Santa Lucia Highlands, also located in Monterey County. All of our wines are made in an approachable style that is both respectful to the varietal and representative of the California South Coast terroir. As Monterey County natives, we are proud to showcase wines from this beautiful region! We look forward to sharing our family tradition with you and yours!

Established in 1991…Dunning Vineyards is family owned and operated. Located on the Westside of Paso Robles in the “Willow Creek” AVA District. We are well known for producing Premium Quality highly rated Estate wines featuring Estate Zinfandel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Meritage, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah and Grenache.

THE ASUNCION RIDGE EXPERIENCE

The journey began when Winemaker, Philip Krumal and Entrepreneur, Michael Dilsaver met in a wine appreciation class in 1995. Their love of fine wine, great food and inspiring friendships lead to the ultimate dream of “living the wine country dream.” Their first Pinot Noir vineyard was planted in 2002 in the Santa Lucia Mountains overlooking Morro Bay, thus starting the Asuncion Ridge story. Philip and Michael’s philosophy is a simple one…”wine begins in the vineyard.” To this end, a watchful eye is given to every step of the process from “the vineyard to the bottle.”

It is Philip and Michael’s hope that you will join them in this journey.

Castoro Cellars, which has been making wine in Paso Robles since 1983, was started by husband and wife Niels and Bimmer Udsen. Niels studied Ag Business at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. According to Bimmer, “When Niels graduated he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do but the wine industry seemed appealing.” He started working at Paso Robles winery Estrella River Winery, and says Bimmer, “immediately fell in love with the wine business.”

Niels began making his own wine, which he and Bimmer would sell to friends and family. This eventually led to Niels and Bimmer starting Castoro Cellars, which now produces around 30,000 cases annually. Bimmer says of Paso Robles, “Ending up in Paso Robles was truly a blessing as the region has grown immensely since Castoro Cellars began making wines.” Read more here: https://www.slovisitorsguide.com/paso-robles/30-years-of-family-winemaking-at-castoro-cellars

Tastings by appointment

Nestled in the heart of Edna Valley, overlooking rows of vineyards and a 40-mile stretch of the Santa Lucia mountain range is Autry Cellars. Owner and artisan winemaker Steve Autry and his tasting room staff pour wine varietals, brandy, and grappa borne from some of the best grapes selected from across the region, along with his signature apple brandy.

Autry Cellars’ informal, unpretentious tasting room is, “decorated in early American warehouse” style, jokes Autry. However, don’t be deceived by the modest décor. In this tasting room visitors can experience superb wine varietals ranging from best selling Petite Sirah to Malbec and Viognier. In addition, you can taste gold medal best-in-class grappa and silver medal winning American oak and Hungarian oak brandies, awarded by the California Mid-State Fair.

With over 18 years of winemaking experience, Autry became a commercial winemaker 10 years ago and a fully licensed brandy distiller in 2012. A visit to Autry Cellars is about discovery. He says people who visit his tasting room, “come for the wine and discover the brandy.” At Autry Cellars, visitors gain access to impressive wines and brandies that are available exclusively in the tasting room. Every wine is unique, and each is produced only in small quantities.

Visit Autry Cellars tasting room at 5450 Edna Road in San Luis Obispo; open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, call (805) 546-8669 or see autrycellars.com.

Ray and Pam Derby moved to the Central Coast area in the early 1990’s with the intention of retiring. In 1998, they purchased their first vineyard property, now known as Derbyshire Vineyard and their thoughts of retirement were replaced by the inspiration of being a part of the wine world. In the years following, Ray next acquired the historic Laura’s Vineyard (in east Paso) and then the Westside property, now called the Derby Vineyard. Needless to say, their plans of retirement never came to fruition.

After experiencing nearly a decade as a grape grower, the potential strengths of each property became apparent and in 2008, Ray and Pam launched Derby Wine Estates. They are extremely selective in terms of what goes into the bottle under the Derby label. The commitment to the land is appreciable, with only 20 hand-selected acres being used to provide fruit for their own brand. Grapes from the remainder (some 90%of their total acreage) are sold to some of the finest wine producers in California.

Try some fantastic local boutique wines of the Central Coast in the wine shop. Enjoy an intimate French-influenced dinner in the restaurant. Serving only the best organic meats and produce. Dinner 5-9 p.m. Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wine Bar open 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 788 Main St., Cambria, madelinescambria.com, (805) 927-4175

The history behind Donatoni Winery is apparent to any visitor to this Westside Paso Robles winery. Memorabilia and photographs from the owners’ history in the airline industry cover the walls and adorn the tasting bar. And, owners Hank Donatoni and Sandi Baird are happy to elaborate on the story that the tasting room theme tells. Though they are retired now, Hank and Sandi’s connection to the airline business is still strong. Many of their friends were once co-workers, and even members of the aviation community they have never met find their way to Donatoni through their shared histories. Read more about Donatoni Winery here: http://pasoroblesdailynews.com/donatoni-wines-take-flight/1305/