Page 105 - SLO Visitors Guide Fall 2025

slovisitorsguide.com FALL 2025 105
Wine Tasting
water will flow in the direction of
the catch basin. The wood you see
as you walk up to the front door is
reclaimed wood from a train trestle
from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The counters are recycled crushed
glass. The cabinets are bamboo. The
bathrooms smell like sulfur because
they use reclaimed groundwater.
The buildings are all solar, and
they’re smart. Many of the windows
have motors on them, and if the
temperature outside drops below
the temperature inside, they auto-
matically open, and fans pull the
cool air inside. The building also
senses when someone has left and
automatically turns the heater off.
The fireplace burns denatured alco-
hol, which only emits water vapor.
Their motto is “sustainability to the
forefront,” and it’s evident through-
out the property.
The same attention to detail
they put into the buildings has gone
into the winemaking. According to
Hascall, “Our varietals are the best
of Paso. We have Rhône. We have
Bordeaux. We have zinfandel. Our
2023 Albariño is the perfect Paso
Robles summertime wine, crisp, re-
freshing, and full of flavor. We have
a good mix of everything that I feel
grows well in the area. Everything
is from Paso Robles. Everything is
done in small lots. Nothing is more
than a couple of hundred cases
produced. So, we’re able to pay a lot
of attention to detail and focus on
the wine quality.”
They have many Best-in-Class
awards, but Hascall’s favorite is The
Los Angeles Invitational's Double
Gold (run by the Los Angeles Times),
Best in Class award for their Shale
Oak 2020 Syrah that scored 100
points, and is the perfect embodi-
ment of a westside Paso Robles Syrah.
Their Shale Oak 2022 Petite
Verdot won Double Gold Best in
Class at the California Mid-State
Fair Wine Competition.
There’s nothing pretentious at
Shale Oak Winery. The vibe is cool
and funky and family and dog-
friendly. Hascall states, “We want
people to relax and enjoy the wine
because that’s what it’s all about.
Enjoying the wine.”
Shale Oak Winery is located just
off Highway 46 at 3235 Oakdale
Road, Paso Robles. The tasting
room is open from 10:00 a.m.-5:00
p.m. Thursday-Monday.. For reser-
vations or more information, visit
shaleoakwinery.com or call
(805) 239-4800
—Karen Lycan