When looking at a map of Paso Robles wineries, it’s easy to notice that there are more wineries in the west than the east. Since many are concentrated on the lower portion of the west side, we spent two days on the west.
On this day we left the driving to someone else as we decided to “Rustle Up Some Wine” with Wine Wrangler tours. Melinda, our guide, was a delightful and informative host as she took her band of 8 to 5 wineries – all different from our visit the day before, thus the days ahead. For the record, we recommend Wine Wrangler tours.
Castoro
Castoro offers a large selection of wines to consider. The Venti Quattro Anni impressed us, but we forgot to buy. FYI: Jan Kris and Peach Canyon tasting rooms are very close.
Rotta
The historic Rotta winery is the oldest in Paso. Still run by the same family, a very knowledgeable lady poured in the quaint tasting room. Although we didn’t buy, I’ll be on the lookout for their outstanding dessert wine – Black Monukka. Wow!
Donati
The wines were good, but we didn’t buy. The highlight was the general manager visiting our group and providing freshly-pressed pinot grigio juice to taste. Interesting!
Norman
Although known for their zinfandels, Norman also offers more wines than I anticipated. I simply wasn’t in the wine-buying mood on this day.
Calcareous
Named after the dominant limestone layer upon which the property sits, these reds were excellent – but they prominently express the property’s mineral foundation. We strongly considered, but didn’t purchase – however, the view here is spectacular – the high vista with a 30+ mile view to the east!
Other Posts about this Trip
A Frank Angle 