On our way north to the Paso Robles area, we squeezed in an afternoon picnic in Solvang, which looks like a town imported straight from Denmark. It was founded in the early 20th century and many of its longtime residents are descendants of the original Danish settlers. On a typical day the town is also packed with tourists everywhere -- gaping at the windmills, ogling the baked goods, and ambling around the quaint streets full of shops. We, of course, were no exception: we gaped, we ogled, we ambled.
But then it was on to the wineries! Most vineyards have a tasting room where prospective buyers have a chance to sample the wares before making a purchase. For a nominal fee (usually $10 to $15), you'll get a series of small pours of different varietals. If you are lucky, they throw in a souvenir glass or give a free tour of their vineyards or cellars.
While we enjoyed seeing grapes on the vine and the wine aging in vats and barrels, we preferred to take a taste.
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| Merlot grapes on the vine |
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| White wine fermenting in stainless steel tanks |
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| Red wine aging in oak barrels |
With our trusty GPS to help us navigate the back roads we managed to visit quite a few wineries over the past few days. Our favorites were: Jada (tastings paired with exotic cheeses), Justin (overall our favorite wines, especially "Isosceles" and "Justification"), and Tobin James (wins the award for "liveliest" tasting room).
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| Just a small sample of the tasting rooms we visited this week |
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| Deserted patio at Tobin James -- all the action was inside the tasting room! |
Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley
Jada Vineyard & Winery
5620 Vineyard Drive | Paso Robles, CA | Tastings Thurs - Mon 11am - 5pm
Justin Vineyards & Winery
11680 Chimney Rock Road | Paso Robles, CA | Tastings Daily 10am - 5pm
Tobin James Cellars
8950 Union Road | Paso Robles, CA | Tastings Daily 10am - 6pm
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