We recently visited Paso Robles, California on a picture perfect fall weekend. The air had a cool, crisp feel, and the vineyards were full of color, delighting us with shades of yellow, red, and orange.
We picked three wineries for our Saturday afternoon adventure; Thacher Winery, Halter Ranch, and HammerSky Vineyards. Armed with a cooler of cheeses and prosciutto, we headed out 46 West to our first winery of the day.
Thacher Winery
Our first stop was Thacher Winery. Located on 52 acres of vineyard and ranch land, Thacher Winery offers some interesting history as well as some great wines. The Thatcher property sits on the Kentucky Ranch, which was part of a 4,000 acre Spanish Land Grant until 1869. The showpiece of the property is the historic barn built in the 1920’s. Thatcher Winery is a boutique winery, producing about 3,400 cases a year. The day we visited they were pouring five wines, one white and four reds. The property has several comfortable areas to sit and relax while enjoying the wine, and tasting room attendants will happily find you when you’re ready for your next pour.
Here is what we sampled:
2012 White Paso Robles – 74% Viognier, 26% Grenache Blanc
2011 Vin Rouge Paso Robles – 73% Syrah, 27% Grenache
2011 GSM Central Coast – 42% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 23% Mourvedre
2011 Estate Cuvee Kentucky Ranch Vineyard – 61% Petite Sirah, 39% Zinfandel
2012 Zinfandel Paso Robles – 100% Zinfandel
As you can see, Thacher did an excellent job of highlighting what Paso Robles does best. Each wine showcasing what has made this region come into its own over the last decade. Overall, a very relaxing tasting experience where we wanted to linger, enjoy the wine, and the beautiful property.
8355 Vineyard Drive
Paso Robles, California 93446
T: 805-237-0087
Regular tasting hours are Thursday – Monday 11am-5pm. There is a tasting fee that may be waived with purchase.
Halter Ranch
Located in the hills of the Adelaida district of Paso Robles, Halter Ranch Vineyards is a beautiful historic property, filled with old oak trees and a Victorian farmhouse built in the late 1800’s. The ranch had a rich history in agriculture and livestock throughout it’s 150+ year history before the first vineyards were planted in 1996. Today, Halter Ranch is committed to sustainably grown fruit, producing 100% estate grown wines.
With the perfect setting of small tables dotted about the oak shaded property, we thought this would be the perfect place to enjoy the snacks we had brought along. Halter Ranch not only offers a full line up of wines to taste, they also sell glasses of what is being sampled in the tasting room. Having sampled Halter Ranch wines in the past, we each picked our favorite and purchased two glasses to pair with our cheese and snacks.
With plenty of tables, shaded by the beautiful oaks, along with the ability to buy a glass of what is being poured in the tasting room that day, Halter Ranch gets our pick for the perfect picnic stop when tasting on the Westside.
8910 Adelaida Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
T: 805-226-9455
W: www.halterranch.com
Tasting is offered daily from 11am-5pm; tasting fee. They also offer winery & cave tours on the weekends. Tours are complimentary, but reservations are required.
HammerSky Vineyards
With a little bit of nourishment in us, we made our way to our final winery of the day, HammerSky Vineyards. The views at HammerSky are absolutely stunning, and the fall colors on display made it even more amazing. With a patio positioned perfectly to take advantage of the vineyard views, we found ourselves a spot on the outdoor couch and began our tasting.
HammerSky specializes in small production of Bordeaux wines and their tasting room is the perfect compliment. Small, relaxed, and friendly, we felt as if we were in a familiar place, visiting with friends – who happened to pour us samples of great wine!
7725 Vineyard Drive
Paso Robles CA, 93446
T: 805-239-0930
W: www.hammersky.com
Tasting is offered Thursday-Sunday, 11am-5pm, or by appointment. There is a tasting fee.
Three new wineries visited, three great experiences at smaller, lesser known wineries, made for a perfect fall afternoon. We can’t wait to go back and explore some more!
Here’s a map of our adventure:
The Vintage Gourmet 
Great shot =)
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