Category Archives: California

Enjoy Great Wine on a Road Trip to Paso Robles

Enjoy great wine and beautiful vistas on a scenic California road trip to Paso Robles. The hilly inland Paso Robles terroir offers superb and tasty full-bodied reds, because of its hotter, drier climate and riverbeds. Paso Robles is a three hour drive north from Los Angeles or a 3 hour drive south of San Francisco.

Opolo Vineyards Paso Robles
Opolo Vineyards Paso Robles

On your first day, take a drive east along Highway 46 to Opolo Vineyards at 7110 Vineyard Drive. Owners Rick Quinn and Dave Nichols have produced Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Muscat Canelli on 280 acres of vineyards since 1999. Our favorite out of many great bottles? Opolo’s fantastic tempranillo. Pair it with one of their tasty gourmet pizzas for a memorable lunch.

Brecon Estate Winery, Paso Robles
Brecon Estate Winery Paso Robles

Just a few minutes away, drop into the Brecon Estate winery at 7450 Vineyard Drive. We love their 2017 Forty Two –a red Rhone blend that scored 93 points from Wine Enthusiast. This was their first screw cap red wine, but, as they say, “the romance is in the glass, not in the cork.”

Pasolvio, Paso Robles
Pasolvio, Paso Robles

Another few minutes further along at number 8530, stop by Pasolivo for a different tasting experience – a taste of palate-cleansing olive oils. Pasolivio offers personal one on one tutoring sessions and lots of great recipes.

Where to Eat in Paso Robles

Road-trippers will appreciate dinner at Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles, thanks to a menu of local fresh ingredients used in the imaginative and colorful dishes. The emphasis here is on organic, regionally-produced food: poultry, fish, grass-fed beef, lamb and exotic meats. Nearby farmers provide all the fruits and vegetables, and breads are baked locally.

Eberle Winery Paso Robles
Eberle Winery Paso Robles

On the next day, visit pet-friendly Eberle Winery, 3810 E Highway 46,  for a tasting and cave tour. For a one of a kind experience, book a private tasting in the underground caves,  one of the most unique aspects of Eberle Winery.

Underground Cave at Eberle Winery, Paso Robles
Underground Cave at Eberle Winery, Paso Robles

In the 1990s, American Wine Legend Gary Eberle expanded underground, building the first wine caves in Paso Robles. Gary still greets guests daily with complimentary wine tastings, public tours of the production facility and the 16,000 square feet of underground caves.

Cass Winery, Paso Robles
Cass Winery, Paso Robles

From here, a 20-minute drive southeast takes you to Cass Winery at 7350 Linne Road. In addition to wine tasting, the on-site café offers lunch – try the succulent Benny Burger. The knowledgeable staff have great suggestions for wine pairings with lunch.

At Cass Winery, guests have the option of staying on site. Choose between The Geneseo Inn, a contemporary boutique hotel created from shipping containers or the Guesthouse, a three bedroom ranch house.

Where to Stay in Paso Robles

Allegretto Vineyard Resort Paso Robles
Allegretto Vineyard Resort Paso Robles

Start your Central California road trip with a stay at the 4.5-star Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, where U.S. 101 meets Highway 46. It’s a perfect base for exploring many great Paso Robles wineries all connected by scenic road trips.

Terrace at Allegretto Vineyard Resort Paso Robles
Terrace at Allegretto Vineyard Resort Paso Robles

The excellent onsite Cello Ristorante is available for all-day dining. The resort also offers an upscale tasting room, spa services, steam room and an outdoor pool in peaceful surroundings of lush gardens and vineyards.

Golf the Journey at Pechanga

A Golfweek selection for “Best courses you can play”, Journey at Pechanga, set in the foothills of Temecula, one hour north of San Diego, is one of the most eco- sensitive in the country. This beautiful track offers a variety of challenges through natural canyons, massive boulders past streams and over hilltops.

The Journey at Pechanga teebox
The Journey at Pechanga teebox

The Journey at Pechanga course designer, Arthur Hills, created this championship 18-hole course with input from the Pechanga Band , routing fairways around the giant oaks,  and building doglegs that snake along fast-running creeks with steep climbs to cliff-side tee boxes.

“The construction of the Journey at Pechanga golf course was controversial,” says Paul Macarro, Tribal Chairman for the Pechanga Indian Reservation. “Initially, the golf course builder wanted to clear cut our sacred trees but we held firm.”

The Great Oak at Pechanga
The Great Oak at Pechanga

The Pechanga, who have a great respect for trees, managed to save their giant coastal oaks along with their ‘grandmother’ sycamore tree.

Thankfully, all the conditions to honor sacred natural items were finally met, including ancient granite and the ancestral “kitchens,” large boulders with built-in mortars where Native American women ground the insides of acorns and other grains and seeds into meal.

The replica kiicha, the small dome houses made of twigs and vegetation, serve primarily as a barrier between the course cart paths and the remainder of the Pechanga Band’s sacred land.

Tule House at Journey at Pechanga
Tule House at Journey at Pechanga

The result, ironically, is the best and arguably the most natural feature of the Pechanga Resort complex. The course offers clear views of the surrounding, boulder-topped hills, as well as an open-air dining option bordering the course fairways appropriately called “Journey’s End.”

The surrounding hills do more than offer a great backdrop; they also provide six holes of challenging and scenic elevation. Meanwhile, closer to earth, the other holes – no two are alike – offer water hazards, deep sand bunkers and historical, natural artefacts which determine the interesting layout of the track.

Hole 17 The Journey at Pechanga
Hole 17 The Journey at Pechanga

The par three 17th has the most elevation on the back nine. Par is a great score on this hole. Just 180 yards from the whites, your only bail out option is the front bunker.

This is not your average resort course by a long shot; coincidentally, that’s the shot you’ll need to clear hundreds of yards of scrub, rock-guarded waterways, steep fairway and green-side bunkers.

Practice area at The Journey at Pechanga
Practice area at The Journey at Pechanga

To compensate for its toughness, Journey at Pechanga offers a well-designed practice area. It’s divided into a separate driving range, putting green and a most-impressive short game area. It’s complete with sizeable sand bunkers and replica rough areas from which careful shots land on slanted greens to help golfers prepare for the challenges ahead.

Randy Chang Golf School at Journey at Pechanga
Randy Chang Golf School at Journey at Pechanga

If your game needs a tune up, visit Randy Chang’s Golf School on-site at Pechenga Resort & Casino. Golf Channel Academy Coach and PGA pro, Randy Chang has the rare ability to explain the swing simply and to help you make changes quickly.

Previously published on USA Today 10 Best