Barbara and I often host guests at our home at Sixmilebridge Winery when we’re not there, family, friends, and even friends of friends. I always offer concierge-style assistance, and unsurprisingly, the request I get most often is for information on the best Paso Robles wineries and wine tasting experiences.
Since they are staying at our home, we always begin with the fabulous wineries on Peachy Canyon Road; however, I don’t always start with our own Sixmilebridge Winery since we are more in the “middle” of Peachy Canyon Road.
For those coming from Vineyard Drive, I tell them to first book at Torrin Winery. Scott Hawley makes some of the best wines in Paso Robles and he offers something not so easy to find in Paso: a combo of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with his stunningly good Rhone blends. You can enjoy these wines in the comfort of their spacious tasting room or enjoy one of their several outdoor tasting areas. Scott is one of the few winemakers to be able to claim having been the head winemaker at two top ten Paso Wineries: His own Torrin Winery and Law Estate Winery. You will definitely fall in love with his wines and love the time and attention you get from their very accommodating staff.
Next stop: Villa Creek/MAHA. Cris Cherry is the owner and for a long time the winemaker at the winery. He and his wife who passed last year were doing organic farming before it was fashionable and they were practicing regenerative farming before most people had ever heard the term. When you visit, you are likely to see a herd of sheep and a kennel of winery dogs roaming the property.
The tasting room has very a homey feeling to it…like you’ve stepped into someone’s special room for entertaining at their home. You will taste a wide and wonderful pouring of Rhone blends, both red and white. The Villa Creek wines are made mostly from purchased fruit, and the MAHA wines are from grapes grown on the estate. Both are made with the most care and to the highest standards. This isn’t the case of first and second best. All the wines are first rate.
The wine making is now in the very capable hands of Oliver Mikkelsen, with Cris riding shotgun over everything that happens at his winery. It’s a must stop on Peachy Canyon Road.
Next up is my favorite (Ha!) Sixmilebridge Winery. We are a good change from the wonderful world of Rhone wines made by some of the very best wine makers in Paso Robles that adorn Peach Canyon Road.
We are what you might call a Bordeaux house. With the exception of one Zinfandel blend, all our wines are comprised of Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. You will likely taste single varietal wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and also a kaleidoscope of different blends of the grapes listed above. We always give you four glasses of wine at the same time, so that you can taste the wines back-and-forth and compare them one to each other.
We have a policy at Sixmilebridge Winery that every guest or group that comes in is attended by one of our hosts and that host is dedicated to your hospitality until you depart. Our hosts are happy to visit with you as long as you would like or they will easily slip away and let you enjoy the conversation among your friends and yet they are always ready to come back promptly and help you in any way that they can.
At Sixmilebridge Winery, you will feel comfortable and never rushed. You can sit outside just feet from our vineyards or sit on our deck that provides shade to every table courtesy of our 175-year-old magnificent California Coast Live Oak.
Oh yeah, and the wines are really, really good.
Next stop just down the road is Law Estate Winery. Law Estate Winery is one of the most architecturally impressive tasting rooms and wineries in Paso Robles. You walk in and instantly see an eye-catching barrel room with an elegant dining area gracing the rear of the room. You then head upstairs by staircase or elevator to their very comfortable tasting room which boasts many indoor and outdoor seating options, all flanked by impressive vineyard views.
The hospitality at Law is always top shelf. Like Sixmilebridge winery, they will have a flight of four or five glasses set out at each place. You will taste through their mostly Rhone based blends, though don’t be surprised if a little Cab finds its way into a blend or two. The staff all are well informed about the story behind Law as well as very knowledgeable about wine in general. They do a good job of balancing their attention to your table with letting you have some discussion time to yourselves.
All the Law wines are certain to please even the most experienced palate.
The final Winery that I also recommend to virtually every group that stays at our home is Calcareous Winery. As you turn in, you will drive up a very steep driveway. You can see the view growing better and better as you go higher and higher.
When you get to their very large outdoor seating area, you will have one of the top five views of any winery in Paso Robles. Upon arrival the host will promptly take you to your table. Once seated, you’re likely to get a “welcome” pour of Rosé or Chardonnay. You can either enjoy a tasting flight of their current bottlings or simply enjoy wine by the glass.
When you come to Calcareous, make it your lunch stop for the day. They have a fairly extensive menu and the preparation is first class. Also, they get your food out fairly promptly. You won’t be wondering “when are they going to serve our food?” Whether your palate tends more to the Rhone or to Bordeaux, you will find wines to your liking at Calcareous.
The moral of this story is you can make a day or even two days of some of the very best wine in Paso Robles as you navigate the rolling hills, picturesque countryside and the wonderful wineries and exceptional wines of Torrin, Villa Creek, Sixmilebridge, Law and Calcaroues, all found
Jim & Barbara
