When people ask what I do for a living, I cheekily tell them that I work in an office with an exceptional view (technically true). It just happens to involve wine glasses as well as spreadsheets, and my morning commute is frequented by turkey, deer, and the occasional bobcat.
I am, without question, spoiled.
What It’s Like to Work in Paso Robles Wine Country
The thing is, in Paso Robles, we’re all a bit ruined. The views here are… well, obscene, really. Living and working in wine country means being surrounded by the kind of scenery most people book plane tickets to see. And for those of us who’ve chosen to make wine our career, we’re surrounded not only by beauty, but by like-minded peers: people who care just as much about stewardship and sustainability as they do about what’s in your glass.
Of course, as each winery follows its own winemaking ethos, no two views are quite the same—and not every vista requires a mountaintop. Some of the most soul-stirring landscapes are the ones you’re immersed in. There are places that hold you close. Here, it’s less about surveying the horizon and more about becoming part of the landscape. These wineries invite you into the texture of the landscape, where the vines, soils, and shadows are part of the story.
Scenic Paso Robles Wineries to Visit
Tucked into the western hills, Hawks Hill Ranch feels like a Paso Robles secret you’re lucky to have stumbled upon. Their estate Syrah and Rhône reds are bold and expressive, and the view? Sweeping, raw, and impossibly quiet. Opt for the Estate Ranch Tour and you’ll begin your journey within a 250-year-old manzanita grove before winding through vineyard blocks, tasting wines grown exactly where you stand. It’s the kind of place that invites you to look out, and let the landscape do the talking.
Nestled into a quiet pocket off Peachy Canyon Road, Sixmilebridge feels more like a retreat. The views are profound. Surrounded by gently sloping hills, amidst vines and ancient oaks, you’re not just observing the land—you’re part of it. It’s the kind of beauty that rewards stillness: organically farmed estate fruit, and the feeling that time has kindly slowed down just for you. To fully lean into the experience, the Sensory Flight Tasting offers a focused, immersive journey into the terroir. Each pour is paired with an aromatic element—earth, fruit, wood, spice—inviting you to consider what the land gives and how the wine reflects it.
Located on the historic Kentucky horse ranch, Thacher blends rustic charm with seriously good wine. There’s a lovely ease to the place—weathered barn wood, low-slung trees, picnic tables that feel like old friends. Their Stables Tasting, set inside the original ranch stables, brings a sense of place to every pour—equal parts authenticity and quiet reverence. You’re not perched above anything here; you’re right in it, and welcomed into the comforting hum of life in the Adelaida hills.
At the intersection of Adelaida Road and Vineyard Drive, Tablas Creek unfolds not as a spectacle, but as a living, breathing lesson in stewardship. A pioneer in Rhône varietals and regenerative organic farming, the estate hums with life—cover crops between the vines, olive trees along the edges, and sheep grazing contentedly between rows. Their Vineyard & Cellar Tour walks you through the heart of it all. You’ll trace the path from soil to cellar, glass in hand, with insights into the nursery, biodynamic practices, and the quiet precision behind every bottle. Here, the view isn’t just scenic—it’s instructive, honest, and entirely alive.
If you’re looking to shift gears and head for the hills, Paso doesn’t let you down. There’s something undeniably transportive about sipping wine where the horizon becomes part of the experience. Every seat is a front-row view, and the hawks? They’re at eye level. These are the places that quite literally lift you up—where the elevation sharpens the view, and somehow, the wine tastes all the better for it.
If there’s a heaven for Rhône lovers, it probably looks a lot like the Summit Vineyard Tasting at Alta Colina. Set beneath a gnarled oak and perched high above the Adelaida District, this experience is transportive in all the right ways—elevated in setting, but grounded in hospitality. You’re surrounded by head-trained vines and wild grasses, with Adelaida’s patchwork hills unfurling in every direction. Wines are poured steps from where they’re grown, and there’s a quiet kind of clarity to it all. It’s the kind of tasting that makes you wish you could stay until the stars come out—and if you book one of their on-site trailers, you just might.
Set high in the hills off Peachy Canyon Road, the MAHAⓇ Estate is both raw and intentional, farmed using Regenerative Organic methods that reflect a deep reverence for the land. Enjoy the Higher Place experience, beginning with a vineyard tour that winds through cover crops, native flora, and wildlife corridors, gradually rising to a ridgeline perch where a seated tasting unfolds with panoramic views. The experience concludes back in the cellar, where a barrel sample offers a glimpse into what’s still to come. It’s thoughtful, it’s elevated, and it’s very much a reflection of life at the MAHA: respect the land, respect the craft, and enjoy the view. Here, the land shapes the wine—and if you’re paying attention, it shapes you a bit too.
Calcareous doesn’t ease you into the panorama—it throws open the curtain. The tasting terrace, set high on Peachy Canyon Road, offers a near-360-degree view of vineyard-dotted hills and golden light that makes everything taste better. The Premier Hilltop Tasting is the way to do it properly: a seated, elevated flight of estate wines enjoyed at a relaxed pace, with the option to follow it with lunch overlooking the very vines in your glass. Come for the tasting, stay for the view… and maybe a long afternoon beneath the oaks.
Equal parts architectural statement and hilltop sanctuary, Ciento Cellars is a boutique winery that marries design with intent. The tasting space feels like it was carved into the ridge just for the view—and possibly it was. Their Estate Experience is intimate by design; here, you’ll explore small-lot wines that reflect both site and season, a pared-back aesthetic, and plenty of space to sit, sip, and stare at the sky. There’s no rush, no fanfare—just a sense that everything has been considered. At Ciento, the elegance is in the restraint, and the beauty is all around you.
The True Beauty of Paso Robles Tastings
It turns out, the best views don’t always require altitude—just attention. Some invite you to look out and feel small in the best possible way; others draw you in, remind you to slow down, to stand still, to notice. What unites these wineries isn’t the elevation—it’s the connection. To land, to craft, to community. Whether you’re perched on a ridge or sipping quietly among the rows, Paso Robles is rife with tasting experiences that remind us how beautiful it is to be rooted.
Sharing this place—glass by glass, story by story—is one of the greatest joys of my job.
And if the view happens to stop you in your tracks, well… join the club.
Rosie Behrens
Direct to Consumer Manager