Play: Wine tasting tours, tandem bicycles and stellar food await in sunny Paso Robles.
The Central Coast’s wine country offers the perfect romantic weekend away
Paso Robles is the wine country you didn’t know you needed to visit. It has all the oenophile appeal of Napa, but with a kicked-back feel and mellow vibe. And with a drive time of less than three hours from the Bay Area, it’s just the right distance for a romantic escape — or girls (or boys) weekend away.
Friday afternoon
Beat a retreat south before rush hour traffic kicks in, and you can be lounging by midafternoon on the patio at Paso’s Allegretto Vineyard Resort, which makes a luxurious home base for the weekend. Start with an art tour of the hotel’s collection of paintings and sculpture or a wine tasting on-site. Allegretto has its own label and its tannat will appeal to anyone who loves bold wines. Tannat is typically used as a blending grape, but here it shines all on its own, thanks to Paso’s climate, warm during the day and cooled by evening breezes that flow in from the coast.
Then spend a couple of hours exploring Paso Robles’ bustling downtown. Pop into shops or continue wine tasting just off the square, where 24 local wineries have tasting rooms.
Friday evening
Grab dinner downtown at one of the fun, trendy restaurants that have taken root here in recent years. The lively Fish Gaucho cantina serves up Mexican dishes with a modern twist and plenty of tequila-based cocktails. The raw bar is especially delicious. Try the shrimp ceviche, cured in mezcal and topped with charred grapefruit and avocado, or oysters paired with a spicy apple-cucumber mignonette.
Then head back to your hotel for sweet dreams.
Saturday morning
Awaken to sunrise over the vineyards — or sleep in. Either way, just be sure to order room service from the Cello Ristorante & Bar downstairs, so you can enjoy French press coffee in your room, along with buttermilk pancakes finished with caramelized bananas and fresh berries. Perhaps some bubbly too?
Then go explore the hillsides of Paso Robles by tandem bicycle — the Allegretto’s concierge can set you up. Hop on a bright yellow bike-for-two with your partner and hit the road. Experienced riders can venture into town, but there’s less traffic, smoother roads and prettier views on the lanes and vineyards that surround the hotel.
Saturday noon
Ready for lunch? Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery lies less than 3 miles away, and offers everything from a Creston Valley Vineyard petite sirah to a Huerhuero Vineyard vermentino. There’s live music from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays, and alfresco lunch available on the Jardine Court.
Depending what time of year you visit, there’s plenty of music, too. The Vina Robles Amphitheatre hosts concerts from May through October — Jason Mraz and Sarah Bareilles, for example, are performing Saturday and Oct. 27, respectively.
Saturday evening
If all that winery hopping and byway biking has you tuckered out, head back to the hotel for dinner — there’s live music on weekends — and a hot tub soak before bedtime.
Still got energy to burn? Head for the lively Hatch Rotisserie & Bar downtown for addictive rotisserie chicken, flat iron steaks with chimichurri and other tasty fare. And there’s a speakeasy nearby — Eleven Twenty Two — for any late-night cocktail cravings.
Sunday morning
Niner Wine Estates’ Sunday brunch, which is served until 3 p.m., is one you won’t want to miss. Go sweet with French toast served with chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries, or savory with short rib papas bravas. Pair brunch with a glass of Niner sparkling wine before your afternoon adventures.
And by adventures, we mean Eberle Winery cave tours. Eberle, which means small boar in German, is known for its award-winning, handcrafted wines, free tastings and free cave tours.
The bar is always buzzing — free tastings will have that effect — but it’s easy to find peace on the back patio, where bocce, cornhole and picnic areas await.
Wine cave tours are offered daily, and there’s live music in the caves on select weekends in November and December. (Those caves are haunted — and filled with scares and surprises — the last weekend in October. Get spooked, then pair your Eberle wine with grilled cheese sandwiches from the food truck parked outside.)