The perfect Paso Robles winery itinerary

Here’s the easy thing about wine tasting in Paso Robles — you have so many good options to choose from in this wine country just a day trip distance away. That’s also the hard thing: Where to begin? You can’t go wrong heading west on Highway 46 toward the coast. The drive itself through hills blanketed with vines and studded with oaks is intoxicating. The wine is even headier.

Here are four tasting options — all open by appointment only and most priced in the $20 range — that demonstrate the region’s diversity. And if you’re still staying close to home, note that all these wineries offer shipping, too.

Sip: Denner Vineyards

Denner Vineyards’ high-end, wine-geek paradise focuses on organic, sustainable, mostly dry farming of 17 varietals grown on 130 acres. When Ron Denner bought the property in 1997 he was convinced he’d found the perfect terroir and location — right in the path of the marine layer that wafts from the Pacific through the Templeton Pass. He knew what he was doing. With a focus on cabernets, zinfandels and reds with names like Dirt Worshipper and the signature Mother of Exiles, the bottles start at $50; most have Wine Spectator ratings of 92 to 95.

Prefer to sip from home? You can order those wines shipped to your door, then tune in to video talks with winery staff members who dig into everything from vineyard to glass at www.dennervineyards.com/ Video-gallery.

DETAILS >> Open daily by appointment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5414 Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles. Reserve a spot at www.dennervineyards.com up to 48 hours ahead of time or call the winery at 805-2394287 to check last-minute availability.

Sip: Thacher Winery

If you need a reminder that this was once cattle and horse country, head down Vineyard Drive until you see the huge barn emblazoned with the letters KR and free-range chickens wandering about. Owner and winemaker — and former Los Gatos Brewery brewmaster — Sherman Thacher has been making boutique wines on this historic 52-acre ranch since 2004 with a focus on zins, unusual varietals (the Cinsault Rosé, $28) and Rhone blends.

The winery is hosting laid-back outdoor tastings by appointment, and doing “barn-side” pickups, if you want to just grab and go.

DETAILS >> Open daily by appointment from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 8355 Vineyard Drive; www.thacherwinery. com.

DENNER VINEYARDS Paso Robles’ Denner Vineyards is a high-end, wine-geek paradise, where the focus is on organic, sustainable, mostly dry farming of 17 varietals.

COURTESY OF JON ORLIN The restaurant and patio at Paso Robles’ Niner Wine Estates look out over the winery’s iconic Heart Hill Vineyard.

NINER WINE ESTATES Taste through a wine flight at Paso Robles’ Niner Wine Estates.