Allegretto Vineyard Resort evokes an Italian Estate, with views overlooking grape vines and olive trees. Photo courtesy Allegretto.
With more than 40,000 vineyard acres and more than 200 wineries in the region, Pas o Robles is a perfect weekend destination for a wine lover’s getaway.
CAB is definitely king in Pas o Robles wine country, and rich, velvety, complex cabernet s auvignon makes up almos t half of all the grapes grown acros s Pas o Robles .
The offerings range from boutique wineries to high-production facilities , and with s ome as s is tance from the Pas o Robles CAB Collective, we did our bes t to s ample as many CABs as we could.
Ancient Peaks Margarita Vineyard, photo by Matt Wallace, courtesy Ancient Peaks.
Where to Sip
Five dis tinct s oil types are the key to the unique wines of Ancient Peaks Winery, whos e es tate Margarita Vineyard is the only one in Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. Originally planted by the Robert Mondavi family, the current ranch owners —the Filipponi, Ros s i and Witts trom families —took control of the vineyard in 2005. In addition to a charming tas ting room and the delicious food at Ancient Peaks Café, the winery offers pers onally guided vineyard tours Wed.-Sun. mornings, followed by a private tas ting and chees e and charcuterie (reservations required). ancientpeaks.com
Hope Family Wines has a dis tinctive lounge-s tyle tas ting room pouring five unique labels : Liberty School, Aus tin Hope, Treana, Candor and Troublemaker. Try the big, intens e Treana red, a clas s ic Pas o Robles blend of cabernet, s auvignon and s yrah. hopefamilywines.com
By appointment only (and worth it) is a vis it to Hoyt Family Vineyards, where you can bring a picnic and feed the goats and chickens as you s ip on s ome amazing wine. Try the sophisticated 2012 cabernet s auvignon, which won Bes t of Clas s in the San Francisco Wine Chronicle. hoytfamilyvineyards.com
Another lovely s pot to s ip is Brecon Estate, a boutique s us tainably farmed es tate winery producing an old-vine cabernet s auvignon. Brecon’s award-winning s mall batches of premium wines s ell out quickly and cannot be purchas ed anywhere els e. breconestate.com
DAOU Vineyards, photo by Zak Klobucher.
One of the lovelies t views , in a region that’s full of them, is DAOU Vineyards and Winery. Brothers Georges and Daniel Daou s earched all around the s tate to find an unrivaled terroir for producing cabernet sauvignon, a ques t that eventually led them to the gorgeous DAOU Mountain in the Adelaida Dis trict. Res ervations are recommended to sip excellent wine while overlooking the vineyards , with panoramic views from 2,200 feet. daouvineyards.com
Where to Eat
Opolo Winery offers pairings on the patio, as well as delicious homemade s aus age and charcuterie, pizzas , s alads and s uch. Idyllic vineyard tours are als o available, which include the tas ting room, distillery, Inn at Opolo, a walnut orchard and more than 70 acres of vines . opolo.com
Offering excellent wine-country cuis ine in a beautiful s etting, Cello Ristorante & Bar features creative but acces s ible dis hes made from regionally farmed and foraged ingredients , alongs ide an extensive wine list. allegrettovineyardresort.com/dining
A long-s tanding farm-to-table favorite, Thomas Hill Organics s ources a wide variety of ingredients from local purveyors to offer a dynamic array of bold, imaginative dis hes . thomashillorganics.com
Where to Stay
Nes tled among 20 acres that include wine grapes and olive and fruit trees , the eclectically elegant Allegretto Vineyard Resort brings owner Doug Ayres ’ s ingular vis ion to life. The impres s ive property evokes an Italian vineyard es tate, with 171 gues t rooms and suites, a wine bar featuring the res ort’s own private wine label, a s pa, a pool and cabanas , manicured gardens , a beautiful Abbey, hundreds of antiques , a 12,000-s quare-foot piazza, and art and artifacts everywhere the eye can s ee. Allegrettoresort.com
This story was originally published in the Winter 2017-18 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.