Last time, I described the biggest and best known wineries on Paso Robles' East side. Venturing across Highway 101 you enter the western side of Paso. Full of rolling hills, canyons and big slopes, along with having greater coastal influence, this side is dotted with wineries throughout.
But the best place to start is once again along Highway 46. Within this relatively small stretch of 46 West, you'll find a bunch of great options with names you may or may not be familiar with.
One of the biggest and better known wineries is Niner with the picturesque "Heart Hill" visible through the tasting room windows. The hill is named for the grove of trees on the hillside in the shape of a heart.
Another larger and better known winery just off 46W is Turley. Larry Turley, formerly with Frog's Leap, sold his half of Frog’s Leap and started Turley Wine Cellars in 1993. This winery makes 28 separate wines from 35 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the late 1800’s.
Other great wineries right along Highway 46W include:
Tooth & Nail - You can't miss this distinctive castle structure complete with a moat on the former site of Eagle Castle winery
J Dusi - Run by Janell Dusi, this family’s heritage of grape growing dates back to the early 1920’s
Peachy Canyon - Founded by Doug and Nancy Beckett in 1988, The Peachy Canyon "Old School House" tasting room is the historic Old Bethel School House (circa 1886)
Grey Wolf/Barton Family - Joe and Shirlene Barton established Grey Wolf Cellars in 1994. Their son, Joseph, now handles all the wine operation in this family-run business
Dark Star Cellars - Established in 1994, and named for the CSN tune, this low-key winery produces small lots of premium, handcrafted wines
Sextant - Established in 2004 by proprietors Nancy and Craig Stoller, the Estate Tasting Room is located in the heart of their winery operations
Epoch - Located on historic York Mountain, the original winery on this site was established in 1882
Rotta - One of the original wineries in Paso Robles, this one has history dating back to early 1900s
Along with these wonderful wineries on the west side along 46W there's a bunch more off the highway and back in among the hills and canyons. And we'll get to those next time. Cheers!