Three Paso Robles vineyards, trails and winery hikes
Warmer weather is all but promised as spring settles into the Central Coast. If you’re looking to sip wines and stretch your legs, you’d be remiss to miss the wiking (that’s wine + hiking) experiences offered in nearby Paso Robles.
The intimate wine country boasts more than 200 wineries and over 33,000 vineyard acres specializing in zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and Rhône-style wines. Guests can sip through the AVA in San Luis Obispo County while also taking advantage of the open spaces between for a full sensory experience.
Allegretto Vineyard Resort
Whether you’re staying at this 4-star Paso Robles hotel or just here for the day, the resort offers vineyard tours to guests and visitors alike. The reservation-only tours run from 10 a.m. to about noon, Fridays through Mondays, that include an hour-long walking tour of the estate with views of vineyards, rolling hills and purple fields of lavender, followed by a seated tasting of Allegretto Wines.
Of course, you can sample Allegretto’s cabernets and red and white blends without a hike. Make reservations to taste through five wines in the tasting room, which is open daily.
Be sure to explore the resort’s sonic labyrinth while you’re there. Motion sensors activate a series of handcrafted wind instruments — clay vessel flutes — whose soft, soothing music accompanies your meditative journey toward the labyrinth’s center and out again. With Allegretto’s own label of wines available on site, you can have the experience with a glass of wine in hand.
Halter Ranch
If you want to get off your feet but still enjoy a wiking-adjacent experience, the popular Defender Picnic and Pairing tour at Halter Ranch lets you experience the ambiance and adventure loved by “wikers” without breaking a sweat.
A Land Rover Defender transports you across Halter Ranch’s 2,700-acre estate with stops at a five-acre pond, the property’s highest elevation point, dubbed Lion’s Ridge, the 700-year-old Ancestor Tree and more, with wine and cheese pairings at each stop.
Ancient Peaks Winery
This winery in Santa Margarita — a tiny town off Highway 101, just before you take the steep, swooping plunge toward San Luis Obispo — is famous for its zip and sip tours. The high-flying adventure includes six zip lines, a 300-foot suspension bridge slung across a deep gorge, two short moderate-intensity hikes and a chance to learn about sustainable wine growing, local wildlife and the dining preferences of bears. (Spoiler: They favor pinot noir grapes.) And afterward, you’ll find the winery’s tasting room in town, ready to pour flights and tempt you with small bites.
Coming later this year: a 90-minute wildlife tour that focuses on the wildlife and history of the ranch, curated by Margarita Adventure’s naturalist.
If You Go
Allegretto Vineyard Tours: These 10 a.m. tours are offered Friday through Monday by reservation. The tours, which include a tasting of Allegretto Wines, are $45 ($30 for resort guests). Tastings are also offered in the resort’s tasting room for $30 ($20 for resort guests) by reservation. 2700 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles; www.allegrettovineyardresort.com/experience.
Halter Ranch Defender Picnic & Pairing: These private estate tours and wine pairings are available for groups of four to six people ($200 per person) by reservation. 8910 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles; www.halterranch.com/experience
Ancient Peaks Zip and Sip: Zip line tours of the vineyards ($40-$129) are offered daily (closed on Wednesdays). Reserve a spot at www.margarita-adventures.com. Find the tasting room at 22720 El Camino Real in Santa Margarita; walk-ins are welcome but reservations are recommended Thursday-Sunday; http://ancientpeaks.com.