Summertime is usually wine tasting time—the season when wine lovers hit the road for vintners in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and Temecula.
COVID-19 threatened to cancel wine tasting plans, but fortunately, wineries have reopened with the same outdoor mandate as restaurants. Hotels are welcoming visitors and summer is ending soon, perfect timing for a road trip to wine country.
Last month, I booked a room for three nights at the historic Rigdon House in Cambria, a charming coastal enclave about a 30-minute drive from Paso Robles wine country. Rigdon House is dog friendly, and because restaurants and wineries are all serving outside, I was able to bring my maltipoo, Spencer, with me.
I drove up to Paso on a Thursday; my wine tasting companion Della Lisi took the train up on Friday. I detoured to Los Olivos on the way up. The tiny town has dozens of wine tasting rooms, most of which were conducting outdoor tastings. I stopped at two of my favorites to sample and buy wine: Consumable Art, run by an Orange County ex-patriot named Chris who specializes in pinot noir and other varietals from multiple vintners, and Epiphany, founded by Fess Parker’s son, Eli.
On to Rigdon House, perfectly placed about one block from Cambria’s main street, surrounded by restaurants and boutiques. It’s a charmer, with a large patio and comfortable accommodations.
After collecting Della from the Paso train station and grabbing a late lunch, we headed to Tobin James Cellars. The man, the myth, the legend Tobin James himself was there to greet us, along with co-owners Lance and Claire Silver. They welcomed us to their new ad hoc, al fresco tasting area. Tables were placed 6 feet apart, and masked servers were pouring samples of Tobin James wine. We learned that most employees were able to stay busy during the pandemic by helping with bottling and other duties until the tasting room reopened.
Confession: I have been a wine club member at Tobin James for 20 years. I love their wines—they make about 40 different varietals, from basic cabs and zins to special blends and their Blue Moon Reserve label.
How good is their wine? I bought two cases, which we crammed into my car before heading back to Cambria for dinner.
Saturday’s activities included a drive along Coast Highway for lunch on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, then back to Paso and a tasting experience at Windward Winery, famous for its Burgundian-style of pinot noir. That’s all they make, so visitors enjoy a vertical tasting of four different vintages of pinot.
Their al fresco tasting experience was delightful, made even more fun by chatting with owner Marc Goldberg, who happened to be there enjoying the sunshine, and his son Justin, who poured our pinot tastes. Another six bottles of wine made their way into my car.
The moral of my weekend wine-tasting getaway: don’t be afraid to go out and have fun despite the pandemic. Take precautions and be sensible. And know that wineries, and restaurants, need and appreciate your business, and are doing everything they can to make you feel safe and welcome.
