Paso Robles is known for its beautiful landscapes and incredible wines. Visitors from all over the country come to Paso Robles to enjoy the restaurants, vineyards, and atmosphere that Paso Robles has to offer.
Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a weeklong excursion, Paso Robles brings wine aficionados and wine amateurs together to experience wine country at their own pace. And while a lot of people think of Napa Valley when they think of California wines, Paso Robles is the hidden gem of the central coast. The wines produced here, right on our own very property, have been voted some of the best wines in the world.
So, if you’re looking to get away and do some wine tasting we highly recommend visiting us in Paso Robles, California.
In addition to having some of the best wines in the world, Paso Robles is also home to some incredible farm-to-table restaurants as well as some of the best eateries in California. However, if you plan on doing wine tasting during the day, we have some tips for you regarding food options.
Food While Wine Tasting
We have had a number of first-time wine tasters come through our property and a lot of them are surprised by the food options available at the tasting rooms. In fact, most are very surprised that not all the tasting rooms even offer food!
We highly recommend figuring out the food options at the tasting rooms ahead of time so you can plan your day appropriately. There’s nothing worse than going to a number of different wineries, drinking wine all day long, without any food in your stomach.
Plus, wine goes great with food, so why wouldn’t you want to enjoy those pairings.
Tips for Eating While Wine Tasting
#1 Research Tasting Room Food Options Ahead of Time
The number one thing we tell visitors to the area is to make sure you research which wineries and tasting rooms you want to visit and figure out if they have food ahead of time.
In most cases the tasting rooms will list their food menu on their website, but if you’re unsure about food options, it’s best to give them a call.
In the case of our tasting room at Austin Hope, we do not have a full menu of food options available, but you can get a charcuterie board if you ask. This option isn’t always listed on our website, but it is available at an extra cost for those that reserve a tasting.
#2 Bring Your Own Food
Since a lot of tasting rooms don’t offer food, they will allow you to bring your own foods to enjoy while tasting. We would suggest going with foods that are easy to eat with your fingers and pair well with a number of wines. Meats and cheeses are easy to travel with and enjoy while tasting, and if you don’t finish it all you can bring it to the next location.
Some places may let you order in delivery or allow for large takeout meals to be eaten, but we suggest asking the individual tasting rooms first before ordering a full meal.
Tastings generally last between 1-1.5 hours, so you’ll also want to be aware of that if you plan on ordering food or eating at a tasting.
#3 Plan Your Day Around Tasting Rooms With Food
Similar to #1 above, if you find certain tasting rooms that you want to try, and know they have food, plan your day around that. We recommend about 3 tasting rooms in a single day, unless you think you’ll be pretty quick in which case you can fit in 4, so having your 2nd reservation be the tasting room that has food is always a great option.
This will allow you to have a nice breakfast before heading out for your day, then enjoying a few glasses of wine at the first tasting, then by the time you reach the 2nd tasting you’ll be ready for a bite to eat for lunch.
If you don’t plan ahead and schedule a tasting room with food for the early afternoon, the wine is going to sneak up on you and you may regret it later that night, or the next day.
Food at the tasting rooms can be pretty limited depending on the location. A lot of winemakers like to focus on the craft of wine making without having to deal with food and the costs associated with it. This is part of the reason why many do not offer food, or if they do, it’s just a small selection of snacks.
Food is a whole different beast than wine and if you’re not familiar with running a restaurant or a kitchen, it can be a huge undertaking.
So be sure to check with the tasting rooms ahead of time to make sure they have food, schedule your tastings accordingly so that you’re not going the entire day without eating anything, and if none of the wineries you want to visit offer food, ask about their policy regarding outside food.
The last thing we want is for anyone to have a bad time because of too much wine, so please drink responsibly and keep those bellies full!