Any suggestions for good tasting rooms in and around Cambria? I searched and found restaurant recommendations, but not tasting room ones. Or are there ones to particularly avoid?
I do realize Paso isn’t that far away, and I know there are lots of threads about Paso, but for this purpose, I was wondering about places closer to where we will be staying in Cambria.
Just looking for something interesting and pleasant, it doesn’t have to be world-class wine necessarily.
Many thanks.
Moonstone Cellars and Cayucos Cellars are the only ones in the area that I’ve ever really seen in distribution. I’ve never had them before, but they are in-town. If you’re willing to drive up the 46 a bit, you could hit up Bassetti Vineyard which happens to be the source of Denner’s Syrah for the Dirt Worshipper. I’ve yet to have anything produced by the winery itself though. I like Cambria, but it’s definitely a very sleepy town - the beach is incredibly rocky, but the boardwalk makes for a great morning or evening walk and the weather should be excellent in the coast now that the valleys are cooling down.
All in all, I’d still recommend heading into Paso for a day even if you’re just heading in for an afternoon and to grab dinner. Plethora of options there of course. Takes about 30 minutes or so and the drive itself is really beautiful with clear skies and the winter grasses turning the hills and mountains green.
Just found this link, which introduced me to a handful of wineries in/near Cambria which I (mostly) wasn’t aware of before…I don’t know enough about them to make any recommendations, but I thought I’d share it as a reference: Cambria Wine Tasting 2023: Top 6 Wineries to Visit
Even if you don’t make it all the way into Paso, the drive on 46 is lovely when the weather is good. Epoch is one of the furthest west, and if you do keep going as far as Vineyard Drive, there are tasting rooms nearish 46 for Turley, Paix Sur Terre, and a handful of others.
If you head north, Hearst Ranch has a tasting room in San Simeon. I haven’t had one of their wines in a long time, but it’s another option if you’d like to stay near the coast.
My wife LOVES Cambria…we go there as much as we can…always stay at the FogCatcher Inn…eat at Moonstone Beach Cafe, Sea Chest, Robin’s, Linns…visit Hearst Castle etc. Last time we went, coming back from Cayucos, we actually stopped at Harmony Cellars and thoroughly enjoyed it! The wines are nothing to write home about, but while sitting out on their pretty and serene outdoor grounds, they were pleasing enough. We went on a beautiful sunny day, and the fog was rolling in and out on the hills around us…it was really cool! I would only go for that, and not do the typical indoor tasting. It’s the scenery, with a little buzz, is where it’s at!
Chris definitely stop in here. I served one of his wines at book club.
Black Hand Cellars
(805) 927-9463
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AAGQyL9wSCns7v6A8
I would highly recommend stopping at Stolo Vineyards in Cambria.
We just got back from a week stay in Cambria.
We have been going there for decades and love it.
We use it as a base for exploring Paso and surrounding areas.
Actually went there as a kid about 50 years ago.
On this last visit I asked myself the very same question.
It taxed and confirmed my wine researching skills and I came up with … Bassetti Vineyards.
It is a few miles up the road that crosses over to Paso.
But after repeated phone calls and emails we failed to connect with the owners who we found out run a family farm and are quite busy doing that.
I believe Anthony Yount from Denner makes the wine.
But we found their wine in town at Linn’s and bought a few bottles of Syrah which they specialize in.
We opened it up for dinner at Buona Tavola in SLO and it was outstanding. A great cool climate Syrah not typical of Paso.
We went back to Linn’s and bought more to take home. One glass of wine is not enough to make a solid judgement, but if my instincts are right this could be the discovery of this year for me. I suggest just picking up a bottle and have it at your place.
If you are in Cambria its only a 40 minute drive to Paso wineries but I can understand just wanting to enjoy Cambria and not go anywhere.
If you just want to drink some random wines from the area there is Fermentations in town.
Enjoy Cambria!
I don’t know the current Bassetti wines, but it’s good terroir. Steve Edmunds made some outstanding Syrah from the vineyard 15 years back.
Stolo is a nice spot and I liked the wines I tried- if maybe not as much as some other folks on this message board.
Hearst ranch is a beautiful spot but the wines felt pretty corporate/lackluster but haven’t tasted extensively
The brewery across from moonstone cellars is actually pretty awesome if you’re not exclusively looking for wine
Forgot to mention the Olallieberry pie at Linn’s which is a must.
Expensive and worth it.
Coming from pie snobs, we make our own at home.
Oh yeah. Great stuff, never miss Linn’s.
I second Robin’s. Had a great meal there. Lovely patio, too. I know you’re looking closer to Cambria, but I’ll mention that we made a trip up to Tablas Creek and thoroughly loved it. It’s under an hour drive and very scenic on the way. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it.
There’s also a great hike you can do starting at the W. R. Hearst Memorial Beach. Follow the shore line north and go as long as you want.
Raj Parr is now making wines out of a vineyard there called Phelan Farms. Don’t think they’re doing tours but you could also reach out and find out.
Cheers
Try Stolo Chris, excellent Pinot, Syrah and Chardonnay! https://www.stolofamilyvineyards.com
Isn’t Turley on the way to Cambria?
Stolo. Great spot, very peaceful, tables to enjoy your wine, and nice people. The wines are very good as well. It is a short 10 minute drive out of downtown Cambria.
Not from where Chris is starting - if you are coming south from San Francisco, yes.
Cheers
Highway 46 (just a few minutes south of Cambria) is the main corridor through West Paso wine country. Within a 30 minute drive from Cambria, you have access to:
Booker
Caliza
Clos Solene
Denner
Epoch
Full Draw
L’Aventure
Law
Linne Calodo
Torrin
Turley
If it were me, I would also take time to drive just a bit further and make an afternoon visit to Tin City - where Turtle Rock is a must stop.
Chris,
How was your trip? Any recommendations? I was looking to split up a trip to Paso coming up in May, and was wanting to visit Cambria for the first time around the lunch hour as a change of pace.