It was an ideal day for lunch and a wine tasting at Justin Vineyards & Vineyard. Positioned on the western facet of Paso Robles within the mountains, Justin has a MICHELIN-starred restaurant, distinctive wine, cave excursions, bike excursions, and even on website lodging. Even within the lifeless of January, the winery views have been beautiful.
Observe: the highway to Justin winds across the mountains and I bought a bit carsick on the drive over. Plan accordingly should you battle with winding roads and produce some Pepto or ginger ale! The drive is price it. Plan to go to a number of wineries within the space when you’re on the west facet.
Lunch
We have been instructed by nearly everybody {that a} meal at Justin Vineyards & Vineyard is to not be missed and that couldn’t be extra true. Even should you’re not significantly hungry. Belief me on this! The chef despatched out the olive focaccia with chimichurri and wow have been we ever impressed. The truth is, we ate some leftover and it’s simply as scrumptious because it was on the winery!
However the must-order merchandise right here is Justin Vineyard’s well-known burger, which you’ll order proper there on the dog-friendly patio to get pleasure from together with your wine flight. We additionally upgraded our fries to truffle fries, that are an absolute should. I’ll dream concerning the gruyere sauce on the fries! Need to know precisely what’s on the burger? Justin Vineyards really revealed the recipe so you can also make it at house!
For a spot with a Michelin star, it must be famous that the meals served on the patio (together with the patio) is all very moderately priced. The restaurant has a separate menu and has now earned a spot on my bucket checklist!
Premium Flight
The premium flight ($80 per individual, $40 for Wine Society Members) is an beautiful array of a few of Justin’s most interesting wines. At the moment the tasting contains the 2020 Savant, 2017 Justification, 2020 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Isosceles, and 2019 Platinum Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. (The most affordable wine on the checklist is $55/bottle and the most costly is $175, by the way in which.) We have been additionally fortunate sufficient to attempt the 2021 Viognier as a welcome wine, which I cherished a lot I promptly shipped to Texas.
It was truthfully one magical wine after the subsequent. The 2020 Savant is half cabernet, half Syrah and smells beautiful. It’s a dry, cozy wine that’s good for fireplace pit sippin’. The 2017 Justification (cabernet franc) was wonderful with the burger and truffle fries.
The 2019 Platinum Reserve Cabernet smells surprisingly mild. Sarah had one sip and mentioned, “That’s what Jesus drank. You recognize? When he turned water into wine? It was this.” It’s a giant, daring cabernet sauvignon with a pointy end. When in California, proper?
However it was the 2020 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that stole my coronary heart. This wine, which is 100% cabernet, sings like a Disney princess on the way in which down. It’s an extremely easy wine with notes of cherry and chocolate. Our server Carly instructed us that it’s the workers’s favourite and it’s simple to see why! I shipped a bottle again to Texas to tackle some fabulous picnic this spring.
Carly was completely pleasant, strolling us by each wine with nice care and explaining how Paso Robles is turning into a mini Rhone Valley. Carly, should you’re ever in Texas, you need to come over for dinner someday! Should you love a relaxed however guided wine tasting expertise, then Justin Vineyards is the right place for you.
Goodies
Final however not least, the pastry chef hand makes these beautiful hand-painted sweets in home. They’re nearly too fairly to eat! I extremely advocate selecting up a field once you’re there.
Justin is actually an distinctive winery expertise. I couldn’t advocate visiting sufficient!
Cheers,
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