Lunch! 6 Wineries Where You Should Eat.
A full day of wine tasting requires some food. By your third winery, if you haven’t eaten since breakfast, you’re going to need some food. And when you’re tasting some of the best wines in the world, mediocre food just won’t do.
A few years ago there were very few lunch options at wineries. Fans of Paso Robles Wine Country used to get stuck way out in wine country, far from town and far from the nearest food options, buzzed, hungry and bummed. Fortunately that all has changed.
Here are some of the absolute best lunches available. You can generally eat lunch during your tasting or immediately after the tasting is finished, and you won’t need a separate lunch reservation to taste and eat at any of these wineries. Many menus change quarterly or even monthly, and lunch offerings are sometimes pared back to weekends only during the low season, but we can help you figure all that out when you book your tour :)
West Side Paso Robles:
1. Aron Hill: Seated on a hillside with a lovely view of the Templeton Gap, Aron Hill Winery has both ambiance and a delicious menu that’s varied and perfect for a wine tour lunch. The baked brie is understandably popular, and both the beef ragu and chicken milanese are excellent. Aron Hill does a solid charcuterie plate as well. Link to menu below.
https://www.aronhillvineyards.com/assets/client/File/summer%202022%20bistro.pdf
2. Rangeland: Rangeland serves burgers only, and only on Saturdays and Sundays, but they’re great burgers - well worth your attention. Rangeland Wines is also a cattle ranch and you’ll be eating custom beef raised on West Side Paso Robles grass. Rangeland wines have won some high marks (their 2019 Limestone Cabernet won 95 points from Wine Enthusiast, and the 2019 Watershed, a Bordeaux blend, won 93 points from the same). A 95 point Cab and a cheeseburger? Uh, yes.
3. Halter Ranch: ‘Halter’ as locals in the industry call it, is a huge property that is well worth visiting for the serene agrarian setting and wines as well as their lunch menu. Serving from 11am - 3:30pm, Halter Ranch’s menu changes often but is always well received. The tasting room and patio are gorgeous too :)
4. Calcareous: One of my favorites, at Calcareous you’ll be eating and drinking high on a mountaintop with beautiful views stretching far to the east and south. The menu changes quarterly, but the burgers are always excellent and I’ve had poutine, gnocci with lamb and rosemary chicken that were all memorable. Also the Creme Brule is great! Calcareous wines are both Rhones and Bordeuxs, are well priced, and many of my clients have joined their wine club. This is a winery that I recommend all around, not just for lunch.
East Side Paso Robles:
5. Cass: Best pizza ever? I had the margherita pizza from their wood fired oven and thought it was the best margherita pizza I’d had in my life. The rest of the menu is also great. The crab cakes are fantastic, sicilian olives, Blast burger, lamb lollipops, . I’ve never been let down here. When my clients eat at Cass I usually order lunch too :) I also like their wines quite a bit and find their wine prices attractive. Cass is laid back, sits on a large beautiful property and has a lot to offer, including horseback riding, beekeeping activities and a lot more. Check them out. https://www.casswines.com/
6. Robert Hall: The crispy pork belly slider was ridiculous. This menu changes quite frequently, so visit the website to see what they’re up to. I’ve had sweet potato gnocchi in brown butter, pasta putanesca and the pork belly. All were executed flawlessly and Robert Hall will make sure you have the perfect pairing. This is a high-end lunch, a level up from most winery lunches. If you want to get fancy, Robert Hall is doing it right :)
Paso Robles Wine Tours also offers a boxed lunch menu through Red Scooter Deli. These are $20 each and are much beloved by our guests. The Roo, Chicken Croissant, Scooter and Chicken Caesar Wrap are all popular, and favorite sides include the Broccoli Salad, Pasta Salad and Potato Salad - though you’d be hard pressed to find anything on the menu that you won’t be happy with. Email us today at pasorobleswinetours@gmail.com and I’ll send you the full boxed lunch menu. Remember that with boxed lunches your group will eat lunch at a winery that does not serve food. Brecon, Four Lanterns, Whalebone and many others are friendly to groups bringing lunch.