Hello! When we last spoke I had just finished a half marathon.
Next up was: Operation Wine Tasting.
Just south of San Miguel is one of my favorite places in the Americas… Paso Robles.
Paso Robles is central-ish California. It’s the other wine country in Cali. And it’s awesome. I love that it is a lot less pretentious than Napa or Sonoma. The wine tastings and wine are less expensive. And it’s a lot closer to me = added bonus!
If you’re like me and enjoy discovering exceptional wine without the high price tags or pretentious vibes, then finding a go-to spot that mirrors that laid-back quality is essential. That’s why I always recommend checking out Corked Redondo Beach for your at-home wine tasting adventures.
They bring that same unfiltered, approachable charm as places like Paso Robles—offering a wide range of thoughtfully chosen wines, craft beers, and specialty spirits that don’t require a trip up the coast. Whether you’re after a bold red, a crisp white, or something unexpected to shake things up, their selection is both expansive and curated, so you’re never overwhelmed but always intrigued.
It’s the perfect way to keep that spontaneous tasting-room spirit alive even when you’re just unwinding on your own patio.
We also did a cheese tasting to break up the day. I didn’t realize fancy cheese was so amazing. My favorite was the 5 year aged gouda.
I am still just a white wine girl, but I LOVE me a dessert port too. So we had to stop at my favorite place, Rotta.
Walking around downtown Paso Robles I spotted a fro-you place. I think a frozen yogurt tasting was a necessary addition to this delicious day!
We were about to go to a fancy place for dinner, but I really wanted SPICY food (per usual). So a quick Yelp search landed us at a hole-in-the-strip-mall Korean place. Turns out it was amazing! I would def recommend this place – Hana Teriyaki.
As we ate several regulars came in to pick up their phone orders. It’s a good sign when locals love it too!
The whole day was my perfect RUN, EAT repeat kinda time!
Then, we headed back to the hotel to crash. We’re staying in Morro Bay and it’s gorgeous – more on that soon!
Question: What was the best thing you ate this weekend?
I’m going with the port wine and dark chocolate combo I had at one of the wineries.
Great food with great people.
Talk about perfect timing! The hubby and I are doing a Cali trip in September and plan on stopping in Paso Robles overnight on our way from LA to San Fran. Can’t wait to check it out now, thanks!
Didn’t really eat anything amazing over the weekend; how sad, right?
But I had myself a little 10k PR (by 3 min) on Sunday so I celebrated with a cerveza and some guac & baked blue corn chips. Made me happy!
That TJ’s reduced guilt guac is my go to for dip.
3 minutes on a 10k!!! That is awesome!
Thanks! 🙂
Amazed myself…
Was in Hong Kong over the weekend -the land of amazing Chinese food!
When I get to the end of the day of wine tasting I almost want to ask the pourers “Can we just skip to what I really want? Dessert wines!”
The best thing I ate this weekend was 36 month aged parmesan with 20 year old basalmic and raspberries in Verona, Italy, where I was running my very first half marathon 🙂 It was delicious but I was too nervous to really enjoy the food!
I love finding hole-in-the-walls! Looks like you found a good one! Best thing I ate this weekend was the Dark Chocolate Raspberry candies I received for Valentine’s Day!
The best thing I ate the the steak my husband cooked on Valentine’s Day.
I wish I could drink wine. I love it, but it gives me serious headaches. Beer is where it’s at for me. Guess I will always be a WI girl in some ways! I made a new dinner recipe last night turkey meatballs and spaghetti squash. It was amazing!
I LOVE LOVE THAT PART OF CALIFORNIA.
she shouts.
and plans a get away.
The best thing I ate this weekend was some awesome potato salad that my husband made…and some sea salt & caramel gelato. Mmm I can taste it right now…
I love Paso! My friend works at Justin Winery. I go to Cal Poly SLO; central california is a beautiful place to be! The best thing I ate was a breakfast burrito after I got back from backpacking in Big Sur this weekend.
Ooh, I’ll have to swing by that wine region when we’re visiting in the summer. I visited Morro Bay a few years ago. It was so pretty. I stopped there on the way to Hearst Castle. Very surreal!
The best thing I ate was a Paleo pineapple upside down cake with coconut ice cream. Best of all I made it myself. Well, except for the ice cream.
Yum! Looks so good! I love wine and cheese. This weekend I ate homemade sushi with some girlfriends, valentines dinner and brunch with my boo. It was so good, but I definitely need to get some workouts in this week after such an indulgent weekend.
Cheese tasting, what?! I need to start travelling to races -that just seems like so much fun.
a local grocery store has a juice bar, I had the green detox sample and my 6 yr old V had the very berry..he had the green detox earlier this week
White wine only? Paso is all about Zinfandels. I’ll be up there in May. Looks like you had fun. Wanna run with us before Catalina? Do you have any free time?
Yes, maybe this weekend actually! I’ll hit ya up 🙂
My favorite was the dinner I had tonight for a late valentine’s celebration with my husband. It was delicious!
I love 5 yr Gouda! I am kinda obsessed with the whole wine and cheese thing and have found both aged Gouda (Prima Donna and Beemster are amazing) and aged cheddar to be delicious. Only problem is the really yummy ones are $20/lb. ouch.
Dark chocolate covered strawberries! Yum!
Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream!!
YUM I love korean food. The spicier the better.
Best thing I ate was Chinese style hot pot. It was perfect during the snow storm!
Wine + cheese tasting might just be one of the best things ever. This sounds like my kind of outing! The best thing I ate this weekend was a white chocolate raspberry mini bundt cake that I had for dessert on Friday night. Delish!
The best thing I ate this weekend was chocolate cake, for my birthday! Now that I think about it, foyo might top that if I get some tonight!
The best thing I ate this weekend was a vegan pot pie. I swear, the girl next to me didn’t finish hers, and I almost wanted to scrape it off her plate and throw it in my takeout bag. But I had to be fancy. ::sigh::
Fancy cheese is so good!
The best thing I ate this weekend is the Nutella stuffed chocolate chip muffin that I made this afternoon. Holy cow. I need to go run some more so I can eat another one!
You’ve convinced me to enjoy some wine tonight and run tomorrow. Thanks!