HOW DOES PASO COMPARE TO NAPA 2024? IS PASO WORTH IT?
Local Wally
Caelesta Winery in Paso Robles
There’s a lot of chatter these days on how expensive wine tasting has gotten but I bet 99% of those articles are based on experiences in Napa where tastings have gotten to the level where a normal person might think twice. But that’s not the case in Paso.
Oh sure, there are plenty of people out there who will complain about tasting fees but you can still get plenty of two for one deals in Paso and even at full price it’s pretty hard to find wineries that charge more than $40 per person. For comparison a standard tasting in Napa is at least that price with some wineries charging $100 to $200 per person. So Paso is definitely cheaper than Napa.
HOW DOES THE PASO EXPERIENCE STAND UP TO NAPA? THE HONEST TRUTH.
Wines: Napa has the edge on wine quality but their wines are also much more expensive along with the tasting experience. I think if you are taking a wine buying trip and budget is not an issue then Napa wins out. But for a wine tasting adventure it’s hard to tell the difference in overall enjoyment at the the end of the weekend.
Food: Napa wins in the culinary scene with nearly every restaurant offering extraordinary food. In fact, the food in Napa is nearly as impressive as their wines. However, Paso is no slouch and if the food is not quite as elevated (with a few notable exceptions) it’s certainly still a delight. I posted a restaurant guide here and if you stick to these options you’re not going to be disappointed.
Winery Views: I’ve been covering Napa for a long time and one of the top requests is for wineries with views. It might come as a surprise but wineries with views are not really a thing in Napa as the bulk of the wineries people want to visit are in the valley, meaning on flat land. This is where Paso shines as many of the wineries have expansive views and most of them offer close up, authentic winery experiences that go beyond a fancy tasting room.
Impressive Wineries: Napa wins this one with many of their wineries dating back to the 1800’s. If you want big, impressive wineries you’ll find more in Napa than in Paso. However, if you like wineries where the server just might be the winemaker and a picnic table under and oak tree with a fresh baguette and some cheese and a nice glass of wine is how you want to experience wine country then Paso is a tough one to beat.
Deals and Discounts: The Priority Wine Pass works in both Napa and Paso so finding two for one discounts is easy for both wine regions. Here are all of the deals for Paso and if you need a wine pass (one per couple) here’s the discount link to get it for the lowest price offered anywhere. Use that pass and your wine tasting costs can be downright reasonable in Paso.
Romantic Experience: Wine tasting can be very romantic, daydreaming with a glass of wine sitting in the vineyards with a picnic lunch. Both Napa and Paso can offer this sort of ambiance but Paso might have the edge as most of the wineries are still family owned meaning they are much more flexible when it comes to bringing in food or chilling with a bottle of wine.