Last Updated on July 18, 2023
With gentle ocean breezes and warm central coast sunshine, the Paso Robles wine region makes an extraordinary springtime escape. Take your visit to the next level with a stay in private, overnight winery accommodation.
The allure of a tranquil vineyard setting and a stay in one of Paso Robles’ wineries will rejuvenate your mind and soul. Imagine waking up to views of the sun rising over lush, green vineyards. Birds sing their sweet songs of spring as you sip your morning coffee. And at night, warmed by a fire pit while sitting on the deck of a private cabin, you enjoy a glass of award-winning wine from your winery host.
In Paso Robles, most winery villas are just steps away from the winery’s tasting rooms yet provide complete privacy to guests. Some accommodations are large enough to host multiple friends or family members and come with modern, fully equipped kitchens. Depending on where you choose to stay, guests can independently cook their own meals or indulge in the hospitality and cuisine provided by friendly winery staff.
So, if you’re ready to immerse yourself in the Paso wine region and breathe in the vineyard views, here are five of our favorite “villas in the vineyard.”
Geneseo Inn at Cass Winery
Cass Winery, a boutique winery on the east side of Paso Robles, boasts French DNA and a welcoming Paso personality. The Central Coast Wine Competition named it 2020 Winery of the Year. Cass specializes in Bordeaux and Rhône-style wines. One of their most popular white wines is the 2019 Viognier. Their flagship is the 2018 Rockin’ One, a blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Syrah.
An on-site café offers a full lunch menu. Spacious, shaded seating outdoors with an expansive view of the vineyards provides a perfect setting to wile away an afternoon tasting wine and dining on locally grown cuisine.
The Geneseo Inn, just a short walk up the road from the Cass tasting room, provides a modern winery retreat for guests who want to soak up more of the Cass Winery experience.
Built from repurposed industrial shipping containers, each of the eight rooms is designed for maximum privacy. Expertly planned so that you don’t hear your neighbor, the only morning noises are the sound of chirping birds or the occasional truck in the vineyards.
From the balcony of your room the elevated view sweeps across rolling hills covered in vineyards for as far as the eye can see. To the right, or the East, you can watch the sun come up over the hills. In the evening to the left, you can watch the sun drop over the western hills.
Each room is equipped with ultra-modern amenities and appliances. Clean, bright interiors, 12-foot-high ceilings, and plenty of natural light make each room feel expansive.
But the best part of staying at the Geneseo Inn is the freshly cooked gourmet breakfast delivered to your doorstep each morning. Choose from a menu curated by on-site Chef Charlie. Think dishes like French toast topped with lemon curd, macerated strawberries, butter, and maple syrup. A choice of house smoked bacon, house-made sage pork sausage, or apple chicken sausage comes on the side.
After breakfast, take a stroll through the on-site organic garden where the produce for your breakfast was grown.
Outdoor seating, games, and well-manicured landscaping on the common grounds provide an inviting space for guests of Geneseo to get out and breathe the fresh air.
Book your stay at the Geneseo inn.
Allegretto Vineyard Resort
Allegretto feels absolutely magical the moment you walk into the stunning property. A resort, a winery, a spa, and an impressive art collection, Allegretto is a destination in itself. While technically Allegretto is a multi-room hotel and resort, its estate vineyards grown on the property and on-site tasting room provide guests with the experience of being surrounded by a winery.
The term allegretto refers to a musical term for a cheerful tempo, and that joy and happiness is reflected throughout the property.
When you enter the lobby, you are immediately struck by its classic beauty.
A pearly white marble stairway lined with gleaming black wrought iron handrails ascends dramatically to a second-floor balcony. A huge white marble fireplace gapes open to the right of the lobby with comfortable chairs flanking its front. Selfishly you wish this was your room for the night. The bar, dining room, and halls to the elevator beyond continue this luxuriant sleekness of marble and stone.
The rooms are European inspired with 14-foot ceilings, luxuriously appointed, and spacious. The plush, pillow-top mattresses provide a restful sleep. Some rooms come with balconies or patios.
But it’s the public spaces that are most dramatic. For example, the wine tasting room offers spacious patio seating overlooking a 12,000 square-foot Tuscan-inspired piazza.
The art collection with both outdoor sculptures and indoor paintings decorates the property throughout. In fact, the art collection is so impressive that a docent offers tours weekend tours. 40,000-square-feet of outdoor space among the gardens unveil secrets of the property like the Romeo and Juliet tunnel, labyrinths, an obelisk, marble sculptures, and a yoga meditation space.
Guests can rent cabanas by the pool, order lunch at the poolside café, and relax for the afternoon. The vineyards, just beyond the swimming pool, provide a cool relaxing place to stroll.
Friendly servers tell Allegretto’s story while also expertly describing the wines in your tasting flight. The 2019 Trio, a blend of Viognier, Vermentino, and Roussanne, provides a delightful introduction to Allegretto’s Rhone-style wines. Or sample the unique Rosé of Tannat. The 2019 Pinot Noir, sourced from grapes out of the Santa Lucia Highlands pairs well with food.
Book your stay at Allegretto Vineyard Resort
Hearst Ranch Winery
At Hearst Ranch Winery, a luxurious four-bedroom, four-bathroom house directly across the road from the tasting room provides the perfect venue for friends or family to gather. Named “La Hacienda,” this lovingly restored adobe was originally built in the 1700s along the Salinas River by Spanish missionaries. The restoration features imported hand painted tiles, a custom-designed gourmet kitchen, original oak flooring, Mexican tile floors, ample fireplaces, and rich but rustic wood and leather furniture.
Guests will marvel at the comfort and the beauty of this ranch style house.
Jim Saunders, a Paso Robles builder and Hearst Ranch Winery owner, personally oversaw the restoration and it shows in the quality of this professionally decorated vacation rental.
Exposed brick from the adobe’s original structure is preserved in one small frame, called a “truth window” so guests can see and appreciate the history of the house. Two bedrooms feature plush king beds and two feature comfy queen beds.
Guests enjoy complimentary wine tasting in the winery’s tasting room. Saunders produces elegant chardonnays, and rich reds that reflect the flavors of Paso Robles. His biggest seller is the Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the Glacier Ridge Chardonnay, and Three Sisters Red Cuvee.
JUSTIN Winery and Vineyards
Part of the Justin Winery and Vineyards, the JUST Inn is a 25-minute drive through winding country roads west of Paso Robles. It feels like a world away as there’s no cell phone service, yet guests seem to like it that way.
The Inn offers three villas in the vineyard, a renowned restaurant and access to a premium, estate wine portfolio in the on-site tasting room. These are true two-room penthouse style suites, each named after three JUSTIN wines. All are appointed in a contemporary style with furnishings and walls color- coordinated in soft pastel hues. The suites range in size from 600- to 1200-square-feet and feature fireplaces and Temper-Pedic mattresses.
Guests are also welcome to stroll the grounds which includes the winery’s demonstration garden. It overflows with asparagus, rhubarb, sugar snap peas, edible flowers, and every kind of herb you can imagine. And all these plants make their way to the onsite restaurant.
Another option for accommodations at the winery, just a ¼ mile away, is the Vintner’s Villa. It’s a larger 1,400 square-foot French country townhouse with a full kitchen and dining room.
An overnight stay comes with a bottle of JUSTIN wine, breakfast, and a complimentary tasting.
A visit to the tasting room is must for the relaxing setting and stunning views of the estate vineyards and the coastal range in the distance.
The winery offers two options for tasting – a flight of four classic wines or a flight of four premiums. The JUSTIN Rosé, a refreshing Syrah-based wine, tastes exactly right on a warm spring afternoon. But JUSTIN, well-known for its red wines, makes wonderful Bordeaux blends.
SummerWood Inn
More than a quaint villa, the SummerWood Inn is a large, white three-storied contemporary-styled farmhouse surround by tall trees, palms, and a well-maintained landscape of scrubs and spacious, green lawns. A patio with outdoor seating and blue umbrellas looks out to the vineyards. Spacious guest rooms are bright and airy, each with a TV and fireplace in a comfortable seating area. Private balconies overlook the SummerWood Estate, providing a perfect place to sip a glass of wine and relax. White, tiled bathrooms feature tubs, glass enclosed showers, mirrors and two neighboring basins.
The on-site restaurant serves farm-fresh breakfast in an ambiance of casual elegance. A welcoming seating area opposite the dining space serves as the main entry and lobby of the farmhouse. An afternoon wine and appetizer reception along with evening dessert are also offered to overnight guests.
The winery and the inn reside on Highway 46 at the westside gateway to Paso Robles. The tasting room, just across the street from the inn, feels like someone’s welcoming summer home with wisteria vines draping along the eves of the porch. The tasting room’s patio also looks out over estate vineyards.
SummerWood produces small-lot Rhone and Bordeaux style wines. Flights begin with a taste of the refreshing Awa, a Japanese-inspired sparkling Grenache Blanc, followed by a sampling of their whites and reds. And don’t be surprised if the winemaker, Mauricio Marchant, drops by your table to talk about the delightful wines he produces.
Book your stay at Summerwood Inn
If You Go
All of these “villas in the vineyard” offer a warm, relaxing, luxurious place where guests can enjoy exceptional accommodations, wine tasting experiences, services, and amenities in the rejuvenating comfort and beauty of Paso Robles. For more information on planning your trip, TravelPaso.com features a wonderful guide to the region as does Rovology’s 3-day Paso Robles Itinerary.
