Eagle Castle Winery

We have a castle right here in Paso Robles!

Even better, they sell wine at the castle, because this is a winery.

It's called Eagle Castle and it is situated just off Highway 46 West.

Ron and I visited in July while most everybody else in north

county was at the Mid-State Fair.

It's our favorite time to get out and about during summer. Why?

No crowds! We don't do crowds very well unless we happen to be on a stage playing for them.

Here is Ron gazing over the moat.

Because, really, you can't keep the castle safe without a moat!

We did not, however, see alligators or sharks swimming in the moat.

The tasting room was but one large room on the first floor, and the bar was probably 40 feet in length!

Tim assisted us in our wine tasting experience.

Both Ron and I especially liked the two white wines on the list: the 2008 Chardonnay and the 2008 Viognier.

Both topped out at 13.9% alcohol and were highly drinkable. We are old school about our Chardonnays and prefer them to carry the oaky/buttery thing on the palate. Un-oaked Chardonnay is not worth our time except for scientific reasons!

We discovered this old piano in the tasting room.

So I sat down to play a few bars of Mozart, just for kicks.

Of the reds, I enjoyed the 2006 Trinity, a blend of 58% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Syrah with alcohol by volume at 15.01%

The 2007 Royal Red was also a good blend, featuring 56% Syrah, 30% Merlot and 14% Cab. Alcohol came in at 15.5% and the wine received "Best Red Wine Blend" at the California State Fair wine competition. Nice job!

Ron liked the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (14.9% alcohol), and I also picked out the 2007 Petite Syrah (15.5% alcohol) -- no big surprises there!

Overall, the Eagle Castle Winery is a fun tour. They even have a restaurant which serves lunch and is the hosting room for their events. It's beautiful! Go on a warm afternoon and enjoy a bottle of their white wine or pick your favorite red from the tasting list.