A Sober Guide to Central California Wine Tasting Country

With Dry January approaching, there’s hardly a better time for sober-curious or sober travelers to head to Central California’s wine country. It might sound like an oxymoron, but the region offers more for travelers than just wine tastings. In fact, the area boasts countless alternative tastings, adventures and even delicious mocktails, a variety of activities leaving you wondering if you ever need to do a wine tasting again!

© Courtesy of Visit SLO CAL

Fun Times and Delicious Dines without the Wine

Head to Margarita Adventures in Santa Margarita Ranch for a Zip n’ Sip adventure. Here, you’ll soar over vineyards, valleys and hillsides spanning 14,000 acres. After the ride, disembark at a replica old mining camp before returning to town to enjoy a meal at Ancient Peaks Winery’s tasting room. Here, the café serves a curated farm-to-table menu embracing local farm favorites, which can be enjoyed both on the patio or in the tasting room.

Ever wanted a s’mores butler? At Paso Robles luxury Hotel Cheval, you’ll experience next-level s’mores with a dedicated s’mores butler available between dusk and 9:45 p.m. The butler can be found in the courtyard by the fire with a cart filled with s’mores essentials. The experience is complimentary to guests.

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Alternative Tastings

Calling all cheese lovers! Vivant Fine Cheese carries more than 150 cheeses in its tasting room, inviting travelers to try decadent cheeses with the option of wine pairings or a solo cheese tasting. Sit on the patio and enjoy a cheese plate or panini from its seasonal menu.

Or, for the olive connoisseur, opt for some olive-oil tasting. Purveyors include Pasolivo and Olivas de Oro, both of which emphasize the importance of the olive from growth to processing.

The Alchemist’s Garden © Courtesy of Visit SLO CAL

Mocktails So Good, You’ll Think They’re Too Good to Be True

Central California’s wine country is no stranger to bars and speakeasies serving up tasty mocktails. The Alchemists’ Garden embraces the power of transforming something ordinary into something great. The bar features a non-alcoholic menu with a variety of handcrafted mocktails such as The Count, a mocktail take on the Negroni.

Nearby, you’ll find Eleven Twenty Two, a speakeasy-style spot reminiscent of the 1930s with bookshelf-lined passageways and candlelit spaces. A mocktail favorite here is the Orange Julius.

And be sure to stop by Nightcap at Granada at Granada Hotel, boasting a robust mocktail menu. Highlights include the High & Dry, featuring Italian orange and soda; and Day Spice, a jalapeno-infused Seelip Garden 108 with lime, agave and other fragrant ingredients.