Photos from the Rio Seco Vineyards and Tasting Room in Paso Robles

The Rio Seco Tasting Room and Vineyards 

The Rio Seco tasting room is surrounded by vineyards. As you head east on Union Road from North River Road, you will enjoy a beautiful drive through wine country. Just before you get to Penman Springs Road you will find Rio Seco's entrance road. The tasting room is at the end of that road. This is where I parked. 

The Rio Seco Tasting Room

Below is the overview from the entrance road. On the way, you pass some of the vineyards. I love the big oak, but you knew I would, didn't you.

It was a cloudy day, and I arrived about 4:35, just as the sun was about to set. The sky views were spectacular. I felt I was at the bottom of a big bowl of clouds. 

A View of the Rio Seco Vineyard and Oak Near Tasting Room

Unfortunately, it's impossible for me to capture such a panoramic sky view in a blog post. I felt a bit like this lone oak under the sky. 

A Lone Oak High in the Vineyard

The closer it got to sundown, the more interesting the sky became. This view was facing west, and it looks back at Union Road, the way we came. 

A View from the Rio Seco Vineyard. Union Road  is heading west back to town. 

The Winery Cats I Met

Most of the wineries I visit have working pets. Some have dogs, some have cats, and some have both. As I approached the tasting room, Midnight greeted me. Actually, the photo is deceiving. He really was friendly. He was meowing a greeting and let me pet him. He reminds me of the feline P.I. Midnight Louie in the mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas that bear his name.   I love those books. 

Midnight, the Rio Seco Feline Greeter.

This is the other tomcat I met while he was dining. From his size I imagine he dines often. 

Winery Cat Enjoying Dinner

A Restful End to a Busy Day

I normally rest on Sunday, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I spent a good part of the day working hard physically. After a late lunch and some rest, I was determined to get back into Union Road wine country this afternoon, even if it was late. I like the cloudy days because they work magic on the sky. 

I would encourage you to make the drive yourself if you haven't done it yet. There are wineries all along the way if you enjoy wine tasting. It's only a short way farther to get to Steinbeck Winery from Rio Seco. We visited Steinbeck twice this week. They have rearranged their tasting room historical exhibits a bit since our first visit. See it as we saw it in March 2015. 

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Zenaida Cellars Vineyards on the First Day of Spring

Zenaida Cellars vineyards are some of the most beautiful in the West Paso Robles area. They are a photographer's paradise. Zenaida has magnificent oak trees, plenty of bird visitors, a tasting room, and, of course, grape vines. In this post I'll show you some of my photos from Zenaida Cellars vineyards on the first day of spring, 2014. 

We'll start at the entrance. The signs on the wine barrels show those entering where to park. In spring the lilac bush offers a fragrant and visual treat as you enter.

I took the photo above from across the vineyard, looking toward the tasting room and winery. You can see one of the many oaks that make Zenaida so special to me.

On this first day of spring, the grapes are beginning to leaf out after the vines have been dormant for the winter.

These oak trees act as natural boundaries dividing the vineyards on the upper level of the property from those on the lower level toward Highway 46 West.

I've now walked quite a distance from the tasting room, but you can't tell how far because I used a zoom lens to look back at it from across a far vineyard.

I have visited Zenaida in every season. Here is a poster of part of a Zenaida grape sorting and destemming process at Zenaida during harvest.

Sorting and De-stemming at Zenaida Winery Poster

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning. Vineyard scenes are from photos I took at Zenaida.

This is my twenty-sixth and last post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean
Laguna Lake is Full Again
Mission San Miguel Photos
Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards
Ocean Photos from the California Central Coast
Paso Robles Police Vehicles
Quiet Places Near Paso Robles
Red Soles Winery at Dusk
Shale Oak Winery at Dusk
Trader Joe's In Templeton is my Favorite Grocery Store
Umbrage is Abundant in the North County
Vineyards Through the Year
We Olive Offers Olive Tasting Opportunities
X-rays Aren't As Bad As They Used to Be
York Mountain Winery Barn Old and New

Related articles

• A Photo Walk Through the Vineyards of Zenaida Cellers

Vineyards Through the Year

Vineyards Photos for Each Season

As my  most regular readers probably already know, I like to stroll through Paso Robles and Templeton vineyards taking photos. I'm making my vineyard visits during every season. Today I will show you one vineyard photo for each season of the year from my collection.

Spring At Doce Robles Vineyard in Paso Robles

I visit Doce Robles more than any vineyard besides Zenaida, which I will be writing more about in a couple of days.   See more spring photos from Doce Robles.

Doce Robles Vineyard in Spring, © B. Radisavljevic

Summer at Pomar Junction Vineyard in Templeton

Pomar Junction is the only local vineyard I know of that has its own non-working train depot and a train in the station. That's what many people associate with it, and many  people visit just to see it in the center of the vineyards. See it on a postcard at the end of this post.

Pomar Junction Vineyard in Summer, © B. Radisavljevic

Autumn at Heart Hill Vineyard at Niner Estates in Paso Robles

See how Heart Hill looks in Summer. 

Niner's Heart Hill Vineyard in Autumn, © B. Radisavljevic

Vineyard in Winter at Doce Robles in Paso Robles

See more photos of Doce Robles in winter. 

A Doce Robles Vineyard in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Here's the postcard of the train at Pomar Junction I promised you. 

Postcard: Santa Fe Train Cars at Pomar Junction Postcard

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning. The top photo in this collage was taken in July at Sculpterra Winery at their July 4 celebration. The bottom photo came from a private vineyard in summer. 

Gift a quarterly Premier Series Wine Subscription and California Wine Club will pick up the shipping. Delicious 2-bottle wine deliveries will be sent each quarter (for a total of four fabulous deliveries). Through December, 2016.  Use Promo code YEAR16

This is my twenty-second post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean
Laguna Lake is Full Again
Mission San Miguel Photos
Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards
Ocean Photos from the California Central Coast
Paso Robles Police Vehicles
Quiet Places Near Paso Robles
Red Soles Winery at Dusk
Shale Oak Winery at Dusk

Trader Joe's In Templeton is my Favorite Grocery Store

Umbrage is Abundant in the North County

Related articles

• Spring in the Vineyard
• There's Still Work to Be Done: Winter in the Vineyard
• Cattle Grazing near Vineyard in Paso Robles
• C is for Cattle in Wine Country

Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards

Heart Hill in Paso Robles has been here long before most of the current Paso Robles residents. It used to be part of a cattle ranch in the early 1900's. Heart Hill is a naturally formed heart-shaped grove of blue oaks that many of us see often as we drive east on Highway 46 from Vineyard Drive towards the freeway. It took Richard Niner to plant the vineyards that now decorate Heart Hill. I drive that  way often because I only live about a mile from from it.  I often stop to  photograph it. In this post I will show you how the view of Heart Hill changes through the seasons. 

The small photo in the top corner was part of this one, taken in January, when the vines are brown.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in January, © B. Radisavljevic

Below is a slightly different view from February 7, 2015.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in February, © B. Radisavljevic

This next photo was taken  March 22, 2012, Rain has come and added some green stripes between the still dormant brown vines.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in March, © B. Radisavljevic

The photo below was taken today, April 16. 2016. It is from a distance because I didn't realize that Niner closed at 4 instead of 5 today, and I couldn't get in the gates to take a closer photo as I usually do. This was the best I could do with trying to escape the power lines above my head and the barbed wire fence next to the taller fence inside it. I was trying not to get caught by the wire while poking the camera lens between the inner fence wires. They must be having deer problems, or trying to prevent them.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in April, © B. Radisavljevic

In this next photo it is June 4, 2012. Now the vines are green and the grass between the rows is brown.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in June, © B. Radisavljevic

This is how heart Hill looked on August 8, 2015. As you see, the white roses are in bloom now.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in August, © B. Radisavljevic

My favorite picture is the one below, taken November 20, 2011. I think almost any vineyard is most attractive in autumn, but the sight is spectacular at Heart Hill.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in November, © B. Radisavljevic

If you were once at Niner Estates and did not get a souvenir of your visit, or if you'd like to display Heart Hill in different season than you saw it, you might want one of these Zazzle products featuring Heart Hill. You have many other product choices, including postcards, shirts, electronic cases, linens, and more if you follow this link 

 Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Pinback Button Niner Estates Heart Hill and White Roses Card Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Ceramic Tile Stamp: Paso Robles: The Heart of Wine Country Stamp Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Coaster Mug: Paso Robles Wine County- Heart Hill Coffee Mug Poster: I left my heart in Wine Country Poster

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If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning.

This is my fourteenth post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean

Laguna Lake is Full Again

Mission San Miguel Photos

C is for Cattle in Wine Country

Calf and Cow Mother Grazing
by Venteux Vineyard, © B. Radisavljevic

When you think of vineyards, do you picture cattle grazing next door to them? Paso Robles Wine Country attracts thousands tourists every year. I wonder how many of them realize they will also be in cattle country?

We know there were cattle in Paso Robles as early as 1857. During World War I Ignace Jan Paderewski purchased land in Paso Robles for orchards and vineyards. (See Paso Robles History Timeline) Before that the mission fathers grew grapes for their wine, but most local vineyards are fairly recent. I'd guess the cattle ranches were here first. That's why my topic for this third day of the AtoZchallenge is C is for Cattle in Wine Country. You will often see cattle grazing right next to a vineyard or between  vineyards. 

The mama cow and her calf are part of a herd of cattle I saw grazing next to Venteux Vineyards on Las Tablas Road in Templeton, California. This is technically part of the Paso Robles Wine County, since Templeton is not incorporated and the boundaries between Templeton and Paso Robles are such that I'm in Templeton and the neighboring vineyard and tasting room across the fence from me has a Paso Robles address.

You can see more of the cattle below, as well as the context of the first photo. The tasting room is the gray building in the center in the middle of the vineyard. I had to use a zoom on these photos because there was a fence between me and the cattle. I enjoyed my photo walk Exploring Venteux Vineyards in Templeton and took lots of photos of places most tourists never see. Click the link to see some of them.

Cattle Grazing by Venteux Vineyard, © B. Radisavljevic

Venteux is just one winery here with cattle next door. You will see some others in the related article below. There are many more that I see when driving on 46 West between 101 and Vineyard Drive. Continue west toward Cambria and you will see more cattle and fewer vineyards. You cannot drive very far in this area without realizing this is as much cattle country as wine county.

If you enjoyed this post, why not share this last photo on Pinterest? There are sharing buttons above the comment box.

Related articles

• Cattle Grazing near Vineyard in Paso Robles

The Paso Robles Area is Where I Belong

In my first garden in Templeton, 2001 -  taken by my husband.

I started this blog on a theme day, February 1, 2015. The theme that day was what we would miss most if we ever had to leave where we live. I wrote then What I'd Miss Most if I Left Paso Robles Forever.

Today we are to write about why we feel we belong where we are, or where we feel our homeland is. Of course, my homeland is America. What I wrote last year about the part of it I occupy is still true this year, except that the Paso Robles area means even more to me after another year. We've now been here 23 years, and that's longer than I've lived in any other area. I grew up in Los Angeles County and spent the first 43 years of my life there. I had no idea what I was missing.

We moved up into Ventura County for 15 more years before moving here. I loved Ventura County when I was there. I've never lived far from the coast, and we lived within walking distance of  Mugu State Park in Ventura County and could hike there very conveniently. If we had enough time, we could actually walk all the way to the coast. I was perfectly content.

A Fallen Tree at Larry Moore Park in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

Then in 1993 we moved to Templeton and I knew I'd really found my place. We also live in Paso Robles sometimes. Whichever place I lay my head each night is still home. The trees and vineyards are easily accessible. I feel the trees I've been photographing on the streets, in the parks, and in the vineyards are like friends I've watched as they grew larger and sometimes even fell or split. They are part of what being here means to me.

A Part of the Zenaida Vineyards Few Visitors Ever See, © B. Radisavljevic

One thing I love about this area is being able to stroll through the quiet vineyards with my camera, exploring them and discovering some remarkable trees and birds. The photo above was taken where a strand of trees separates upper vineyards from lower ones closer to the highway. Some of the most beautiful oak trees in the area live at Zenaida. One day I saw a group of turkey vultures in the trees. Later that day I saw my first acorn woodpecker.  Birds love vineyards. Some like to steal grapes and others help keep the rodent population down.

Turkey Vultures at Zenaida Vineyards, © B. Radisavljevic

I also love the coastline here, especially the north coast which is closest to me. We had beaches in Los Angeles and Ventura County, but I love the character of our rugged coastline here. This was taken as I walked the boardwalk at Moonstone Beach.

Taken from the Boardwalk at Moonstone Beach,  © B. Radisavljevic

To get a better idea of why I love this area so much you'd need to follow the blog and see the photo or photos I post each day as I walk around with my camera. As I take my pictures,  I turn some of them into postcards and posters in my Zazzle Store. Here's a sample postcard from the collection linked to below.

Postcard: Heart Hill in Autumn, Paso Robles Postcard Browse for more postcards from zazzle.com.

You can see the rest of this postcard collection from Paso Robles Wine Country here.

Related articles

• A Photo Walk Through the Vineyards of Zenaida Cellers
• Exploring Venteux Vineyards in Templeton