According to its Web site, the name Jada originated from “the name of a fishing boat in the village of Castellammare de Golfo (Castle by the Sea); a city in northern Sicily. Jack Messina’s (Jada founder’s) father was born near there and immigrated to the USA at age 11.”

Jada features a brand new tasting room with an open air deck. The winery offer guests a chance to try a Jada wine with a corressponding gourmet cheese from Vivant, Paso’s local cheese store. Tasting is open Thursday through Monday from 11a.m.-5p.m. and also by appointment. Jada serves a variety of wines from Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Verdot blends. 

According to winecountrythisweek.com, “While Jada focuses on blends, the winery produces a 100 percent Syrah under the name Jersey Girl; attributed to his wife’s home state. Jada’s stable of wines all carry labels that reflect some personal connection for Messina. There’s the Jack of Hearts, an estate blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot. There’s also Passing By – primarily estate Cabernet Sauvignon with a splash of Merlot – refers to Messina’s practice as a heart surgeon of the reported beneficial effects of red wine.”

Jada also offers guests a membership to a wine club called “The Long Life Wine Club”. According to centralcoastmag.com, some of the benefits include, “20 percent discounts on your entire purchase in the tasting room or Jada Web site, choice of three to six bottles with 20 percent discount shipped to you twice a year, fact sheets and pairing suggestions included in shipment and complimentary wine tastings for you and one guest.”

Yelp.com offered some reviews of Jada. One customer wrote, “Jada was winery number three of the day.  We were lured there because of the reviews I had read mentioning a beautiful tasting room.  The room wasn’t all that, but the place was really nice.  I particularly enjoyed the interaction with the lady behind the counter, who happened to be the daughter of the owner.  She gave me the stories behind the wine names – Hell’s Kitchen is where the owner grew up – Jersey Girl, his wife is from Jersey – Mirror, they live on a beautiful clear pond that looks like a mirror – Passing By, the owner is a former Cardio-Vascular surgeon (by pass) and XCV, eX-CardioVascular.  Very clever.  It almost made me want to spend $48 on a bottle. But no.  I liked the wine, but really was put off by the price point. So I think this winery is definitely a place to check out, the service is friendly, the ambience is great, the art is outstanding and the wine and cheese pairings are great.  You will just have to spend a whole lot of money to take the wine home with you.”

 The vineyard itself is about nine acres and produces 3,000 cases of wine. Kynsi Winery is a small family owned winery. According to californiawineryadvisor.com, The family sources their grapes from select coastal vineyards, with the goal of creating lush, generously complex, elegantly balanced wines that reflect distinctive terroir and varietal character.”

 The dairy houses Kynsi’s tasting room.  Californiawineryadvisor.com says, “The original cold-room door leads into the wine vault and contributes to the unique character and cozy ambiance at Kynsi. There is a tile floor and a wooden tasting counter. The label features the resident barn owl that roosts in the old barn adjacent to the winery. The tasting room is open Thursday through Monday from 11a.m.-5p.m. There is a fee of $5.

 Kynsi Winery also offers guests membership to a wine club. The Kynsi Wine Club allows guests to choose from three different levels: The Covey Club, The Top Flight Club and The Frequent Flyer. Each level accommodates to a guest’s specific combination of wine shipments and wine liking.

 Yelp.com displays some reviews of Kynsi Winery. One customer wrote, “Kynsi is one of the best kept secrets of the central coast.  A family-owned and operated business, the Kynsi winery and tasting room is housed in a converted dairy (complete with an “au naturel” cooling system).  Hidden away on the Arroyo Grande/SLO border, the wine tasting experience is one of my favorites.  You’re likely to be served by the proprietor/winemakers’ daughters (Anna and Kala – the two who made the rockin’ 03 Syrah Kalanna).  They recently redid the entire tasting room.  It’s quite lovely, but I do miss the intimacy of the original.”

Chateau Margene has two tasting rooms. The regular tasting room is open from Thursday thorough Monday 11a.m.-5p.m. The estate tasting room is open Saturday through Sunday from 12p.m.- 5p.m. With a total production of 3,000 cases, the winery values variety in its wines. The tasting room fee is $10. As mentioned on its Web site, it is also “home of the world-class estate blend, Beau Melange which is 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 percent Cabernet Franc, and 25 percent Merlot.”

Chateau Margene presently has 6 acres of wine grapes planted with the majority devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon. According to Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, owner and winemaker Michael Mooney says “Great wine starts with great fruit. It all starts in the vineyard. We shoot and cluster thin the crop to control the level of production, deficit irrigate to control the amount of water to the vines, do leaf removal to get more sunlight to the fruit.”

The winery offers guests membership to three wine clubs: the Cabernet Sauvignon Club, Winemaker’s Mixed Selection Club and Club Beau. The Cabernet Sauvignon Club is for particular guests who only want to receive shipments of the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker’s Mixed Selection Club allows members to order shipments of a mixture of both Chateau Margene and the owner’s family wines. Club Beau allows members to order shipments of the winery’s world-class blend Beau Melange.

Yelp.com includes a review about Chateau Margene. One customer wrote, “The wine was mostly bordeaux-inspired, although the two sons have started making wine and are making Rhone blends. My dad loved the Bordeaux styles quite a bit, while my fiance and I weren’t quite as impressed with them (probably a result of the Merlot blending). The Rhone blends that the sons are making appealed to my palate much more and I highly recommend them. All of the wines are pretty hot (high alcohol content) which I enjoy and is hard to get away from in Paso.

The wine was expensive, which is why I was dancing back and forth between a three and four star rating. I just don’t think that they are making wine that is worth the $35 to $80 that they are charging (and I’ve paid that much and more for great wine before, so it’s not that I’m being cheap).

The other fun thing about this winery was the drive that we took back down HWY 229 to get to Santa Margarita…not that Chateau Margene had anything to do with it…but San Luis Obispo County does a great job maintaining their (really fun) winding country roads!”

The art gallery offers guests the chance to view fine art including paintings and sculptures. According to whenwegetthere.com, “Over 150 artists are represented.” Some of the paintings done by John Salisbury himself are featured in the gallery. In the article “Salisbury Vineyards: Farming in California Since 1850″,  John’s daughter Jennifer Salisbury Rucks writes, “All of our varietals have won awards and our stored inventory quickly sells out of our tasting room.”

The vineyard grows several acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Syrah Noir. As seen on californiawineryadvisory.com, “The Tasting room is dominated by a large rectangular wooden tasting bar where visitors can sample Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and a number of specialty Pinot Noir wines, including Pinot Naturale™ and Rosea di Pinot Noir™.” Its Pinot Naturale is considered an unusual wine because it is a Pinot Noir wine without any red. Without the red color, it is therefore given the name “Naturale”.  The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The vineyard also accommodates guests offering a private patio to enjoy picnics and live music.

Salisbury offers guests a membership to its own wine club called Club Avila. As seen on its Web site, some of the opportunities include, “complimentary tastings, concerts, BBQ’s, free venues like our Schoolhouse Rock concert series or our acclaimed Fine Art shows.” The vineyard also offers guests some events to attend such as “Dia de Oaxaca”, Salisbury Vineyards’ Harvest Festival Open House, and “Come Fly with Me”, Salisbury’s Auction. Dia de Oaxaca celebrates and remembers those who have helped contribute to the success of the vineyard. At the event, there are Oxacana dishes such as mole served, dancing, and art shows.  Come Fly with Me is an auction event with a starting bid of $500.  According to Salisbury’s Web site, the auction offers ”two brave guests a mock dogfight over Avila Beach or if you prefer, just enjoy a relaxing aerial tour of the coastline.” Afterwards, guests can enjoy lunch at the famous Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe with owner John Salisbury and winemaker Harold Osborne.

As seen on calwineries.com, “Laetitia was established by winemakers from the Deutz Champagne House and is rich inFrench tradition. They came to the United States to find a growing area that was similar to their home in Epernay, France.”

Laetitia produces still wines such as Chardonnays and Pinot Niors, and sparkling wines. Pinot Nior is the most widely produced at the vineyard followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Tempranillo, Syrah, Pinot Gris, and a small amount of Riesling. The winery also features an exclusive type of wine called Nadia. Tasting is available in Laetitia’s tasting room open daily from 11a.m. to 5p.m.

The Nadia wines are a whole new brand developed by the owner Selim Zilkha. He named this class of wine for his daughter, Nadia. The winery sells a white and a red Nadia wine. According to Laetitia’s Web site, “While many wines are meant to pair with food, the Nadia white can be shared spontaneously, on its own, without a meal.” The red Nadia wine is a mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The sparkling wines Laetitia offers are produced from a combination of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. According to Laetitia’s Web site, “Chardonnay is used in sparkling wines for its finesse. Pinot Noir contributes body, texture and aroma. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier add fruitiness and body.”

Laetitia also offers a Wine Club which gives guests the opportunity to attend some events. Laetita holds two upcoming events called “Effervescent Evening” and “Meet the Winemaker”. The Effervescent Evening is an exclusive Wine Club dinner in the Laetitia Estate House just east of the tasting room.  A five course meal is served and paired with Laetitia sparkling wines . This event is held on March 26, 2010. Meet the Winemaker is an event held on April 9, 2010 in the tasting room. Wine Club members can enjoy a complimentary wine tasting with Laetitia’s winemaker, Dave Hickey.

Justin is most famous for its two Bordeaux style wines called Isosceles and Justification. Faroutwineries.com describes the Isosceles as “a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot,” and Justification, as “a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.” These are quite expensive ranging from about $65-$87. The winery also produces Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and limited cases of Sangiovese, Malbec, Tempeanillo and Petite Verdot.

The property of Justin Winery includes a wine tasting room and lounge, an inn, and a dining area for guests. The Tasting Room is open daily from 10a.m.-6p.m. Justin’s Wine Society Lounge is a private area only available to members of Justin’s Wine Club and is open Saturdays and most Sundays.

The JUST Inn Bed and Breakfast offers guests various suites to stay in while on the property. According to Justin’s Web site, “Your stay includes a complimentary bottle of hand crafted JUSTIN wine, full breakfast, and a winery tour.”

Dining from 6:30-7:30p.m. is offered to guests by reservation in Deborah’s Room. Justin’s Web site says you can “compliment your dinners by choosing from our Wine Spectator Award of Excellence wine and champagne list, a full selection of current and library Justin wines or our special wine-pairing menu.” Lunch is also served Saturdays from 12-4p.m.

TripAdvisor.com displays some reviews of the winery. One guest wrote, “It’s a drive but worth the time and effort. Taste the wine, as you know Justin wine is relatively high end, actually a good thing. Why waste time calories and money on two buck chuck. Join the wine club and save serious money on wine, we bought a case of several of our favorites. We had dinner at Justin’s (you must reserve well ahead) very excellent gourmet dinner. We did the wine pairing…the dining experience rivals our better experiences in Paris (really). I’m almost sorry to report all this because I just don’t want the crowds. I was so taken by the genuine nice people who served our family. Don’t drive all the way to Napa, Justin is closer and a real diamond. Grounds are delightful, but the wine and ambiance is even better. All I can think about is returning…”

Interestingly, Tantara got its name from one of the winemaker’s own horses. Tantara belonged to Bill Cates several years back. Tantara’s Web site says, “Horses symbolize elegance, grace and power and in Tantara’s case, long life, all of which are qualities we embrace for our wine.”

Tantara offers guests private tastings with an appointment and a wine sampling program called “Tour 101″. It also  features its wines in various restaurants for the public.

“Tour 101″ is named after the historic road that runs along California’s Coast called Highway 101. It is a wine sampling program available for Tantara customers. Tantara’s Web site explains, “Each quarter, we will send you a shipment containing three different single vineyard Tantara wines, two reds and a white.  During the course of a year, you will receive seven Pinot Noir, three Chardonnay, one Pinot Blanc and one Syrah. Shipments will be the first week of March, June, September and December.” There is no cost at the time you join this program. Customers can also choose the “Pinot 101″ version of this wine sampling program which includes only Pinot wines from Tantara wineries.

Tantara also holds a special event during the summer season for guests called the ”Pre-Dinner ‘Evelyn’ Wine Tasting”. On Winehub.com, Jeff Fink, co-owner of Tantara says, “Each summer we release “Evelyn,” a blend of the best Pinot Noir that Tantara has to offer.” At this dinner, guests can enjoy the 2007 “Evelyn” Pinot Nior at $90 a bottle, as well as La Grande Dierberg Chardonnay and La Grande Colline Pinot Noir, two other excellent wines made from Tantara.

Wine.appelation.com recommends Tantara’s 2004 Chardonnay made from Bien Nacido Vineyard. The Web site says, “Rich and opulent on the palate, the wine is very fruit forward, billowing with pineapple, mango and caramel flavors. The added attraction here is a kind of buttered popcorn sheen that informs the flavors, giving them a further exotic lift into the next flavor dimension.”

Wine.appelation.com also recommends Tantara’s 2005 Pinot Nior made from Brosseau Vineyard. On the Web site, this wine is described as “a big wine, ripe and concentrated yet still unmistakably Pinot. It displays ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, that characteristic Chalone appellation minerality and a very long finish.”

Tantara winery only produces “about 6,000 cases of wine a year”, says wine.appelation.com. But in spite of the winery’s small production, Tantara produces more than 12 different wines.