During my last visit to Paso Robles, I had one of my most unique wine tasting experiences to date. While researching wineries in the area to check out, I came across a review on Per Cazo Cellars. This person had great things to say about it and I really knew nothing about the place so I added it to the list.
Per Cazo means “by chance” in Italian, which perfectly describes our visit. We decided to make Per Cazo Cellars our first stop of the day. I hadn’t called ahead to make sure anyone was there to do a tasting, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
On the Per Cazo Cellars website it says “the gate is always open when we are home”, which was luckily the case when we arrived. We turned down the driveway and parked our car in the empty parking lot. While we sat inside debating whether to call or just go knock on the door, I heard a light tap on my window.
It was Lynne Teckman – one of the proprietors – inviting us to come inside. She literally welcomed us into her home, which serves at the tasting room at the moment, and led us to a table on the back patio.
The surroundings and the day were absolutely gorgeous. Lynne and her husband Dave also run a B&B called Creekside Bed & Breakfast which is located across the parking lot from their house and offers visitors a place to relax and enjoy the peaceful setting. The creek cuts through the back of their property and a large, welcoming pool takes up a good portion of the backyard.
We made ourselves comfortable while Lynne began our tasting, pairing each wine with a hand-selected cheese or another accompaniment. She is a true lover of wine and food, and believes in enjoying both in unison. As food and wine lovers who are accustomed to tasting wine with a bowl of crackers or pretzels, we absolutely loved the added touch.
Once we had full glasses, Lynne sat down with us at our table and chatted with us about what we do, about our families, and about our shared passions for wine, food and travel. I felt as if we were enjoying an afternoon with a good friend.
Lynne’s husband Dave joined us a bit later and brought a barrel sample of ’09 Zinfandel which was absolutely delicious – unlike most Zinfandels I’ve tasted. We chatted more with Dave about the wine making process and how they got into the world of wine. It was such a relaxing and enjoyable experience, I didn’t feel like we were at a typical wine tasting at all.
The wines at Per Cazo Cellars are made in very small production and you can taste the attention to detail in each one. While I enjoyed all the wines we tried, I thought the ’08 Epi Telos – a Rhone blend – was outstanding and walked away with 2 bottles.
From the warm hospitality we received from Lynne and Dave to the unique and tasty wine & food pairing, my entire experience at Per Cazo Cellars was both unexpected and truly memorable. We ran into Lynne at L’Aventure Winery later in the day and it was like bumping into an old friend. Hopefully the gate at Per Cazo Cellars will be open the next time you’re in Paso Robles…
Click here to visit the Per Cazo Cellars website.
Click here to visit the Creekside Bed & Breakfast website.
Per Cazo Cellars
5325 Vineyard Drive
Paso Robles, CA 93446
Phone: (805) 227-4949
Fax: (866) 252-5962
email: dteckman@percazocellars.com OR lteckman@percazocellars.com
Tasting room hours: BY APPOINTMENT. Wine tasting is complimentary.
Wine-ding Road 