Customer Testimonial – 10.22.11

Jason,

I just wanted to follow up on our weekend and let you know what a FABULOUS time we all had! The wineries on the tour were spectacular – beautiful tasting rooms to enjoy the wide variety of offerings.  Doce Robles even took us on an impromptu hay ride with our tastings (and refills) in tow.  The events of the Harvest Festival did not disappoint – we especially loved the live music.  Most of all, your crew was phenomenal (perhaps deserving of a little raise…..?).  They were witty, helpful, knowledgeable, prompt, and patient (with a large group of women like ours, I know we must have tested this a bit…) – and I am saying all of this after the lovely effects of the wine have worn off…..  We almost needed to book you to haul back all of our purchases!

Thank you so much for everything – from your help with the pre-trip planning to the event itself.  We are already planning next year’s trip and Wine Line will be the first reservation we make!

Thanks again,
Jody M. (and the crew of teachers and administrators from XXXX Middle School)
Burbank, CA
10.22.11

Customer Testimonial from 10/8/11

Greetings Wine Linos!

We received his glowing review from a recent customer.  What kind words!

Hello,

I’ve experience wine tasting before from traditional wine tour companies but nothing compares to what The Wine Line offered!

While other companies heard customers like cattle to maintain their strict schedule with their chosen wineries, The Wine Line gave me and my girlfriend the freedom and intimate interactions with the wineries we visited.

We were visiting the area for my girlfriend’s birthday and our guide Chris gave us great recommendations on the many wineries around the area. We never once felt rushed or like we were battling other people for elbow room during our wine tastings, plus, all of the wineries recognize if you’re apart of The Wine Line  😉

Great experience, great price, highly recommended!!!

Thanks again,

Chris H.
Union City, CA
10.8.11

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Until the next drop.

The Wine Line

Santa Barbara Customer Testimonial from 7.7.11

Jason,

I wanted to provide you with some positive feedback from the excursion we took on July 7th.  Our driver, Greg, was awesome.  He was approachable, knowledgable, filled with fun facts, and courteous.  We all appreciated his demeanor and he made our trip a great experience.  Also can’t say enough about the sandwiches we ordered.  They were so good!

Thanks for the great experience.  We had such a good time.

Katie D.
Iowa City, IA
7.7.11

Customer Testimonial from 5.6.11

Jason,

My husband and I read about The Wine Line on yelp and decided to book reservations in advance. My husband had a business trip in Monterey and we decided to add a couple of days and stop in Paso Robles to check out the wineries. Our experience with The Wine Line was excellent! Jamie was our driver and she was so friendly and made some great suggestions for us when we were trying to decide what wineries to visit. Most often, her timing was perfect and if she wasn’t there when we were ready to leave, we never waited for more than a few minutes. We most definitely would use your company in the future and will gladly refer anyone we know to you that may be visiting the area.

Thanks for making our first visit to Paso Robles a memorable one!

Diana S.
Chula Vista, CA
5.6.11

Customer Testimonial from 5.15.11

We just received another really nice testimonial from a happy Wine Lino:

Jason,

On behalf of myself, Angela and Gretchen, we want to thank you for the GREAT time we had on Sunday.  I don’t know what we liked best, the wines/vineyards, your hospitality, meeting Gale at Rotta, or the great people we toured with.  I’m glad we don’t have to choose.

Anyway,  thanks again for a GREAT birthday and a wonderful time.

Ellen F.
South Pasadena

Gretchen K.
Thousand Oaks

Angela W.
Torrance
5.15.11

The Wine Line Featured in Destinations Travel Magazine!

Greetings Wine Linos!

WOW! What an incredible article/feature that just came out in Destinations Travel Magazine!  It’s a feature on the Central Coast and the Paso Robles’ Wine Country in particular.  Check it out for some great insight, beautiful photos and more!

http://destinationstravelmagazine.com/November2010/

Please share it with your friends and family so they can appreciate The Wine Line and, more importantly, the Paso Robles’ Wine Country!

Until the next drop.

The Wine Line

New article in the Houston Chronicle

Unbeknownst to me, we picked up a travel writer a few weeks back.  Our dear friend, Nancy from Castoro Cellars, just called to let us know that a friend of hers sent her this new article.  Here’s the full text:

CALIFORNIA

California’s Central Coast offers an alternative blend

By KRISTIN FINAN Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
April 30, 2010, 4:35PM

PASO ROBLES, CALIF. — Bless me, father, for I have zinned.

Until now, I had assumed zinfandel was nothing more than a blush-colored lightweight of a wine purchased by sorority girls seeking something a little classier than Boone’s Farm on a Saturday night.

But during a recent three-day weekend in California’s Central Coast wine country, I learned that while its white counterpart is better known, zinfandel is more often a hearty, peppery (and darn good) red that partners perfectly with a juicy steak.

I know what you’re thinking: Central Coast wine country? That’s right. Napa Valley may still be a mecca for wine lovers, but California has about a dozen distinct wine regions. Of them, Paso Robles, in San Luis Obispo County midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, has in recent years gained a reputation among Californians as an alternative to Napa because its 200 wineries offer rich reds without pressure or pretense.

This laid-back little enclave of rolling hills, family-owned wineries and gourmet restaurants is used to being a pit stop for people traveling on Highway 101 to the state’s bigger, better-known attractions. When you visit, though, it’s easy to see San Luis Obispo County as a perfect weekend destination. The geography is reminiscent of parts of Ireland, with the lush green landscape bumping up against the severe coastline battered by crashing waves. The towns of Paso Robles and the nearby San Luis Obispo, where we stayed, are charming without being sleepy, thanks to the population of college students who demand late-night dining and drinking options. And our hotel, a quirky confection of a place called the Madonna Inn, would have been worth the trip itself.

The main draw, of course, is the wine. We dedicated Sunday to visiting the wineries and used a company called the Wine Line, a hop-on, hop-off shuttle service in Paso Robles that includes hotel pick-up and drop-off as well as transportation between the wineries. The service takes the guesswork out of finding each winery and eliminates the need to drive should you have a few too many glasses of wine.

During our tour, seven passengers used the van, each of us choosing the wineries we wanted to visit. Coordinating it all was manageable because most of the wineries were close to one another.

My husband and I like wine but aren’t particularly picky or knowledgeable about it, so we stuck to wineries that didn’t charge tasting fees or waived them if you purchased a bottle. (Some wineries charge $3-$10 for tastings). As we went from place to place, it was fascinating to see each winery’s personality emerge.

At Four Vines, which someone told us was run by “a crazy winemaker and his harem of anarchist women,” the vibe was lively, bordering on raucous. Tasting-room workers poured generous samples of the Biker, a strong, spicy zinfandel, and Heretic, a delicious, bold petite sirah, for groups that clustered around the long, dimly lit bar.

Rotta Winery, one of the first three wineries established in Paso Robles, is proud of its family history, and we heard stories that had been passed down through generations.

At the picturesque JanKris, the mood was more mellow. A cat napped on the tasting room floor as acoustic songs were piped from the speakers. I’m not a big dessert wine fan, but the sparkling almond was incredible — I can only imagine how delicious it would be with a dark chocolate dessert.

Many of the wineries offer outside seating areas so you can look out at the vineyards, which stretch into the nearby hills.

In addition to the vineyard views, the scenery of San Luis Obispo County can be spectacular. Stop on the side of Highway 1 and watch the foaming waves pound the rocky shore, or hike to the top of Montaña de Oro State Park’s 1,347-foot Valencia Peak and be rewarded with a 360-degree vista.

Perhaps it was the views that prompted William Randolph Hearst to ask architect Julia Morgan to help him “build a little something” on his property in nearby San Simeon in 1919. The result was the sprawling Hearst Castle, now a popular area tourist attraction managed by the California State Parks system.

As you stroll past the sparkling Neptune Pool, through the 18-room Casa Del Sol guesthouse or have a seat in the theater inside the main house, you can almost picture guests like Charlie Chaplin and Walt Disney milling around after a tennis match.

Our base for the trip was San Luis Obispo, a city of 50,000 that is also home to California Polytechnic State University. As a result, the town brims with character, offering blocks of shops, galleries, restaurants and nightlife options. One of my favorite meals was breakfast at Louisa’s Place, a hole-in-the-wall with a huge selection including bacon waffles (bits of bacon are mixed into the batter), biscuits and gravy, and 27 types of omelets.

Another remarkable meal came from the Gold Rush Steak House at the Madonna Inn, where we stayed. The restaurant is decorated entirely in pink and features a 28-foot gold tree fixture in the middle of the main dining room. The food, however, was the attraction, with juicy steaks, hearty sides and soft rolls the perfect cap to a long day of wine tasting.

The rooms at the Madonna Inn are just as unique, each featuring a different theme. Our room, the Matterhorn, was filled with Alps-related touches, from an authentic cow bell near the door to a stained glass window of the Swiss Alps to an oil painting of — you guessed it — a mountain. At times the themes made it appear as though we had stumbled onto the set of Tim Burton’s next blockbuster.

But overall we found the Madonna Inn, with all its quirks, to be much like the Central California coast — charming, entertaining and ripe for visitors.

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Until the next drop!

The Wine Line

New Testimonial

Hi Jason:

I just wanted to let you know what a great experience we had last weekend.  Our driver was great and gave us very helpful advice.  We also really enjoyed our time at Rotta.  We will definitely do it again sometime and will probably invite some friends to join us.

Thanks!
Bobbi R.
Santa Clarita, CA
5/22/10