The latest addition
CaliPaso Winery’s new tasting room is located at 482 1st St. in Solvang. It’s open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information about the winery, visit calipasowinery.com.
The giant television screen inside CaliPaso Winery’s Solvang tasting room became an exciting way to watch the World Series last fall, especially for Dodgers fans. Some traveled north from LA ahead of their team’s championship win, and the place was packed. Assistant manager Haden Peterson said the tasting room stayed open until almost midnight instead of the usual 7 p.m. closing time.
“The bar gets pretty full when stuff like that’s happening,” he said. “I had people wearing jerseys, hats, everything like that. The Dodgers ended up doing pretty good.”
It’s not a sports bar, but Peterson likes to throw games on the TV when guests are invested. The Dodgers’ win was the busiest night, besides Julefest, that Peterson remembers since he started working at the tasting room when it opened last August. CaliPaso also operates wine bars in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, where it also has a villa with rooms for rent overlooking the vineyards.
Peterson ended up in the wine business almost by fate. His friends and family are involved in the industry, and after attending college in San Diego, he returned to the Central Coast last year.
“Being from Paso Robles, I kind of thought of it as inevitable that I’d be into wine,” he said. “It was something that I was always interested in, but ever since I started working here, I’ve loved it.”
Over the past few months, he’s learned a lot about wine but knows it’s an everlasting journey. The manager’s favorite part about overseeing the tasting room is socializing with guests and helping them have an engaging, personal experience.
He pours many tastings and glasses of local favorites like tempranillo, zinfandel, and cabernet sauvignon. Peterson’s own top choice is the Siren’s Blend of 60 percent merlot and 40 percent petite sirah, “the perfect blend.” CaliPaso also has a sizable catalog of white wines and a prosecco.
Many familiar faces are starting to return regularly, but Peterson likes talking with visitors, too.
“People come from all over the world. I get people from Europe, I’ve had people from Africa,” Peterson said. “Solvang is one of those towns where, I don’t know why, but it seems like everyone’s in a good mood when they’re here.”
While the addition of a Solvang tasting room is CaliPaso’s most recent expansion, it’s probably not the last. Because the wines aren’t in many grocery stores, Peterson thinks having more tasting rooms makes the label more accessible to customers. Many people are familiar with the winery but not how to buy its bottles.
“It’s not just the wine, but it’s the experience as well that makes them have a good relationship with our wine and allows them to enjoy it even more,” Peterson said.
The venue on 1st Street in Solvang is right in front of the park where the community gathers for farmers markets and music in the park events. Peterson makes an effort to partner with neighboring businesses, like The Winston hotel located a couple of doors down. It’s a 14-room boutique hotel that opened in 2020. Hotel guests receive a two-for-one tasting deal at CaliPaso.
Rooms at The Winston occupy the upstairs portion of the building, directly on top of CaliPaso and also sport views of the Solvang park. When guests head down to the tasting room, Peterson makes sure to treat them well.
“I’ll give them a little bit of extra just because they’re staying with them,” Peterson said, “to try to give them a good experience.”
In the future, Peterson wants to partner with a local cheese shop to create a pairing menu and a cheese board option for wine tasters—maybe even in time for the Super Bowl.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in January 29 – February 5, 2026.