44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SCULPTERRA / TRAVEL PASO My favorite glass of wine comes from a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tasting room. You’ll find Hoyt Family Vineyards’ storefront tucked between a western-wear boutique and an art gallery on the edge of downtown. For only 20 bucks a tasting, you’ll sip floral viognier (a Sunset International Wine Competition gold winner) and fruit-forward petit verdot (a double gold winner at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition). MEAL TIME Paso won’t let you drink on an empty stomach. There are plenty of delectable dining offerings for helping pace the pinot. Take The Hatch, a brick-lined haunt with home-style meals and the hearty portions to prove it. The succulent rotisserie chicken, which the Michelin Guide commends as giving “an expensive steak a run for its money,” is best accompanied by a piping hot skillet of cornbread that’s soft on the inside with a caramelized crunch on the outside. For a magical meal in a space festooned in plants, check out Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden is a must. After your tasting, wander the grounds to admire the craftsmanship of the property’s resident artists, ranging from a baroque awning by blacksmith Robert Bentley to the ethereal and gravitydefying sculptures of Dale Evers. You’ll also want to gaze a while at the wild and sinewy creatures by bronze worker John Jagger, which are so alive with movement you almost expect them to pounce. {due west} A little overwhelmed by the overflow of winery options? Be sure to check out pasowine.com/wineries and click on categories like family-friendly, vast views, highly-acclaimed and off the beaten path. Or attend the Garagiste Wine Festival in November to meet a plethora of winemakers all in one place.
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