Chronic Cellars

In late June, we compiled a list of wineries in the Paso Robles area that we wanted to visit. Chronic Cellars was at the top of the list.

For years, we've driven by it on our way in and out of town but never had the time to stop by and do a little wine tasting. The parking lot is always full and we weren't surprised to find the tasting room full of people within ten minutes of them opening for the day.

It's a cool little place with employees that look like they could fit right in at a Social Distortion concert with their tattoos and trendy haircuts. They've got a pool table inside the brightly-painted tasting room and corn hole outside on the patio. Their merchandise is fun if you're into skulls. 

Chronic has a $10 tasting fee, and as a bonus, you get to keep your glass, which are of a decent quality to have in your wine bar. You start your tasting off with their sparkling wine, Spritz and Giggles, which was unique. It's a bit harsh, so in our eyes it would be the perfect sparking wine to use in a mimosa or a bellini. 

From there, things got interesting.

Their most popular wine is King Sofa Bueno, which for some reason ruined our palate. Too much tobacco or tannin. Something about it was off and even after drinking several cups of water and nibbling on a piece of dark chocolate, all was lost. 

We purchased one bottle of wine, Dead Nuts, simply because it was the last wine we remembered being somewhat drinkable. Which it was, only after aerating and decanting it.

If you're only interested in tasting at wineries at have a cool vibe and don't have much of a preference of wine, definitely check out Chronic Cellars. If you're looking for quality, drinkable wine, go elsewhere. 

Getting to Chronic Cellars: 2020 Nacimiento Lake Drive, Paso Robles, California.