🍇 Where Wine Takes You – Episode Highlights 🌊🐎

In this coastal-meets-cowboy episode of Where Wine Takes You, Adam heads west, all the way to the waterline, for a conversation about tasting rooms by the ocean and how proximity to the Pacific changes the wine experience.

First up, Soren Christensen, winemaker for Hearst Ranch Winery, shares what it is like pouring wine across the street from Hearst Castle in San Simeon. With 25 Paso harvests under his belt, including time at Hope Family Wines and Alta Colina, Soren talks about legacy, instinct, and crafting wines worthy of the Hearst name. From Rhône varieties to Bordeaux blends, and even a run-in with ranch longhorns, Soren brings grounded Paso wisdom with an ocean view.

Then meet Dirk Neumann, owner and winemaker of Absolution Cellars in Morro Bay. A second-career winemaker who packed up South Florida and moved west without a master plan, Dirk now produces limited-production, single-vineyard wines from across the Central Coast. His tasting room on the Morro Bay Embarcadero offers albariño, tempranillo, tribiano, and more, often with sea otters floating by outside the patio. It is Old World philosophy, New World creativity, and a whole lot of coastal energy.

Later in the show, Adam connects with Tami Rodman and Ashley Hallinan of the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association. From lightning-fast turns to “cow sense,” they break down the adrenaline and heritage behind the sport of cutting. The 2026 PCCHA Trainers Gold Club Roundup runs March 3 through 8, a major event showcasing elite horses, riders, and more than one million dollars in purses across premier competitions.

This episode explores what happens when wine meets water and when Western heritage meets modern Paso culture.

🍷 Featured Wineries

Hearst Ranch Winery
San Simeon Tasting Room across from Hearst Castle
🔗 https://www.hearstranchwinery.com/
📸 IG: @hearstranchwinery

Absolution Cellars
Morro Bay Embarcadero Tasting Room
🔗 https://www.absolutioncellars.com/
📸 IG: @absolutioncellars

🌐 PASO WINE WIRE

Hope Family Wines Installs Major Rooftop Solar Array
1,500 solar panels now offset 60 percent of the winery’s energy use, marking another major sustainability milestone.
🔗 https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/paso-robles-winery-installs-major-rooftop-solar-array/218162/

Robert Hall Winery Marks One-Year Anniversary of Regenerative “One Block Challenge”
A 40-acre side-by-side regenerative viticulture study continues to position Paso as a leader in climate-smart farming.
🔗 https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/313815

Celebration of Life for Jake Beckett of Peachy Canyon Winery
Honoring the legacy of a multi-generational Paso wine leader.
🔗 https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/celebration-of-life-honors-the-legacy-of-jacob-jake-russell-beckett/217825/

🐎 Travel Paso Spotlight

Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association
🔗 https://pccha.com/
📅 2026 PCCHA Trainers Gold Club Roundup, March 3 through 8
🔗 Event Info: https://pccha.com/shows.asp?id=75

🎉 Paso Wine Fest

Paso Wine Fest returns May 15 through 17.
Locals Only Grand Tasting tickets at $99 are available through February 28 to San Luis Obispo County residents. In-person purchase required.
🔗 https://pasowine.com/

🎟️ Win a pair of tickets at
🔗 https://adammontiel.com/

🎯 Plan your next Paso Robles getaway at travelpaso.com

🎧 Subscribe & Follow
Love Where Wine Takes You? Leave a review, subscribe, and share it with a fellow wine (or Paso) lover.

🎙️ Credits
Executive Producer: Joel Peterson + Paso Wine
Associate Producer: Krista Smith
Recorded, edited, hosted by Adam Montiel
Follow Adam: @AdamOnTheAir
Explore all things Adam: AdamMontiel.com
Listen to Adam’s other shows: Up + Adam (daily) and The Pour (wine & more, travel, culture)
Learn more, connect, or say hey at AdamMontiel.com/connect

🎵 Original music by Moonshiner Collective
📱 Download the Paso Wine App
🍷 Plan your trip at PasoWine.com and follow @PasoWine

🎯 Plan your next Paso Robles getaway at travelpaso.com

🎧 Subscribe & Follow
If you love Where Wine Takes You, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your favorite wine or Paso lover.

©2026 Where Wine Takes You, All Rights Reserved.

Ep 160: Paso Wine by the Sea – Featuring Absolution Cellars | Hearst Ranch Winery

Where Wine Takes You - A Paso Wine Podcast

Ep 160: Paso Wine by the Sea – Featuring Absolution Cellars | Hearst Ranch Winery