Fellow Wine Appreciators,... I am looking for a good Wine Tasting Club in Paso Robles or down as far as San Luis Obispo or Arroyo Grande, CA.. Any recommendations ? May even be willing to start one !!

You're the one in Paso Robles, we should be asking you this question.

O.K.... Yes, there are plenty of vineyards, and lots of Wine Clubs that are associated with the Vineyards themselves (you sign up at the vineyard, they give you a 20% discount on purchases at the vineyard and you get 2 wine shipments per year of 2 or 3 wines..... and maybe get invited to a high priced dinner...THAT'S IT !)....I'm not looking for that. I'm looking for a group that gets together and blind tastes about 8 to 12 wines.... about once or twice a month... compares notes,...and maybe even has visits to specific vineyards (as a group)... or winemakers visit our group to give a talk... I've lived here for a year.... Haven't found any such clubs... I'm sure that there have got to be a few of them out there. You folks out there .... are the wine connoisseurs .... you must know people out here who belong to a Tasting Club !!! Please help me out !!

Paso Robles Man,

I do not know of a club like this in town yet. But the idea is wonderful. We have a great wine club where we make wines specifically for clubmemeber only, but I love your idea. Maybe you could start it. Let me know and I will certainly donate wine for your tastings.

Forget the extra effort of Winemaker dinners, bus tours, etc. Why not get some friends to meet on the same "Thursday" of every month at a restaurant that will offer discount corkage. Have a brown bag(blind) theme each month-Central Coast Pinot, or Spanish or Cal Chard. If necessary, set a "price qualifier" of ~$25-35 so that 2-Buck Chuck doesn't KEEP showing up. Invite people from wineries when visiting there.
Once a month is enough. If YOU need more than that, start a second group.

My wine club here in AZ meets once a month, does blind tastings of 8-12 on a particular theme (this month it was PN, last month, rose, next month, any 97 to see how they are holding up.

Where did we meet initially? We're all in the restaurant biz. Some are mgrs, some purveyors, some just geeks.

Go to some of the local restaurants and talk to the bartenders, mgrs, etc. Somebody's got to have something going on.