...I decided to make it a full-blown traincation by booking a train tour of the vineyard at Halter Ranch in Paso Robles.
Sure, most people probably travel to Paso and its surrounds for a winecation—but it's trains that have more often brought me to the area (like for the wine train trip through San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum or for the Central Coast Railroad Festival).
Besides, this train just makes good sense. It would be tough to walk the entirety of Halter Ranch's 2700-acre estate—but fortunately, the "The Grand Vineyard Train Tour" allows for a scenic, "grape's eye view" of 280 acres of it on two miles of track.
It begins at the train depot of the vineyard's private rail station...
...where we had our pick of seats, ranging from the yellow caboose (which can be booked separately for private groups of up to four)...
...or one of the more open-air (but thankfully canopied) railroad cars, which seat eight.
The whole thing is a passion project for Halter Ranch's founder, Swiss businessman and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss (the self-proclaimed "Chief Gandy Dancer")—whose rolling stock pays tribute to Switzerland's most prestigious locomotives, like the Rhaetian Railway RhB F.4051.
In the front, there's a 1/3-scale replica of the circa 1929 Rhaetian Railway Krokodil No. 414, nicknamed the "Crocodile" for its snout.
But the custom-built train cars feature an amenity unique to the property: cupholders, just big enough to hold a wine glass full of the estate's organic rosé.
After departing from the depot, the train ambled past a four-acre olive grove, which was first harvested in 2015 and certified organic in 2020. It features no fewer than five varieties—four from Italy, and one from Spain.
The ride then took us on a circuitous route of the property, 90% of which is undeveloped...
...past "The Big Pond," a five-acre haven for birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway...
...and into the Estate Vineyard, where some of the grapevines actually predate Halter Ranch and go back to the previous owner, The MacGillivray Family, circa 1995.
Today, this is where more than 20 different types of grapes are grown for the Halter Ranch vintages—from reds like Cabernet Sauvignon to whites like the little-known white varietal from the Occitanie region in the South of France called Picpoul Blanc (a.k.a. Piquepoul Blanc).
The Halter Ranch vineyard, tucked away in the Adelaida Hills (in the Adelaida District AVA/American Viticultural Area), was also certified organic as of 2023.
One of those hillsides purportedly is home to the "largest living coast live oak on record" (a.k.a. the "Ancestor Tree").
As seen from the train tracks, chugging along at crawl's pace, the scenery is stunning.
Of course, some people get to see the landscape from up above—that is, if they fly in or out of Halter Ranch Airport, which opened in 2021. (Airstrip access requires providing your own plane and pilot, as well as requesting permission at least three days in advance.)
On our trip, the train tour bypassed the tasting room and wine production facility...
...in order to detour through a covered bridge...
...built in 2009 to cross over Las Tablas Creek.
It now also serves as a venue for special wine dinners offered on a seasonal basis.
On the other side of the bridge lies the lower ranch...
...accessible through a tunnel...
...which no train ride would be complete without.
That's where we caught glimpses of the most historic area of the ranch...
...including one barn that dates back to the 1850s (reportedly a film location for the movie Arachnophobia) and the "silo barn" that dates back to the 1950s.
After looping around, the train double-backed over the bridge...
...and eventually returned to the starting point at the depot, just in time for us to finish our glasses of wine...
...and head into the tasting room for a wine flight or lunch at the winery restaurant, Alice.
Although the railroad debuted in 2017, it wasn't until May 2023 that the train tours started running for wine club member. Fortunately, my patience paid off and I wasn't forced to join a far-away wine club I couldn't afford—because now the rides are open to the general public every weekend.
Have I ridden every train there is in the Central Coast region? Not yet. There's still Bitter Creek Western Railroad in Arroyo Grande, which is rarely open to the public. Its run days are usually reserved for private railroad clubs and the like.
But I haven't given up hope yet.
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