Stopped into this tasting room while waiting for my train in Paso Robles. Connor was an excellent tasting room host and the wine was remarkable. I especially enjoyed “The Fifth Element.”
This place is a hidden gem. The location is a bit off the beaten path, however the wines are some of the best in the region. Everything we tasted was beautifully crafted with attention to details. The food parings are curated by the winemaker and are truly magnificent. Place is always welcoming and a fun experience over all.
Mom & I did a wine tasting this afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Connor was a very gracious host and really knows his wines! We liked all the wines/parings and the atmosphere was very relaxing. We highly recommend you try it!!
First off the listing here has the wrong location, they show the old location off Highway 46. They are now located in the historic train depot about a three block walk from the downtown city park (across from Vivant Fine Cheese and next to Goshi Japanese restaurant) Wine tasting is $25 which in our experience is comparable to others around Paso. For this you get seven wines to taste each paired with a bite to highlight the flavors of the wines. Should you buy two bottles then one tasting fee is waived. We found our hotel had two for one tasting cards as apparently Cypher is partnering with local Paso businesses to cross promote each other. You can also purchase wine by the glass or bottle. The owner, Susan Mahler, was a founding partner in Four Vines and the previous incarnation of Cypher. Some time back she and her partner split and since then she has taken on wine making responsibilities at Cypher. Our tasting highlighted the food friendliness of her wines. If you like high alcohol fruit bombs these are not those wines; if your taste trends to interesting, balanced red blends and varietals then you will likely enjoy these wines as we did. Her Elemental lineup consists or single varietals (e.g. Cab, Syrah) while the Cypher line tends towards interesting red blends and a single white blend. Many wineries we went to were not that engaged or engaging, but Cypher was invested in us enjoying ourselves, educating us on their wines, and sharing their story. I had not visited them since they were our on Highway 46m but after this visit I will certainly visit them each time I return to Paso.
Some of the best wines we tasted on Paso Robles get away! Beautiful downtown location was convenient to walk to from our hotel. The staff was attentive, fun and informative. We ordered the wine flight which included several wines starting with white and rose, working through a variety of reds and ending with an amazing old vine zinfandel port. Each wine was paired with small bites to accentuate the characteristics of the wine. No other tasting rooms we visited over the weekend were doing anything close to what Cypher was offering in a tasting experience. Highly recommend you stop in your next trip to Paso Robles!
Great space, great owner.
The owners exploit the hard work of their employees by promising a lot and delivering nothing. I worked at Cypher for over a year, under Sam, and can clearly recall her not paying any of her employees on Christmas. When anyone tried to get in touch with her about our checks being late( days before December 25th) she was unavailable. We were not paid until after the New Year.We found out later she was out of cell service range because she was having a crab-leg dinner with her family at the beach. As an apology, she made us all soup from the leftovers. She never apologized for not paying anyone on time. Not one employee ate the soup.This business deserves to fail, and, is an immoral operation that exploits its workers. I personally worked under conditions that would have had them shut down if OSHA was involved. She, and her companions, regularly consume the wine and then proceed to annoy employees.Let this place fail.
Great time. Excellent pairings and great atmosphere
A must stop when through Paso Robles! Beautifully structured wines.
Our train was running 4 1/2 hours late and it was so cold outside. Sam was open so went in with our luggage. She welcomed us as if we were friends .we frank abottle of a great Rose.We ate her cheese platter that was awesome. They said we could stay there till the train came no matter how long. A great experience.