After skirting around the base of the Santa Lucia Highlands on Foothill Road, you come to a big wine-barrel sign that is the entrance to the Hahn Winery. Drive up the road for 1½ miles, passing through open ranchland and the newly planted vineyards. Before the right turn to the tasting room is a long row of redwood trees that leads you up the hillside. You then arrive at a yellow house that sits perched over the hillside, looking east over the valley.

Adjacent to the tree-shaded parking lot is a small lawn and picnic tables. Head up the stairs and you will find a lovely deck with bistro tables and umbrellas for taking in the countryside and valley views. Once through the doorway, you enter a stylish well-appointed gift shop and tasting bar. The extensive gift shop has lots of gourmet food, glassware, picnic baskets, wine accessories, pottery, clothes, aprons and a unique display of handcrafted items from Kenya. (The winery’s owner has a 49,000-acre farm northwest of Nairobi, where he exports the items and works to improve the conditions of the local people through a school he supports.)

Hahn is German for rooster, and the image can be found on all their labels, as well as throughout their tasting room. The winery first started under the Smith & Hook label making rich Cabernet Sauvignon, which is now their ultra-premium wine offering. Under the Hahn name they produce estate Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Dry Rose, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Meritage blend, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and a Viognier from the Santa Maria Valley.