High Camp sits at the top of the San Miguel hills, a rustic hilltop sanctuary where the vines have been in the ground since 1970 and the views run for miles. The family that took it over in 2020 brings six generations of California farming with them, and they have set out to put this quiet, high corner of Paso Robles on the map alongside the region’s best artisan estates.

Old vines, new family

The vineyard at High Camp was first planted in 1970, old by Paso Robles standards, but the brand as it exists today is young. In September 2020 a family with six generations of California farming and ranching behind them bought the property and set out to make their rustic hilltop sanctuary a name among Paso’s artisan wineries. Family members Megan and Spencer manage the estate today.

It is a story of old land and new energy. The deep roots of those 1970 vines give the wines a head start, while the family’s long agricultural history shows in how the place is farmed. They have leaned into the range their hilltop allows, planting and producing ten different varietals across the estate, and built two ways to taste the results, a tasting room up at the estate and a second location in downtown Paso Robles.

The vines were first planted in 1970, and a sixth-generation farming family took the reins in 2020.

A hilltop in the San Miguel District

High Camp perches atop the rolling hills of San Miguel, in the San Miguel District at the northern edge of the Paso Robles AVA, on a 75-acre vineyard. The soils are deep, alluvial sandy loams and clay pushed up from ancient river bottoms, free-draining ground that runs warm in a Region III climate, with the wide day-to-night temperature swing characteristic of the district.

Elevation and that diurnal swing are the estate’s advantages. Hot afternoons ripen everything from Bordeaux reds to Mediterranean whites, while cool nights pull the temperature down and protect the acidity, so the wines come in ripe but balanced. The hilltop also catches what breeze there is and offers long views, the kind of site that grows characterful fruit and makes for a memorable place to drink it.

The wines

High Camp makes ten different varietals, an unusually broad range that reflects both the versatility of the site and the family’s ambition. The lineup spans Bordeaux reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and a Bordeaux-style blend, alongside Rhone grapes like Grenache and Marsanne, the deep, dark Petite Sirah, the old California workhorse Carignane, Chardonnay, and the bright Spanish white Albarino.

That range means there is something here for almost every palate, from a serious structured red to a crisp, coastal-leaning white. The Albarino in particular is a clever choice for a warm hilltop, a Spanish variety that keeps its zip in the heat, while the Bordeaux reds and Petite Sirah make the most of those old, deep-rooted vines. It is a lineup built to show off everything the estate can do.

What to pour it with

With ten varietals, High Camp can meet almost any plate, and the trick is matching weight to weight. Start the bright Albarino with grilled fish, oysters, or a citrusy salad, where its high acidity cuts through and lifts the dish, a crisp white doing exactly what a squeeze of lemon would. It is also one of the better whites for a warm afternoon on the patio.

For the Bordeaux reds and Petite Sirah, go big: a grilled ribeye, a rack of lamb, or braised short ribs, where firm tannins bind to the protein and fat and soften while the meat tastes cleaner. The Grenache and Carignane are lighter, more food-flexible reds, happy with roast chicken, charcuterie, or tomato-based dishes where a little acidity helps. As always, keep the most tannic reds away from delicate fish, and let the whites and lighter reds handle that end of the table.

High Camp Wines: common questions