Top-notch service, breath-taking surroundings, fabulous food and award-winning wines in a remote, but easy to reach location come together at Justin Vineyards & Winery to create an upscale wine country vacation get-away, developed by two wine aficionados and former Los Angeles bankers, in an undiscovered, fast growing wine region.

Justin, including a French country inn and a renowned restaurant, is the destination winery and a wonderful location from which to explore Paso Robles, and in fact, was a pioneer of the third largest wine-producing region in the Unites States, according to its owners, Justin and Deborah Baldwin, who purchased its 160 acres in the remote Adelaide Hills in 1981. See www.justinwine.com.

"We were one of the first wineries here in this area famed for the Hearst Castle, and now there are 60 other bonded wineries in the area," says Deborah Baldwin.

Justin offers top amenities in a secluded, yet easily accessible area, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and is an excellent stop along the state's ever-popular coastal route. Visitors may stay in the Just Inn, an award-winning luxury three-suite French-style auberge, and dine in Deborah's Room, a quaint and romantic dining experience.

"It is the only Central Coast winery restaurant employing a full-time executive chef," Baldwin says. The winery's tasting room/wine bar is decorated with soft lighting and beautiful wood paneling, and offers tastings of both current releases and tasting-room only wines. It also has an array of unique gift items and offers gourmet picnic lunches.

Visitors are welcomed year round, but may want to plan a trip during one of the winery's many exclusive annual events: black tie dinners on Valentines and during the Christmas holidays; casual Mother's Day and Easter brunches in their beautiful garden. A Christmas Shopping Extravaganza, as well as cooking and wine and food pairing classes, are available.

Justin wines have been recognized both nationally and abroad and its Justification Cabernet Franc-Merlot blend recently was named to Wine Spectator's "Top 100 Wines" of the year. Its flagship Isosceles, a Meritage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, is consistently recognized by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and other trade publications as a top wine, and is a recipient of numerous awards from international wine competitions.