HammerSky Vineyards & Inn

I had read about this winery and decided to visit with our wine tasting group. Owner, Douglas Hauck, was pretentious and uninviting. I thought the wines were OK, and not worth the price. There are many other wineries in Paso Robles. I will not be visiting this one again.

My favorite winery! My favorite wine! I loved this place. The people are really friendly and knowledgeable. No wine snobs here. Relaxed and fun atmosphere I loved learning about the owners and how the winery got it’s name. I bought the wine and will be buying more. The sparking wine «detained» is my fav.

We celebrated our dear friends 40^th Birthday in Paso Robles during, October Fest Weekend.
With so many Wine Dinner options during this time, we’re glad we chose, HammerSky.
This was the «Perfect Blend» of great wines, location, atmosphere and delicious food that was catered by Chef Nicola who has a restaurant in downtown called Mistura.
Upon arriving, we were greeted by the Owner himself, Doug. Who started us off with Naughty Princess Brut which was amazing. I might have polished off the whole bottle if it was left in front of me. It was hard to part from that to try other wines, but we’re glad we did, my personal favorite was Naughty Princess Guilt which is there Cabernet Sauvignon. With a group of 10 ladies, there was a wine that tantalized each of our taste buds. Nice to have that variety within one winery.
Behind every success there’s a team of wonderful talent that we had the pleasure meeting throughout the evening. Doug’s beautiful wife, Kim, General Manager, Rob and Fran. They made us feel apart of the family.
My one regret, not having found this place sooner to have my wedding here! I would highly suggest this to any future bride! Cheers!

Incredible wines, beautiful Vineyard, great people and service! The sparkling white naughty princess wine was unbelievable. Best I can remember. There actually isn’t a wine in the tasting flight that wasn’t amazing. I don’t usually like Merlots but theirs was great! HammerSky is a must visit when in Paso.

Such a beautiful place to have a reception dinner or wedding. There’s a old style house, a barn where we had the reception dinner and a small building where you can do wine tasting, all surrounded by vineyards of course. Lots of flies so if that «bugs» you than bring some repellent.

Fran was great and personable and Doug the owner was great to talk to about his wines. One of the few winery’s that we like all that we tasted. Purchased three great reds. The property is stunning

I would wholeheartedly recommend planning a wedding at Hammer Sky. My daughter got married there in June of this year. It was truly a beautiful and classy affair. The vineyard is picturesque and impressive. The weather was perfect and Kim, the proprietress, was ever so helpful. She assisted the wedding party at every opportunity. My daughter got married under a beautiful Oak tree that symbolized the strength and love of the family and friends that gathered there. The wedding day started out with a wine reception and hors d’oeurvres that were scrumptious. The wine selections pleased even the most discriminating of palates. Kim already had a list of trusted vendors so we were able to avoid unpleasant surprises. The reception was held in the newly renovated barn house. It was a quaint and fun venue as people danced the night away. Later, the guests who chose to stay late gathered around the lit bonfire which made the night enchanting. The bride and groom are both models who live in New York and they are accustomed to the finer things in life. My daughter says it best: This was the happiest day in her life. As mother of the bride, I got kudos from my friends and family for planning the best wedding they have ever attended. If you want to ensure that you have a special occasion-​Choose Hammer Sky for your wedding venue. PS I feel that Kim, the owner, is part of my extended family now.

Absolutely gorgeous winery and scenery! We showed up late, but were highly recommended to try their wine, and they were gracious enough to take us anyway to taste their wines and enjoy the place for a perfect way to end our day in Paso. The wines were fantastic, especially the 2012 Cab reserve — very lovely wine! They also let us hang out in their patio area after hours to play some cornhole and take some gorgeous photos! Fantastic service and great winery! Will definitely be back next time we are in Paso!

Fantastic wines and very friendly! Went today and love the Naughty Princess! Got to meet the owner who showed us around. Great place to relax and enjoy wine. We will be back for sure! Definitely 5 stars!

My best friend and God daughter took me here to celebrate my birthday. It was love at first sight. They knew I had been pining for a Wine Country Girl’s Getaway vacation. We met Kim the owner right after we pulled up and we instantly took a liking to her, by the time we left we felt we were parting from an old friend. She took the time to do special things for us, NOT REQUIRED, and further endeared herself to us. Thank you, Kim you’re the best.
You can not beat the scenery and every room has a view. I was the birthday girl so I got the room of choice with views out two sides of the room. I like the rooms that are on the front entrance of the house as I preferred the direction of the views. The yellow guest room is bright and cheery, and the Master had an elegant vibe with a very comfortable bed featuring Frette sheets and R.L. linens — I’m all about linens and comfort. The other bedroom is red then there is an additional sitting room plus bathroom upstairs.
Downstairs is the Living Room, Dining Room opening onto a great deck over looking the vineyards. Also, the kitchen with another great dining table and there is also a full bathroom downstairs.
The whole vibe of the Inn is farmhouse chic. It has the best modern appliances, beautiful white plaster walls with crown-​molding, black wood plank flooring, gorgeous marble tiled bathrooms, with the very best in appointments. And, my favorite perfumes, Jo Malone were on the etagere in the bathroom.
We had planned to dine out two nights and stayed home the second as we just wanted to be THERE. We ate pasta and drank wine on the back patio watching the sunset and wildlife (deer/​squirrels/​birds) crisscross the vineyards out beyond the backyard. At night we sat in the jacuzzi and one night we watched a movie in the living room. I recommend French Kiss! We had our own subscriptions to Netflix, etc. watchable via the flat screen so I didn’t pay attention to what else was available.
The Hammersky Winery: We loved the wine so much we joined the wine club. I loved the Detained – as I love Champagne, but I am a red wine girl at heart so I also took home the special Reserve Cabernet (which I think is only available via wine club), & also the Open Invite this visit.
There is a fabulous wood barn for events and weddings and a lovely trail that is flanked by the vines on either side with views for acres. You just really want to sit and stare out the window or sit out back. I plan to come back with my husband and son and my god daughter with her husband and daughters. I also want to go up for the pottery classes that Kim teaches.
Long review, but I felt what the Hauck family has created deserved the time. :)

Amazing views, friendly service, good champagne, and great wines. Definitely the place to come and hang out by.
One of the few wineries that allow you to go into the vineyards and explore as you keep the tasting going. My friend was also allowed to bring her little furry friend which made things easier.
The colors of fall were amazing, clean bathrooms with lit candles and plenty of cold water to enjoy in between wine sips.
Will definitely come back

I give this places 5 stars because of the amazing view that the winery has! The wines were yummy and the people who worked the tastings were very kind and helpful. This is the place we stopped at when the sun was starting to set. Their sparkling wines were different from the other wineries we had gone to. But this places wins first prize because of the view and the wines together. Perfect pairing. They are also pet friendly which was awesome for me and my pom. Will be back here for sure.

The place is okay, but I thought $ 15 to share a pour as opposed to $ 10/​person was a bit cheap of them.

They have excellent wines. The Merlot was very drinkable and should be good with food. I loved it. The party of four is excellent. Also like the naughty princess. Great atmosphere. Well good back again

The wines here are worth the drive (and my husband and I drove 4 hours from long beach)! We are typical red wine drinkers but the naughty and california sparkling wines are the best I’ve ever had! The service is also great :)
My husband and I had the opportunity to stay at the hammersky house and it is beyond beautiful. Mr and Mrs Hauck, owners, are doing amazing things at this vineyard.
Also… Love the nature here. Lots of birds, squirrels and deers wandering around :)
Thank you HammerSky for the most wonderful time in paso Robles!

The tasting room at Hammersky Vineyards and Inn is currently sharing samples from their all Estate 2010 vintage: four reds, and then a second line called Naughty Princess. Right away I was wondering about that second label, and owner/​wine blender Doug Hauck said that he designed the line for his dental office staff that wanted an affordable wine, and for their own $ 99 club wine that included wines with names like «Innocent» Sauvignon Blanc and «Guilty» Cabernet.
I thought that the Naughty Princess was Secret Weapon Number One, as it was something I had never heard of before.
During our interview Hauck asked, «Why can’t wine be high fashion? The eclectic boutique hotel is what I want Hammersky to represent… If I was Prada what would my wine look like and feel like…» and he designed his labels based on that vision.
The HammerSky Vineyards campaign included looking at boutiques of the world, and what their marketing looked like. The spirit world uses sexy branding, why not the same for wine? Hauck feels that their marketing makes it accessible to the masses in «the high level.» So Hauck did photo shoots, and a video campaign to achieve something interesting and completely different then what you’ve seen in the past.
Secret Weapon Number Two: A sexy print and video campaign.
«I like creating, film, video, dentistry, wine…» Hauck continued. Which left me to wonder what hasn’t Hauck done? Secret Weapon Number Three is Hauck himself. He started with USC business school, then got a film degree at UCLA, worked for Ralph Lauren, then as a Bloomingdales buyer, before going back to school for his sciences and then UOP dental school — seemingly in a step towards the family business as they’re all doctors.
So Hauck graduated from dental school at age 30, opened his first office in Beverly Hills and began treating several celebrity clients. «Dentistry is networking, making film deals in the operatories, connecting directors and producers» Hauck said. So he produced a few films, raised $ 16 million on the last one, went to Italy five times for filming… during this time he and his wife Kim were buying and selling properties, about ten in total, and this property, that we’re in now, was one of them.
Kim Hauck is our Secret Weapon Number Four: She has created a wedding venue like no other in Paso Robles with the lush grounds, their own sparkling wine and private accommodations for wedding guests in their near 100-​year old Inn.
Moving into the winemaking world, Hauck knew he needed to have a property with older vines, be located on the wine trail, with a water source. He then «out-​bid the neighbors.» Seven years ago Hauck was «the LA guy that got the prime jewel.» But instead of retiring early as his friends thought, Hauck slept in a tent while they remodeled the Inn (the former owner was quite petite, about 4 feet tall, and had customized the home for her height.)
HammerSky wine is served at all of their estate weddings, and the Naughty Princess line helped as they now have a white and a sparkling for those very necessary wedding toasts. The weddings parties serve to bring in groups of people that then have «a moment of experience.» So people have either attended a wedding, seen the winery online or in the news, and they want to come to take in the full live experience themselves.
Those that can’t make it in, several nice restaurants in Orange County (where Hauck practices dentistry three days a week) and LA are carrying HammerSky and Naughty Princess.
In conclusion I thought that even if Hauck were to morph yet again, as he has some attractive offers to buy or to partner, he said that he will keep the label. Hard to get un-​bitten by the wine bug isn’t it?
HammerSky Estate Wine Tasting
Aromas and Flavors separated by ;
2010 Naughty Princess Viognier
Pear, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricot, floral; sweet honeydew, cool grass, pleasant for poolside.
2010 Naughty Princess «Innocent» Sauvignon Blanc
Light and citrusy, grapefruit, Brie; apple, butter, more citrus, lemon, clean finish, good with shellfish.
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% HammerSky Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Fig, dark fruit, cherry, plum, dusty, tobacco, wood, floral, port-​like qualities; somewhat tight but not after 5 minutes in glass, fruit forward, sweet and floral, earth, tannic yet a nice softly balanced finish.
2010 Party of Four
47% Merlot, 30% Petit Verdot, 12% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon
Plum, tart cherry, bay leaves in beef stew, stewed fruits, jammy; cedar, dry, tannic, pepper, opens nicely and easy to drink… maybe with pasta?
2010 Red Handed
100% HammerSky Estate Merlot
Smooth, rich and silky, dusty black cherry, roses, strawberry, cracked pepper; bright cherry, lively, earth, perfumy, supple tannins, balanced finish.
2010 Zinfandel
100% HammerSky Estate Zinfandel
Earth, dry, chocolate, leaves, white pepper, smoky, leather; cherry, nice palate feel, pepper, smooth drinker.
(Went over word limit, msg me for more.)

Breathtaking. This is a must visit if you’re tasting in Paso Robles. The vineyard is located on a windy road and takes a bit of time to access from the freeway. The only reason, why I did not give this place is 5 stars is because I actually didn’t get to try the wine! Boo! I was told that this location was open until 7, however, when I arrived it was already closed. It was a miscommunication, but was not on the fault of Hammersky. They were courteous enough to apologize and offer vouchers for free tastings. The encounter I had was pleasant and the view was to die for. I would definitely recommend this. I hope I get a chance to try their tasting the next time I’m around!

This is the second time I have been to HammerSky Vinyards. Once was a little over a year ago and the second was this past weekend. Same scenario both times: Absolutely POURING RAIN when we arrived!!! Ran from the car to the tasting room soaking our clothes and our feet in the process. Both times my wife was asking me why I bring a rain jacket if I never use it. So if you go to HammerSky, expect rain.
I like this winery, the tasting room is tiny but since it always rains there they probably don’t get the huge crowds. There is a nice seating area outside, I don’t quite understand why. But the people who work there seem quite nice and the place has the coolest haunted house that they rent out. If there are six of you I think it works out to be about $ 300 per night, per couple. Don’t hold me to that! I absolutely want to do that sometime.
There is something about the grapes in W. Paso, seems like the wines are consistantly good. I live in Santa Barbara and we have great wine too, but not as consistantly great as Paso. Maybe that is why we have dozens of wineries and they have hundreds. The wines at HammerSky are awesome like the wineries that surround them.
I didn’t have any cell service so to do my check-​in I had to connect on their wi-​fy by the time we figured out the password I had already paid for my tasting. Guess what? One free tasting with Unilocal Check in. SO I strongly recommend getting that password up front so you can get your free tasting!
Oh and bring an umbrella.

Pretty and so peaceful. The quaint tasting room offers a small variety of attractive merchandise to look at while sampling their tasty wines. The young guy who poured for us is new to wines, therefore, not too knowledgeable or experienced, but very pleasant and personable, making our first visit a very comfortable and enjoyable one. Reasonable tasting fee waived with purchase.

Yeah, I’m a beer drinker and I let it be known quite a bit in my Unilocal reviews. But I enjoy a good wine and I enjoy the wine country near Paso Robles. Such beauty, such idyllic scenery, it makes me envious of those who call this area home.
But when I find a place like HammerSky that actually has some small-​time beer brewing going on in addition to the wine-​making, I think I’ve found my go-​to spot.
I don’t recall much of the wines, but after visiting the world-​class winery of Denner, these still held up really well so that says something. The beers were unique and tasty as well, especially coming from what is essentially a home brewing setup. I didn’t take tasting notes for either beverage and wish I had, but it’s so damn hard to think of such things when one’s enjoying the drinks, the stunning setting, and chasing after a little one discovering the joy’s of mud.
There are some outdoor couches, tables with umbrellas, and some picnic tables for those really looking to make an event of it.
Of the many wineries I’ve visited in the area, this is one of the better and more memorable. Plus the family and their children that operate the place are great folks.