Paso Robles: Aria Syrah Flight Tasting with Winemaker Guillaume Fabre

Three Vintages of Aria Syrah, Tasted Side by Side at Al Lago

You taste three consecutive vintages of Aria Syrah — 2018, 2019, and 2020 — side by side with a licensed guide explaining what's in each glass. The 2019 blends in Sangiovese; the others are pure Syrah. You move through the flight at your own pace, comparing how the wine shifts across years and understanding the winemaker's hand in every bottle.

Step-by-step itinerary

Syrah Dominant Aria Wine Tasting

• Arrive at Al Lago Winery
• Taste 2018 Aria vintage
• Taste 2019 Aria vintage
• Taste 2020 Aria vintage

The Experience

You walk into Al Lago Winery and the flight is already waiting — three glasses lined up, each one a different year of the same wine. The 2018 Aria sits first, medium ruby-purple, tar and graphite notes giving way to cracked pepper and blackcurrants. Your licensed guide pours and talks you through what's in the glass, but the real work is yours: you're comparing how the same wine tastes across four years, watching how time changes what's there.

The 2019 comes next, deeper in color, opening with flint and moving into red cherry, fernet, and desiccated flowers — it's the blend year, 92% Syrah with 8% Sangiovese woven in. Then the 2020, which is all Syrah again, wild herbs and scorched earth and wet stones, black currants forming something dark and complex. Guillaume Fabre, the winemaker behind every bottle Al Lago makes, shaped each one of these. His approach is meticulous; the partnership between the winery and his vision is what keeps the standard high enough that each wine exceeds what you'd expect from a tasting flight.

The whole Aria Flight tasting runs through the three vintages at your own pace, with the guide there to answer what you want to know. It's not a lecture — it's a chance to taste how a wine evolves, how a winemaker's hand stays consistent across years even as the grapes and the vintage change what they can give him. You leave with a real sense of what Paso Robles Syrah can be when someone cares this much about the craft.

What’s included

Aria Flight tasting of three Syrah vintages (2018, 2019, 2020); licensed guide throughout the tasting.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Al Lago Winery

Is this one for you?Right for anyone who wants to understand how a single wine changes across years without the pressure of a formal class — the flight format lets you taste and compare at your own speed, and the guide is there to answer questions, not lecture.

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Top questions

What's the difference between the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Aria wines?

The 2018 and 2020 are 100% Syrah; the 2019 is 92% Syrah with 8% Sangiovese. Each vintage has distinct flavor profiles — the 2018 shows tar and graphite notes, the 2019 opens with flint and red cherry, and the 2020 is darker with wild herbs and scorched earth.

Who is Guillaume Fabre?

He's a world-renowned winemaker whose expertise shapes every bottle Al Lago produces. His meticulous approach to winemaking is central to the winery's quality standards.

Is the tasting wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces at Al Lago are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are also wheelchair accessible.

Can I bring children or infants?

Yes. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Service animals are also allowed.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation?

Public transportation options are available nearby, and the winery has wheelchair-accessible transportation options. You can arrange your own travel or use local transit to reach Al Lago.

How long does the Aria Flight tasting take?

The tasting runs at your own pace through the three vintages with guide support. Specific duration is not set — you move through the flight as you prefer.