The Pinot Express

Some wine flights are just more exciting than others. Add some ho-ho-holy smokes to your next sip and swirl with one of wine country's biggest thrills: zip-lining high above the vineyards on the flanks of the Santa Lucia Mountains. Margarita Adventures (as in Santa Margarita, not the drink) will fly you across five epic ziplines in Paso Robles' historic Santa Margarita Ranch. Meet your guide, catch a shuttle out to the ranch, and after driving up to a high point with wide views, get geared up before taking your first zip—a doozey nicknamed "The Renegade." Soar 1,200 feet across a grass valley into an oak forest. After conquering that, "The Woodlander," "Hilltopper," and "Archway" seem like child's play in the most fun way, including getting a good running start for one. Then comes the grand finale: the "Pinot Express," aka the mother lode, reached by a quarter-mile switchback hike up a hill. Zoom 1,800 feet back to earth. Then pile back into the shuttle for some wine tasting at Ancient Peaks Winery, where the reds are really tasty. No buzz kill here. Zippity-sippity—do!