Weekend At A Winery: Stop For The Wine, Stay For The Glow

PASO ROBLES, CA — Visitors to Paso Robles wine region can add this must-see stop to their travel agendas, as now extended through March 2022: outdoor exhibit "Bruce Munro: Light at Sensorio," a 15-acre, illumination extravaganza, that includes more than 17,000 wine bottles.

"Many winery guests make this a part of their itinerary," said Sarah Farley, director of local ONX winery's ONX at Home. "It's a perfect set-up to go, taste wine during the day, take a little break, and then go to Sensorio in the evening."

For London-born artist Munro, this is his first, entirely solar-powered U.S. exhibit and was singled out by The New York Times as #6 in its “52 Places to Go in 2020.”

Sensorio visitors, on self-guided walking tours, are treated to an immersive spectacle — set to music — of 58,800 fiber-optic-lit, stemmed spheres of morphing color at "Field of Towers" and the adjacent "Light Towers," with 69 glowing towers, comprised of more than 17,000 wine bottles illuminated with glowing optic fibers.

Paso Robles wine country boasts more than 300 wineries, breweries, distilleries and eateries set amid a quaint, historic town and stunner landscapes, the Paso Robles Wineries bureau says. The unique locale and temperate climate plays host to some 40 wine grape varieties.

And the Sensorio exhibit, first launched in 2019, has proved to be a boon for the area ... and for visitors. Since its reopening in April, following a pandemic-mandated closure, the exhibit typically sells out weeks in advance, according to organizers.

"I think we have people discovering wine in Paso that perhaps wouldn't have made the journey here before, and it's because of the added value and uniqueness of the (Sensorio) display," ONX's Farley said. "I think the two components work together to make a great destination for a long weekend or beyond."

The initial push for the art installation came from Central Valley locals Ken and Bobbi Hunteras, who aimed to create a go-to destination — for entertainment, exploration, meditation, adventure and delight.

For his Sensorio "Light Towers," artist Munro, world renown for his large-scale, light-based artworks, utilized wine bottles, as an homage to Paso Robles’ vineyards, with 69 towers crafted from 17,388 wine bottles — 252 bottles per tower — rising some 7 feet high.

Sensorio is at 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles, CA. Tickets are available for timed entry Thursday to Sunday evenings. Musicians perform, and food and wine are available.

VIP ticket options also are offered, with priority entry, exclusive access to a terrace overlooking the Field of Light, an Airstream bar, private tables and fire pits and other amenities, including charcuterie and crudites trays.

The Sensorio display is extended through March 2022. Advance tickets advised. A limited number of walk-up tickets may be made available at the door. Info and ticket links here.

For the region's winery options, go here. For lodging choices, see this link.

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