Toast Tours named California’s top-ranked wine tour company

By Staff Report · Tue Aug 11 2026

PASO ROBLES — Toast Tours has been named California’s highest-ranked wine tour company and the No. 2 wine tour company in the United States in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The family-owned Paso Robles company received the recognition through a nationwide public vote celebrating destinations, attractions, businesses and experiences across the country.

Founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Kristina Horton and Lars Bruinink, Toast Tours specializes in personalized wine country experiences built around customized itineraries, local expertise and hospitality.

The couple drew on their previous tourism experience in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Barcelona, Spain, when developing the company. Today, Toast Tours guides guests through Paso Robles wine country with itineraries tailored to individual interests, wine preferences and travel goals.

Many of the company's guides have backgrounds in winemaking, viticulture or formal wine education, allowing visitors to connect with local wineries, wines and the people behind them.

"When Kristina and I started Toast Tours, we simply wanted to create the kind of wine country experience we'd want to have ourselves," said Lars Bruinink, co-owner of Toast Tours. "Our goal has never been to be the biggest tour company. It's to make every guest feel like they're spending the day with a knowledgeable local friend. Guest experience has always been our number one priority, and this recognition belongs just as much to our guides, winery partners, and the Paso Robles community as it does to us."

Toast Tours has also received the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Good Neighbor Award for its contributions to promoting Paso Robles wine country. Since opening, the company has welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world and accumulated more than 900 five-star reviews. It has also received recognition from national publications including Travel + Leisure.

Kristina Horton said the national recognition also highlights the broader Paso Robles community.

"We've always believed Paso Robles deserves to be recognized alongside the world's great wine regions," said Kristina Horton, co-owner of Toast Tours. "Paso Robles has earned a national reputation because of the incredible wineries, restaurants, hotels, and small businesses that make this community so welcoming. We're honored that our guests have chosen Toast Tours to help them experience everything that makes Paso Robles so special."

The USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards are determined through public voting, with winners selected from nominated businesses and experiences across the country.