Paso Robles Wineries & Tasting Rooms

Drive out for vineyard views, and you're likely to meet an owner or a winemaker in person.

• Cass WineryEstate winery with an on-site café — a relaxed spot to taste their Rhône and Bordeaux varietal wines with a bite to eat. This is where I go when we pull out the old convertible and want a long Sunday lunch in a beautiful setting. Both the wine and the food are worth the trip. They also offer morning and sunset horseback rides through the vineyard, with an option to finish with a bottle of wine and a cheese board in the vines.
  
• Tablas Creek VineyardAdelaida District pioneer of Rhône varietals and certified-organic, regenerative farming. This was the original organic vineyard in Paso. They're innovative with their farming practices, which include sheep, alpacas, and donkeys.
• Tobin James CellarsA lively, old-west-themed tasting room on Highway 46 East — bold reds and a fun, welcoming vibe. Tobin James is so fun — you're tasting at a bar straight out of the old west. They're known for having the absolute best pick-up parties: an actual party, with multiple musicians, tons of food, and lots of energy.
• Castoro Cellars"Dam Fine Wines" — a sustainable, family-run Templeton estate with art, music, and e-bike vineyard tours. I never miss the Whale Rock Music Festival they host every year — tickets are discounted for wine club members.
• Austin Hope WineryThis is currently my favorite winery visit in Paso. It's close to downtown, so there's no long drive out — and they also have a small downtown tasting room, Hope on Park, if you want to stay in town entirely. My go-to is a private tasting outside, surrounded by planters and looking out over the vineyard. It's the Cabernet Sauvignon that stands out here — they have several labels, and it's amazing under every one of them. I've long kept Liberty School, their more affordable label, as a staple for everyday dinner wine, and it always hits the spot.
• Adelaida VineyardsHigh-elevation estate in the Adelaida District with limestone soils and standout Rhône & Pinot. This was one of my first favorites, and it still holds the personal title today for GSMs.
• L'Aventure WineryWinemaker Stephan Asseo is actually from France, having run estates in Bordeaux for 15 years before founding L'Aventure — which makes this acclaimed "Bordeaux meets Rhône in Paso" estate about as French as it gets around here, and one of the region's most celebrated names. His daughter Chloé, who now runs the business, was my student at Templeton High.
• Dubost WineryFamily-owned estate on the west side with a relaxed, welcoming tasting room. Owner Curt Dubost was the superintendent when I worked for Templeton schools, and his family winery has a different feel than the big guys — they serve you like you're at their home, because you are. Curt personally makes the pizzas in the wood oven outside on weekends.
• Graveyard VineyardsBold, characterful wines with a fittingly memorable name and label. It's a unique experience — you actually pass an old graveyard to get to the winery. This is a true family-run operation, with a small lake you can drop a fishing line into, or just hang out by and enjoy the live music they host on weekends. There's also a special members-only Halloween party every year that's, fittingly, to die for.
  
• Turley Wine CellarsRenowned for old-vine Zinfandel and Petite Syrah — a Paso landmark for lovers of bold, characterful reds. My favorite winemaker, Karl Wicka, is here: incredible wine from a down-to-earth guy, and the whole staff is particularly helpful and not at all stuffy. With a large selection of varieties and styles to choose from, a Turley tasting is a favorite of mine, and it's where I take friends and family whenever they're visiting.
  
• Zobèto WinesA family-owned boutique winery on the west side — small-lot, native-fermented Rhône-style blends (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre). I send a lot of people here, since it's reminiscent of an "old Paso" tasting experience: you taste in a small room outside the winemaker's home, and many times the winemaker is hosting the tasting personally. It's a small selection of wines, but they're outstanding, and I keep them in my own wine collection.
• Pear Valley VineyardA family-owned east-side estate with a relaxed tasting room, picnic-friendly grounds, and a broad range of estate wines. It's a fun place to hang out on a weekend with a picnic on the lawn, watching live music, and enjoy a truly affordable wine.
• Calcareous VineyardHilltop views and limestone-driven wines in the Adelaida District. I enjoy the Wine Down Wednesdays in the summertime, where you can order a pizza and hang out.