Winery Descriptions, Driving directions, Tasting Room Hours
Opolo Vineyards
Take Vineyard Drive to the right off Highway 46 West, and
drive 4.5 miles to Opolo Vineyards. Watch carefully for the entrance
to Opolo. Take the short drive on the gravel road to the tasting
room and winery buildings. It’s
a very pretty drive alongside oak trees and the vineyards. Once
in the tasting room you will be treated to the tasting of six wines.
The Viognier is delicious, but the emphasis is on the reds. Be
sure to try the Pinot Noir, a fruity and heavy Pinot grown on
cool northern slopes of the hillside vineyards. The two Zinfandels
are both excellent and worth comparing. Opolo also produces a
Sangiovese, which is medium bodied and refreshing.
Tasting room open daily 11 am to 5, Phone: 805 238-9593
E-mail: sales@opolo.com, Opolo
Vineyards
Norman Vineyards
You will find Norman Vineyards a short distance from Opolo on Vineyard
Rd. Like Opolo, the Norman Winery makes several noteworthy reds.
Norman makes four different Zinfandel wines and you might try
comparing these. Be sure to taste the Vino Rosado, a very dry
and light Grenache wine. It is an excellent wine and especially
good as an aperitif. The winery has a very nice picnic area and
you may want to enjoy a picnic lunch here with a glass of the
Vino Rosado.
Tasting room open daily 11 am to 5, Phone: 805 238-9593
E-mail: info@normanvineyards.com, Norman
Vineyards
Thacher Winery
From top brewmaster to top winemaker, that’s Sherman Thacher. A country
boy at heart, Sherman decided that the Paso Robles area was the best place
to set up shop for his family and to hone his winemaking skills. This is a
small winery but several different wines are made, including some interesting
blends like the wonderful Controlled Chaos. The wines at Thacher are all excellent,
and shall we say, brewed to perfection. Thacher is just about one and a half
miles from Norman on Vineyard Drive.
Open Thursday to Monday 11am-5pm or by appointment
(805) 237-0087; email: info@thacherwinery.com Thacher
Whalebone Vineyards & Winery
From Thacher, continue on Vineyard Drive about three quarters of
a mile. High on the hill overlooking this beautiful area known
as Adelaida region is this interesting winery. The name comes from
the whale bones and fossils found in the calcarous soils of this
region. It is all about reds at this winery, Cabernet, Zinfandel,
and Syrah. The Syrah wine has beautiful earthy characteristics
while the Cab and Zin are deliciously fruit forward.
Open Mon-Fri 11 to 5:00. Sat-Sun 10:00 to 5:30
(805) 239-9020; email: info@whalebonevineyard.com Whalebone
Tablas Creek Vineyard
Continue on Vineyard Drive after leaving Whalebone and turn left at Adelaida
Road. The
winery is a partnership between the Perrin Family of the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape
winery Chateau de Beaucastel, and Robert Haas, an American wine merchant. The
site of the winery was chosen after a long search for a climate and soil that
matched that of the Chateau de Beaucastel in France. They also wanted to use
identical Rhone varietal type grapes, so the winery imported cuttings from
France and grafted them on to rootstock. The result is some excellent Rhone
type wines that you won’t taste at any other California winery. We recommend
the tour, which is not your ordinary winery tour. Much of the tour takes you
through their nursery where you will learn how they graft their vines from
the original cuttings from France. One other interesting note, the grapes are
all organically grown here. There is a $10 fee, that includes a logo glass,
and is refunded on any purchase of wine.
Tasting room open 10 am to 4 daily, tours at 10:30 and 2:00
Phone 805.237.1231, Email info@tablascreek.com, Tablas
Creek Vineyard
Rangeland Wines
This is truly one of the most hidden wineries in Paso Robles. The winery is
part of the Adelaida Springs Ranch, where grass-fed cattle are raised. Laird
and Lisa Foshay own the ranch. Although it may be a trek to the ranch, it is
well worth it. Winemaker Shannon Gustafson makes excellent wines and even better
they are value priced. The views are spectacular from high on the mountaintop.
The tasting at Rangeland is by appointment only and done in the home of the
Forhays. To get to Rangeland you will drive along some spectacular and secluded
backroads. It is a fun drive and just a tad adventurous, but your rewards will
be terrific. It is about 3 miles from Tablas Creek and once you make an appointment,
the Rangeland folks will send you detailed directions in an email.
Tastings by appointment only
(805) 674-9232; email: Use Website – Rangeland
