We had an AMAZING Dog Friendly Wine Tasting Adventure in Dog Friendly Paso Robles! First off, to pronounce it correctly, you must sound like you have a mouth full of tiny greenies (not that I would ever do that – tee hee hee)! Then, repeat after me…..Paso “Robbbblls”. Correctomundo! Now that you sound like a local, turn your clock and cell phone off, kick back and mosey through your day in this relaxed town. It seems there is something dog-friendly in almost any area you visit!
When to Go
Paso gets HOT in the Summer. In my opinion, July – October is too hot for your pets to enjoy, particularly if they are older like me. So, I recommend visiting November to early June. The Holidays (Thanksgiving thru New Years) would probably be very beautiful at the wineries and in town but we haven’t been during this time. The biggest drawback during the Holiday Season would be that it is super cold at night and the days are short. So, I recommend visiting Paso in late April through early June. We went in late April. We had some warm, sunny days and one windy, rainy day. So, pack layers, blankies and rain attire! The nights were Super Chilly so we encountered a little of everything! We enjoyed it all. The best part is that the days were long as sunset was appx. 7:30 pm!
Tip: Arriving on Sunday and leaving on Thursday is perfect for wine tasting with dogs. Wineries are quieter Mon – Wed and you have more space and time to enjoy with your pup!
Where to stay
My best recommendation is to stay deep within wine-county! Not only is it beautiful and relaxing (you can get in vineyard mode), you will also be close in proximity to several Dog Friendly Wineries!
We stayed at HammerSky Farmhouse at HammerSky Vineyards.
This farmhouse was built in 1904 and was originally farmed for a multitude of crops. Mom just loves the history of places so she totally geeked out googling the HammerSky Vineyards and the Jantzen family.
According to the winery website and historical records, the Farmhouse and property was built and developed by a Mennonite Minister, Frank Jantzen, who immigrated from Russia with his Prussian wife. They raised 10 children in this house!
Eventually the property was sold and turned into a vineyard – growing mostly Zinfandel and Merlot grapes. The current owner purchased the property 10 years ago and updated the house and added the beautiful white barn which is used for weddings and parties.
Ron and his dog Blue are the General Managers and Dan oversees the property. They are all so nice! Oh, and I almost forgot….the winery is Dog Friendly – both inside and out on the peaceful patio!
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s plenty of Nature on the property! There are various Birds, flowers, llamas (next door) and Mom even saw a Bald Eagle on our first day in the tree above the house (thanks to Dan letting us know)! A barn owl scared us on our last bathroom break one night (SCREEEEECH) and a raccoon or opossum slid down our windshield (paw evidence)!
What to Do / Itinerary
Day 1: Drive the Adelaida District (Vineyard Drive, Adelaida Road and Chimney Rock Road).
Best tip: Pack a picnic of dog and people snacks, lunch and water so you can get lost in the day.
First: Drive the entire Adelaida area to get the “lay of the land”. Here you will enjoy the scenery of Paso Robles‘ most beautiful area. Tunnels of Oak Trees surround you on your drive, opening to farms (mostly goats, sheep, horse and llamas), vineyards, Wildlife (we saw Deer and a family of turkey vultures) and a Historic Schoohouse – which all provide for impromptu Photo Opportunities!
Next: Choose a Dog Friendly Winery for a late lunch to relax and enjoy a flight or glass of wine so you are able to drive home safely. We chose Adelaida Winery. They have a wonderful dog-friendly patio upstairs with beautiful views of their walnut farm. This is a perfect place to bring your snacks or lunch and enjoy some wine and dog treats! As you leave the patio you will also spot a pretty little pond on your left.
Last / Dinner: Most Wineries close around 5pm. I recommend you make Dinner (or order in) at home (in the Chef’s kitchen at Hammersky Farmhouse if you’re lucky)! We always take our fav foods on vacations so we can cook, relax, listen to our surrounding area and watch the Sunsets together while Mom enjoys her favorite “vacation” wine or beer selection! Then, Mom usually makes extra “plain version” fish for me and adds to my dog bowl. YUM!
Day 2: Hire a Wine Driver and Visit Wineries
Yes, you heard me correctly….a Dog Friendly Wine Driver!! Yippee! Just Google “wine driver in Paso Robles” and you will find someone who will come to your location and drive you and your pet(s) in the comfort of your own car! There are plenty of beautiful “On the Patio” and “In the Winery” Dog Friendly Winery options in the Adelaida area with various vibes. I recommend you do a little research and select a few wineries that sound interesting to you. We used the dogtrekker app to get some ideas. We were completely satitisfied with staying “local” in Adelaida because there are so many wineries! If you have 2 days with a driver (we recommend spacing them out), you can certainly venture a little farther in distance but you will have a lot of car time. We were completely happy with Adelaida!
Wineries we visited:
Justin (Dog Friendly Patio) – Heat lamps and great wine! We visited on the rainy day….I’m so happy Mom brought my coat and blankets! Bring your picnic to eat on the patio and enjoy the wine and view!
Tolo Cellars (Dog Friendly Outside and in the Winery) – they have 2 resident winery dogs who are super friendly. The owners are totally ok putting them in the house if your dog isn’t into dog greeters, however. We really enjoyed Tolo.
Lone Madrone (Dog Friendly Outside and in the Winery) – Again, we really enjoyed this winery too. Pups are welcome anywhere and Mom said the wine tasting was fun!
Wish we had visited: Halter Ranch (We ran out of time)
Day 3: Downtown Paso for early light lunch & Daou Winery for afternoon Wine and Food Pairing
Downtown Paso
Park near the City Park and stroll the sidewalks in downtown. There are plenty of shops for window shopping and a few Restaurants with Dog Friendly patios. It’s low key and super cute!
Where to eat: We chose Thomas Hill Organics. Mom said the lentil tacos and light cucumber-ish cocktail were amazing! Just walk right through the front entrance and they will seat you on tha back patio. They love dogs, have plenty of umbrellas for shade and will bring you dog water. Thumbs up 🙂
Wow! This is probably the most amazing view in Paso. Daou is located at the highest elevation of any winery in Paso and the views are out of this world! The outside dining area is super Dog Friendly and beautiful. Mom recommends making a 2:30 pm wine and food pairing reservation. If that’s not in your budget, ordering a flight or just sip a glass of wine while enjoying the view is well worth your afternoon. Give yourself plenty of time here – you won’t be sorry. Mom said to mention that the Scallop Dinner was delicious!
Overall, we spent 4 nights and 3 vacation days in Paso Robles which was perfect! Happy Dog Friendly Wine Tasting!
Woof!