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 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. July through October is too hot for your pets to enjoy in our opinion – especially senior pups. So, we 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, we recommend visiting Paso in late April through early June. We went in late April and had some warm, sunny days and one windy, rainy day. So, pack layers, blankies and rain gear! 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
Our 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 which, at the time, was an amazing air bnb! It appears that Hammersky Vineyards may not be in business anymore and it’s reported that Halter Ranch has purchased the property but, the farmhouse is not currrently listed as a place to rent.
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 original 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 next owner purchased the property in the 2000’s and updated the house and added the beautiful white barn which has been used for weddings and parties.
Ron and his dog Blue were the General Managers and Dan was caretaker of the property when we visited. Everyone was so nice! Oh, and the the winery was 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 barred owl scared us on our last bathroom break one night (SCREEEEECH) and a raccoon or opossum slid down our windshield (paw evidence)!
Although the amazing property may not be currently operating as a business, we do recommend at least driving by to check it out! There’s so much history at this 7725 Vineyard Drive property in Paso Robles! There are several air bnb options in wine country that you really can’t go wrong!
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. We recommend that you make dinner (or order in) and enjoy sipping wine and eating dinner with your pups at your air bnb of choice! 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 us pups as a meal topper. 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!
Wow! This is probably the most amazing view in Paso Robles. 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! We HIGHY recommend!
Happy Dog Friendly Wine Tasting!
Woof!