Not only do the best wine grapes grow in California’s Central Coast, there are plenty of local knowledgeable wine guides who are excited about sharing their passion and history with you. Wine tours are a great way to learn more about wine and taste it in a fun, relaxing atmosphere without having to worry about how you are going to get from place to place. Fully customizable wine experiences are offered from most Central Coast wine tour companies, ensuring that you will have an unforgettable day no matter where you end up. Here are some of SLO’s wine tour companies that are taking reservations now:
101 Wine Tours
Serving Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara County, 101 Wine Tours offers groups customized experiences through beer, wine, and olive oil country. Award-winning certified sommelier and winemaker Laura Jeffrey acts as your personal guide as she transports you and your group through stunning California vineyards via a Mercedes van.
Travelling in style, luxury, and comfort, 101 Wine Tours takes you and your fellow passengers to 4-5 wineries including popular and hidden gems alike. Shuttle and charter services are available for a 4-hour minimum tour service on weekdays and a 5-hour minimum on weekends and for special events and festivals within a 100-mile radius. For rates or to request a reservation, visit 101winetours.com or call 805-874-CORK.
Breakaway Tours
Offering deliciously fun and educational wine tours throughout Arroyo Grande, Avila, and Edna Valleys, Breakaway Tours has a variety of different tour experiences including shared, private, celebration, dog-friendly, and garagiste adventures.
What is a Garagiste Wine Tour, you ask? Pronounced “gar-ah-jeest” and synonymous with pioneers, rule-breakers, and mavericks, this experience takes you into the underground world of wine with direct access to the winemakers themselves to answer any questions you may have. Available as a private wine tour for 2-12 guests, once the reservations are made for this VIP experience, handcrafted wines and top-notch hospitality await.
For those who travel everywhere with their furry four-legged friends, the Dog Friendly Wine Tour is available. You and your pooch can travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle to 3-4 dog-friendly wineries in the Paso Robles/SLO area. There is even an option to add on a picnic lunch complete with Scooby Snacks for your pet. (The cost is $350 plus a pet cleaning fee.)
Breakaway Tours are perfect for those that want to learn about wine in an interactive and fun way, spend some time with like-minded people, and want more than just a designated driver. Shared half-day tours start at $75 per person and full day tours are around $109 per person. For more information, visit www.breakaway-tours.com.
SLO Safe Ride
With a mission to make your Central Coast wine-tasting experience both memorable and hassle-free, SLO Safe Ride allows you to put together your ideal Paso Robles/Edna Valley wine tour for groups big or small through its full fleet of vehicle options. Use SLO Safe Ride’s professional staff to help you plan your itinerary with any winemaker meet and greets, private reserve tastings, or any other wine experience you desire or simply give them a call and let them know where you want to be picked up. Another nice feature of SLO Safe Ride is that its on-demand smartphone app can have a driver at your door within minutes. For more information or to book a safe ride, visit slosaferide.com.
Grapeline Wine Tours
As one of Paso Robles premier wine tours, the Grapeline offers a unique view into a variety of wineries in this Central Coast region. Offering shared tours ideal for smaller groups at a great value, private tours for those with customized itineraries, or simple ground transportation to get you from one location to the other, Grapeline will help alleviate any stress from getting from one winery to another.
The Paso Robles Vineyard Picnic Tour goes out daily and picks up from many local hotels. This fun afternoon package includes wine tasting at four wineries, a catered picnic lunch and bottled water, exclusive offers for Grapeline guests, and a behind-the-scenes vintner’s tour. The cost is $119pp Sunday-Friday/$129 on Saturdays.
Or for a deluxe experience, take a private group tour aboard a limousine, executive SUV, or super comfy coach bus. Let one of Grapeline’s wine country experts coordinate your custom itinerary and depart anywhere in Southern California. Rates vary based on inclusions, so it’s best to call Grapeline’s event coordinators directly at 1-888-894-6379 or visit gogrape.com for details.
The Wine Wrangler
Open daily from 9am-6pm, The Wine Wrangler can accommodate private and mixed groups for tasting tours from Paso Robles to all throughout San Luis Obispo County. Named “2013 Wine Region of the Year”, Paso Robles is a top destination for wine aficionados.
The Wrangler Adventure Tour is a full-day adventure that allows you to meet other wine enthusiasts and taste vinos from 4-6 different wineries. Other participants, you and the tour guide will create a day-long itinerary of wineries to visit and leave the driving up to the wranglers. Although the guides are fond of the smaller, family-owned, off-the-beaten-path artisan wineries, they are completely open to suggestions on where you want to go. The Wrangler Adventure Tour includes about 4.5 hours of wine tasting, a deli-style picnic lunch, and friendly, knowledgeable guides. Wine tasting fees vary from each individual winery, but range from about $5-$25 for 4-6 tastings. Depending on where you depart from, the Wrangler Adventure Tour costs anywhere from $109-$122.
For those pressed for time, The Wine Wrangler offers half-day social tours as well. With no more than 8-10 guests on board, the guide/driver will point out local landmarks on the way to 3 wineries. Morning tours go from 10:30am-1:30pm and the afternoon tours start at 2pm until 5pm and depart from Paso Robles hotels. The cost is $69 per person.
The Wine Wrangler also offers private, customizable tours which include Big Sur, Monterey, San Francisco or wine tasting in any of the areas within the Central Coast. Wine tours can be customized by varietal and what you tour is completely up to you from visiting only boutique wineries to touring the region’s olive oil farms, or integrating other adventure activities such as zip-lining. The Wine Wrangler also offers adventures to Hearst Castle as well. For more information, visit www.thewinewrangler.com.
Uncorked Wine Tours
Touring through Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo with a knowledgeable wine guide behind the wheel, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride and some wines in a safe, fun Uncorked wine experience. Its fleet of four vehicle options all with comfy captain-style chair seating can whisk your party of 14 to give you a personal, customized private wine tour.
If you are new to Paso Robles or want to meet other wine lovers, then the Uncorked Shared Group Tour is the way to go. For around $135, the 5-hour shared tour includes winery reservations, lunch, water, a guide, and a driver.
Or if you want to learn more about other offerings in the area, consider booking the Sampler Tour. Taste a little bit of everything in this tour which may include olive oils, cheese, cider, beer, and coffee along with the wine. Make this experience as educational as you want it or simply spend the day trying all of local flavors.
Uncorked’s Zip’n & Sippin experience integrates a little bit of adventure in your wine tasting experience by kicking off with zip lining through the vineyards and then wine tasting (or beer tasting) in the afternoon. Uncorked even offers a Beer and Wine Tour that starts off at a brewery, then visits 2-3 wineries with a picnic lunch at one of the vineyards, and ends with another taste of local beer at another brewery.
If there’s anything else you want to do in your wine tasting experience, Uncorked’s guides can help plan it for you. If you have a specific place and time you want to get picked up, visit a particular winery, or customize your lunch options, Uncorked can accommodate any of your unique requests related to wine country. Its wine tours are perfect for corporate team-building outings, family reunions, celebrating birthdays or bachelorette parties, and more. To make a reservation, visit uncorkedwinetours.net.
