Turley Wine in Paso Robles - Have Pupper Will Travel

The view from the 46 on the way to Turley Wine

We love going wine tasting, and it’s even better when our dog can join us. One of our favorite places to revisit is the dog-friendly Turley Wine Tasting Room in Paso Robles.

We originally heard about Turley Wine when we were visiting the Morro Bay area for our first wedding anniversary. We were staying at an inn in nearby Baywood Park, which is a worthy destination in its own right.

The Back Bay Inn

We might not have discovered Turley Wine all those years ago had it not been for the people at the Back Bay Inn. The inn sits on the water and offers rooms with a view, as well as some dog-friendly lodging options. On our first stay, we were without our dog and chose a waterfront room. We’ve returned several times over the last 18 years, and each stay has offered a unique experience.

Sunny day water view from porch — The view from our room and private porch

The grounds of the inn offer a private feel, with a small boardwalk that starts at Baywood Park Pier and winds its way along the bay to a perfect spot to take in the sunsets. One of my favorite things to do is to grab a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs and soak in the peaceful setting. Sometimes, the fog will roll in and give you a beautiful, if slightly spooky, view to enjoy.

Adirondack chairs at Back Bay Inn — Back Bay Inn’s Adirondack chairs and grounds

Parking for the inn is free, and they provide a voucher for you to use at the on-site food shack in the parking lot. The “shack” has changed hands and names a few times over the years, but you can always get coffee and something to eat in the morning. The inn has expanded bit by bit, and according to their website, will have their own restaurant on the property in the very near future.

Another plus, it’s perfectly situated in town for exploring Baywood Park, with restaurants and drinking options all within a few blocks of the inn. You’re also very close to natural settings like Montaña de Oro State Park, which allows dogs in certain sections, Baywood Park Beach, and the Elfin Forest, to name a few.

Pink sunset over water and boats — Sunset at the Back Bay Inn

When we visited, the inn offered complementary evening wine tastings. It was during one of these tastings that we were told about wineries in the (previously) emerging wine region of Paso Robles. The number of wineries since those early trips has exploded, and I’ve resigned myself to the fact we will never get to try them all.

Anyhow, as we spoke with our host, the topic of Viognier wine came up, and she suggested if we really wanted to taste a great white wine, then we had to go to Turley Wine and experience The White Coat. Challenge accepted!

The Road to Paso Robles

Baywood Park (or Los Osos or Morro Bay) offers a scenic drive up the coast for getting to wine country. You aren’t lacking for places to visit as you look around. Driving up CA-1, you’ll either take the 41 or the 46 to get to Templeton, which is where Turley’s Paso Robles Tasting Room is located.

If you’re traveling with your pup, you’ll drive right by the Morro Bay Dog Beach. We’ve taken Archer there many times over the years. It’s fenced, so you can let your dog off-leash, but keep in mind the entrance is not gated and open to the traffic rushing by at high speed. We usually keep our dog on his leash until we’re down by the water and very far away from the entrance. We also make sure to put him back on his leash before we start heading back to the car. I would not risk your dog’s safety by taking them off-leash here if they’re not good at staying with you or coming when called.

Morro Bay Dog Beach

Sometimes Archer has the beach to himself.

We took Old Creek Road to the 46 the first time we headed out that way, and it has become our default route, and the one I’ll share here. You’ll get to see amazing ocean views before taking the winding roads up through the green hills as you steadily climb in elevation.

Morro Rock is visible on a clear day from the 46

One thing I will say about Old Creek Road and the 46, if the hills look foggy, you may want to skip this trip and wait for better weather. The drive up in rain and fog is a bit terrifying, especially if you’re not familiar with the area. We have bailed on plans more than once due to the weather conditions, and we’ve lived to not regret it.

Turley Wine Cellars: Paso Robles

Turley Wine Cellars has two tasting rooms. One is in Amador, and the one we visit in Paso Robles (though technically it’s in Templeton). If you look on a map of the wineries, you will see many Paso Robles tasting rooms are actually located in nearby Templeton.

Turley Winery entrance — The Turley Wine entrance to the tasting room

Turley specializes in “Old Vine” wines, which they classify as a minimum vine age of 50 years, and some of their vines used to make their wines are over 100 years old. In other words, they offer some impressive varietals with interesting histories.

Turley Wine Tasting Room

Not located far off the 46, the road to the tasting room winds through canopies of trees until you rather abruptly hit a curve where the driveway to the tasting room is located. It’s easy to miss if you’re not watching for the entrance. If you keep driving about three minutes beyond it, you’ll have the option to take your dog to the Vineyard Dog Park for a very reasonable $1 day use fee.

Turley Wine’s Interior

The tasting room offers a warm environment with spaced out seating.

There was a time when you could hop in for a tasting on a whim, but like many wineries in the area, Turley now requires reservations. The tasting room is only open for appointments Thursday - Sunday from 10am - 4pm. Though I miss the days of driving around and stopping as you ended up in the area, the reservations do allow for more tailored experiences and a quieter setting.

Dogs are allowed both inside and out on the patio when weather allows. There is a covered parking area next to the building, as well as both stairs and a ramp for getting up to the tasting room. Public restrooms are also on the premises.

Dog on stone winery floor — Archer relaxing on the floor during a tasting

Tastings are $25 as of this writing but can always change. Remember, it’s perfectly fine to request splitting a tasting between two people, which helps if you’re planning to visit more than one winery in a day. Turley offers snacks, too, to help absorb some of that booze.

Turley Wines

So, how about that White Coat, right? Well, we loved it. The White Coat was one of our favorite wines to get whenever we stopped by. But the real surprise of that first visit to Turley was discovering our love for red Zinfandels.

At the time, the only type of red wine we were really familiar with was Cabernet Sauvignon. And though we liked the labels we’d tried, we didn’t think of ourselves as red wine fans. That all changed with that first visit here and a taste of some of those old vine wines.

Outdoor tasting area

Me enjoying one of those Turley red wines.

While Turley still makes The White Coat, it’s no longer part of the regular wine tasting menu. It’s made in small batches, so it’s understandable they’ve had to change things. And Turley makes a lot of wines that we have come to love beyond those red Zinfandels.

Wine flavor profiles can vary by harvest year, but our most recent tasting in December 2023 was nothing but great wine after great wine. It was hard to pick our favorites when buying bottles to take back with us. In the end, we each picked one and are looking forward to next year’s haul.

Additional Stops Nearby

Not far from Turley are other worthwhile places to spend time. Downtown Paso Robles is a short drive away, where you will find lots of dog-friendly eateries to explore.

Getting back on the 46, there are many wineries along the road into Paso Robles. One of those is the J Dusi Tasting Room which allows dogs and provides sweeping views of the vineyards. Turley actually produces a wine using grapes from the Dusi Vineyard. You need to make reservations to visit, but given their close proximity to one another, you can easily make arrangements to visit both wineries during your travels.

If you’re not up for more wine and want a shorter drive, continuing down Vineyard Drive towards downtown Templeton is another option. Templeton is a much smaller town than Paso Robles, but it has its own charm and feel. There is also some good food to be found.

One of our new favorites is Kitchenette for breakfast or lunch. Their menu is small but mighty. They are only open certain days and close at 2pm, so be mindful of your timing. Their patio is spacious and dogs are welcome.

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