The Templeton Gap District is one of the 11 sub-districts that make up the Paso Robles AVA.
Established in 2014, Templeton Gap is located on the western edge of the AVA (just below Willow Creek and west of El Pomar), and is one of the most influential districts because of the way its geography and climate affect the others.
The Santa Lucia Mountain Range that defines the district’s wester border has several gaps near the city of Templeton that pull the cool, coastal air into the valley resulting in marine fog and lower temperatures. This climate not only affects the grapes grown in the district, but many of the surrounding districts as well, and allows for grapes that thrive in those conditions to be able to be grown in the region.
The influence of the coastal climate that flows through the Templeton Gap touches almost every district in the region, and provides a crucial feature in the growth process for the AVA. It also allows for some of the best Bordeaux-style blends to be crafted in the district in addition to Viognier. However, vineyards in the district also produce several of the wines the Paso Robles AVA is widely known for, and Syrah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals that should not be missed.
Today there are over 200 wineries in the larger Paso Robles AVA, and endless ways to experience the world class wines being crafted every day here on California’s Central Coast. To help you plan your next outing we’ve curated a list of all the vineyard tasting rooms in the Adelaida District where you can enjoy and explore the amazing varietals coming out of the region.
WINE TASTING IN TEMPLETON GAP
Due to COVID-19, some wineries may not be open for tasting or have different hours than listed below. Given the rapidly changing landscape of rules and regulations, please contact wineries directly to ensure you are able to visit, and make reservations as necessary.
The Templeton Gap District is one of the smaller districts in the Paso Robles AVA, but home to several world class wineries, many of which have tasting rooms near their vineyards and are open to the public for wine tasting and events.
The district’s centralized location also makes it a popular destination with locals and tourists; the district is centered over the town of Templeton, with the vast majority of vineyard tasting rooms along Highway 46 W.
Learn more about the vineyard tasting rooms open to the public below, and how you can experience another piece of Paso Robles’s Wine Country.
If you can’t make it to the vineyards check out Paso Robles’s Food & Drink Page to see the wine bars, off-site tasting rooms, and restaurants that feature Templeton Gap District wines!
FEATURED WINERIES
VINEYARD TASTING ROOMS
Are we missing a winery, or have outdated information? Let us know by emailing hello@sanluisobispoguide.com
Austin Hope & Treana Tasting Cellar
ADDRESS
1585 Live Oak Rd
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 238-4112
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
By Appointment Only
TASTING FEE
$15
Bella Luna Estate Winery
ADDRESS
1850 Templeton Rd
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 434-5477
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
By Appointment Only
TASTING FEE
$10
RESERVATIONS
Bethel Rd. Distillery & Winery
ADDRESS
1266 N Bethel Rd
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 434-0319
TASTING ROOM
Open Thursday – Monday
12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
RESERVATIONS
Castoro Cellars
ADDRESS
1315 N Bethel Rd
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 238-0725
TASTING ROOM
Open Thursday – Monday
11:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$20
RESERVATIONS
(805) 238-0725
Clesi Wines
ADDRESS
1873 Templeton Rd
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 748-2779
TASTING ROOM
Open Thursday – Sunday
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$10
RESERVATIONS
(805) 748-2779
Doce Robles Winery
ADDRESS
2023 Twelve Oaks Dr
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 227-4766
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$15
RESERVATIONS
(805) 227-4766
Fratelli Perata Winery
ADDRESS
1595 Arbor Rd
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 238-2809
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. on Weekends
TASTING FEE
$15
RESERVATIONS
(805) 238-2809
J Dusi Wines
ADDRESS
1401 CA-46
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 226-2034
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
By Appointment Only
TASTING FEE
$20
RESERVATIONS
Peachy Canyon Winery
ADDRESS
1480 N Bethel Rd
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 239-1918
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$15
RESERVATIONS
(805) 239-1918
Seven Angels Cellars
ADDRESS
830 Templeton Rd
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 835-4054
TASTING ROOM
Open Friday – Sunday
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$12
RESERVATIONS
(805) 835-4054
SummerWood Winery
ADDRESS
2175 Arbor Rd
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 227-1365
TASTING ROOM
Wednesday – Monday
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$20
RESERVATIONS
(805) 227-1365
Victor Hugo Winery
ADDRESS
2850 El Pomar Dr
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 434-1128
TASTING ROOM
Open By Appointment Only
TASTING FEE
$10
RESERVATIONS
(805) 434-1128
Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards
ADDRESS
1437 Wild Horse Winery Ct.
Templeton, CA 93465
PHONE
(805) 788-6300
TASTING ROOM
Open Thursday – Sunday
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
RESERVATIONS
(805) 788-6300
Windward Vineyard
ADDRESS
1380 Live Oak Rd
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 239-2565
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
TASTING FEE
$10
RESERVATIONS
Zenaida Cellars
ADDRESS
1550 CA-46
Paso Robles, CA 93446
PHONE
(805) 227-0382
TASTING ROOM
Open Daily
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
By Appointment Only
TASTING FEE
$20
RESERVATIONS
(805) 227-0382
TERROIR PROFILE
The Templeton Gap District is located on the western edge of the Paso Robles AVA, just south of the Willow Creek District and west of El Pomar. The district itself sits on top of the city of Templeton, and uses the Santa Lucia Mountain Range to the west to define one of its borders. Its southern border is defined by the Salinas River as it winds towards the mountain range, and to the east is defined by South River Road as it travels to South El Pomar Road below. The northern border is really more of a pointed edge in the district, and stretches all the way up to the middle of the city of Paso Robles.
Given the district’s proximity to the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, it comes as no surprise that Templeton Gap sees a wide range of elevation changes as you travel from the wineries closer to the valley floor in the east up to the wineries in the mountains to the west. Wineries at the lowest point in the district can actually sit at 773’ while those at the highest elevation sit closer to 1,157’. However, the overall higher elevation of the district and its location near the Santa Lucia Mountain Range makes the Templeton Gap the most heavily impacted by marine influences, and one of the cooler districts of all in the Paso Robles AVA.
The heavy marine influence on the Templeton Gap brings significant fog and coastal breezes to the district, as well as to the other districts in the Paso Robles AVA in varying degrees. However, Templeton Gap receives the most direct impact of these coastal influences, resulting in both the highest humidity in the entire AVA and a longer ripening period (grapes here can be picked up to two weeks later than other districts in the AVA). However, the district doesn’t see that much more rain than other districts in the AVA (even with the heavy coastal influences) with an average of 20” annually (2.54” occurring during the growing season).
The soil in the Templeton Gap District is also one of its most defining features, and is what helps distinguish its true borders in the north and south. Templeton Gap actually sits on hard bedrock that is part of the Monterey formation, and the shift from bedrock to the shale and calcareous soil found north in Willow Creek is what differentiates and defines the two districts. There is also a similar shift of the higher and lower Monterey formation that defines the district’s southern border, but no sub-district exists in that area.
Although the Templeton Gap District has its own unique mix of topography, soil, and climate, they are able to produce wines similar to others crafted throughout the larger AVA. Southern Rhône varietals such as Viognier and Zinfandel also do quite well in the Templeton Gap, but their Bordeaux-style blends and Cabernet Sauvignons should also not be missed!
ELEVATION
| High | 1157′ |
| Average | 907′ |
| Low | 773′ |
CLIMATE
| High | 82.3°F |
| Low | 47°F |
| Rain | 2.54 in* |
*during growing season
POPULAR VARIETALS
Zinfandel
Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet
Viognier
Mourvèdre (Mataro)
ABOUT THE PASO ROBLES AVA
Paso Robles’s AVA was established in 1983, and at the time encompassed approximately 614,000 acres across the cities of Paso Robles, Templeton, San Miguel Creston, Shandon, and Santa Margarita in northern SLO County.
At almost three times the size of Napa Valley’s AVA, Paso Robles remained the largest single AVA in California until 2014 when 11 sub-districts were established. Although the larger boundary did not change, these new districts provided a more nuanced understanding of the growing regions within the Paso Robles AVA, and the wines that could be successfully crafted.
Today the distinct terroir profiles (or growing conditions) of the eleven districts contribute to the production of over 40 varietals (the vast majority crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Roussanne, Zinfandel, Viognier, Merlot, and Syrah), and home to over 200 wineries for locals and tourists to enjoy and explore.
Learn more about the eleven districts below, and make sure to plan your next wine tasting weekend in Paso Robles’s Wine Country!
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