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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


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


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


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


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

High1157′
Average907′
Low773′

CLIMATE

High82.3°F
Low47°F
Rain2.54 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!