This review is long overdue. Although we have been club members since 2011, in December 2023 we visited for the first time in many years. Bob Dunning hosted us and one other person for a tasting on the patio outside the tasting room. It was a beautiful, crisp day and a perfect time and place for tasting the wines. We enjoyed the opportunity to sit and talk with Bob about the wines and his experiences operating the vineyards for over 30 years. read more

Coming here was a true experience! Bob Dunning was so kind and attentive! He has a true gift! The chard was extraordinary! Highly recommend! I would definitely call ahead! Especially if the weather isn't at its best! But well worth it! read more

My favorite winery. Bob's ability to get beautiful things out of various varietals is unmatched. The blends are great, too! And it's just a very cool spot in the world. Highly recommended! read more

Not gonna lie I was excited to try this place. It was down a dirt road in a remote area. We saw deer running around while we were driving there. That was beautiful. Now for the winery. The tasting room was small with no sense of style. The wines were average but I could barely taste them, he poured such a small amount it was barely a sip to taste. It was a bargain at 10 dollars for a tasting but it's not worth the drive. I don't see myself going back again. read more

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Love the hidden gems that are hard to find. Dunning did not disappoint. Found this place on a list of the top 8 hidden off dirt roads wineries. Deep under a canopy of forest trees and down a narrow dirt road, its the perfect wine seeking adventure. It's great to have a one on one with the guy making the wine. The owner was the one pouring for our tasting. Fun to ask anything you can think of getting interesting insight into the world of wine. No frills tasting room only add to its unpretentious charm. Great seating view overlooking a hill of grapes that are being drenched with sunlight in the only non shaded area. The cozy camping vibe setting is only secondary to the robust tasting notes of these wines. We went straight for the Reds so I can't comment on the whites. The Pinot was not your typical thin light easy drinker. This one has some bite and body. The flavor was perfect for my pallet. Not too sweet in fact none of the wines were overly sweet. I would say the Zin was too sweet for me but that's just my personal taste profile talking here. I really enjoyed the CAB SAV. Bold bursting with earthy notes and just the right amount of chalk and tannic bite you want while you are lighting your charcoal for some smoked brisket or Santa Maria Tri-Tip. Dunning by far was my favorite place out of 5 places we visited this weekend. I recommend this hidden gem for anyone visiting Paso Robles. read more

Love this Vineyard and Robert very much. The wines are terrific and I enjoyed everything we tasted. Robert is very personal and the atmosphere and tasting is relaxing under his oak trees. You will not be disappointed visiting with Dunning Vineyards!! read more

What an experience, we rented the Guest Villa for our anniversary weekend and we did not want to leave. If you are looking for a relaxing and peaceful weekend in this area this is your spot. The vineyard is family owned and winemaker/proprietor Bob is a wealth of information. The experience start to finish was great, wine is awesome and we are now wine club members. More than anything for me was the family owned, intimate and pride that the place exudes. This isn't a place seeking your business but it is appreciated because they produce great wine and have a beautiful property on the west side of Paso. We will be back read more

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After venturing winding oak studded roads for miles, this lovely winery appeared out of nowhere at what looked to be a dead end. Lovely place to relax on picnic tables among Spanish moss draped oaks and rolling vineyards. Nice selection of traditional California reds. Favorite was meritage blend. Interesting history as Ben Hur academy award winning screen writer Dunning bought the residence as a place to escape from the stress of Hollywood. Years later, children converted to a winery, and son became the winemaker. Great place to end the day. Only criticism was one of the pourers was drinking on the job, and obviously impaired; could not find the cab franc which was right in front of her! read more

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery - Rolling vineyard among oaks at Dunning. - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

We stayed at their guest villa for one night after a recommendation from a husband's friend. Lovely little place that I would definitely come back again. We arrived after 3 which was the check-in time. To get to their winery is quite the drive from the main road and when driving to the villa, you'll be driving up a hill on a gravel road so it's best not to drive your fancy cars here. At night, it's pretty scary since there's no lighting anywhere. The owners will email you the gate code to the villa so you can just drive through. It's next to their house, but no worries as it's totally separated by a fence. Once you arrive, you'll be amazed at the view of the winery and the hills. There's a patio table and some chairs outside. We had breakfast outside there the next morning. Even a little water fountain you can turn on. When you walk in, you'll find the kitchen, bed, TV, little table, and chairs. Nice tall ceilings. Separate bathroom, separate shower and a nice jacuzzi jet bathtub. The place pretty much had everything you needed. In the fridge were some cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack, plus breakfast for the next day: oj, bagels, cream cheese, coffee, cream, vegetable quiche, and some coffee cake. It was really cute. We didn't even see the owners till the next morning when we were checking out! I felt a little rude that we didn't greet them when we arrived, but it was nice to have some privacy. My only comment would be that I hope they clean the room a little more thoroughly as there were dead flies next to the bathtub and there was spiderwebs and dust between the bed and the nightstands. YUCK! When checking out, we tried some of their wines at the tasting room. We tried various different kinds, but the one I enjoyed the most was their 2008 Private Reserve Zinfandel so we left with a bottle. read more

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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We just came back from a relaxing weekend getaway in Paso Robles. I would highly recommend the private guest villa, it felt like we were secluded in a cottage overlooking the vineyards in Tuscany. The room was clean and nice, the hot tub was great. It was supposed to have wi-fi but we didn't find it. What would make this place perfect would be if the breakfast was better. I like the privacy and not having to eat with strangers, but I didn't like how we had to warm up our own breakfast (vegetable quiche and berry muffins) that was kept in the fridge and make our own coffee (how about a Nespresso machine)? I would recommend maybe some fresh fruit salad, fresh squeezed OJ, ham spinach quiche, or a gourmet breakfast like Winemaker's porch... A dog greeted us when we woke up to eat breakfast on the patio with the beautiful view. We would stay here again when we need to get out of LA! read more

Dunning Vineyards is one of the best small wineries in the San Luis Obispo/ Paso Robles area. Bob Dunning is an exceptional host. All of the wines are tasty and amazing. One of the best is their Cabernet Franc. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday. Appointments are a good idea. If you are a member of the Wine Club you have your choice of wines to include in the shipment. read more

Enjoying a much anticipated 3012 Cab Franc to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary tonight. Never had a better bottle of wine....ever. Thank you, Bob and Jo-Ann for creating shay to us is more than wine, but a bit of family lore for us. One bottle of '12 left....going to be so sad to see it go! Can't wait to visit you again! read more

This was the best winery of my visit to paso. Its a bit off the beaten path but this winery is worth th the trip. Every wine that was poured was amazing. Had the wine owner pouring. We took home a couple bottles and joined the membership. We cant wait to go back and stay at the villa. Reds and whites were the best in the region. read more

This place was so serene. It was so quiet and quaint. The tasting room was very tiny and had a big echo. It made me feel awkward to be inside the room. Thankfully, the option to take your tasting to their patio chairs was an option. read more

Amazing wines at a great price point! Definitely looking forward to heading back soon.

When I came here for a wine tasting, I could not believe how good their wines are. When I saw the prices they charge for their wines, I was even more amazed! Definitely, the quality and taste of Dunning Vineyards wines very much exceed their price. Simply the best! Needless to say, we bought a few cases of their wines. Many thanks to Bob & Jo-Ann for your helpfulness and friendliness. read more

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery - 1/4 mile to delicious wines! - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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We hadn't been to this winery in years but remembered purchasing "one of each" at that visit. It's quite a way out but it's a lovely drive and the grounds are beautiful. The man pouring the wine was very down to earth and informative. I think he was the owner and/or the winemaker. We spent quite some time chatting. Once again every thing we tasted was very good and even though we had made a commitment to each other that we wouldn't join another wine club we did, and timing was good because we got to take our first "shipment" with us. You can't go wrong with the quality and the value pricing. Make the drive out there - you won't be disappointed. read more

The owner was very friendly and low key. The tastings for the non-reserve wines were free so YAY! The Chardonnay was super! We took a bottle home! The reserves are really great and it's only $5 to taste the reserve flights. We really enjoyed the trip. IT's a bit of a drive to get there but the tasting room isn't too crowded and you can take your time and sip your wine. Really quiet place! Great wines! read more

This place was really awesome! Dunning himself was pouring the wines and was explaining his process for his wines. It's just him and his wife, which always makes for great wines. They're more personable and they really pay attention to detail. Good for them for producing some stellar wines! read more

We were there on Monday before the tasting room opened and Bob (the winemaker) was gracious enough to take us on a tour of the winery. Loved everything he poured, bought 1 and 1/2 cases of mixed excellent wine. This lovely little winery should not be missed when in Paso! read more

We stayed at the guest villa and it is wonderful for a romantic get away. It's a very unique, off the beaten path place to stay. The views are amazing , very peaceful property, and the owners pay great attention to every detail in the villa. The pictures do not do it justice. I think this villa will be twice the price soon once word gets out how nice and unique it is! read more

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery - Vineyards in front of tasting room - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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exceptional growing practices, exceptional winery, exceptional wines I could go into detail about this winery, but I will say this instead - go to this winery. Just go! Their farming practices are some of the best in the region. They care they put into the land is equaled to the care that they put into their wines. Which is their best? that is too difficult to call...the chardonnay is wonderfully delicious, their zins are great, we have a cab frac from a few years ago that is a real knock-out. Take the time and the trip up the long (mostly dirt) road and go. You will be happy that you did. read more

This was stop #3 of 5 on our July 08 limo wine tour. Definitely qualifies for the "Far Out" winery listings-- but worth a stop off the beaten path! The pourers here were the winemakers themselves, very low key and friendly. The wines were excellent!! We paid no fee, but I don't know if that was because of our limo driver, that we bought wine, or that they don't charge. I do know I will be back again to this charming little winery someday! read more

Amazing wine & amazing service! Bob & JoAnne were so educational about their wine & their property is stunning. Loved their wine and the whole ambience. read more

First, we did not get the 10% discount for mentioning yelp as promised. I am not a white wine drinker but I will tell you that I bought a bottle of their Chardonnay. I usually rush through the white pours or skip them all together. The owner was the one pouring the tasting and he convinced me to try the Chardonnay. This was by far the most surprising wine of the trip. Excellent. The rest of the wines in the flight were good but not great. The owner was nice but not warm. The property was secluded and beautiful and there were deer everywhere. We would consider coming back to enjoy the bed and breakfast facilities. I would have given four stars if we would have received the promised discount. read more

Oh Dunning! We just finally got to a bottle we purchased as this vineyard from 2009. It was spectacular!! What a good year it was. They produce amazing reds! I love the full body and spice!! I recommend this winery for sure! read more

Excellent picnic area. If you're planning a picnic stop on your wine tasting trip, go here! The wines were all good, the estate Zin was the best I thought. A bit pricey, but it's all estate grown and high quality. The tasting room is authentic and fun, and the owners/winemakers are the ones doing the pouring. Only reason I didn't give this five stars is the location. It's a looonnngggg way out there on a somewhat windy dirt road. Don't do it you get carsick. BUT, if you're up for an adventure it's worth the trip! oh- and just an fyi- an earlier review mentioned port a potties-don't worry they've installed actual bathrooms... read more

Dunning is a tiny all-estate winery just down the road from Pipestone. The grounds are beautiful & the tasting room is quite small & intimate, & it seems like the owners are usually the ones pouring. When we were in she was pouring some interesting and tasty blends (cab/syra/zin, for example) as well as some nice & very drinkable single-varietals (including a cab franc). The wine was tasty & quite reasonably priced (with many bottles in the $20s), but nothing was outstanding enough that we felt we needed to take it home. read more

Off the beaten path, but worth the adventure. A cat greeted us upon arrival. Need I say more? Bob Dunning himself provided our pours and he is a wealth of information. We really enjoyed chatting with him and their Zinfandel 2011 Private Reserve is exceptional. read more

Not to be missed if you appreciate very good to excellent wines. Small producttion, thoughful people. Very fun.

My wife and I along with our dog Lilly stopped in last weekend to pickup up our fall shipment. Always great to visit with Bob and Jo Ann. All of the wines they poured were great. It was hard to choose for my fall allotment. After choosing we enjoy a lite lunch of cheese, salami,bread and a glass of their Cab under the big old oak tree over looking the vineyard. It does not get any better than that. Perfect!! read more

Thanksgiving weekend tour of Paso Robles with a group of friends. This was our first stop. Hmm, great drive up the old county road. Pipestone (highly recommended) is also on the same road. Free tasting as several people have mentioned, but wow, SMALL tastings.....sort of a joke. I'd rather pay and be able to get enough in my mouth. With that said, the owners were very nice, but not overly talkative (we were the only ones there right when they opened). The tasting room was a little dirty, which didn't bother me, but all the wives said something about it in the car later. No bathroom, just a portapotty, ladies. The wines were good. But, they were served way too cold, so they tasted thin and weak. Actually, we bought some and they were better at home, warmed up a bit). I'd like to try it again in the summer. read more

I am the Manager Brazilian Steak house in Long Beach Greenfield i will have the wine in our list we did the wine taste 100 of wines, Dunning Cabernet Sauvignon is fantastic i recommend has all aroma fruit is not heavy wine goes very well with the Brazilian STEAK please if you have the opportunity come to try i open the bottle you taste very affordable i can give five Stars for this wine i will check their Chadornnay and Meritage 2012/2013 if good as the Cabernet i will add to my menu manager Luiz Santos read more

So one lazy afternoon while dad and I were out adventuring in Paso looking for that next hidden gem we took a turn up a road and followed it to the end. We found to our aruprise a sign stating wine tasting turn left. (we sort of forgot to read the sign stating closed right underneath of it) You start your drive up w winding gravel drive and ford across a stream (literally you cross a stream), and finally come up to this picteresue looking farm house and distillery. Its in the woods and jsut literally look like my perfect little get away. They do have a guest hosue you can stay in if you want. Being as they were closed the owners came out a bit perplexed as to why we were there. Us having made the fauw pas profusely applogized and were getting ready to be on our way when they shrugged their shoulders and said ehhh... why not come on in and taste. The tasteing room itself is small but thats ok because this truly is one of the wineries that you have to be in the know to know about. The journey you make to get there keeps those who don't want to adventure aaway. For those that do I have one word for you Meritage. My father and I fell in love. there was not a single one of their wines we didn't enjoy but their Meritage blend is phenomenal year after year after year. Ths is one of those wines that I make the three hour drive from the bay area for because it really is just that good. It helps that the owners are some of the nicest people as well. Dunning I applaud you. read more

We've always gone to Dunning for good wine but my wife and I decided to stay at the guest villa to celebrate our anniversary. It's romantic, very secluded and I highly recommend it to any couple looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We planned on going to Roberts for dinner but couldn't pass up the opportunity to have dinner on the patio and enjoy the great view. We actually ordered food from Roberts and brought it back. It was exactly what we needed to relax and reconnect. Bob and his wife and some of the nicest people around. Can't say enough about this place. read more

We went there & had a lovely time. The winemaker allowed us to do a barrel tasting which is always awesome.

good wine here - worth going off the beaten path for this winery.

this place would not rank alongside some of my favorite wineries, but their wines were really good. everything was consistently pleasant to us and their $5 reserve fee was also very reasonable. despite trying out many good wines, their syrah was the one that stood out to us the most and a great deal. the prices were all very affordable. read more

My wife and I recently stayed at the Dunning Ranch Guest House in the heart of Willow Creek AVA to celebrate our 30th anniversary. It was such a beautiful and quiet location. The 2nd floor unit we rented was perfect and had all the amenities we needed. The fridge was stocked with great snacks and Breakfast items. Bob Dunning was a great host and could not have been nicer. We tasted some fantastic wines (The Ridge Top and Reserve Zin, Cabernet, and Petite Sirah were outstanding!!!!!!!!) and we even joined their wine club. If you like wonderful views, peace and quiet and great wines this is the place for you. We can't wait to go back. read more

Truly great wine for the same prices you'd pay for mediocre wine. Worth the drive up the hill from Zin Alley - which is another one you shouldn't miss. read more