Team C&J
This Winery Is Permanently Closed.
Winery Rating
Located at:
7110 Vineyard Dr, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Wine Club Rating
Price Range For Tasting
In addition to a thriving wine program, Opolo also operates a distillery and a vineyard inn. There’s a lot going on at Opolo, but we will help you dig into the details of the vineyard so you know what to expect in your wine-tasting experience.
Opolo Vineyards is a dynamic estate that dabbles in a little bit of everything. While Rhone and Bordeaux varieties make up the bulk of the brand’s portfolio, they also dabble in Albarino, Moscato (via the Flirtations bottling), and a sparkling wine. The winery even operates a distillery where they produce a number of liqueurs, including cherry, apricot, and fig brandy, whiskey, brandy, amaro, and chamomile liqueur. And they operate an inn, the Inn at Opolo, with suite-sized accommodations!
The tasting room at Opolo Vineyards is lively, and the owners, Rick Quinn and Dave Nichols, frequently hang out in the tasting room, as they were on our visit. We love it when we see a winery’s owner(s) onsite, talking to guests, entertaining friends, and generally just showing how much they love the business they’re in, rather than those winery owners who you only ever see in press releases.
Rick and Dave were neighbors before they became business partners and formed Opolo, so it’s nice to see that camaraderie continuing decades after the winery was created back in 1996.
The Opolo estate is around 400 acres, with almost 300 of those acres under vine. The vineyards span both the east side, which is hot and dry, and the west side of Paso, which has a moderate climate, thanks to the influence of the Pacific Ocean. This means that winemakers Chris Rougeot and James Schreiner, who split winemaking duties, have the ability to work with fruit that has some unique variations across vineyard sites.
Sustainability is a key tenant at Opolo, and the vineyards are SIP certified (Sustainability in Practice), while the walnut orchard is CCOF certified. Owl boxes are placed around the vineyard for rodent control, and cover crops like barley are used for soil regeneration.
Opolo offers two tasting experiences: an indoor bar tasting ($20pp) and a patio tasting ($30pp). Both tastings include five wines, and the tasting fee is waived with the purchase of 3 bottles per tasting.
The patio area is decked out with overhead bulb lighting, and it feels like you’re sipping within a big, red country barn. Very quaint and welcoming. The weather was perfect on the afternoon we visited, and the outdoor seating was bustling. We took a peak at the indoor bar area, and that area was pretty empty. But, honestly, with the bright, sunny skies, we wouldn’t expect anyone to gravitate indoors.
NV Opolo Sparkling, $16
A wine tasting at Opolo Vineyards begins with the estate’s non-vintage sparkling wine. This sparkling wine is made with French Colombard, a bulk wine varietal typically grown in the San Joaquin Valley. The wine itself had a similar bulk wine vibe. We were not fans.
2022 Albariño, $30
Opolo Albariño, the next wine, was a breath of fresh air. Lots of citrus and crisp green apples on the palate. It has nice acidity, moderate alcohol, and a long, refreshing finish. We really enjoyed this white wine.
2022 Roussanne, $30
The 2022 Roussanne (87% Roussanne, 13% Viognier) was released the week before we arrived in April 2023. We love a well-made Rhone-inspired wine, and this one was excellent. There is a nice minerality to the palate and bursts of lemon and lime citrus flavors, as well as crisp pear, apple, and melon. Our only comment on this was that the alcohol level felt very high. There could be a touch more balance in that regard.
2021 Viognier, $30
This Viognier (100% Viognier) has a lovely floral and white peach nose. Juicy citrus fruit and yellow peach dominate the palate; there is also a wisp of honeysuckle and a thread of minerality that adds balance. The moderate alcohol level feels more “in check” compared to the Roussanne.
2020 MONTAGNA MARE, $38
A really interesting Italian blend made of estate-grown Barbera and Sangiovese (66% Barbera, 34% Sangiovese). The nose is a robust mix of black pepper, licorice and red cherry, and similar notes spread through the palate. The textured mouthfeel on this blend is complemented by moderate acidity and a long finish. The finish is slightly sweet, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the wine.
2019 WILLOW CREEK MERLOT, $45
The Willow Creek Merlot (76% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot) is defined by notes of black pepper and dark fruit. The wine’s moderate tannins provide a good structure, and the finish is long and pleasant. Fruit for this wine was sourced from the Willow Creek AVA. This bottling is a good example of a Paso Robles Merlot.
2020 Grand Rouge, $28
The Grand Rouge wine is composed of Rhone grapes (48% Grenache, 29% Syrah, 20% Counoise, 3% Petite Sirah), but has a very beaujolais nouveau feel to it. Lots of red fruit on this palate, with a light body and firm tannins. The fruit lingers on the finish, leaving a satisfying impression of a complex wine.
2020 Grenache, $40
Opolo describes this wine as a “fruit bomb,” and we don’t disagree. We found the grenache to be one of the better red wines in the bunch we tried. Notes of cherry cola and bell pepper offer subtle support to all of that fruit. It is a well-made wine with balanced acidity, tannins, and a lingering finish. The alcohol was a tad high, but overall, a nice Paso grenache.
2020 Maestro, $36
The Maestro was easily our favorite red wine of the afternoon. This wine was hitting on all cylinders. The blend of (61% Syrah, 34% Grenache, 5% Counoise) provides a classic Rhone feel that explodes with dark fruit. Opolo recommends you pull this bottle out when you’re ready to fire up the grill and hang out in the backyard with friends. Maestro has a daily drinker kind of vibe; this is one very good wine.
2019 Concerto, $38
The blend on this Bordeaux-style wine changes from year to year but almost always has Cabernet Sauvignon as the dominant blending grape. The vintage we tried was a mix of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petite Sirah, 15% Malbec, 15% Cab Franc. The 2018 vintage saw the Cab element kick up to 80%!
The name ‘concerto’ implies an elegance to this wine, and it delivers. Ripe cherry fruit and cedar are layered with vanilla cream and baking spice. No surprises here, just a reliably good wine.
Overall, we found Opolo Vineyards to be a very nice winery. There was plenty of outdoor seating, the views were scenic, and Ryan, our server, provided excellent service. The tasting on the patio has some good wines, and a few you might want to keep on hand for every day sipping.
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