A Paso Robles cornerstone for more than 25 years, Opolo is a family-owned winery specializing in Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhône varieties and elegant white wines from our estate vineyards in the Willow Creek District and across Paso Robles.
Friends and former neighbors Rick Quinn and David Nichols began planting vines in 1997 and founded Opolo two years later. The name honors Rick’s Serbian heritage and the rosé-style wines of the Dalmatian Coast.
Today, that Balkan connection lives on in our rare Vranac—the only varietal bottling of Vranac in America, available exclusively for purchase. Visit our scenic estate for tasting experiences, food pairings, vineyard tours, special events and the warm, Old World-style hospitality that has defined Opolo for generations.
The Experience:
Guests can book seated tastings in the Opolo tasting room, choosing between a $30 Classic Flight built around favorites like the flagship Mountain Zinfandel and a $50 Reserve Flight of library wines and reserve selections. Each tasting runs about an hour and seats groups of up to eight. Tasting fees are waived with a two-bottle purchase, and wine club members receive four complimentary tastings per visit. On the patio, enjoy wood-fired pizza and artisanal food pairings, wine by the glass or bottle, and cocktails from the onsite Willow Creek Distillery. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, and taster boards featuring wine or spirits are available to enjoy while taking in the views.
For a deeper look at the estate, the Opolo Estate Tour and Tasting ($100 per person, $80 for members) is a private 90-minute outing for up to six guests. It includes wine tasted among the vines, coastal mountain views and a sit-down pairing of rare Opolo Reserve selections with cheeses. Spirits fans can book a Willow Creek Distillery tasting, where you choose four hand-crafted spirits in the production room. Guests who want to linger can stay at The Inn at Opolo, where suites have fireplaces and soaking tubs, breakfast is made to order, and wine and appetizers are served each afternoon. Vineyard walking paths, a bocce court and a Mediterranean kitchen are on the grounds.
What Makes It Special:
The Opolo story is a Willow Creek District story. The estate’s two contiguous vineyards, the original Quinn West and the newer To the Moon, sit on terraced slopes in the Santa Lucia foothills. Warm afternoons there are cooled by marine breezes through the Templeton Gap, and the limestone-rich soils give the Rhône and Bordeaux varieties their fresh acidity and structure. Fruit from the warmer Estrella District vineyards, Nichols East and Quinn East, brings ripeness to varieties like Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Barbera. The estate vineyards are SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certified.
Mountain Zinfandel, the wine that started Opolo in 1999, remains its calling card. The 2022 vintage earned a Double Gold and 96 points as “Best in Class” at the Central Coast Wine Competition, and Wine Spectator has featured the Summit Creek Zinfandel among its 90+ point California Zinfandels. The Balkan thread runs through the whole property, from the Vranac grown on the estate to Balkan-inspired pairings, the Harvest Festival and an annual wine tour of the Adriatic. Willow Creek Distillery, established in 2013 and led since 2016 by Central Coast native Kevin Coulton, adds a spirits program most Paso wineries can’t match.
Visitor Tips:
- Reserve through Tock. Walk-ins are seated as available, and reservations are held only 15 minutes past the scheduled time.
- Wine tastings happen only in the indoor tasting room. The patio serves food, with a glass of wine included with each food item, and wine by the glass or bottle.
- Open daily (Sun–Thu 11–4:30, Fri–Sat 11–5). Kitchen hours vary seasonally, so call ahead to confirm.
- Club members should log in when booking to redeem their complimentary tastings.
- Ask whether the latest limited Vranac release is available. Past bottlings sold out quickly with a two-bottle limit.
- Tasting experiences are 21+. Guests with children are seated on the patio.
- Groups of 9–14 must request a reservation through [email protected] and meet a two-bottle-per-person minimum.
- Harvest Festival Weekend takes place October 16–18 in 2026.
- Book The Inn at Opolo separately at theinnatopolo.com.
Perfect For: Zinfandel devotees, adventurous drinkers curious about rare varieties, groups who want food and wine on a dog-friendly patio, and travelers who would rather stay on the estate than drive back after their tasting.
