Jon was great in making our day run as smirky as possible. Given we have never been to Paso prior to this, we gave our must haves in wine tasting and he made all our reservations and recommendations for us. Our driver, Brad, was prompt and responsive. I highly recommend this service if you know you are going to have a full day of boozing. read more

We had a great experience with Zac as our driver. Our birthday girl had 5 wineries on her agenda with appointments and he was able to keep us on track. He was on time for pick up and was very knowledgeable of the places we toured. John took our rederivation months in advance and was great at making a perfect experience. Thank you!! read more

We hired Designated Wine Driver for our recent wine tasting in Paso Robles. Jon helped us decide where to go a few days before our trip so that we could make appointments and taste at some smaller boutique wineries. It was an amazing experience. I would highly recommend this service. Because he would let us know how far to the next winery prior to tasting in the current winery we were able to maximize our tasting experiences. Jon was personable and nice and hung out somewhere close by so that he could carry our purchases to the car appearing almost magically as we checked out. Another thing I really liked was that he would text me in the morning to confirm the pickup time. That also made sure we were on time for our first tasting. A great way to taste by maximizing your time and not worrying about who is driving or getting lost. read more

We had an amazing driver who was very courteous. It made our trip SO much easier because we left all of our wine in the car while we traveled. Would highly recommend their services! read more

I visit Paso often and Jon is my go to for driving around wine tasting safely. There is no reason to not hire a driver when in Paso. Jon offers great customer service, communication is fast and he makes great recommendations too. I've had some of his other drivers as well and they have all been great. It's the perfect business to use when you want to feel relaxed and like you're just driving around with friends. read more

The best DD service around, hands down. Fancy vans are nice, but where else can you hire a driver to chauffeur you in your own car around the lovely and circuitous roads of Paso Robles? We've used this service once before and will definitely do so again. Jon was quick to communicate via text once we booked. He even went out of his way to try to make reservations for us (I'm not a seasoned wine taster so making reservations wasn't on my radar). I'm so glad we booked with him and got to do 2 tastings prior to our dinner reservation. And we were able to bring our pups instead of leaving them crated at home for 5+ hours. 5 stars all the way! Definitely recommend and definitely will use again. read more

My sister and I had the best time in Paso Robles and that's a huge thanks to Designated Wine Driver and our driver, Bruce! Everything about this experience was so easy and enjoyable! I highly recommend! read more

John was the best. He was on time to pick us up at our hotel in Cambria for our wine tasting experience in Paso Robles. His suggestions were great! He was totally professional and a great driver. We will use him in the near future! read more

We had the best day with Bob! You are not just getting a driver, you are getting his knowledge of the wines, the vineyards and the land. Plus, his relationships with the wineries! Everyone knew Bob, and seemed so happy to see him. The wineries all treated us like special guests and we had the best day ever. This is the only way to do Paso Robles wineries, and the only company to do it with. Highly recommended! read more

Jon was the best driver. He replied promptly to my request for a driver for wine tasting in Paso Robles planned for the next day. My sister and I were looking for wineries that were dog friendly and he recommended some for us. We booked one of his recommendations along with 2 other wineries. He arrived promptly and met us at our hotel lobby. He drove us to the wineries and stayed in the area to wait for us. When it came time for our next scheduled reservation, he came to get us and carried our wine to the car. He made sure we took pictures in the scenery and took several shots for us. The second winery was Venteux, his recommendation, which was perfect for our dogs. It had a big field of grass for the dogs to play in. Since we came the week after Thanksgiving, we and the dogs had the place to ourselves. Jon pulled the car up for us while we were ordering our wines and again brought the bottles to the car. By the 3rd reservation, we were reaching our wine limit and were very glad we had a great designated driver to get us back to our hotel safely. I wholeheartedly recommend this service and will be using it again. For 2 girls traveling by ourselves, we felt very safe with Jon. read more

Designated Wine Driver - Picture taken by our driver Jon. Winery and pups. #BookerVineyard - Wine Tours Near Me - Paso Robles, California

This review is a long time coming. My wife and I used DWD last August and have nothing but great things to say about them. This service is SO simple and SO much better than taking a tour and paying the insurance for someone else's car/van! Sadly, since we had so much fun and it was last August I can't remember our driver's name but he was a last minute fill-in and coached baseball. We're gonna be back in town in October and will definitely be contacting Designated Wine Driver again. :) read more

We recently used Jon to drive us around for a wine tasting girls weekend trip. He came promptly at the time we agreed on and was great! He even took pictures for us, suggested other wineries when we had a little time to kill and carried all the wine we bought to our car for us. I would definitely use him again next time we go and I highly recommend him! read more

I can't thank Bob enough! What a fantastic day! Your knowledge and easy talk was welcomed! When Bob asked where my reservations were and I told him one of them, he said he wouldn't recommend it and called an audible, made a phone call (since reservations are needed In the world of covid) and took me to his favorite place! Bob also knew the food options and called ahead to a local sandwich place for drive by lunch! 5 stars all the way!! read more

My wife and I really enjoyed Jon as our driver! He was great to talk with and VERY knowledgeable of the Paso area and the wineries. He made our day very special. I would recommend Jon and his company to anyone looking for a driver for a day at the wineries! Thanks Jon. read more

Definitely don't hesitate to book DWD for your next wine tasting trip. My friend and I planned a full day of wine tasting in Paso Robles and our driver Jason was friendly, professional, and personable. He got us to each destination on time and also offered some recommendations for places to eat, and other wineries to visit during our trip. We will definitely use DWD again, the booking process was very easy too. read more

A no-brainer, if you truly wish to sample/drink wine from 2-3+ wineries. IMO, better than paying for a small group tour. You get to arrange your custom itinerary and with their local knowledge/help. Out of 15 possible drivers, Jon picked us up on time and drove our SUV to 4 different wineries from 11am to 4:30. We sampled wines while he waited patiently for us. A FUN day and we didn't have to worry about a possible breathalyzer test or accident. Priceless. read more

I reached out to Bob a single day before my mom and I were in need of his services (we aren't exactly the planning types). Bob answered his phone immediately and was incredibly accommodating to our request for a driver from 10A through whenever we decided to be done, legitimately we gave no time frame. He provided us with a drivers name and let us know that the driver would be at our rental apartment at exactly 10A to take us to all the wineries of our choosing. The next morning, we had a bit of a slow start to the morning (come on, we were in wine country!) and when I called I was surprised to find no one answered the phone. But, low and behold, Bob was calling me at the exact time I was calling him (9A). He called to inform us that he would personally be guiding my mom and I and was super accommodating in us asking for an extra hour to make ourselves more human. Bob showed up, I signed some paperwork for him to drive my car and we discussed what we wanted to do for the day. We really had no real agenda, but he helped us define an area and gave us INCREDIBLE recommendations. We stopped at my mom's favorite first, Caliza, and did our first tasting. From there, Bob really was our guide and directed us to three additional stops that neither of us had heard before. The second stop was my absolutely favorite, to the point I joined my first wine club. The third we both loved as well, and Bob even designated it as a great stop for the packed charcuterie plate he packed for us, a bunch of waters and a great lunching ambience. Our next stops were just as great, including our last stop which had PUPPIES everywhere - wine and puppies are two of my favorite things. Additionally, we had left a few crates at the tasting rooms we had been to the night before and needed to grab some cash (rightfully, they are cash only) and he was SO accommodating including carrying all of our crates and bags out for us (which he did at every stop). Seriously, I can't wait to give him a call the next time we are in Paso because there is no other way to visit the region. I would give Bob and his service a 10 star if I could. THANK YOU, BOB!!! We absolutely loved your company, insights, and suggestions - you helped make the day absolute perfection. read more

Our driver Bruce was Awesome! He was very nice, great driver & good conversation. We would book with Bruce again!

We booked Designated Wine Driver this past weekend and our driver Beth was awesome! Much better than taking a tour, especially right now since you have to pretty much create your own schedule with all the reservations that have to be made. She knew the area (which was great since cell service does not work at many of the vineyards) and she knew some of the owners and winemakers of the vineyards too. That came in handy when she took us to a winery that we really wanted to go to. She was friendly and fun too! Would recommend! read more

Getting a designated driver is the best way to truly enjoy all the wineries in the Paso area. The hourly price covers all the occupants of the car regardless of how many passengers. We contracted Designated Wine Driver and Bob met us at our hotel promptly. In case your unfamiliar with how this works, your driver meets you at your hotel and then drives you around in your car. So make sure you got gas in it and that it has all the proper tags and current registration. Back to the service, Bob was friendly and knew the area. I've been tasting in Paso dozens of times but, it was nice to get a local's insight into where and when to go next. In short, Bob's a people person and seems like he could get along with anybody. Additionally, he brought snacks and water and he set-up our lunch spread while we were inside tasting at Peachy Canyon. In total we visited 5 wineries. Two Bob suggested and the other three we'd planned to taste at. Pros: - Bob takes photos of the party at every winery and then sends you them after - He does not partake in any drinking - He's laid back and goes-with-the -low - He brought us food and water - He made helpful suggestions about planning our day - He got us a tasting at a nice winery where we got to taste in the barrel room Tips: - Call well in advance to reserve and contract his services - Bob's prompt and you should be too - If you like his service, tips are welcomed read more

A group of us were meeting up in Paso for a wine tasting weekend, so I immediately looked to Yelp to find a DD. Designated Wine Drive received great reviews and after talking to Bob Barker I knew it would be a great fit for what our group needed. Beth was our driver this last weekend and she probably knew she would have her hands full after meeting all of us. She did an EXCELLENT job driving us around to the wineries we had selected, as well as, recommending some we had not thought of trying before. Beth brought along some yummy snacks for us to enjoy and ice cold water that was much needed after the third winery. She made it very easy for us to get in and out of each winery making sure we were being taken care of and had all of our purchases before leaving. We never felt rushed and were all very relaxed knowing that we were in good hands with Beth at the wheel. The day after our trip, Beth came by and dropped off a CD that had all of the pictures she had taken throughout the day. She captured some great candid and posed shots that were so much fun to look at and share with our group. Thank you Beth for making our day so memorable and FUN!! We would recommend you anytime and hope to see you again on our next visit. read more

Designated Wine Driver - Daou Winery - Wine Tours Near Me - Paso Robles, California

I cannot say enough amazing things about our experience with this company. Firstly, the business is in transition of an ownership change and we were lucky enough to not only chat with Jon the new owner but also have Bob the previous owner as our driver. Jon who was in the process of taking over was so helpful, kind, knowledgeable and communication was great. There are many options you can chose for drivers, chauffeurs etc...in Paso, but do yourself a favor and go with these guys. Like I said, Bob was our driver for the day and he was simply wonderful. He's not only a genuinely good man, but he knows Paso inside and out. He gives you great and honest opinions if you have questions about wineries and suggested some absolutely incredible wines and places to go, which we loved! We already had our day scheduled out but he helped us sneak some other wineries in there and offered just amazing conversation and knowledge. We left considering Bob a new friend and we will always call on him and Designated Wine Drivers when in Paso. This is an overall excellent experience that you truly won't regret! read more

This review is long overdue because we used this company many months ago. Jon was professionally dressed, polite, knowledgeable, on time, efficient, perceptive, responsible, mindful and did a great job driving my car! He went above and beyond. Without hesitation, I would recommend Jon and this company. read more

A group of us went to Paso Robles for the weekend and decided to rent a minivan. One of our friends found Designated Wine Drivers to take us around and we are all so glad he did! Our driver was Scott and he was so great! He was so laid back, safe driver and a true gentleman. He was so prepared, very knowledgeable of the area and the wineries. At one of the wineries he ordered a cheese plate with other goodies from a tasty little Italian deli. It was really nice. He always right there packing the car with the wine bottles we purchased, getting us water and making sure he was right there when we were ready to go. It was so easy to be ourselves around him. If you want to enjoy wine tasting without having to worry about a DD, I highly recommend Designated Wine Drivers. I would give them 6 stars if I could! Thanks Scott! read more

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Jake was outstanding. He was punctual, safe and courteous. We'd definitely choose Designated Wine Driver again when in Paso!

We had a great experience with Designated Wine Drivers. Jon responded to my request for a driver very quickly and followed up to make sure we were taken care of. Brad was our driver and he was fantastic. He was so fun we wound up hanging out with him during our lunch. He knew the employees of the wineries and was able to organize things so our day went really great. Thanks Jon and Brad for making our trip so memorable. read more

We used this wonderful service again for my hubbys bday and our 20th wedding anniversary . Beth was our driver and she was great. We enjoyed her knowledge about the area and the different wineries . This is the best way to go! Will never use another service again. Worth every penny ! read more

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Used Bob several years ago. John now doing a great job as well. John and Bruce were knowledgeable, on time, and accommodating to last minute changes. Will use again. read more

I was researching wine tasting tours so my husband and I could safely enjoy Paso wine tasting. Bob and Beth were awesome to coordinate with and they set us up with an amazing driver who knew the area well, made awesome recommendations and made us feel like we had a tailored service. We had a lovely picnic of cheeses, fruit and vegetables which was perfect to go with our tasting. We had an awesome time with great memories. Our driver took some lovely photos so we can remember our fun trip. We will definitely use Designated Wine Driver again. Thank you!!! read more

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We had THE best time with our private driver - Jason. When trying to determine safe tours, Designated Wine tour is the way to go. Having the convenience of your own car with you is a perk, but nothing beats the personal driver who is familiar with the wineries in Paso to provide advice based on our groups taste. Jason also snapped a ton of photos for us and had cheese, crackers & veggies to snack on outside at our 2nd stop. Loved everything and he went above & beyond what we expected for service. read more

Cannot wait to get back up to Paso and have Bob be our driver for the day. We had the absolute best day with him. My mom came to visit my boyfriend and I in LA from the East Coast and she had never been to a winery before this trip. Bob made her first experience perfect! My boyfriend and I had been to Paso a couple other times, but Bob brought us to wineries we never would have on our own and absolutely loved each one (Rangeland, McPrice Myers). He packed us a cute little snack box with bottled water for midday (which was VERY needed with all the wine), he took photos and emailed them afterwards, and he also cooled the car for a bit before we got in (it was HOT at the end of June). Thank you Bob for such a memorable day with my mom! Hopefully we will see you again soon! read more

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My hang around, surprised me with a trip to Allegretto Winery and resort for my birthday it was the best most romantic birthday ever !!!! To top it off we used Designated Wine Drivers to Chauffeur us around safely. We were assigned Billy Cusimano, and we could not be happier he was outstanding, not only did he cater to us he also catered to our little pup pepper, he happily walked her and made sure she was ok while we toured Justin winery, where doggies weren't allowed we will happily use Billy next time we're visiting Paso Robles :) Thank Bob for referring him to us!!!! read more

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Amazing! Why not be safe. This is a great service! Chuck drove our car and we visited a few wineries. So great to not have to worry. How wonderful! Chuck was great!!! read more

Beth was fantastic! We were two moms with a 5 month old and a 10 month old. She was soooo helpful with the babies. We couldn't have had a good time without her! Thank you! read more

My wife and I had a fabulous time with Bob exploring the beautiful Paso countryside and visiting many of the well known and lesser known wineries in Paso Robles. Bob has been in the area for along time and took us to some wonderful wineries that were not on our list but were all excellent choices. We went to a number of the more well known wineries, JLohr, Justin and Daou but found Bobs hidden gems to be the icing on the cake. It was well worth the reasonable and flexible rate we paid to not get lost, enjoy the tasty lunch he provides and sit back and relax while he does all the driving while sharing his wealth of information about the area. Highly recommend. read more

I found Bob through yelp, and am so glad I did! My girlfriends and I had a weekend in Paso planned and didn't want the usual struggle of deciding who sits what out, and where; we figured it isn't worth the chance of being stupid after drinking wine and endangering ourselves or others. What a great choice! Bob showed up early both days we hired him. He is super friendly and accommodating; in contact before you arrive to get your plans and help you choose wineries if you're unfamiliar, or offering additional suggestions if you have a plan in mind! He brought snacks and water, a blessing since our group of 4 ladies was starving when we arrived and hadn't had a chance to stop at a grocery. He didn't mind loud conversation, occasionally minding the 3 dogs while we wandered or tasted, and amending his plans to fit our last minute requests. Bob's rates are reasonable and he drives your vehicle so bonus! As a final comment, Bob waited while we hit a seafood market and meat market and trader joes for groceries our second day. He also promptly sent us a cd of pictures he took of our adventures! read more

Designated Wine Driver - My pups and I at a favorite vineyard. - Wine Tours Near Me - Paso Robles, California

I will definitely be using this service anytime I come to Paso Robles to wine taste. Bob was our driver and ended up taking us to one of our favorite wineries of the trip ! He was very knowledgeable about the area. It's kind of impossible to get ubers at some of the wineries and definitely expensive. Designated wine driver is the way to go!! read more

This is the service that you want to hire when you come to Paso and want to visit wineries. The first thing I would say about Designated Wine Driver is the name is a bit of a misnomer because it makes it seem as though this is only about hiring a car service. DWD offers far more than that - instead they provide a personalized wine tour of Paso, while also giving you the assurance of a designated driver. It's really the best of both worlds and I cannot imagine a better person to hire than Bob Barker and his team. There are something like over 300 vineyards in Paso and the surrounding area, so you could literally spend hours researching before you get there (trust me, I did). Only after hiring DWD did I realize I could have saved all of that time beforehand knowing that I was hiring Bob. All the other reviews give you the skinny - Bob or someone on his team picks you up, they drive your car, you pay for the hours. But the key part of DWD is the personalized expert tour and guidance that Bob provides. Bob is an expert and he knows everyone. And the best part is that if you want him to, he will literally craft a personalized tour based on your taste, your preference, and your vibe. And Bob is like the mayor of Paso - every place you walk in, people know Bob, walk over, give him a hug, etc. And if you are with the mayor, that sun shines on you! I think we met the winemakers at nearly every vineyard we stopped with Bob. Being with Bob made our Paso experience. I cannot imagine going back without his expertise, his kindness, and his intention to make sure you walk away from the experience loving Paso just as much as he does. read more

Bob is the best! Bob drove myself and 3 girlfriends to about 5 wineries! Bob was very knowledgeable and took us to some incredible places, even a private residence that he had set up a tasting for us. He had a snack pack for us that he and his wife prepared along with some cold waters. We sure had some great laughs. Loved Bob and he made our day that much more or an adventure. Can't wait for the next trip! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

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Jason was an excellent driver! He quickly figured out our taste in wine and mentioned a few lesser known wineries to us, which we incorporated into our trip! He was there to do the dirty work for us...hold our table while he waited for our food...while we tasted wine, put air in the tires, take our pictures, and help us load the car. Also, he knew background information around the area. Overall, a wonderful experience! read more