My fiance and I really enjoyed our visit to Ecluse. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and a beautiful setting with lovely views. Place to have a picnic and the winery wasn't too busy when we went (it's a bit off the beaten path). We had a chance to taste and compare wines in different barrels which was a great learning opportunity afforded to us by this superb winery. Highly recommended and really high quality wines. read more

Ecluse Wines - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Owners Steve and Pam are great hosts. As winemaker, Steve loves to have people do barrel tasting of the following year's batch for bottling. This time is was the next bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Both were delicious. On this trip we purchased three blends: 2011 Ensemble, Improv and Rendiiton (GSM). We also bought varietals: 2010 Zinfandel, 2010 Cab Sauv, 2011 Petite Sirah and 2011 Syrah. We also joined the wine club because of the quality and price point on the product. read more

My friends and I came to this winery for the Wine 4 Paws event a couple weekends ago. I had researched all of the participating wineries before hand and chose Ecluse based upon all of the wonderful reviews on Yelp. We were, however, very disappointed to say the least with our experience at Ecluse. I have never been treated so horribly at a winery. I don't know if they thought we were intoxicated (which we weren't), but from the very minute our group walked in, it was very obvious that they did not want us there. The pours of wine were miniscule and not once did our pourer take the time to fully explain the wine to us. We tried to engage her with questions, to which she nonchalantly responded then walked away. We had heard several other tables talk about getting a barrel tasting so we asked about this. Our wine pourer sarcastically asked, "Oh, have you ever had one of those? Would you even be interested?" We decided to leave without getting this after being disgusted with our experience. Our horrible customer service experience completely overpowered the wine, therefore, I can't even comment on the wine quality. We visited 5 wineries that day, spending a good deal of money and time at each one with Ecluse being the exception. The group I was with was comprised of young professionals looking to taste some amazing wine, learn a bit more, and spend a good deal of money on the wine we loved. We all felt that we were judged the minute we walked in to be a group of kids, not to be taken seriously, and were completely dismissed. Shame on you Ecluse winery because while I'll make it a point to tell everyone about our amazing experiences that day at the other wineries, I"ll make it even a bigger priority to tell people not to frequent your winery. read more

Lovely tasting room. Only two miles off the highway but you feel a world away. Tasting is in the barrel room and was cool, not crowded. Staff was very attentive and explained the wines well. They focus on reds, one white in the tasting. Our group liked all the reds, they were a bit pricey ~40-50$ a bottle. There is a delicious red blend you can guy for 15$, not able to taste but we bought a bottle and drank it on the back patio with some cheese and crackers. We then went back in a joined the club + bought some more blind-dog bottles, with the club they came to 13$ a bottle read more

Ecluse Wines - Sat on the back porch with a great view and the 15$ blind dog blend! - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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Fantastic wines, lovely deck with great view, very personable owners and staff. Highly enjoyed our visit!

We give Ecluse five stars although we wish we could give them six stars!!! Phenomenal winery with incredible wines, year after year. Today we had the pleasure of wine tasting plus barrel samples with Steve, who gave us an amazing education on their wine making process, plus the differences of using French, Hungarian and American oak barrels. Excellent art by Daniela, plus great service from Pam, who is a sweetheart! And did we mention the wine? Year after year it is stellar. We bought a bunch, suffice it to say! Yes we will be back next find we visit. Well worth the drive to get here. Highly recommend!!!! read more

Complimentary tasting. The only varietal they serve is a Zinfandel. But still overall quite a few decent red blends. A barrel taste was included. Customer service was outstanding. The owner was on site as well as his wife for questions & the wine room attendants were very knowledgeable & pleasant. read more

This is a beautiful vineyard with a wonderful family own vibes. We did wine tasting here and had such a wonderful learning experience. Maddie was very knowledgeable and friendly so we had a great time talking to her and testing out the different wine. A very personable experience here which made it so memorable activity. We tried their wines and it was wonderful so I bought 1 bottle of their 2013 Improv. Definitely recommend to come here to check it out. read more

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Small grower off the beaten path. Yelpers got it right..Steve, I believe the owner, greeted us. He was very very accommodating and educated us on his winery, how he makes his wines, etc... And yes the tastings are free. After a few tastings he proceeded with the barrel tastings and gives you a sample of different oaks used for aging. I'm no wine expert, generally only spend $10-15 for my wines and depend on BevMo ratings to pick my wines. Steve educated me and my wife on a few things about wine making which was very enlightening. We've been to a few wineries for tastings and occasionally feel that we are a little out of place with our limited palets and knowledge of wines. Steve made us feel at home and comfortable, truly appreciated his honesty and patience to help us understand a bit more about wines and wine making. A must visit if your in the area. We will come back for sure! read more

Probably the best wine tasting experience yet. From the start we were treated like long lost family members, the owners were so welcoming. This is a small family run winery. My favorite kind. Nothing obnoxious or arrogant just straight forward customer service & delicious wine. The Syrah was off the chart. During a tour of the facility we tasted various stages of the process. My daughter who is underage & our designated driver was only able to taste the "grape juice" phase which was meaty with pulp & sugar but very delicious. When mentioning to Pam the owner that they should bottle their non-alcoholic phase of juice along with their incredible wine, Pam shared she would love to; yet all the archaic laws made it too cumbersome an undertaking. But The owner did manage to sneak away & have some of that amazing juice bottled up just for my daughter who happily thanked Pam while quietly wondering if the RA at her dorm would think she was hustling in illegal booze. These are good people making very good wine. Can't wait to go back. read more

Ecluse Wines - View from inside the tasting room. - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Ecluse is another tiny winery, off the beaten track, where not only can you taste a number of different, well-made wines, and learn all about them from the winemaker himself. You'll probably get a barrel sample or two as well, if you're interested. With the "tasting room" being just a counter in the winery building, it's a great opportunity to learn about winemaking and talk to some very friendly people who are happy to teach you about wine in general, their wine, and the magic and creativity possible in a tiny winery. It's a totally different experience from the big, fancy tasting rooms of larger tourist-oriented wineries. Is their wine amazing? No, but it's quite reasonably priced, and is certainly worth buying and drinking at that price! read more

Totally unpretentious winery with a steel shed tasting room. Don't be put off. There is talent behind these wines. Starting with Blind Dog, their basic red table. An excellent and affordable wine and portion of proceeds goes to a blind canine rescue group. Move up to the Improv and Ensemble, two GSMs that are delish. They're located about 10 minutes from downtown Paso Robles. Spend 30-45 minutes here. Enjoy. read more

I tend to get a little skeptical when I see so many 5 star wine reviews. I mean, people taste wine differently, but in this case I agree with the 5 star reviews about Ecluse. Along with Denner and Summerwood, they are making some of the best wines in the region. They don't have a large selection, but what they do have is really good stuff. In particular, their Improv (a syrah, mouvedre, zinfendel and petit syrah blend) was exceptional. Like so many Paso wines, these are a bit fruit forward, but not over bearing and all the wines have good structure and a smooth finish. Very nice to drink. In addition, I like the vibe of this place. It's off the beaten path on Kiler Canyon Rd among some beautiful countryside. The tasting is done in the barrel room, which is decored nicely, and they will give you a barrel taste as well. It's family owned with a knowledgeable and charming staff. They do everything the right way as far as I could tell and the wines won't break your budget. Join their wine club and the wines average out to less that $20 per bottle. read more

Nobody knew about this winery and Paso Robles is not a backbiting wine community. It didn't matter if I was talking to a seasoned taster or the various sommeliers: NOBODY knew about Ecluse. Get in on the obscurity because it's about to change and you won't be able to be cool for knowing before it was cool to know. This place had my favorite wine of my last trip. Most are well balanced and the owner/mix master is a bit of a mad scientist. The syrah was excellent to my palate and they took the time to do barrel tastings, which was a one and only experience out of the 10 wineries I visited. Ecluse got started as a grape supplier, not a winery, and the dedication to an excellent starting product really shows in their wines. Their cab just won a prestigious award from the San Francisco Chronicle, and at around $30 a bottle, it's a phenomenal find... and I typically hate cabs. The staff is friendly, their tasting room is informal and stocked with barrels and the accompanying fruit flies (if you're looking for polish, go to a cellar and thumb your nose at those that weren't handed a trust fund by daddy), and their wines pack a punch well above their price point. If you're on a budget, the Blind Dog will not let you down. If you're on a budget, find a way to get a few bottles of their cab and syrah. The attention to detail really shows in their products. They're also non-filtered wines, so you're getting a ton of flavor long after your glass is dry. Bottom line: right off the 101, easy to find, a real working class winery, and insanely good wines. With such a small vineyard supplying such high quality products that are created by taste rather than the textbook formulas of the ordinary Hollywood-funded wineries, it's amazing that they manage to keep any stock on hand. Ecluse truly is a remarkable find. read more

I'm puzzled by the high Yelp ratings. The rating certainly doesn't come from the industrial setting, but that wasn't relevant to me. I guess the free tastings probably have something to do with it. Atmosphere and tasting fees barely factor into my rating of a winery. Service and snacks aren't a big influence either. I rate mainly on the wine. The wines were, at best, good. The sweeter and softer side of the wine probably elicits positive comments while I prefer tighter and drier wines that allow for cleaner flavors to appear. Considering they produce mainly Rhones and cabs, soft was not a desirable profile. The wine I liked the most came from the brighter barrel tasting which wasn't a finished product. The tasting from a syrah barrel seemed mostly for show because there wasn't another syrah available for comparison. I've been to "futures" tastings where it's common practice to sample the barrel-drawn future vintage next to the bottled release vintage. Nothing like that occurred here, but probably should have. read more

This was our second annual trip to Ecluse and even better than the first. My brother-in-law is very close with the owners - he's even helped them bottle wine and it feels like extended family when we're here. I'm not much a wine connoisseur but I really do enjoy their wines. We did barrel tasting both times and this time we were able to go into their new barrel storage room to check it out and have a private tasting. They had a new employee John who we truly enjoyed inducting into our family - he was a great sport and very knowledgeable. I think we only bought one bottle last year but this year we left with four, and my Mom treated us to their Reserve as an engagement gift. It's a small family-run place and if you make the special trip out there you won't be disappointed! read more

This place is gorgeous! The people here were very knowledgable and friendly! The barrel samples were delicious! Definitely will be coming back here again! Took a few bottles home to enjoy as well! read more

Ecluse Wines - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Free Tastings. Let me say that again. FREE tastings. Now, don't let the free tasting fool you. This wine is fantastic. Ecluse Wines tasting room is inside a warehouse type place. The tasting happens on barrel tables. The staff here is super nice. They let you do barrel tastings, which is really cool. The wines here are BOLD. You gotta have a palate for big reds to like this wine. The wine is big, has a lot of depth, and is very heavy....which is a good thing to me. My girlfriend and me got the tasting, and then the pourer girl started offering barrel tastings. I could not deny the barrel tasting. Using a wine thief, the pourer filled the glass with a wine that was still aging. It was unique to taste the wine from the barrel and experience the distinct flavors as they age to perfection. Also did a barrel tasting for Port, and the Port was smooth and round. The perfect sweetness. Leave with a bottle here and you wont be disappointed. I recommend the Syrah. Drank the Syrah on Thanksgiving 2014 and it made the meal. read more

Stayed in Paso Robles for 4th of July Weekend. GF and I are in SF, buddy and his GF live in LA. Perfect half way point. Wanted to do some tastings so I hit up Yelp. Ecluse must be one of the top reviewed wineries in the entire area. When we got there they certainly didn't disappoint. Daniella was a fun, hilarious and quirky guide, generously giving us barrel tastings and other samples while describing the wine in a way that was both accessible (for me) and complex enough for my wine snob buddy. Ended up joining the wine club and now have a bunch of yummy bottles to drink in the next few months. Best winery we visited all weekend. Be sure to try the Ensemble which has a fantastic "kick kick" on your taste buds. That was about the least fancy way a wine has ever been described, but if you dig reds, look no further. Bottles are affordable as well. Can't recommend enough. read more

Picked up a few reds here to bring back east for friends. Very friendly and helpful service, a nice variety of wines and extemely pet friendly. Well worth the visit. read more

Ecluse Wines - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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Free tasting, friendly staff, and barrel tasting! I don't know what more you can ask for. Ecluse is also located on a hill, so you can get a pretty nice view when you're up there. I didn't know what to expect when coming here, but I was impressed! Their wines were pretty good. I think my favorite was the Pinot Noir. Plus, I never tried a barrel tasting before, which is pretty cool. For the barrel tasting, we got to compare the Cab in a French Oak barrel and Hungarian barrel. You can really taste the difference! The staff was also very friendly and knowledgeable. They were so eager to just start pouring us wines once we walked in! read more

Really dissapointing experience here about two weeks ago. We frequent Paso and decided to try Ecluse as we heard great things about their wine. The hostess was great and super nice but that was all that was good about our experience. Every single pourer there was so rude to us. I realized me and my friend were the youngest in the room and I think that may have been the issue, they didn't see us as potential customers at all. The pourer would come by and pour the tasting (pouring way less than a normal tasting size) and then just walk away, no explanation of the wine or anything. We really couldn't enjoy the wine or learn anything about the winery. To top it off we walked away with no bottles because our experience was so bad we couldn't bring ourselves to buy anything, typically we buy 4-6 bottles per winery when we're visiting. I'm sad they took our age for granted and treated us as if we didn't know wine or have the money to buy anything. Really was a shame for such a pretty and well ranked winery. read more

I visited Ecluse last June on a girls trip to Pismo Beach. Out of all the wineries we went to, I have to say this was my fave. The staff here is very nice and tastings are free if you end up purchasing their wines. My fave wine there is the Rendition but all are quite good. Another plus is the wines are very reasonably priced. I ended up purchasing a few bottles. I'm coming back to Pismo Beach In April so I will for sure stop by Ecluse, absolutely love it. read more

I stopped by here with my husband and mom because we're local and wanted to taste around to some places that we hadn't seen before. This was the last stop of the day and was well worth the trek back to Kiler Canyon. Ecluse is definitely a no frills kind of place, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you're looking for wine country for ambiance. The tasting room is in the same facility where they store some of their barrels. However, the owners are very hospitable and kind people. Steve was pouring for us and was more than happy to explain the wines and humored me with all of my questions about barrels and the like. He even took the time to barrel sample us on a Syrah lot, just to educate us about the differences between the barrels. The wines are balanced with some nice depth and none of them were offensive. I would highly recommend them to people who like Syrah blends and smoky, cigar box flavors. I left with a bottle of Ensemble, which I'm quite happy with. This is a great stop, especially if you're already going down Arbor road for L 'Aventure or Hoage. read more

We visited about 7 wineries on our Paso wine tour. Ecluse was definitely the most personal experience. Someone took us through each of the wines, gave us a little taster of 2 of the future wines that are currently stull aging. Explained to us the effect the difference the types of wood of the barrel makes on the wine, etc etc. The wine itself was lovely. Not the best we tasted of the day, but there was a nice range of prices which helped and best of all wine tasting was FREE!! I would actually give this a 4.5 star as the wine wasnt the best of the day, but the experience was well worth the drive. read more

Definitely a must stop on the Paso wine tour if you love reds. Friendly staff, beautiful views and delicious wine. Personal favorites were the Ensemble, Improv with a wonderful dry Syrah flavor, the ultra smooth Rendition and the Cab. Of course I had to join the wine club and can't wait to get more next year! The owner is also an animal lover and rescuer! You can't beat that! read more

So great! One of our 2 favorite wineries we went to on our trip. We love small production, intimate family wineries and this is really as good as it gets. The staff is knowledgeable and chatty. Even when the tasting room got full, they still gave everyone individual attention which is hard to come by sometimes. Will definitely be back!! read more

Visited in 2017 and just opened a bottle of Improv. Forgot how delightful they were in the tasting room, and how tasty their wines are!

If you're going to Paso, you have to take some time to stop by Ecluse Wines and visit with the winemaker/owners, Steve and Pam Lock. There are many wineries in Paso now and sometimes it's hard to tell one from the next. Ecluse is one that stands out, from the great boutique wines to the experience you'll get. This is a place where you can still talk to the winemaker himself, get an ad-hoc education on how the wine is made, taste some of the upcoming wines from the barrel (if they're doing it that day), and just have a more intimate, authentic experience. They do tastings in their wine storage facility and feature an excellent Cab Reserve, Cab blend (Ensemble), a great Rhone blend called Rendition (our favorite!), and several other varietals - basically, you're getting high quality wines at great prices that won't break the bank! So, when you go, make sure you mention Yelp and tell'em Tony and Lisa sent you! Enjoy! read more

Wow, such delicious wines! Heard about them after their big win in the SF Chronicle Wine Competition earlier this year, then really enjoyed their 2006 Bordeaux-style "Ensemble" at Robert's Restaurant in Paso Robles, so we gave their winery a try. Tasting in the unassuming barrel room was much more intimate than in the big tasting rooms of bigger wineries, and we were served by one of the actual winemakers who was very friendly and knowledgeable as we peppered him with questions about the winemaking process. We were also lucky enough to get a barrel tasting, which really showcases how different barrel types affect wine flavor and texture. And of course the wines themselves were wonderful, with a great deal of depth of flavor, balance and smoothness. I'm no expert, but these were some of the most sumptuous wines I've tasted in the Paso Robles area, and at very affordable prices given the quality. Walked out with a bottle of 2007 Ensemble, and will definitely be back for more next time we're in town! read more

this is a tiny little place but such an amazing experience. The staff is beyond friendly and all of the wines on the tasting menu are pretty great .. we didn't have an appointment but were still able to do a barrel tasting ... we were short on time so we didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked - we'll definitely visit again.. we left with the 2013 Improv .. read more

Ecluse Wines - Barrel tastings ... - Wineries Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Decided to try a free tasting winery. Hidden gem Staff was amazing and every wine we tasted was delicious. Very friendly staff and were very caring. Stopped to get to know you. Can I just say highly impressed. Loved getting the barrel tasting also read more

Balanced, full bodies wines with very smooth, round finishes. They have great Rhone varietals and the syrah and Zinfandel were my favorites. We were treated to a barrel tasting which highlighted the flavors a French barrel and a Hungarian barrel impart on the same batch of Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a really nice and generous gesture. Highly recommend taking the time turn into Arbor (dirt road) or Kiler Canyon Rd (paved) for a visit. read more

A stand up tasting experience in the barrel room with the owner. Very solid wines with friendly, informative conversation. The rose is an unexpected superstar not to be missed. We were treated to barrel samples and felt very welcome to sample anything we pleased and ask all the questions we could muster. A great tasting stop. FYI This winery requires about 45 minutes as you are planning your appointments. read more

Don't come to Paso & miss this winery/. It's some of the best wine I've had here. Everyone will send you to Daou, Denner & Calcareous which are amazing wines but I think Ecluse is right there in the midst of them. Excellent service & excellent wine - don't miss it. read more

Great small winery that has great service and great wine! Would definitely come back to try more next time and enjoy the beautiful view!

This place is really cute :) It's located amongst all the hills so the view is beautiful! There is no tasting fee, and you get five tastings :) The wines were pretty good, nothing stood out too much for me but then again i'm not an avid wine person. You get to taste wine from the barrel! which is really cool, and the wine from the barrel had a really nice taste to it! They don't accept large parties so if you have more than 3 people in your party, you should probably call ahead to make sure they have room. The tasting room is pretty small so be mindful of that. Definitely would pick this place again for wine tasting in paso! read more

Our first stop on a recent Paso trip - and it was great fun! They had some cheese to go with the wine (which my friends enjoyed - I'm lactose-intolerant). We got to do a barrel tasting, taste some great reds, and purchase a wine where some of the proceeds go to dog charities. I mean, what better way to start the day? The tasting room is a giant barn, which is always fun. read more

A must-visit in the Paso Robles area as they are still flying mostly under the radar. Excellent wines at reasonable prices. (At least, I reason that all the profits are going to a small business, so the prices are justifiable!) The wonderful woman who led us through the tasting really seemed to know and love wine. We even got to sample Cabernet from the barrel, which was really a neat experience. Our favorites were the Prelude white Rhone blend (the "white wine for red wine drinkers" as they put it) which was amazing, and the Petite Sirah which blew us away. I wish we'd gotten to taste the Grenache, but they weren't pouring it the day we visited. Totally contemplating joining their wine club--I want a case of Prelude for summer drinking at 20% off! These are wines for wine lovers, by wine lovers, and not really for the faint of heart. Go, before they get big and popular! Also, the location is just beautiful late in the afternoon with the sun beginning to get low in the sky. read more

Ecluse is our favorite winery in all of Paso Robles. Steve, Pam and Kelly are wonderful hosts. We are a member of the wine club and look forward to our annual shipment of wine. We try to get to PR several times a year to stock up on the best wine in PR. Other PR wineries may have nicer tasting rooms- but for us it is all about the wine. We got a tour of the entire winery which was very interesting and fun. We love barrel tasting so we can tease our taste buds for upcoming wines. Don't let the label Blind Dog fool you. It taste great and the proceeds go to a worthy cause. Don't miss out on one of PR's best gems. Cheers! read more