This winery seemed like a family run business. It truly had that homely feeling. The pizzas are really delicious!!! Their son Griffin is such a sweet boy and played with our boys the whole time. Lovely lake setting and relaxing place. Its a hidden gem to be honest. read more

We will miss the food, wine, service, and ambiance of this great family winery. Unfortunately location is closed most days.

Stopped by and ended up spending a couple of hours talking with Joe, the owner. The property is beautiful and relaxing, the owner is wonderful, and the wine is great! We stayed overnight at the winery a couple of times in the past, and loved it. read more

What more can you say about this hidden gem. We stayed here in one of their suites and had the best time. We were greeted by Joe on arrival and had an amazing wine tasting, which was needed after the long drive. We spent hours on the lake paddle boarding, row boating, and fishing. Saw wild turkeys and hiked to the top of the mountain. The property is a portal away from the everyday and I was honestly very sad leaving, but brought back a good amount of wine! Thanks Joe! read more

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We had the most incredible stay and time here. The owners were beyond kind and hospitable and wanted to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and were comfortable. The rooms are so cozy and have a view of the lake and we just had such a peaceful time with good friends and enjoying good wine. The boys were able to fish on the like too and caught fish! I highly recommend! read more

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The event site and the staff are absolutely the best you could ask for. My wife and I got married here in October of last year and it was a picture perfect wedding. Not only is the location stunning and the weather perfect, but the staff is amazing. Joe and Jeanine are the nicest people and make sure that your every need is met. The catering staff works very efficiently and makes sure everyone is well taken care of while not getting in the way. Morgan the chef is great and puts together an incredible menu for you. Their wine is also excellent and our guests loved it. If you are looking for a great outdoor site in Central Coast wine country to hold a wedding or other event you can't beat Lago Giuseppe. read more

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My wife and I had a horrible experience at the Lago Giuseppe Winery. We came here for a weekend getaway over Labor Day weekend, and we were really looking forward to a couple days of relaxation. Instead, we went through an extremely stressful and upsetting ordeal. We were staying in the Gatehouse, which was tiny and situated near a highway; you can hear cars all throughout the night. There were many dead bugs on the floor that we noticed as soon as we walked in (see pictures). In addition, the stairs to the upstairs bedroom are incredibly steep and unsafe. Right from the start we felt and uncomfortable and confined in this place, which is the opposite of what we were expecting based on the pictures and description of the rental house. After spending one night here we really did not want to stay another night. We figured we would talk to the host (Joe) and come to some sort of compromise. This is when things took a very negative turn. Joe did not acknowledge any our concerns and his response was essentially "no" to anything we said. At this point we were already ready to leave even though we had another night paid for. However, I had a work emergency that required me to be online for some time, and the only place to get a WiFi signal (we had zero phone signal at the house) was near the tasting room. As a previous Yelper mentioned, the patio was a very dirty and littered with junk on one side. As I was trying to wrap up my work, the other hosts of the property (I believe it is a family-run business) started harassing me and my wife. They started making demeaning and condescending comments, even making a sarcastic remark about our dog, smirking and snickering in our faces at anything we said, and even threatening us with the police. They were beyond rude and completely unprofessional. In short, we've never been treated like this, especially by someone in the customer service industry. We could not leave this place fast enough. We were extremely upset by the whole incident and decided to cut our whole trip to Paso short. The experience ruined our Labor Day Weekend holiday. My general impression of the owners is that it is all about money for them and they will not hesitate to turn from friendly to hostile and combative if a disagreement arises. read more

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Where do I begin? This winery is family owned and operated by a lovely local family. They have so much to offer! The wines are amazing. My personal favorite is the Tre Donne. On the weekends they offer salads, pizza and more. They cook everything there in the kitchen and tend to purchase produce from the local farmers market. Once you get your wine and lunch you can enjoy the beautiful patio over looking the lake. This is my favorite part! It's a stunning property that is off the 46 west. It's very quiet and relaxing. They have a very large and gorgeous event site. The owners were even kind enough to allow my family and I to take our family photos there this year at no charge. They gave us free range with our photographer. The pictures came out perfect with the fall colors. They even offer bed and breakfast. They have two rooms your can rent and a small little gate house at the entrance of the property. It would make a perfect getaway from the city. Wine, food, peace and quite. Sign me up! If your in town and doing some tasting stop by and say hi! There is always a friendly face to greet you! read more

We recently visited Lago Giuseppe. This is a mixed review. The staff is friendly and greeted us warmly. And, of course, the venue is very pretty as it is situated on a sweet little lake. The tasting menu was priced at $30.00 which, as far as most wineries go, isn't outside the norm. However, a glass of wine was priced at $18.00 - this seemed a little steep to us. When we were there, we were the only visitors and were told they had been very slow that day. The $18.00 glass of wine poured for me was from a bottle that was already opened and sadly it tasted like it had been open the day before. We paid for two glasses of wine and also purchased a cheese/charcuterie plate. We added a gratuity of 20% to the cost of the wine and food. There was a sign at the table we used that said we should "bus" our own table. I think that is nonsense. What was the 20% gratuity for if we have to bus our own table? I think the owners should consider not asking guests, who have paid a gratuity, to also be employees as well as guests. Last, the cheese/charcuterie plate was very skimpy so I cannot recommend that. So, nice people, so-so wine, pretty views, and an unfortunate choice to ask guests to bus their tables. read more

This winery is a beautiful place for tasting! Pretty little reservoir observed from a comfortable patio seating area, we would come with out of towners just for the ambience and friendly folks. Wine tasting was surprisingly pricey compared to the other wineries in the area. And I disliked tasting from plastic shot glasses. Not a huge deal, but I do like a regular wine glass so I can swirl and sniff and look at the color of the wines I am tasting. The wine quality was good. read more

The tasting fee is, as of July 2020, $30 for a flight of four wines - served in 1-oz plastic shot glasses. You have no way to get the "nose" of the wines. In addition, the tasting fee isn't applied to the purchase of any of the wines - although when I asked if there was a discount, they did give us the "member" price, which is 25% off retail. About the wines - they are Italian varietals, which are unusual in Paso Robles. However, the wines are not from Paso Robles - they're grown and made in Santa Barbara County. The wines we tasted were a white, a Sangiovese, a Nebbiolo, and 2007-vintage blend. As a bonus, they poured a late harvest Pinot Noir - the only one of these I'd ever heard of. The wines were entirely unremarkable, and the experience, if you want to call it that, was that we were handed a tasting board that had our four shot glasses of wine, then took those boards and seated ourselves on the patio overlooking the lake. As we were finishing, the person came and offered us a taste of the late harvest Pinot. There was little to no explanation of any of the wines, no food available (they were out of pizza for the day) and in general, nothing that made us want to have anything to do with this winery. I bought a bottle of the late harvest Pinot Noir, because it's a tasty and interesting dessert wine. However, it's not worth it. Don't waste your time or money going to this place. read more

We stayed here for Labor Day weekend and I can't imagine a more perfect getaway. Just absolutely magical. Not crowded with tourists, felt like a tucked away gem we had almost to ourselves. We stayed in one of the suites which was clean and comfortable with everything we needed. Hiking, fishing, paddle boarding, and paddle boating all on site in the most serene natural lake. And the wines were absolutely incredible. Thank you Joe and team for the perfect weekend! read more

Lago Giuseppe Cellars and Event Site - a boat on the shore - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Templeton, California

My HUSBAND and I just had our wedding at Lago Giuseppe. It was a straight up fairy tale. I cannot wait to get the pictures!! Joe and Janine were a pleasure to work with, everything ran pitch perfectly smooth. We literally couldn't be happier with our experience here! This event was a destination wedding for us, and what won us with Lago Giuseppe was that it was family run, and how much they had available to us that made planning a destination wedding run with ease. Janine coordinated our event day of and gave us many helpful recommendations. Morgan catered a delicious family style dinner, which of course we knew it would be because our tasting meeting with her left us smiling ear to ear. And seriously the grounds give you a ridiculous amount of opportunity for beautiful pictures to remember your event by. We thank Joe and Janine from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the perfect wedding experience! read more

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I don't usually do yelp reviews good or bad. However, someone looks at my history of reviewing you'll see have only done a few.But I felt I needed To say this, so the owners could see and hopefully change some of their practices. Because of covid 19 You now have to make a reservation. This is okay, but the winery charges you $25 to make this reservation. The assumption is that if you don't show up They're going to keep your $25 But if you do show up They're going to credit you back the $25. Don't make this assumption. Next we have a $30 tasting fee which entails four wines served and small shot glasses. Wine was decent. People there were nice. We ordered two dishes from the bistro. Meat and cheese tray, and the bruschetta. On the menu, it states that these come with a baguette. It also states that these are both $18 apiece. The meat and cheese tray was sparse with a couple dried figs and a handful of nuts thrown in. There were ritz style crackers but no baguette.The bruschetta was a cup of cut up grape tomatoes and red onion with balsamic vinegar reduction, and crackers. Again, no baguette. I ordered two glasses of wine with the meat and cheese tray. I was charged $15 a glass. I could've ordered a bottle $48 and got six glasses out of that. I don't mind paying for quality, and I do realize this is special times at a winery in Paso Robles, but for the quality and what you got, these meals were way overpriced. And I was charged $20 for the meat tray not $18. They discounted the wine tasting because I bought a bottle of wine, and I complained about the prices. All in all, I was okay with everything, even being overpriced, with the exception of the fact that I was charged $25 for the privilege of sitting outside in their winery when 5 of the tables were empty The whole time I was there. I realize that covid has hit wineries pretty hard, but this is the time to over perform, and not overcharge. Just seems like this should be standard right now. I will be hard-pressed to return. read more

The tables were all dirty/covered with food crumbs from previous guests, there was what looked like a pile of junk on the tasting patio outside the tasting room (old bike, boxes, and some junk for sale). The wine was average, tasting fee is pretty hight for what you get ($20). And my last pour had so much sediment, I could not drink it. read more

Beautiful Winery with good Italian inspired flavors and foods. Great patio and food options. Not kid-friendly, so stick to adult-only tours and you will love it. read more

No WiFi . No cable smh . Tiny dated rooms and a cheap tv barely mounted to the wall . Poorly lit . Junky . No food . Shared patio space and unfriendly dishonest hosts. read more

I planned a wedding here in September and it was seriously amazing. The property is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. We didn't even need to bring in that much decor or anything because the landscape was beauty enough! And they have a lot of great decor there already set up (wine barrels, the lighting over the reception area, patio area for dancing, etc). I saw a review that said that there was no bathroom, but there definitely is a bathroom and it is SO cute! Well decorated and very well-done. The wedding I planned was about 150 people and there was never really a line for the restrooms. Joe and Jeanine were seriously the BEST to work with. Jeanine is very prompt with her email replies and she is very straight-forward about what is expected/what you get. Joe continuously bends over backwards to help you out and is such a gem. He's the nicest guy I have ever met. Their staff is made up of some of their family and they are just delightful. They have round tables that they let us use for the reception which was amazing. They have a built-in bar, wine barrels that we used to place different decor/signs on and seriously it was just the best experience. The only thing I caution is that it can be hard to find for first timers, so give your guests plenty of warning to slow down on the 41 to make sure they don't go passed it. If you use road signs, do not use ones that you hammer into the ground because the ground all along the 41 there is extremely hard and you most likely won't be able to get the signs in. I would recommend using signs that you can tie to stop signs or something like that. Overall, I had an amazing experience planning a wedding at Lago Giuseppe and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking into having their wedding here! read more

One of my favorite wineries to visit, very family friendly. Food and wine is great and you can't beat the lake view. The owners are great and always soo welcoming. read more

Attended a wedding here, and while it was picturesque, it was kind of a hodge podge. There are no restrooms, but a trailer or porta-potties had to be brought in, and there was a line. As evening fell it was treacherous, there is no lighting, walking back to the car at the end of the evening was relying on moonlight. Talking with the groom afterwards, he told us about the having to buy cases of wine to take home, in addition to any that is served. I don't know the final total, but as it would have it the happy couple didn't last a year. read more

We absolutely love this winery. You feel like family. The pinto is the most amazing wine ever!! read more

Very disappointed with this wine tasting stop. The wines were decent and our server was nice. However, the price was excessive - $20 for only 4 small pours!!! read more

Our wedding at Lago Giuseppe was the most beautiful experience ever. We always had a vision of how we wanted our wedding to be like and Lago Giuseppe surpassed our dreams. Our guests said the venue was breathtaking...and we couldn't agree more. Joe, Jeanine, and staff were so helpful and made sure everything ran smoothly. We can honestly tell people for many years to come that we had a fairy tale wedding. We will no doubt be back to visit. read more

An excellent winery with delicious wines, food, and views. One can enjoy sitting by the lakeside in the sun with a glass of Sangiovese or an Italian varietal of your choice. Great family-run tasting room with wonderful staff and beautiful grounds. Spectacular wedding site as well. Our wine tasting clients love it here. Don't miss it! Cheers, Lago Giuseppe! read more

I admit it's a beautiful place. And the wine is good. The problem was the $30 charged for the smallest tasting we've ever had in Paso. And the complete lack of customer service. We went on a Sunday in order to have the a pizza lunch that my online reservation indicated. But when we got there they weren't serving pizza. He "decided not to make it that day." And instead, we were offered a $20 tray of some cheese and crackers. Which was fine. It's really not about the money. We frequent wineries like Le Cuvier who are right up there in price AND give you excellent customer service. For me, in Paso Robles/Templeton.. an area where there are over 300 wineries to choose from... you HAVE do to a little better. And you need to be concerned with customer service. If I was planning a trip to Paso, based on my experience, I'd skip this one. read more

Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon to try something new. Un-inviting, un- attentive staff, over priced tasting fee, unimpressive wines. I know no more about this place now than I did going in. But the lake was nice... read more

Don't count on your reservation being honored. We Airbnb'ed here and they cancelled our reservation. We did not go by and taste wine.

We went to Paso Robles for Zin Fest weekend and upon a recommendation stayed at the gate house at Lago Giuseppe Cellars. They describe it as a villa... that's a stretch. It is tiny. We barely had room to breathe. Candles were provided, but no matches. There was no shampoo or soap for the shower. When we mentioned this we were told it's "not a hotel." For close to $200 a night, look around. There are far better options. read more

I'm a wedding photographer in San Luis Obispo, California. I have photographed weddings in over 100 different locations around the Central Coast. Lago Giuseppe is a brilliant wedding location as the views are simply outstanding and the weather cool even at the hottest times of the year. The staff at Lago Giuseppe was VERY helpful with anything I needed throughout the day. I highly suggest you contact Lago Giuseppe as they are one of the very best wedding venues in California! read more

This is a great winery. The wines are fantastic and the location is beautiful. It is family owned and the owners make you feel welcome. We enjoyed a evening in their lovely suite over looking a peaceful lake. The room was warm & welcoming. It was very clean with a kitchenette & an beautiful bathroom. I would highly recommend this place for a relaxing & beautiful weekend. read more

Just great. Good people, great wines, and truly outstanding food dishes. When you factor in the relaxing mountain lake setting, it makes a very worthy stop. read more

Breathtaking views, first class service, Italian-family charm, mouth-watering food, and the best location imaginable for a wedding or special event of any kind!! I've attended several wine-country weddings in Paso Robles area, as well as Temecula, and Napa, and nothing even comes close to the RAW BEAUTY, views, and vast expanse of land this property offers. They offer indoor weddings in main winery/tasting room as well as outdoor. A must see! read more

We had an amazing wedding at Lago Giuseppe. The site is gorgeous and our pictures were out of this world. We did have a few disappointments - please read carefully if you are considering this site for a wedding. The site requires a lot of planning. Even bathrooms must be brought in, and even our moderate rentals were more expensive than we thought they would be (Bathrooms and rentals alone were $7,0000). We used Trumpet Vine Catering- they were amazing. We also had Jeanine (owner) be the day-of coordinator, and honestly we had some challenges in interacting with her. Her daughter Rhiannon was amazing on the day of. Here are the disappointments with Lago. First, we were never told that a dumpster was required, nor was it in our contract, but 1 month before the wedding, it was suddenly expected that I provide a dumpster for the reception. We used Trumpet Vine Catering and while they were not supposed to provide it, they graciously agreed to under the circumstances. What upset us more....While 3 cases of Lago wine are required to be bought ($1000), Joe agreed when we booked the wedding that we could serve what we wanted at the wedding. We were very clear that guests would be served a different red wine, and we would save Lago for our home. We re-confirmed this with Jeanine 3 weeks before the wedding, but on the day-of, they brought out the cases we had paid for and served the wine at the bar anyway. Several guests told us the Lago staff were also drinking the alcohol we provided, but we didn't see this. My husband was pretty upset when he later found out that they served it, he felt Lago had lied or been careless, or both. Later, Joe denied he made the agreement. FInally, several guests told me later that Jeanine was not pleasant to them during the wedding and reception. We had a beautiful wedding there, but i think a lot of the success of our night had to do with our careful and diligent pre-planning, using the right vendors. Confirm everything in writing. Good luck! read more

I agree with previous reviews. I booked a reservation and they cancelled on me. This place has a habit of not honoring their Airbnb reservations. I tend to think they make more money from someone booking a room off the street and which means they do not have to pay the fee to Airbnb so they will cancel your reservation. This is the worst place ever. And I will NEVER even consider tasting their wines. I was shocked they called to cancel and didn't even offer a free tasting or bottle of wine for my inconvenience. When a place has such horrible customer relations, you know they are hurting for money. Well you will never get a cent from me!!! read more

I attended my girlfriend's son's wedding here in May, and this venue may be the best wedding venue I have experienced. The setting is simply exquisite, and the owners seemed to go the extra mile to make everything first class. The Cab they served was so good that we bought a case to take home with us. Joe, the owner, even carried the case to the car. My daughter is a wedding planner in Santa Barbara, and I suggested that she make contact with Joe, as this is one outstanding venue. read more

My wife, baby son, and I stayed at this picturesque vineyard villa for 5 nights. You could not ask for more hospitable, accommodating hosts. Joe is the friendliest guy you will ever meet. Anything we needed, Joe made sure we had it. He and his family (we also met his kind son-in-law, Mike) balanced attentive service with privacy perfectly. The location is right off 46 East, near enough to Paso, yet closer to the ocean. It was the ideal location for our downtown Paso needs and our jaunts to the water. We cannot wait for Lago Giuseppe to open a tasting room! read more

Lago Giuseppe was the perfect spot for our daughter's wedding. Our guests really enjoyed themselves and commented on how beautiful and unique the setting was. It was a memorable, yet fun and relaxing night under the stars. Joe and Jeanine were great to work with. read more

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What an AMAZING and beautiful spot for a wedding! The owners are onsite and take great care to make everything wonderful. The grounds are well cared for and the site is perfect for a wedding. I do wish the tasting room had been completed as planned. The parking area is a bit messy currently but I'm sure once it's complete it will add another reason to visit. From the event site there is not even a glimpse of the parking lot so it's not a problem except when you are parking. Thank you so much !!!! read more

I had the best experience at Lago Giuseppe's for their New Year's Eve party. The food was wonderful as well as all the staff. They were fun and professional. It's a beautiful space. I highly recommend it. I will definitely be back next year for it! read more

Had a similar experience to what Jen B reviewed. I was married at Lago G. in September 2012, and Jeanine's demeanor has not improved. The location is stunning and if you are willing to be very diligent and expect that there will be last minute complications and or changes you will be fine. I did not use her as a wedding coordinator, and think that immediately put her off. From the beginning most of my interactions were with Joe, he was awesome to work with, but as with Jen made arrangements that were later changed/denied because they were not in writing. These are the negatives..aside from the staff issues, several things to keep in mind. There is NO lighting provided at the venue aside from rope lighting that lights the walkways, and up lighting on the surrounding trees. While what is there is beautiful it is not sufficient to light the location after dark, to the extent that we were concerned it may be a safety hazard especially for some of our older guests. Jeannine was very specific about the vendor that would be allowed on siteto hang lights (only one) who thankfully was available last minute, but charged us nearly a thousand dollars to string two strands of bistro lights!! During initial conversations with Joe about décor it seemed like sky was the limit as to what we could do with the site. During the final site walkthrough I was suddenly confronted by Jeannine who began placing restrictions on what we could and could not do, just a week from the event. Nothing could be placed on the grass, certain things couldn't be moved etc. To such a degree that I was worried that the 6 shepherds hooks I had as isle decorations were going to be banned, (luckily they were not). Had that information and restrictions been brought up early on it would have been no big deal, but a week prior to it added to my already high stress levels. The list of "suggested" vendors is rather small and shrinking. Due to issues the vendors have had at the site, or that the site has had with vendors "not respecting their facility" there are only a limited number of vendors who are allowed at the location or will work at the location. For a money conscious bride this makes it difficult to shop around. I have also spoken to vendors who say they will not recommend this location to their brides because of complaints they have heard, or experience they have had. The biggest issue we ran into was access to the site. This was disappointing as their misrepresented flexibility was one of the largest reasons we chose this site. At our initial visit Joe boasted how flexible they were with times, the day of, and ability to drop off early, clean up the next day etc. Again the week of we were told we needed to have everything out the night of the wedding by midnight. Our rental company does not pick up on Sundays, and arrangements had been made prior to with Joe to leave the small amount of chairs we rented and glasses at the location to be picked up on Monday. They denied this and said, per our contract...which unfortunately was correct, as we had failed to get their "flexibility" in writing. Joe and Jeannine were gracious enough to allow us to extend our midnight deadline to 8 am. At which point, my husband, my parents and I had to return with our own trailer to remove the rental items so that they could be picked up from our home the next day. HUGE INCONVIENCE!! All because they were leaving out of town. The positives of this site; It is gorgeous. I had many people tell me that our wedding was one of the most beautiful they have ever been to. The bathroom situation has greatly improved, as two very nice restrooms have been built on the property. We were not required to arrange for a dumpster. The wine was excellent. However they only had red wine available. On a hot summer afternoon, a nice glass of red wine is not very refreshing. So we ended up with nearly a case left over even with a 120 person guest list. We did bring in our own white wine and since there was no LG white wine to compete with didn't have to worry about the wine issue Jen had. We did not stay in the guest house, but rather used it as a staging area to get ready. It was well equipped with necessities, but for that purpose it was rather small and HOT, there is no AC. I would highly suggest if you are a bride and you plan on getting ready or want to wait for the ceremony to start in the guest house bring your own fan. And for god sake don't use the mirror in the bathroom behind the door, hopefully it has been replaced. ( I told Joe it was bad) Its like a fun house mirror, and not the flattering one. All things aside I don't think I would have picked another location had I know, Lago G was perfect for us, I just think if I would have known what I do now back then I would have done things a little differently. I really do hope they work out their issues, because it is a wonderful location. read more