Disappointing Experience with Unreliable Communication and No-Show for Reservation! I reached out to this winery about a week before my intended visit to make a reservation for a party of six. Since you can't visit Paso wineries without a prior appointment, I wanted to do things the right way. I first attempted to email the address listed on their website: john@asuncionridgevineyards.com, which immediately bounced back as invalid. I followed up by calling the winery and left a voicemail including the date, time, number of guests, and that I wasn't a wine club member. Yet. After receiving no response, I left another voicemail a few days later-again, providing all the details and expressing interests in trying their wines, especially their highly rated Pinots. Still no reply. Doing some more digging, I found two alternative email addresses: info@asuncionridge.com and asuncionridge@hughes.net. The latter bounced back as well. I emailed the first, hoping for a reply. Finally, Phillip called me back on Wednesday, September 10, confirming our tasting appointment for the date, time, and party size I'd requested. Fast forward to the day of our visit: My group and I arrived early at 10:45 AM for our 11:00 AM reservation. At 11:07 AM, seeing no staff, I tried calling Phillip on his cell (listed on the tasting room window), but had poor reception and couldn't leave a voicemail. I then called the winery itself at 11:09 AM and left another message. By 11:25 AM, still no one had shown up. No call, no message, no acknowledgment. Just six people standing outside, waiting in the sun. We felt completely disregarded. We had shown up on time, kept our end of the commitment, and were met with silence. As we were getting ready to leave, Phillip finally pulled up. He mentioned a power outage as the reason for the delay- but in today's world, almost everyone has a cell phone. A quick text or call would have shown basic respect for our time and effort. Honestly, the whole experience reminded me of that scene in Pretty Women-when Julia Robers walks into the Rodeo Drive boutique and gets snubbed by the staff based on appearance. Later, she returns dressed to the nines and famously says, " Big mistake. Huge." That's exactly how I felt: dismissed, ignored, and disrespected. Final Thoughts: This could have been a great experience. We were genuinely excited to try the wines and were even considering joining the wine club. But from the broken contact info to the missed appointment, it was one let down after another. It's not just about getting customers in the door-it's giving them a reason to come back. This winery failed at that. Please, for the sake of future guests: *Fix your email addresses so people can reach you. *Honor your reservation times or communicate if you're running late. *Value your guests' time as much as you want them to value your wine. We'll be back to Paso-but unlikely here again. read more

Another excellent tasting experience. Giselle did a great job, was pleasant, engaged and knowledgeable. Our tasting reservation was for "noon-ish" but we arrived at 11:00 and Giselle was fine with that, made us feel welcome. Yes, Windward is "exclusively Pinot," so if you want to taste a selection of varietals, or if you don't care for Pinot Noir, then this is not the tasting room for you. I, however, love Pinot Noir; it is, by far, my favorite varietal so I make a point to visit Windward whenever we are here. (I live in Nevada but visit Cambria once or twice a year in order to get my ocean fix and stock up on wine.) Beautiful grounds. We bought six bottles, so the tasting fees were waived and we received two more wine glasses with the Windward logo. I have two from last year and they are my favorite wine glasses, so now I have four. read more

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I love Pinot . This summer, I did a Pinot vacation where I stopped at the best Pinot vineyards from LA to Seattle. By far, Windward was the best and signed up for their membership. I was a member many years ago because I thought they had the best Pinot around. It's great to know they still have the best in town . Try their 2018. Couple of their wines have won double gold in SF chronicle. Very impressive! I've had tastings with Marc , Maggie, Justin and Linda. They're all so nice. On top of all the wonderful things they offer they are biodynamic! Sustainable farming is very important to me and if I had to choose one winery to support, it would be windward. Thank you guys for being so kind and producing the best Pinot in CA. read more

Amazing wine. Family owned. Dog friendly (and human friendly lol). Justin was great, really enjoyable time! Highly recommended. read more

Windward Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

This was as sub par as sub par gets. They only have Pinot Noir, same grape, same process, just different years. While it is cool to taste how the weather and time can completely alter the taste of the wine despite the same process year after year, that's about all that was pleasant at this tasting experience. First, the glasses they gave us were not cleaned well which was just tacky. Second, they only have 4 pours. Third, the pours were tiny, so between only 4 tastings and tiny pours clearly they are stingy penny pinchers which is not what I'm looking for in a wine club. Fourth, the owners son was serving us and he was pretentious, short with his responses, and just a unpleasant person. While a cool way to taste differences in the same wine, we will never be back. Way too many good wineries that appreciate their patrons to spend another minute or dollar at this bottom of the barrel Paso winery. read more

Great Pino Noirs and great conversations with Justin who shared a lot of his knowledge about the grapes and climate. read more

Windward Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

I was introduced to Windward by a fellow oenophile. She commented how their Pinot Noirs are not to be missed. But that their Pinot Rosé, known as Vin Grid de Pinot Noir was out of this world extraordinary. As someone who has mixed feelings on rosé I found Windward's to be right up my alley. Some rosé can be too fruit forward or too sweet, but Windwards was a true red wine drinkers rosé. Windward utilized the Vin Gris method of producing rosé with 100% pinot noir grapes. Ignore the direct translation that's not quite romantic and understand that the main difference between traditional rosé producing and Vin gris is the lack of maceration time. It's ingenious actually, allowing almost a double duty of the grapes. Without getting too technical, know that it produces a lovely sometimes near colorless wine that is still full bodied. Often Windwards Vin Gris de Pinot Noir is sold out. Limited cases and a fan club to boot make it difficult to sometimes acquire. Their Pinot Noirs are exceptional as well, but my true devotion lies with their rosé. Visit the winery that's off the beaten path for the true experience. read more

We luckily stumbled upon Windward Vineyard as a recommendation from out uber driver. We ended up popping in on our way out of town and we are so happy we did. This place winery is like walking into a house you grew up in. Everything and everyone was so friendly and the wine was out of this world. We left with 6 bottles and a membership. We cannot wait to go back and enjoy the other pinots they have! read more

WhT a pleasant surprise both the wine quality me the hospitality. While it is on the hwy 46 west, it seem to have been off the the beaten path of commercialised Paso Robles wineries. It was a very hot day, Maggie told us to bring our dog in and immediately served the dog with water. I am not "big" on wine guy, more of an occasional drinker but the 2013 and 2017 Pinot were both incredible. Thanks again for your hospitality! read more

This was such a great find. Best Pinot that i have tasted. Good pricing. The vibe is super relaxed and the view is peaceful. I highly recommend this winery and the wine club. Super cute pups too Pinot and Porcinni are fur balls of love. read more

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Okay... so I'm just gonna have to pile on... Reviews for their wines...spot on! Focus on Pinot with different vintages vertical tasting... (I learned that term when I was here) Vertical tasting is a fabulous way to appreciate how time, and growing conditions (soil, water, atmosphere, and temperatures) affect everything (taste, texture, alcohol content, nose, finish, etc.) along with a caring and experienced winemaker can create so many tasting notes! Mother Nature is in charge and, as an example for everything else in this life, we just live here for a short time! Just as the wines served at Windward form a basis for enjoying the fruit of the vine, so does the company and hosts that you meet... If you happened to miss one particularly salient point of previous reviews, I will simply state that Justin, as a host for our tasting, made the experience even more memorable. Justin KNOWS (does anyone remember, "Bo knows"...?) Great conversation, great knowledge and descriptions, welcoming/genuine attitude. The days are made better by nice people that you meet... and if you are lucky enough to enjoy their company with lovely wines, so much the better! Cheers! read more

Small Pinot only vineyard with great, moderately priced wines. French style. Highly recommend.

Stopped in right before closing and the owner's son was most helpful. A beautiful location location with an interesting selection of Pinot.

Really innovative stuff going on here to get this kind of profile out of a Paso Pinot. The vertical tasting is unique and we enjoyed every vintage as well as the friendly service from Justin. read more

I love the view. It's so peaceful. They have nice French music playing in the background. Very relaxing environment. read more

Windward Vineyard - Patio view - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

This place had amazing views , didn't care about there wines that much but views were breathtaking. The lady was so knowledgeable about , she answered all of our questions. read more

The Windward Winery was the second winery we went to on the day we arrived in Paso Robles. It was about 4:30 when we arrived and we were the only ones there. We definitely got the personal experience. The Windward Winery specialize in Pinot Noir and only serve these at the tasting room. There were only five choices on the tasting menu and all were 2016 (I believe). Not being a serious wine aficionado, but a serious lover of wine, the difference in taste between each pour was subtle. Having said that, James at the tasting room was a wealth of information about all things food and wine in Paso Robles. He fully explained each pour and gave us great food places to check out around town. After the tasting, we did purchase 2 bottles of wine that will be great in the summer weather. And because of Yelp!, we scored some signature wine glasses. If you love Pinot Noir, then I would highly recommend the Windward Winery. The service was excellent, but the selection was limited. read more

While tasting at Niner, a few people said we should check out Windward for their Pinot Noir's. It was just up the street from Niner and I loved the idea of a winery serving just one variety of wine, so we decided to try it. :) The area is very beautiful. Perfect benches for a picnic experience on the patio. The wines were delicious, but I wasn't wowed. It was perfectly fine, but the prices felt a bit steep for me. The tastings are $10 for four (maybe five) tastings. I have to say, the true STAR is the mini palette cleansers. The little O's looked like funyuns and tasted so damn good! You can buy your own bag for $5 too. :) read more

Definitely a fantastic small family vineyard. All Pinot, so if you like lighter reds you'll be very happy. Justin was great, we got there early and learned a lot about the area. This man knows his food, as we went to dinner at his Italian recommendation and were happy as could be. Thanks for the great vino! read more

Our first visit was about 20 years ago. We enjoy sending friends to this unlikely little "Pinot Oasis" on the edge of the Paso Robles desert (I know it's not a desert - but it can get stifling). As with most wines, one size doesn't fit all. Winward's version has body and character. Some years it is spectacular. The vertical tastings are always a treat. It's an education on how vintages change using the same grape, same winemaker, and same 15 acre vineyard. It becomes clear how much that years climate becomes part of the wine. We've been wine club members "on and off" throughout the years (we get overstocked due to being occasional drinkers - hmmm, we need to correct those habits). This was the first time we were able to make their annual "French Connection" private event for club members. What a treat. The accommodations of the owners was spectacular, the staff attentive, the appetizers delicious and fun, the atmosphere memorable. Getting a chance to taste french Burgundies side by side with the Winward Pinot made an impact in how winemaker Marc is providing a traditional profile on his Monopole Pinot Noir. Take the time and visit. The facility is good, people are helpful and attentive, the wine can become a favorite. Then you to will know a little secret hidden in the Paso Robles area. read more

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When I was planning my trip to Paso Robles, I went back and forth about stopping here. Ultimately our stop here was a last minute decision. As others have said this is Pinot only winery, if you are looking for something else, then skip it. If you're a Pinot fan however, this place is well worth a stop. For the $10 tasting fee, you get 4 pours. We has a vertical tasting of their estate monopole (2008, 2009, and 2010) plus their barrel select. All the wines were good, but I felt he barrel select at $62 was a bit expensive, the monopoles at $38 were pretty fairly priced. In the end we took a bottle of the 2008 monopole. I liked the tasting room and the tasting enough I would return. read more

Windward Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

If you love Pinot Noir, especially Burgundian style Pinots, this is a not-to-miss spot in Paso Robles. They are located not far off the 46-West and have an amazing experience from start to finish. The property itself is beautiful, with vistas over the rolling hills for miles and a bright and open tasting room with lots of light and big windows to enjoy those views. They only make one wine - their Monopole Pinot Noir, and you have the opportunity to taste it as a vertical flight. This really gives you an amazing opportunity to taste the impact of 'vintage' on the same varietal, grown in the same place, as well as aging. They also had a delicious cheese tray from Fromagerie Sophie ($5) that was delicious and paired perfectly with their flight. A nice bonus is their incredibly knowledgeable and friendly tasting room staff. They seemed to know everything about the farming, production, clonal characteristics and on and on. They also took us into their barrel room and told us all about their French Oak program. They also told us about their wine club and the fun 'French Connection' club parties they throw, where their owner/winemaker brings in Grand Cru & Premier Cru French Burgundies to pair and compare alongside library vintages of Windward Vineyard Pinot Noir - wow! I only hope I'll have the chance to attend someday. Their tasting fee is very fair, $10 for 4 wines - though we did get an extra 5th pour - and they waive with a two bottle purchase (or, if you buy 3 bottles - you also get a free logo glass thrown in, and you have more wine to enjoy later!) On our trip each bottle, regardless of vintage, cost $44 - a very fair price for single varietal Pinot Noir from a boutique winery that takes such obvious care and time crafting excellent wines. All in all - a very unique and wonderful experience in Paso Robles that I highly recommend! read more

Windward Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

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When we'd read that they only serve Pinot Noirs (a favorite varietal of ours), Winward was definitely on our list! Tasting fee: $10/person for 4 tastes. While we found the service was friendly, the tasting room was attractive, and the experience was pleasant, we weren't overly impressed with the selections. We left with their 2010 Pinot Noir @ $40.00. read more

Windward Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

All they do is Pinot Noir. Don't go expecting anything else. It's amazing though, so don't worry :) Marc is a charming host (but maybe that's because we were a group of four girls...haha). Honestly though, he was fun, passionate about wine, and a great teacher. He didn't mind answering our silly questions about wine and wine making. read more

Windward Vineyard - Marc with the girls - Wineries Near Me - Templeton, California

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By far the most beautiful setting and all of Paso. If you like a small boutique winery with absolutely amazing views this is the place to go. I love the wines Because they taste great don't get me I'll bust out of sugars. Bravo to this family. I'll be back every time I visit Paso read more

Great spot with a nice breeze on a hot day. Relaxed outside while trying some nice Pinot Noirs read more

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Exclusively Monopole Pinot noir- today a 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 today's tasting. Great place to drop by and learn about wine. A family owned winery who do everything from growing, picking, & winemakers. read more

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/pinot-noir-may-be-the-healthiest-type-of-wine-to-drink-according-to-experts/ar-BB1fGOCC Enough said! And Marc makes an excellent, unfiltered Burgundian style pinot noir that will blow your socks off. read more

The wine was excellent! You can sit inside or outside. The day we went was very windy so we stayed inside. I definitely recommend this place for the great Pinots and friendly staff. read more

We made reservations for Windward and arrived almost an hr early. We were greeted by the owner/ winemakers son and accepted early. There's were 5 wines on their tasting list and we asked to try an additional wine with no problems. All their wines are Pinot noir and all very good. We had a great experience. We will definitely go back and recommend them. read more

If you love Pinot's that are done right. This place is for you. I've been a wine club member since 2006 and have yet to be disappointed. The customer service here is amazing! The wine club Manager - Heather is very friendly. Keep up the great work! Here is my rating factor, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) Food - 10 (amazing cheeses) Atmosphere - 10 Selection - 10 Service - 10 Cleanliness - 10 Overall - 10 read more

I'll be honest and admit that my expectation while tasting wine in Paso Robles was that my day would be filled with Rhone/Bordeaux style red blends and Zinfandel. When we were recommended to visit Windward at a previous tasting after I mentioned my affinity for Pinot Noir, I knew we had to make that the next stop! After arriving, my expectations were surpassed when I found out that they make their Pinot Noir in a Burgundian manner and have bottles with great aging potential. Apart from the superb wine (bonus points for having a rosé available for those who don't like red wine) the hospitality of the staff was great. The environment felt very relaxed and intimate. It's great I can now tell people that Paso Robles makes stellar Pinot Noir too. Looking forward to visiting again when I'm in the area! read more

My wife,I and some friends just visited this awesome winery. Everything was so excellent, Justin took care of us. He is very nice and accommodating with great stories about the winery and area of Paso. The wine and cheeses that Justin recommended was excellent. Can't wait to go back. Thanks again Justin. read more

BEWARE OF CAT Consider yourself warned, as they have a semi-ill-tempered feline stalking the premises. Friendly one second, a whirlwind of claws the next. That said, the wines here are excellent. Windward is one of the few wineries in Paso that grows pinot noir due to their micro climate. It's what they do, and all they do. The tasting fee is a bit steep at $10 for only 4 wines, but it's well worth it. The '06 Monopole was my favorite. Bright cherry and berry notes with warm, velvety tannins. I could drink this every day. read more

Paso Pinots... say it isn't so. Say that I did not bring my Pinot winemaking boyfriend with me to taste a vertical of 2008 to now... you know the guy who makes 4 year old faces when something is too tart or there is something wrong with it structurally. The son of the winemaker walked us through the wines, and had nice conversations with the boyfriend while we enjoyed our time there. Paso Pinots in general might make you cringe, but Mark's wines are delish and remarkable considering where they are grown. Very good wines, very nice place. We will be back. read more

"Exclusively Pinot Noir" A great idea, but it makes for a not-so-interesting tasting room. Two wines available for the basic $5 tasting (I think you could try three library selections for $15). All their offerings are made from the 15 acres of grapes on the estate. I like wine, but I honestly just wanted to drink my $5 dollars worth and get out of there. We were the only visitors and the tasting room had that awkward quiet where the staff member stares at you uncomfortably. Thankfully, they had press articles and paintings to stare at on the wall. It didn't help that I just didn't like either the '06 Monopole Pinot ($36) or the '06 Gold Barrel Select ($60). I can think of a dozen wines off the top of my head that I would rather spend that kind of money on. read more

I have been a wine club member of Windward since almost the beginning. All they do is Pinot Noir, but Marc does Pinot right. He does it in the french burgundy style not the fruit forward California style. So its Pinot done the way it was meant to be done. If you are in Paso and you like Pinot you owe it to yourself to find this place and try the wine. read more

Hello Pinot heaven!! The GF and I were told about this place by a guy we met at Laetitia Winery. He is a Pinot buff and recommended this place highly. I figure since I'm working on my Pinot palate, what a place to start. Outside we noticed a nice patio are with an incredible hillside/vineyard view. Really want to hit this place at the close of our next trip. Me and the GF can chill, drink some wine and enjoy the scene. Inside there is a very cozy and quaint pouring room. Some merchandise for sale, but not on the Frass Canyon level. Nice music playing in sync with a TV doing a slide show. Now on to the wines; They were all good!! Not a bad one on the lot. My fav was the 05 Monopole and the 05 Gold Select. Very full and rich. Windward gave me the selection and the information to help work on my Pinot experience. Our pour was kind, courteous and very knowledgeable with the wine she was pouring. I even learn about "peacock feathers". As soon as I have a chance, this is the next winery to join. read more

Windward specializes in pinot noir. This is all they make. I love a good pinot so I was game. From this wino's point of view, they know what they are doing. Their 2005 Monopole has all of my sensorial respect. It is gorgeous, just a beautiful piece of work. In true Burgundian style, it is best described as absolutely quaffable, boutique-quality perfume (and I know my perfume). The color is a perfect rendering of brilliant garnet with a touch of deep royal purple. And the bouquet--ahh, it smells like delicious, wholly palatable fragrance (hate to be repetitive, but it really does). As for the taste, it is strawberries, bright bing cherries with an enticing finish of woods, earth, and just a hint of mineral. It is what I imagine crushed rubies that can only glisten like stars would taste like, and thus I licked the Riedel glass clean. The other pinots are good as well. The 2006 Monopole has the stamp of quality, but, needless to say, I just am in love with the 2005. The 2005 and 2006 Barrel Select Gold taste quite classic to me, but more in a California/Oregon tradition. It makes sense because, though small, the winery possesses unique microclimates due to the brisk and warm weather of the Central Coast. As for the tasting venue, it is quite lovely. Some may find it a bit chichi, but I like the framed artwork hanging on the walls and little touches here and there. It is definitely not as laid-back as the other venues, but it is fine with me. They use Riedel stemware which is a plus and service is fine. Note: They do not waive the cost of tasting a flight if you make a purchase (which is more customary). Annoying and hopefully they will reconsider this policy. read more

The 2004 reserve was sooo tasty! The other reserves will get to that in a year or two, I'm sure, but I'm not wino enough to remember when to drink which vintages two years down the line. It was $15 to try the 3 regular and 3 reserve wines, plus you get to keep the riedel glass with their logo in it. I don't think it's a bad deal. It's the really fatty bottomed ones to let the wine breathe! yay! If you don't want the glass, it's $5 off the tasting (so $5 for regular or $10 for the reserve tasting). Not bad. If I hadn't purchased 17 bottles of wine the previous day, I would have easily purchased a bottle of their 2004 reserve. The pourer was a really nice, friendly woman who really knew her stuff. They have a really nice shaded picnic area in front of the tasting room to enjoy your wine/cheese or just the view after your tasting. read more