About Turley Wine Cellars
Turley Wine Cellars is built around Zinfandel, much of it from very old vines. Larry Turley, an emergency room doctor, started the winery in 1993 and left medicine a few years later. Since then it has made wine from more than 50 vineyards, many planted in the late 1800s, and it farms organically and dry-farms its sites. The Templeton tasting room on Vineyard Drive sits in the part of the west Paso Robles hills where several of those historic blocks grow, including the Pesenti Vineyard, planted in 1924.
The basic tasting, called Just a Taste, is $35 a person and is waived when you buy three bottles. Longer sessions include Land and Legacy, Vintage and Vinyl, and the Historic Pesenti Experience, which run $55 to $75 for the public. On Saturdays from April through October at 10 a.m. there is a walking tour of the Pesenti Vineyard. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome, and the last tasting slot is at 4 p.m.
Families are welcome. Under California law, guests under 21 can't drink or even smell the wine during a tasting. Leashed dogs that stay off the furniture are allowed, and staff will bring water. Light food is for sale, such as meat sticks and charcuterie plates with gluten-free choices, and the winery asks guests not to bring their own. Groups of 8 to 14 should book ahead and come before 1 p.m.; larger groups are handled as special events.
Central Coast Lavender, an organic lavender farm that distills its own oil in a copper still, is a few miles north on the Paso Robles side, about 15 minutes by car. In early summer the two make an easy half day.
What to do
- Taste old-vine Zinfandel in the $35 Just a Taste flight (2026)
- Walk the 1924 Pesenti Vineyard, Saturdays at 10 a.m., April to October
- Book a seated Land and Legacy or Vintage and Vinyl session
- Order a charcuterie plate to go with your tasting
- Bring a leashed dog along
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Tasting room open daily year-round; Pesenti Vineyard walks Saturdays April through October
- Hours
- 2026: daily 10–5; last tasting reservation 4 p.m.
- Admission
- Just a Taste $35 per person, waived with a three-bottle purchase; other experiences $55–$75 general (2026)
Good to know
- Age
- 21 or older to taste or drink alcohol
- Dogs
- Leashed
- Reservations
- Recommended; walk-ins welcome
Tips for your visit
- Groups of 8 or more should reserve and arrive before 1 p.m.
- Bringing your own food is discouraged, so plan to buy the light fare or eat elsewhere
- Children are welcome, but anyone under 21 can't taste or smell the wine
- Line up a designated driver if you plan to visit more than one winery on Vineyard Drive
Pair it with a lavender farm
Central Coast Lavender · about 15 minutes away
Central Coast Lavender is about 15 minutes north toward Paso Robles, so it pairs well with a morning tasting in Templeton.
Getting there
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Turley?
Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. The last tasting slot is at 4 p.m.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes. Dogs must be leashed, under control and off the furniture.
Are kids allowed?
Yes, families are welcome, though guests under 21 can't take part in the tasting.
Is there food?
Light snacks such as meat sticks and charcuterie plates are sold on site.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Paso Robles & San Miguel, California
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
