Paso Robles Wineries picnic sites: L'Adventure, Linne Calodo, Turley?

Hi all:
I had planned on having a picnic at Tablas Creek as some of you had suggested. However, it just isn't going to work out logistically.
I'd like bring a picnic to either Turley, L'Adventure, or Linne Calodo. Which one of these sites is best for a picnic?
Thanks!

[bwighton]

You should definitely visit Eos winery on 46 East! They have a great picnic area!! We went there and bought a bottle of their Pinot Blanc and had lunch outside...it was perfect!! Their wine is very good, and their staff is very friendly!

I was just at Castoro in Paso. Beautiful grounds (only the Pinot was good though.). If I were going to spend some time somewhere, it would be there.

Turley was in the process of redoing their landscaping and outside area two weeks ago. (6/12/05) It has totally changed. Not sure how many tbales there will be. I must disagree with he comments regarding the folks at Turley. We have sampled there quite often and have found the folks to be very pleasant. Yes there is a $10 fee, but for some of the best Zins you will find in the area. They are not cheap, but I have never opened a bottle of Turley and asked myself what it was that prompted me to buy this wine at the winery.

Let's see. L'Aventure (Optimus '98, if they're pouring it, is amazing, btw) has two picnic tables out in front of their winery with a decent view. They're on concrete. I liked them fine.

Linne Calodo is like going to a cabin in the woods. They're waaaay back there, completely under cover of pine, oak, eucalpytus, whatever. Very secluded, no vineyard views (like at L'Aventure). I don't think they have picnic tables at all...? Not that I remember seeing, anyway.

Turley had a $10 per person tasting fee, which when we visited was too rich for our blood. I wasn't impressed with the decor, really, lots of gravel outside and not much for views. I think they have a table or two.

You're going to be right by Windward and Mastantuono, both of which have really great picnic areas. Windward does only pinot, and they're GREAT. I really love them, big and fruity like pinots usually aren't. Mmm.

On Saturday we had our picnic at Dunning, which was really nice -- under the oaks, for shade, with a nice view of their Syrah vines (the attendant told us later). Plus no tasting fee. Eh? :-)

Thank you so much!!! I will print this out and let it guide us :)

That freaking Optimus is some of the best wine I have ever tasted.

Turley also had a person who was very nasty about people who spit rather than swallowed when sampling. For the $10 fee, it was a bit offsetting. (We are not sloppy about spitting, we do not hog the dump bucket. We carry plastic cups to use.) This was a particularly obnoxious tasting for us.

Turley IMO is not a good place for a picnic. It just does not have that ambience I would want for a picnic.

[tavmark]

Love, love, love Dunning. Very nice people who are in it for the love of wine. Scenery is also great.