Paso Robles has plenty of big, beautiful tasting rooms, and they’re easy to find. The boutique wineries are harder. Many of us make a few hundred cases a year, have no sign out by the highway, and pour by appointment only. I’m Mike Stiekema, and I run one of those wineries: about 350 cases a year of GSM and Rhône wines, made by me, in Paso Robles and Templeton. Here’s how I’d go about finding small-lot wineries if I were visiting, and how to get the most out of tasting with them.

What counts as a small-lot or boutique winery?

There’s no official definition. When I say small-lot, I mean a winery where the wines come in small batches, often just a few barrels of each, and where the person who made the wine is usually the person you’ll talk to. Many of these wineries buy grapes from growers instead of farming their own estate, and many don’t have a tasting room of their own. You’ll also hear the word “garagiste” for this kind of producer. I wrote more about that in What Is a Garagiste Winery?

Small doesn’t automatically mean better. What it does mean is personal. You’re tasting one person’s choices, vintage by vintage, and you can usually ask them about every one.

Plan on appointments, not drop-ins

This is the biggest difference from visiting a large winery. A lot of small producers pour by appointment because the winemaker is also the one in the cellar, at the vineyard or making deliveries. If you just show up, there may be nobody there.

A few tips:

  • Book ahead. A few days is usually plenty on a weekday. Give more notice for weekends, holidays and harvest season, which in Paso generally runs from late summer into fall.
  • Call if the calendar looks full. Online booking only shows what’s been posted. Small wineries can often make something work if you ask.
  • Read the fee policy. Many tastings are waived with a bottle purchase or a club sign-up, but some special tastings aren’t.
  • Don’t over-schedule. Appointment tastings tend to run longer and go deeper. Two or three in a day is a good pace.

For example, I don’t have my own tasting room. I pour at Caelesta Wines, 2855 El Pomar Dr. in Templeton. The Stiekema Tasting is $25 per person, waived with a two-bottle purchase or club sign-up. The barrel tasting is $80 per person, and you taste wines still aging in barrel. Details and booking are on my Visit Us page, or you can call me at (509) 731-5267.

Get on the club and allocation lists

When a winery makes only a handful of barrels of a wine, much of it goes to the people already on its list. That’s how small wineries survive, and it’s how you get first access.

  • Join the mailing list even if you aren’t ready for a club. It’s how you’ll hear about releases and events.
  • Look at the club terms. Check how often shipments go out, whether you can customize them, and whether there’s a sign-up or cancellation fee.
  • Ask about allocations. Some wineries offer certain wines only to members or to a waiting list.

My club, Club Stiekema, ships once a year in the spring, with 3-, 6- and 12-bottle levels. Shipments are fully customizable, there’s no sign-up or cancellation fee, you can skip a shipment and keep your benefits, and members get priority access to all new releases. My 2023 Reserve, the best wine I make, is only 8 cases, so being on the list matters for wines like that.

Use festivals to taste a lot of small producers at once

Wine festivals are one of the most efficient ways to discover small wineries. You can taste from dozens of producers in an afternoon, and the person pouring is often the winemaker. Paso Robles hosts festivals through the year, and some focus specifically on small, independent producers.

How to make a festival worth it:

  • Look at the list of who’s pouring ahead of time, and pick a few must-tries.
  • Take notes or photos of labels. After 30 tastes, everything blurs together.
  • Ask how to taste with them later. Most small wineries can’t sell bottles at every event, but they’ll tell you how to book a visit or join their list.
  • Use the spit cup, and plan a ride home.

I don’t pour at every festival. Next up, I’ll be pouring at the Orange County Wine Fest. If you see me there, come say hi.

Explore Tin City and the backroads

Tin City is a cluster of small wineries, breweries and other craft producers in an industrial area on the south side of Paso Robles. It’s walkable, casual and a good place to taste from several small producers in one stop. Hours vary a lot from place to place, and some spots are appointment-only, so check before you go.

Beyond Tin City, many small wineries pour in shared spaces or on the backroads around Templeton, the West Side and the east side of Paso. Some share a facility with other winemakers, and that’s normal for small producers. Don’t let a modest building fool you.

Ask the winemakers

The best tip I can give you is to talk to the people pouring. Winemakers in Paso tend to help each other, and most of us are happy to point you toward someone else you’d like. Good questions to ask:

  • Where do your grapes come from, and why that vineyard?
  • How many cases of this wine did you make?
  • What’s your favorite wine you make, and why?
  • Who else should I taste on this trip?

Ask me any of these and you’ll get an honest answer. My favorite grape is Mourvèdre, and I’ll happily tell you why. I was born in South Africa and moved to the US at age three, I’ve been making wine since 2012, including a harvest in South Africa, I studied winemaking at Washington State University, and I came to Paso in 2018. In 2021 I started this brand, “A South African Story,” on a whim and a dream. My lineup includes a GSM, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, a rosé of Grenache, an orange Vermentino, a Cabernet Franc called Springbok and a Petite Sirah called ZIAH. If you want to read before you taste, start with our Syrah-led GSM.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an appointment to taste at small wineries in Paso Robles?

Often, yes. Many small-lot wineries pour by appointment only because the winemaker runs most of the business. Book ahead, and call if you don’t see a time that works.

How much do boutique wine tastings in Paso Robles cost?

It varies by winery and experience. Many tasting fees are waived with a bottle purchase or club sign-up. At Stiekema Wine Co., the Stiekema Tasting is $25, waived with a two-bottle purchase or club sign-up, and the barrel tasting is $80.

How do I buy wine from a small winery that sells out?

Join its mailing list or wine club. Small wineries often offer new releases to members first, and some wines are only a few barrels.

What is Tin City in Paso Robles?

Tin City is an area on the south side of Paso Robles with a concentration of small wineries, breweries and craft producers. Hours vary, and some places are appointment-only, so check before you go.

Where can I taste Stiekema wines?

By appointment at Caelesta Wines, 2855 El Pomar Dr., Templeton. Book on the Visit Us page or call (509) 731-5267.

Thanks for seeking out the small ones. We couldn’t do this without you.

Mike Stiekema