Dark Star Cellars
Dark Star Cellars
5
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Dark Star was established in 1994. We are conveniently located just two miles west of the 101, just off of the 46 on Anderson Road. Dark Star makes small lots of premium, hand-crafted wines, including traditional Bordeaux and Rhône styles, creative California blends, and some things not everyone has: Montepulciano, Tempranillo, Viognier, Roussanne, Rosé of Grenache and a Port. Our menu presently includes about twenty different varietals and blends. Drop by and visit our spacious indoor tasting room and outdoor patio, both with comfortable seating. Bring your own picnic and enjoy wine by the glass, or Dark Star snacks if it is your lucky day. Dark Star is pet and family friendly. Check out our observation beehive, free-range chickens and winery cats. Taste eight-ish wines for a twenty -dollar tasting fee, waived with a bottle purchase. Check the darkstarcellars.com "events" page for our regular music events and parties.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
23 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
3
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
stacewells
Oakland, CA47 contributions
Jul 2023
Dark Star is a gem we're glad we discovered.
The winemaker and folks in the tasting room were friendly and generous.
The wine was great and we took a few bottles to go.
The winery seemed very kid and dog friendly.
We were able to camp overnight in our van by reserving a space through Harvest Host and found the location private and quiet.
We very much enjoyed our visit. Highly recommend.
The winemaker and folks in the tasting room were friendly and generous.
The wine was great and we took a few bottles to go.
The winery seemed very kid and dog friendly.
We were able to camp overnight in our van by reserving a space through Harvest Host and found the location private and quiet.
We very much enjoyed our visit. Highly recommend.
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Driven
Yuma, AZ9 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Very beautiful place. Vineyards all around,curator served and shared wonderful information and stories.Loved the atmosphere and wine! We stayed overnight using HH and worked perfectly. Don't hit the barn lol! We didn't some other inexperienced wahoo did.
Written 11 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marius P
Raleigh, NC168 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Dark Star was a diamond in the rough. There is outdoor and limited indoor seating. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. The tasting is 8 pours for $15, waived with the purchase of a bottle. The tastings are also on the honor system which is very lenient as well. It’s a place where the employees treat the guests like friends. They even have a chicken roaming around that the feed potato chips too! The have several award winning wines to offer as well. This is a must stop place when tasting wines in Paso!
Written 4 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks. We try to keep it fun.
Written 5 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Diana B
Fayetteville, AR447 contributions
Dec 2019
Our last stop before heading out of town. The wines were good. The staff was friendly and super knowledgable. I definitely will be visiting again!
Written 14 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darcy S
Riverside, CA776 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
Such a cute and rustic winery ~ the day we went, they had a band and food available with wine tastings. $10 for 8 tastings. We didn't stay long enough to sample all their wines available. All wines we tasted were pretty good.
Written 22 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mrs_Kenobi
Rancho Cucamonga, CA1,161 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
We loved the rustic, casual atmosphere, and our friends even joined the wine club. This is a terrific "Paso" winery to visit. They are low key, casual, and relaxed--plus the wines are delicious. Definitely drop by if you are in the area.
Written 28 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thetipsydutchman
Atascadero, CA350 contributions
Oct 2017 • Friends
Loved Dark Star! Can't believe I've never been before. Tasting room has a great indoor/outdoor flow. Bar area is huge with plenty of room. Plenty of seating inside and outside. They had live music, which was great. They even have a cool bee hive feature that was pretty cool. Huge lists of wines with plenty of options for everyone. A few whites, with a long list of reds. They have a Montepulciano that was outstanding. The only reason I'm giving a 4 and not a 5 rating is because the guy behind the bar could have been more helpful. He didn't really give us any info on the wines we tried. We left with 10 bottles so obviously we still enjoyed our visit.
Written 16 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul D
Fresno, CA88 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
This place is small and special. When we first arrived we were greeted like family. It's pretty low key and the wines are excellent. We especially enjoyed the Roussane, Rose and Tempranillo, but wound up taking home a mixed case. We were there on a weekday and Paul, the winemaker, gave us a tour of the winery. He is not only knowledgeable about wine and wine making, but he is passionate about his craft. It is fun and enlightening to listen to him. We can't wait to go back.
Written 11 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CarpeDiem0212
Cypress Gardens, FL237 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
My wife and I were visiting Paso Robles and its unique wineries. The hotel staff mentioned to us that they had heard good things about Dark Star Cellars. They encouraged us to check it out. I am glad they did. We were most impressed with the winery and the quality of the wines.
The winery consist of three red main buildings. The wine tasting room was open and had a positive, relaxed atmosphere. The tasting room had a closed bee hive on the inside, a black kitty and even some food. They also had a covered outdoor picnic area.
Mike greeted us and started serving us some wine samples. He told us about the winery and each of the varieties of wines they make. In between samples, we cleared our palate with crackers and/or chocolate chips. It was all Fun!
Dark Star makes a great variety of different wines from Rhone wines, Bordeaux wines and California red wines. Each is distinctive and tasty. We liked almost all of their wines.
After we had finished our sampling, Dave took a small group of us for a winery tour of their facilities. It was wonderful. My wife even got to taste a sample of red wine that was almost ready for bottling. It was a small and intimate tour which we loved.
Afterward, we bought a bottle of their red wine and brought it home to drink at a later date. We truly enjoyed visiting the Dark Star Cellars winery. It was a great visit of a winery who is committed to quality and good taste in wine. We encourage everyone to check them out.
The winery consist of three red main buildings. The wine tasting room was open and had a positive, relaxed atmosphere. The tasting room had a closed bee hive on the inside, a black kitty and even some food. They also had a covered outdoor picnic area.
Mike greeted us and started serving us some wine samples. He told us about the winery and each of the varieties of wines they make. In between samples, we cleared our palate with crackers and/or chocolate chips. It was all Fun!
Dark Star makes a great variety of different wines from Rhone wines, Bordeaux wines and California red wines. Each is distinctive and tasty. We liked almost all of their wines.
After we had finished our sampling, Dave took a small group of us for a winery tour of their facilities. It was wonderful. My wife even got to taste a sample of red wine that was almost ready for bottling. It was a small and intimate tour which we loved.
Afterward, we bought a bottle of their red wine and brought it home to drink at a later date. We truly enjoyed visiting the Dark Star Cellars winery. It was a great visit of a winery who is committed to quality and good taste in wine. We encourage everyone to check them out.
Written 4 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sean F
Mission Viejo, CA306 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
My girlfriend and I were wine tasting in Paso Robles and were told to check out Dark Star. Im glad we did. It was a rainy day in Paso, not much going on. As we walked into the winery and sat at the bar nobody else was in sight. We quickly met Paul who would take us through our tour of Dark Star's stock. We figured we would have just another tasting like everywhere else, we were wrong!
First, let me say that Paul was a kind and gracious host. He is not only the man pouring the wine you taste, he is also the man making it. He is knowledgeable about the area and the product, a human encyclopedia of wine, seriously. He gave us a taste and tour of everything Dark Star had to offer. And let me tell you there product is quite tasty! We took home two bottles, their Zinfandel and Syrah. We know how to find their website, we will be buying more.
However, it doesn't end there. As I said, it was a slow day and nobody else was there. Paul, being bartender and wine maker, invited us to try some new white wines that were still in the barrel aging that he had made and were due to be bottled soon!! My girlfriend, a huge wine lover, was beyond excited! Tasting wine directly from the barrel!!!! Its a wonderful experience that all wine lovers want to experience. Paul allowing us to taste his latest creation directly from the barrel made our day and our trip. It catapulted Dark Star to the top of our favorite Paso Wineries and guaranteed we will be returning.
In conclusion, the Dark Star product is delicious. However, their people, especially Paul, make their winery great! If your in Paso Robles and go wine tasting you need to stop by Dark Star, have a tasting and let Paul give you a little education on wine. You won't regret it!
First, let me say that Paul was a kind and gracious host. He is not only the man pouring the wine you taste, he is also the man making it. He is knowledgeable about the area and the product, a human encyclopedia of wine, seriously. He gave us a taste and tour of everything Dark Star had to offer. And let me tell you there product is quite tasty! We took home two bottles, their Zinfandel and Syrah. We know how to find their website, we will be buying more.
However, it doesn't end there. As I said, it was a slow day and nobody else was there. Paul, being bartender and wine maker, invited us to try some new white wines that were still in the barrel aging that he had made and were due to be bottled soon!! My girlfriend, a huge wine lover, was beyond excited! Tasting wine directly from the barrel!!!! Its a wonderful experience that all wine lovers want to experience. Paul allowing us to taste his latest creation directly from the barrel made our day and our trip. It catapulted Dark Star to the top of our favorite Paso Wineries and guaranteed we will be returning.
In conclusion, the Dark Star product is delicious. However, their people, especially Paul, make their winery great! If your in Paso Robles and go wine tasting you need to stop by Dark Star, have a tasting and let Paul give you a little education on wine. You won't regret it!
Written 12 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Dark Star Cellars
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Dark Star Cellars:
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- (0.79 km) The Restaurant At Niner Wine Estates
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