Caparone Winery

Thank goodness there is Unilocal.I would have never found this place otherwise! I went to 5 total wineries on my short trip to Paso Robles, and this one is #2 on my list just after Kukkula. When you factor in the price difference though, this place was definitely the best value for the quality of wine.
I really loved the wines here (just about all of them except the Merlot). $ 16 each, doesn’t matter the variety. Our favorite was the Sangiovese (2012) and we also got a bottle of the Nebbiolo and Cab. I ended up leaving with a half-​case, but really should have bought the whole case. This winery was the first we visited of 5 total for that day, and it really, really screwed up the rest of our wine tastings. By screwed up I meant that pretty much no other winery could impress like Caparone did! Everything else was just a disappointment in taste and/​or in price. Had I known I would have also bought more wines here, but you can’t start your day by buying a whole case… you just know that’s usually going to end badly (and broke) by the end of the day! So if you’re like me, I would highly recommend going to Caparone last.
We also met the owner there the morning of the tasting. He was telling us about the backstory of Paso Robles — he was one of the original wineries that is still around from the days that Paso Robles was just starting to become a wine region — and other random nonsense. Really nice guy and very knowledgeable about wines.
Don’t expect much when you walk in — the tasting location is literally just in a warehouse, but that’s how they keep their costs so low. Free wine tasting too. The only bummer is that they don’t really distribute their wines (again, to keep costs low), so I guess I will definitely be back and bringing my friends with me next time! (They do online orders and they do ship though!)

I’ve been to 13 wineries in Paso and Caparone is my second favorite, right behind Turley. I probably won’t get to post reviews for all the others, so this is how I rank them:
1. Turley
2. Caparone
3. Tobin James
4. Doce Robles
5. San Marcos Creek
6. Vista Del Rey
7. Grey Wolf/​Barton
8. Rabbit Ridge
9. D’Anbino
10. Whalebone
11. Wild Coyote
12. Robert Hall
13. La Cuvie
Keep in mind, these are rated based on the wines I tasted and not the atmosphere, customer service, etc. (yes, I really enjoy the wines from Tobin James– specifically the reserves). Another thing– from #7– #12, I only liked 1 – 2 wines out of the several that were put in front of me. At La Cuvie, I liked nothing, hence their ranking of dead last.
All (not some) of Caparone’s wines are bretty, similar to an old Bordeaux, which you will either love or hate. I love it. These are not typical tastes you find in wines from the Paso region so you may not dig Caparone if you came to Paso for the super jammy zins.
One of the best parts… if you do like Caparone’s style, every one of their bottles is only $ 16 a piece! And if you buy 6 bottles or more, you get 10% off! I enjoyed everything I tasted there and left with 6 bottles– 2 zins, 2 merlots and 2 sangioveses. $ 14.40/bottle for THESE? That’s insanity. I should have bought more.
This was confirmed when I brought a bottle of their 2007 Zin to a dinner last week along with a bottle of Oregon Syrah that I paid $ 75 for. Guess which bottle fared better?
I immediately joined Caparone’s wine club as soon as I got home. Why not? Great wines for a great price.

WHOA! I loved the wines here. Italian varietals that stand out. Me and my group of friends stopped by 10 wineries over Fathers Day Weekend and this was in my top 3 of all time favorite wineries. I’ve been to maybe 40 total in Paso Robles. This is one of those off the beaten path easy to miss places. You won’t get flashy grounds but it’s a clean and well kept place. The actual tasting room is more like a warehouse with no frills inside. Just Barrels and a tiny tasting table.
Most of the time this is exactly the type of place that makes amazing wines. All wines were $ 16 They had a Nebiola that was outstanding but the first wine sampled and first wine of the day blew me away. It was the Sangiovese. Smooth, light in color and full of balanced flavors. I bought 4 bottles and I’m stingy when it comes to purchasing wines. I have a picky palate. Loved this place and it’s one I will always tell people to try first to set your bar. There’s life in these bottles.
P.S This is a non corporate place where the wine maker is self taught. It’s a father and son operation. These wines stood out. Proof you don’t need to have proper training to make good wine.

We had gone to a few wineries in the Paso Robles area and bought some wine and when we got to Caparone, it was sheer understatement, from the simple sign on the road to the handwritten sign next to the door that said Open. We were the only ones there and tasted through the wines and then had a conversation with someone who was obviously passionate about wine, wanted to create something that people would apprecite and drink. and he has been doing it for 45 years. We walked away with three cases of what I consider some of the best values we have ever seen. It will not be our last visit.

Free wine tasting in Paso Robles! The owner was great and very knowledgable. However, their wines weren’t my favorite. Marc was telling my friend and I that they use an older, more traditional method of wine making, and it wasn’t quite my jam. I just prefer more «jammy» red wines. However, I really liked their cab and left with a bottle.
Their wine prices are reasonable. They have a couple Italian wines (Nebbiolo, Aglianico, and Sangiovese) that you won’t see at every winery. Lovely family!

Visited Caparone on 8÷8÷14. Seven people showed up within a few minutes of each other. Marc easily handled the group and provided a wealth of info from describing each of the varietals to the history of Caparone. We tasted the following wines:
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Sangiovese
2009 Nebbiolo
2005 Merlot
2005 Zinfandel
2010 Aglianico
Enjoyed all of the wines with the exception of the Merlot. Joined the club which made each bottle $ 12. You will be challenged to find a better wine for almost twice that price. Walked away with two each of the Italian varietals (Sangiovese, Aglianico, and the Nebbiolo). Personal fav was the Nebbiolo. If you enjoy the Italian style wines, Caparone is a can’t miss. Great value winery, keep that in mind and you will enjoy!,

Hard to beat their wine prices. Tasting will most likely be done by one of the owners which is cool. Cool back story.
However, in my opinion most of the wine needs serious help. Most of the wines are extremely oxidized and past their prime. Other wine-​making flaws, besides the over oxidation, exist in almost all their other wines, which is a bummer.
I believe the winery could greatly be improved if they had an out sourced wine expert help them with some of their current problems in their current bottling’s.

Wow their unfiltered Sangiovese is the best I’ve ever had! For 16 dollars you can’t beat it! And free tasting

Caparone was exactly what I’ve been looking for in a winery. Nice view, unpretentious facility, and wine tasting right in the cool, dark cellar. And we were the only visitors on a Sunday afternoon in May. Plus wine tasting hosted by the winemaker, himself.
It’s a father and son operation. The day we arrived Caparone Sr. was hosting the wine tasting. He explained that he had been growing grapes in Paso Robles since the 1970’s, We mentioned a few of his neighboring wineries, and he was able to tell us the history of each of them. He was a treasure trove of historical knowledge, and he enjoyed sharing it without being over-​burdening.
Most of the wines are unusual old-​world varieties that I had never heard of, but they tasted wonderful. He told us they were all un-​blended and un-​filtered.
Highly-​recommended!

Hysterical — go for a new and unique experience. Father and son manage the winery and the tasting room, and there are no frills involved here. Taste in the dark, cold warehouse and check out the sign posted with the prices (they are all the same — Caparone Sr. said it is easier to remember them this way).
The wines are good, and high in acid as many others are saying. We love the Sangiovese and the Nebiolo. Pricing is great (was $ 16 a bottle when we went), and you will not taste anything else like it.

Interesting rustic taste with high acid in a simple and relaxed tasting environment. I bought a bottle of the Sangiovese.

The owner was very helpful and nice as he explained the difference between Caparone’s process of making wine and all the other wineries in the area. While the wines were good, they didn’t satisfy my desire for big and bold reds. I think Caparone is worth the trip to taste the difference in their unfiltered and unfined wines.

Tasty Sangiovese at a steal of a price. No fanfare, no small talk, pour, taste, buy. Easy breezy!

I loved this winery. But first, a warning:
The décor is very simple, because the wine tasting happens in their minimal wine storage house. So if you are looking for made up (and I believe typically cheesy, though it appeals to most people) winery architecture, you are not going to find it here.
Basically, all the wines taste good. And they are very reasonably priced. The bottles were $ 16 each and the tasting was free.
This is apparently one of the few? wineries that makes wines from single grape varieties (no blends).
In the tasting, I got a series of very nice stories from the (older) owner, who is a humble, interesting, hardworking, and honest person.
Conclusion: Good wine you can afford, nice personal stories.

Unilocal reviews promised us a unique winery visit with some varieties different than anywhere else. This is a barebones tasting with 6 very basic wine bottles in a row (see pictures) telling you which grape it is from. No blends… just taste the grape. Marc the son poured describing their operation, the techniques they use and the varieties his father had planted.
We chose Caparone not only for the higher Unilocal rating but also to experience some different varieties of grape. We Americans limit ourselves to only a few varities, while Marc explains there are over 1000 varieties in Italy. Tried Aglianico and Nebbiolo for the first time. Purchased 2 of the Nebolli because of its unique taste. All wines now cost $ 16.
Overall these are not the finest of wines we have enjoyed this 3 day getaway… but solid wines combined with a very unique winery visit that everyone should experience (especially as more & more of the PR vineyards get bigger name and i fear are on the verge of becoming napa-​like. Caparone was refreshingly simple!

A winery for the true wine lover. One of our friends, who came on the trip with us, was real hot and heavy to come here. The GF and I, being the wine sluts we are, were just as eager.
Pulling up to the property, it was the classic, no frills wine tasting. If your looking for a Frass Canyon style winery, you will not find it here. This place is for the wine purest and the wines show it. I was even fond of their Merlot, what the hell?
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Nebbiolo — Great and unconventional color but still had it going on.
2004 Merlot
2005 Zinfandel
2009 Aglianico
All of them were amazing.
2009 Sangiovese was sold out, too bad. Really wanted to taste that one.
The GF and I walked away with one each and 2 of the Aglianicos, love that grape. This is a must visit for all wine lovers and don’t forget to ask about the lounge area.

A must stop on your Paso Robles wine tasting adventures. The tasting happens in a warehouse that is dark and basic but don’t let that scare you off. There are some great wines to be had here and the owner is very knowledgable.
The price of these wines are an incredible value. It’s a little out there but totally worth the drive !

Simply the best at «no punches pulled» wine making in Paso Robles. Here’s who we are, here’s what we make, here’s the price, we will be here.
Fashionistas will like the tasting room
Marketing moguls will drool over the marketing techniques behind the tasting counter
We bought the 2008 Aglianico Unfiltered and unfined, like the father pouring.

Caparone is quickly becoming a must-​stop for me on any visit to Paso. I’ve talked to son Marc and now his father, Dave, of this father-​son operation and both are great to talk to, although Dave is certainly the more laconic. It’s nice to have a bare-​bones tasting room where you’re not being told exactly how the wine should taste, though. Nothing but you and the wine and a little quiet. We ended up talking a bit after the tasting about old cars — he had a beautiful old Lincoln outside, and I have a much newer ’70 Mustang. Talking with Dave was one of the highlights of my trip down there this past weekend.
Caparone’s wines are unique in a very good way — it’s hard to find anything like them in Paso, with the bright acidity another reviewer mentioned and the sense that these are the best table wines (as in pairing well with food, not as in cheap) I could hope to have. If I could have only one wine to pair with dinner and serve to friends for the rest of my life, their Aglianico just might be it. It’s not obtrusive, it’s not a big fruit bomb, but it is quite flavorful. You really have to try it to see what I mean.
As for the labels and the tasting room, I wouldn’t have them change a thing. They’ve got a good thing going, and it’s all part of the charm. I know that if I ever have to dress up as a ‘30s gangster, I’m going to accessorize with one of their bottles if I have to drive down to Paso to get it.

Its in the middle of nowhere and just when you think you’ve missed it, keep driving. I am glad that this wasn’t my first wine tasting experience but what a way to end the day. First, the grounds were beautiful. You drive up this country road to this door marked wine tasting. We walked in and it was definitely unpretentious.
If you like Italian wine, this is the place to go. This is one of the oldest wineries in the area run by a father/​son team. They have Italian grapes– Sangiovese, Aglianico, and the Nebbiolo (I liked the Nebbiolo and my husband didn’t…). These wines are unfiltered so you can leave them out for days and they are still good.
And the best part-​the wines are $ 14 a bottle (even less if you beat the wine club).