Starr Ranch Vineyards and Winery

Small, family owned. Fantastic wine and the owner, Judy Starr, served us homemade lemon bars and dried persimmons. She told us about how she had been harvesting earlier that morning. Really cool to be able to talk to the owner about their harvest rather than an employee reading off of a menu at one of the bigger wineries. Our favorites were a red blend called Marriage and Sweet Chariot a late harvest Viognier. No tasting fee. North east of Justin and Tablas Creek so if you go to either of those make sure to stop here!

Do not miss this winery!
…and the dried persimmons!
This is everything Paso Roble’s wineries are meant to be. Beautiful landscape, delicious wines, and totally approachable.
It’s only open on weekends, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Starr Ranch Vineyards and Winery is slightly off the beaten path. Located just East of Justin Winery, you’ll find Starr in a world all their own. Beginning with the persimmon lined drive up to the property, you’ll see that this Estate is a working, breathing, living ranch. The heartbeat being Judy Starr.
Judy welcomed us into her tasting room/​barrel room. It’s not a marble lined, gold accented winery for sure — but inside you’ll find everything those fancy schmancy places wished they were. Great wines at an affordable price, tasty treats, and loads of hospitality.
Coming on a Sunday we were able to taste plenty of wines — at least 6! I’m not a white/​rose drinker, but these happened to be lovely. Marriage, a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ blend was a really great drinking wine. And don’t miss the dessert wine, Sweet Chariot. Combined with her delicious lemon squares — you’re in for a real treat!
Grab a bag of dried persimmons for the road. Just do it. It’s like eating grown up fruit leather. So delicious!
Starr is a true boutique winery. We’re talking less than 30 cases of some wines. Speaking to Judy you get a real feel for the passion she has in her ranch and wines. And that makes even the driest wine taste that much sweeter.

Wonderful find in Paso Robles thanks to our good friends who are wine club members here. A little difficult to find, but definitely worth the trouble. Judy is so charming and very personable — she makes you feel right at home. We are not wine snobs, but we do enjoy a good glass of wine. We have considered joining many wineries but could never justify joining a wine club for just one or two wines. Starr Ranch changed our worlds forever! We LOVED basically every single wine on their tasting menu and joined their wine club on the spot. Great winery if you love reds and they have a great dessert wine that Judy will make lemon bars for. I agree with another reviewer that said that this winery will ruin all other places for you! Excellent winery!

Stop #2 on our October 2014 tour
We would never have known about this boutique winery if it hadn’t been for our excellent driver James, who knows us and our taste in wine well.
Judy Starr was a delightful person to pour her wines for us, and her entertaining description of the wines clearly showcased her literary experience. But the best part were her wines. As my husband put it, he wanted a case of everything we tasted. Her production is small compared to other bigger places, but she supplies grapes to at least one other winery we visited. We particularly liked the Marriage, Terrestris, Tempranillo, and the Viognier. But really it’s all great!
It’s been just as good when we got home. And so good, we joined the wine club on the spot. Absolutely delicious and delightful. I’d go back in a heartbeat, and can hardly wait for our first shipment to arrive!
And a second review for Deodoro Cellars, which shares the space with Starr Ranch. The winemaker at Starr Ranch, Robert Fuller, allows you to taste his own creations there. While the palate wasn’t as good for me as it was for my husband, he makes some pretty good wines also. We liked the Pinot Noir the best. While I’m not sure I’d come here to try his wines, he’s there so why not? Definitely worth the 10 step walk to his tasting counter.

This review is for the sister winery, Deodoro Cellars, sharing space with Starr Ranch. They are in the same tasting room, and the owner Bob was the one pouring the wine. I have tasted at many of the wineries in Paso, and this winery stands among the best. I had promised myself that I would not be joining any more wine clubs (3 is where my wallet is most comfortable), but these wines were so great across the board that I had to join their «repeat offender» club. Bob was even nice enough to take me back for a barrel tasting of his Port. Young but yummy! The property also has gorgeous views, and the road up to the tasting room is lined with beautiful persimmon trees. Dried persimmon chips are on sale too! Don’t miss it!

Of the two times I’ve been in, all I can remember sticking out vividly is the Starr Ranch Sweet Chariot (which may or may not have a LOT to do with the amazing lemon squares paired with it). What I like about the Sweet Chariot is that it’s a sweet wine without being cloyingly sweet. Translation, my mom loves it and I can enjoy it. I liked the reds they had to offer, but none of them stick out to me (the fact that this is usually the last winery may have a lot to do with that). Friendly service and good wines. I’ll definitely be back for more Sweet Chariot and some lemon squares!

Absolutely fantastic! The quality of the wine is off the charts and would rival any winery in Paso. Judy was a real pleasure to talk to, and I would encourage you to spend some time talking to her when you’re there. Nothing flashy about this place, so if you’re into that go somewhere else. But if you’re into great wine and friendly company, this place is for you. Many excellent wines, but the cab and the supernova are a must try!

If you go here first I suspect it will ruin a bunch of the other places for you:)
We are not major wine snobs but we like a good glass. We did a few other wineries today and didn’t have a bad time.
THIS was by far our favorite stop on our first trip to the wineries of PR. Lovely drive out to the vineyard. Despite a busy room Judy was a great host, low on cliché wine BS, 7 or 8 wines (all delicious) reasonably priced (very reasonably compared to others)…a whole different experience compared to everywhere else. Felt like you were visiting old friends.

I have been to this winery several times in the last 2 years and have found Judy Starr’s wines exceptional. In the red wines, my favorite is her Cabernet Sauv, and her Terrestris is my husband’s favorite. She also has a couple of wonderful, light, crisp whites, She also has persimmons which are awesome. Judy is also an excellent host and very knowledgeable about wine.
Judy is also very accommodating. On 2 occasions I have emailed her saying I am coming up either with my husband, or with my friends, and she’s come over at a prearranged time.
You will not regret driving to this little known, but absolute gem of a place.
Her wine is also reasonably priced for the quality.

Judy Starr is a great, enthusiastic host. Bob, the winemaker, is equally interesting. Judy carefully takes you through 9 – 10 bottlings she is currently offering and Bob will take you through 5 – 6 of his offerings under his label, Deodoro Cellars.
Starr Ranch is well known as a provider of fabulous grapes to many Paso wineries over the years. They grow great fruit. Our recent visit found us purchasing the Bordeaux blend called 2011 Terrestris. It has Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petite Verdot. It is just plain delicious and you should get there soon, because she will sell out the 172 cases of this $ 40 wine — quickly.
The 2013 Sweet Chariot — late harvest Viognier is not to be missed. Stone fruit wrapped in a heavenly sweetness.
Bob has 59 cases of a Cabernet Sauv which can only be described as funky. We got some for aging.

Off the beaten path and totally worth it! Judy has great wines and a really nice place out there.

When guests visit Paso and stay at Serendipity House many ask what boutique wineries I’d suggest; Starr Ranch is one of the top far out west side wineries I recommend. Flavor-​filled wine, (white & red) and many choices each at «palatable» prices. Judy (Starr) is very knowledgeable and gives an education to why her wine is sooooo special! A must for true wine lovers!

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Joined both Starr Ranch’s and Deodoro’s wine clubs on first visit. A must stop in Paso!

Judy Starr and «Beaker» Bob are truly fantastic people and they make great wine. Wonderful setting off the beaten path makes it even better.

While visiting a friend who owns Serendipity House in Paso Robles, we spent a beautiful day wine tasting. He knows the area well so knew what wineries would please us. I’m so glad we started at Starr Ranch. The lovely and gracious Judy Starr was our guide through an outstanding tasting of her wines. There were a total of eight of us and we all commented throughout the day how every one of her wines were delicious. They had depth, character, and were just delicious. It was difficult to find a wine that compared to Starr Ranch’s quality as we visited other wineries. Judy Starr is a wonderful host, know her wines, and makes the experience of learning about wine and all that goes into making it, fun and relaxing. I will certainly return. I became a Member so I’ll have lots more Starr Ranch wine at my gatherings. This is a Must Visit winery.

It’s all the little details that get you. Every part of the wine tasting experience here is well thought-​out, from the bottle labels (poetically designed after different constellations to fit the Starr moniker) to the accompanying snacks (we munched on generous portions of free walnuts, persimmons and cheese from local farms).
You’ll probably get pours from the winemaker herself, Judy Starr. She’s just a peach.
And the wines.
The the delicately crafted, deliciously drinkable wines! They’re a bit lighter than the in-​your-​face Paso reds you’re used to, but far from lacking in body or complexity. Each sip feels like you’re swallowing a little bit of romance. Watch out for the grenache in particular — you may find yourself swooning.
Starr is nothing short of stellar.

On my latest trip out to the middle-​of-​nowhere for a member pickup at a neighboring winery, three little words peeked my interest yet again — small boutique winery. This time, we turned off and headed up the little winding dirt road. Arriving at the ranch, we were happily greeted by a playful, wet black lab. The ranch is completely tucked back in the hills and provides a beautiful view and area to sit back, relax, and sip. We were warmly welcomed by Judy, the owner. She is full of conversation, stories, and pleasant spirits… one feels right at home. We enjoyed our flight of 7 or 8 wines with a spread of snacks laid out for those lucky enough to find this place.
Thumbs up:
Children friendly.
Lovely outdoor area for play. Just beware, this is Paso Robles and they do have rattlesnakes in these parts. Though, I have not stumbled upon one… watch your kids.
Darts for those skilled enough to throw sharp pointy objects while enjoying a glass of vino.
Nice sitting area by some large trees providing plenty of shade. Perfect for those HOT summer days.
Judy makes some awesome lemon bars to taste with her wine. I will be asking her for the recipe.
…oh, and the wine, YUMMMMM.
Reasonably priced.
Thumbs down:
It is a drive out, but not a deterrent.
My purchase — Orion, SuperNova, and the Viognier. This is a small production operation and I’m kicking myself for not buying a few more bottles. (Though, we did come home with 18 bottles from the area.) We have since polished off all three bottles. each one tasting better than I remembered. Starry-​eyed! Must buy more and soon. The Terrestris was not our fav, but still good.
Will we be back? Wine tasting… most definitely! Wine buying… FO’ SHIZZLE!!!

Amazing

I’ve done a LOT of wine tasting and my experience at Starr Ranch is cemented in my top 3!
I had honestly never heard of them before since they’re a boutique winery and not on any wine map that I’m aware of. But luckily, I decided to take a drive out to Adelaida, and to my surprise, here’s this winery with a windy persimmon lined road. It’s truly picturesque, so I just had to check it out. It took about 5 minutes to get there after a couple of forks in the road. There was no one else there which was a plus, so I walked in and right there to greet us was the owner, Judy, and Bob the winemaker. These are some seriously cool folks! They treat you like someone they’ve known for years; giving you a history of the winery, as well as, a lesson in the science of winemaking. Oh, and I’d better mention, the wines are really excellent!!!
To sum it up, I’ll go back to Starr Ranch each and every time I’m in Paso. Anyone could easily spend their entire day there, it was that awesome. You could even say it was… euphoric!(hat-tip to Bob)
Thank you so much Judy and Bob! See you soon…

Judy Starr + amazing hill property + fantastic wines = quintessential wine experience. Our favorite of our first wine trip to Paso Robles.
Cost to worth it rating: 4 (around ~$ 30 for high quality wines)
Return worthiness: YES
Eve award: Favorite Paso wine tasting experience
Highlights:
— Atmosphere: up on the hill with beautiful view of the vines. tasting bar was outside on the patio. Tables with few chairs surrounding them looked heavenly to sit at.
— Judy: the owner was pleasant, sweet, and intensely knowledgeable. She was a joy to talk to and spend time with just chatting away about wines, the business, etc. Gave us some wonderful referrals to other small wineries as well. Most notably Hug whose wines I fell in love with.
— Wines: utterly fantastic and reasonably priced. Particularly enjoyed the roussane, syrah, and the style of cab that wasn’t too heavy on tannins.
— Snacks: she had these beautiful sweet strawberries out for us
— Dartboard: first seeing at a winery but added to the relaxed let’s just have a good time feel
— Deodara: another winery was there too so you could try others
Lowlights:
— I hear they aren’t open very often, but per Judy they are open more than they previously had been
Stellar locale with down to earth persona and we’ll definitely be back.