August Ridge Vineyards

Creston, United States

4.3

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 805-239-2455
Website:
www.augustridge.com
Address:
8790 E Hwy 41, Creston, CA, 93432
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Bussiness info

Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
By Appointment Only
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Creston) 12:35 AM Saturday, June 28, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Wines with the robust style of California and the restrained classic elegance of Italy. Awarding winning Super Tuscan blends, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Primitivo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolcetto and Pinot Grigio. We handcraft distinctive wines that emphasize the uniqueness of the Paso Robles wine region. Visit our scenic tasting room nestled in the Creston District of the Paso Robles AVA and taste our distinctly unique wines. That’s what we call Super Tuscan!

History

Established in 2001.

August Ridge was established by John Backer and Jill Zamborelli Backer in the spring of 2001 with the purchase of 40 acres of rolling hills in Creston. From the beginning their goal was to produce wines that combine the robust styling of the best California wines with the restrained elegance of the classic wines from northern and central Italy. Their passion for the project comes from a love of cooking, eating and sharing meals with friends which leads directly to August Ridge wine style. This dream is a natural extension of both the Backer and Zamborelli families. John’s family has been growing grapes for four generations dating back to the 1800’s while Jill’s family brings the robust Italian food and traditions from a small town just outside of Rome, Italy.

Meet the Business Owner

John B.

Business Owner

I founded August Ridge with my spouse Jill to create special wines that tie this place to our history. As a fifth generation California grape grower I bring the farming; Jill brings her Italian heritage and a creative passion for food. Together we have built a loyal and growing Bella Famiglia to share in our lifestyle of good friends, good food and good wine!

Winemaking has been my passion for nearly twenty years and I have been fortunate to develop a personal winemaking style that resonates well with the folks who visit us – as well as the international critics who have awarded Gold, Double Gold and Platinum medals to our efforts.

Vicinity

Near this location:
1
mi
Sundance Bed & Breakfast
7735 Sundance Trl
1.3
mi
Longbranch Saloon
6258 Webster Rd
1.4
mi
Loading Chute
6350 Webster Rd
1.4
mi
US Post Office
6320 Webster Rd
1.4
mi
Arcadian Gardens Landscape Design & Contracting
1.4
mi
San Luis Obispo County of
6290 Adams

20 reviews of August Ridge Vineyards

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Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Definitely worth the trip to visit this winery! We sampled all of the wines, seemed like ten in all! We also went with the cheese tasting that goes with each wine. Afterward we had lunch on one of the tables out front looking out over the vineyard. Very friendly family run business. My wife loves the Ingenious wine. We will be back!
Place rating: 5
Peachtree Corners, GA
Very good Italian varietals made by a small family owned winery. They offer good wines at value prices.
Place rating: 4
Columbia, MD
Beautiful setting, laid back, unpretentious vibe and some exceptional Italian style wines. Bravo!
Place rating: 3
Orange County, CA
Came here yesterday for the Creston Wine Trail Passport Weekend. I’m downgrading my review from 4 stars to 3 stars, as I wasn’t that impressed with this winery the second time around. We tasted all of their wines and none jumped out at me. Usually 1 or 2 of them will grab my attention, but there weren’t any that tasted spectacular. Also, the lady pouring the wines did not seem knowledgeable at all about the wines or the history of the winery, although she was friendly and so were the others who work there. The daughter is still selling baked goods, and this time she’s selling breads, like banana breads, etc.
Place rating: 5
LADERA RANCH, CA
I live locally and have visited many wineries in the
area and can definitely say that this is one of my favorite places to visit! They are family owned and a huge part of the community and I appreciate their hospitality at their winery! I love their wine and their beautiful property. I personally highly recommend them for private events or a casual day of wine tasting. The owners really care about each person’s experience and I appreciate the passion and effort they put in. My advise is not to pass by this little gem!
Place rating: 5
Azusa, CA
Went here a day after Christmas/​. Got here around 12:30. We were greeted in the parking lot by a cat who thinks she is a dog. Wagging her tail and demanding you pet her. She even rolled over on her back for you to get her belly. Alice the cat followed us into the winery and was our lil friend for our tasting experience.
Friendly people running this place. Nice grounds and a beautiful view overlooking the vineyards. We stopped at 4 wineries that day and all five of us liked this place the best. Tasty Italian varietals with wines like Nebbiola and Sangiovese and my personal fav the BARBERA. All under $ 26. These were easy drinking flavorful reds that I highly recommend everyone traveling to the east side of PASO ROBLES to check out.
Out of the four we visited we enjoyed this place and VICTOR HUGOS wines (appt only) the best. If you enjoy winding shire like road trips then taking the 41 EAST through the Templeton/​CRESTON area will be an enjoyable 15 minute scenic ride. You will feel like you entered a HOBBIT movie.
Place rating: 1
Atascadero, CA
They might have good wines. Too bad I was not able to try. Came on 11⁄15 just to see them overrun with the visitors. Some wineries can deal with this, this one cannot. Standed there for over 20 min, just to be ignored, no matter what I have said.
Place rating: 4
Templeton, CA
Fantastic tasting! Great range of varietals, friendly staff and owners. Definitely a great reason to hit the Creston Trail.
Place rating: 5
Paso Robles, CA
This is my second time stopping in for wine tasting and this time was as nice as the last. I was slightly disappointed that the little girls that were selling cookies weren’t there this time but I’m assured that they will be back. The cookies were a perfect pairing with the Pinot Grigio on a warmish day. I will be sure to return again on my next trip.
Place rating: 4
Templeton, CA
Very small, intimate setting. Friendly staff, happy to answer all your questions.
Place rating: 5
Mission Viejo, CA
We enjoy wines made from Italian grapes, so we stopped at August Ridge during our last trip through the area. We will definitely be back. The owners and staff were friendly and gracious; the wines were great and the place has a wonderful view and vibe. We wound up joining the wine club, since we liked their products so much.
Place rating: 3
San Marino, CA
This is the best place in Paso Appellation to get Italian style wines. They really discount heavily for their club members (Bella Famiglia). Also, they discount 10% on 6 bottle and 15%on a case. They have low priced wine to start, so with the discounts, there is real value here. Beautiful layout of the vineyard
We tasted nine wines here.
2009 Arneis 73 cases @ $ 19 Big green apple nose, hints of all kinds of fruit on the palate.
2007 Nebbiolo 256 cases @ $ 32 Spicy, peppery and strong tannin
2006 Sangiovese 342 cases @ $ 30 Light bodied, peppery, spicy dark cherry
2009 Barbera 170 cases @ $ 29 We had just come from Amador County where it is Barbera heaven, so this didn’t even get and honorable mention.
2009 Dolcetto 148 cases @ $ 24 Nice fullness on the palate — totally missing a finish
2009 Primitivo 145 cases @ $ 26 Big berry nose and palate, good finish
2009 Rocco’s Red 260 cases @ $ 19 Everyday red would stand up to any food
2007 Ingenious Estate Reserve 104 cases @ $ 44 Blend — Left me uninterested.
2007 Jovial Estate Reserve 191 Cases @ $ 42 Super Tuscan blend — not such a big deal
We bought Rocco’s Red and Primitivo.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
What a cute little winery! Excellent staff and VERY friendly pets that will snuggle up to you if you sit down. I’m a big fan of Italian varietals so this was definitely a place for me. Reasonably-​priced as well. Would definitely recommend to other fans of Italian wines.
Place rating: 3
Whittier, CA
What intrigued me about August Ridge was that they promoted Italian varietals. One of my favorite regions, plus there isn’t a whole lot of Italian wines in Pinot Country.
First off, the GF and I kinda crashed a pick-​up party. Which means only wine club members allowed. We had no idea that they were doing that. The gate was open and we just drove up. Oh well! HA! So we let them know we were not members and just wanted a tasting. No problem. What we did see was pretty impressive. Nice food and some chill music. People seemed rather friendly and the did offer us some food, but we both thought it rude. That stuff was more for the club members so we honored that.
The wines were good. Nothing really jumped out and killed me, but not bad. Temecula has left its mark on me. Most of the varietals they had; Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Primitivo and their blends containing these grapes, I’ve had in their boldest form. To have them in like this was a downgrade to me.
It’s not them though, I did like the smoothness of the wines, I just like these wines to be big. The GF at this time of our trip was all wined out, so her palate was wiped out, so she was done. What? It can happen!
This was the last one on our trip, I would like to go back and revisit the Rocco’s Red again.
I do recommend this place to get your Italian game on and the drive was nice too.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I developed a taste for Italian wines recently and while visiting Paso Robles, August Ridge was a winery that was on top of my list. Rocco’s Red was amazing as was the Nebbiolo.
I would have to recommend this winery for anyone reading their Unilocal reviews, you won’t be disappointed and their dog is just the cutest thing ever.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
August Ridge exemplifies the Paso Robles wine experience. The owners do all the pouring and you might have to dodge a forklift in the barrel/​tasting room.
As many reviewers have stated, this winery earns the «ridge» portion of their name, with an expansive vista over south paso robles.
I haven’t seen many mentions of their red blend («Rocco’s Red»), but it blew me away and was easily the best bottle under $ 20 that I saw anywhere that day. Here’s the blurb for other websites and future AR collateral in an easy to cut-​and-​paste line:
«August Ridge’s Rocco’s Red is the best bottle under $ 20 in Paso» –This One Guy on Unilocal
I don’t want to compare quality between boutique wineries and larger places. I will say this though, when you open a bottle form August Ridge you won’t be worried about whether or not it will live up to a rating, or whether or not you overspent.
What will happen, is you will be reminded of the time you spent in the company of two people passionate about Italian wines. You might remember the feeling of a dog resting it’s head in your lap. You’ll be looking over the golden, rolling hills of Paso Robles and you’ll be reminded that this came from there.
Place rating: 5
Atascadero, CA
August Ridge was the beginning of our wine tasting experience for the Wine 4 Paws weekend. I had researched all of the participating wineries beforehand and saw that this one had pretty stellar reviews. First off, the view you get from this winery is absolutely breathtaking! My friends and I felt instantly welcomed by the wine maker and his wife pouring wine in their garage/​barrell room. Their cat was hanging out with us (simply adorable) and their little dog was out playing as well. Their reds were outstanding! We were all taken by the richness of the Primitivo and I think three of us bought bottles of that wine. Also standing out were the Dolcetto and Jovial… yum! They also had homemade olive out for tasting and by far it was the best olive oil I’ve ever tasted in my life! I HAD to buy a bottle! Next time I’ll be bringing back my puppy because they also make their own dog treats, which was a nice little addition. Overall, I just have to say we were all impressed with the ambiance of this place. It was nice to stand and chat it up with the wine maker himself, who I must say has a great sense of humor. If you are a fan of amazing bold red wine and friendly people then this place is a must visit! I can’t wait to go back. Thanks for a fun experience August Ridge and I’ll be seeing you soon!
Place rating: 5
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Nice little winery run by the wife while her husband has a real job. The kids went and played on the swings while we tasted. We bought a big stock of our wines here during this trip to Paso (possibly because this was one of the last stops for the day, and you know how good the wine tastes by then!) We stocked up on ’06 Sangiovese ($ 27), ’08 Barbera ($ 27), ’07 Ingenious ($ 44), and ’07 Cab ($ 44)
Place rating: 5
West Hills, CA
The experience at August Ridge easily warrants 5 stars.
We were visiting friends in Atascadero for the weekend and were out to taste some Cal-​Italia wines (CA wines made in the Italian style). The driveway up to the winery takes you through much of the vineyards and the drive ends with the family’s beautiful house on one side and the tasting/​barrel room on the other side.
We run in (still raining out!) and are greeted by a wonderful woman who works the tasting room and John, the owner and wine maker. It is a pretty rare experience to meet and speak with the winemaker; what a treat! For a very nominal 5 dollars, we were able to taste about 6 or 7 wines. We had Arneis, Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and some nice reserve blends. The highlight of the tasting, for me, was the vertical tasting of 3 years of Sangiovese (2005, 2006, 2007). It gets better though.
As we’re talking with the winemaker, I comment to John how awesome it is that we’re able to have this vertical tasting of Sangiovese. Within 5 minutes, he’s taking us all back to the barrels for a barrel tasting of the 2008 Sangiovese, the 2009 Sangiovese, and the 2008 Nebbiolo – none of these are even near to being released yet. He was pulling wine out of various barrels to blend it for us prior to tasting and taking us through the tasting – how it should taste on the front of our palate, on the middle, etc. It was an amazing experience.
I have had a barrel tasting before, but never this intimate and this exciting. John was very excited to talk about his wine and we were very excited to buy some of it before we left. If we lived nearby, we’d totally join their club.
If you’re anywhere near the area, you must go. The wines are good, the company is great, and it’s really nice to be welcomed into a small family business with such open arms.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
This is a young winery but well on their way to the top. I tend to like smaller boutique wineries, they still produce their wine with heart which you can taste. The tasting room isn’t a fancy corporate show of money but the hospitality of Jill is second to none. I do believe the property is by far one of the most beautiful and memorable in the region.
Great Italian varietals that go well with so many different cuisine’s. This is a great place to stop if you’re in the area. Another great stop that is my favorite winery is Hansen just down the road. Another must do!
From their website:
Combining the robust styling of the best California wines with the restrained classic elegance of wines from northern and central Italy, August Ridge produces distinctive Cal-​Ital wines that emphasize the uniqueness of the Paso Robles region.
August Ridge wines are grown and crafted to compliment but not overpower foods. The whites are crisp and clean; the reds robust and strongly balanced.