In the mid-1990s, Rick Quinn and David Nichols were friends and neighbors in Camarillo who made wine in a home winemaking group. The grapes came from Paso Robles, and the pull of the place grew until Quinn, a real estate man, bought land in the Willow Creek District to lock in a steady supply. They planted in 1996 and founded Opolo in 1999. The name nods to a Dalmatian rose style and to Quinn’s Balkan roots, and that festive spirit runs through everything here, from a sprawling range of varieties to the kind of generous, table-filling lunches Opolo is famous for.

Two home winemakers and a Balkan spirit

Opolo started the way a lot of good things do, with friends and a hobby that got out of hand. In the mid-1990s Rick Quinn and David Nichols were neighbors in Camarillo, both part of a home winemaking group that sourced its grapes from Paso Robles each year. Quinn, who worked in real estate, decided the only way to guarantee good fruit was to own the land, so he bought acreage in the Willow Creek District. They planted vines in 1996 and turned the hobby into a bonded winery in 1999.

The name carries the soul of the place. Opolo refers to a Dalmatian rose style from the Croatian coast, and it points straight back to Quinn’s heritage. He grew up in an Italian, Serbian, and Croatian neighborhood, and that Balkan spirit, warm, loud, generous, and food-loving, became the personality of the winery. This is not a hushed, reverent tasting bar. It is a place built around the idea that wine belongs on a crowded table with people you like, which is exactly why Opolo’s lunches became legendary.

Opolo takes its name from a Dalmatian rose style and its spirit from the founder’s Balkan roots.

Willow Creek District: the limestone heart of the west side

Opolo’s home estate sits in the Willow Creek District, the cool, high-bedrock core of the Paso Robles west side and the limestone heart of the region. Slopes here run from roughly 960 feet up toward 1,900 feet, on calcareous Monterey-Formation loams and clays that drain well and make vines work for their living. That chalky, fractured ground gives the wines an underlying freshness and grip, a mineral backbone beneath even the richest reds.

Climate is the other half of the equation. Willow Creek is a cooler Region II zone, and marine air filtering through the coastal hills, the same cooling influence that defines the Paso west side, sends nighttime temperatures plunging after hot afternoons. That big day-to-night swing lets fruit ripen fully while holding onto acidity and aroma, which matters enormously at Opolo because they grow such a wide spread of varieties. Hot-climate grapes can reach generous ripeness, but the cold nights and limestone keep the wines from tipping into heaviness.

The wines: from Mountain Zinfandel to a vast lineup

Opolo’s calling card is Mountain Zinfandel, a flagship that delivers exactly what the name promises: bold, brambly black and red fruit, a dusting of black pepper and spice, and the generous, mouth-filling texture that made Paso Zinfandel famous. It is the wine that captures the house style in one glass, big-hearted but kept honest by Willow Creek acidity. On the other end of the seriousness scale sits Rhapsody, Opolo’s signature Left Bank-style Bordeaux blend, driven by Cabernet Sauvignon and rounded out with the classic supporting cast of Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.

Between those two poles lies one of the broadest ranges in Paso. Opolo bottles a long list of varieties, including nods to the founder’s heritage, and even earned federal approval to produce the Balkan grape Vranac. The breadth is the point. Opolo is a place to explore, where a single visit can move from a crisp white to a juicy Zinfandel to a structured Bordeaux blend, and where the winery’s Willow Creek Distillery adds fruit brandies and liqueurs made from locally sourced fruit to the mix.

What to pour Opolo with

Opolo wines were made for the table, and the famous Opolo lunches prove it. Pour the Mountain Zinfandel with Paso’s red-oak-grilled tri-tip or with grilled sausages and the chemistry sings: the wine’s moderate tannins and bright acidity cut through the fat and char while its bold fruit stands up to the smoke. Be aware that high-alcohol, full-bodied reds like a ripe Zin can taste hotter against spicy food, since heat amplifies the perception of alcohol, so go easy on the chili and let the fruit do the talking.

The Rhapsody and other big reds shine with heartier fare, where their firm tannins bind to the protein and fat of grilled steak or braised short ribs and soften on the palate. For lighter Opolo whites and roses, the acidity cuts richness and refreshes, making them ideal for charcuterie, wood-fired pizza, and salads, exactly the kind of food Opolo serves on its patio. To match a specific Opolo bottle to a dish, our wine pairing generator can suggest pairings tuned to the wine’s body and tannin.

Visiting Opolo Vineyards

Opolo is on Vineyard Drive in the Willow Creek District, and it is built for staying a while rather than rushing through. The estate is known for a festive, welcoming atmosphere and for generous food, with patio pairings of charcuterie, salads, and wood-fired pizza available alongside the wines. There is more here than a tasting room, too: the Inn at Opolo sits just across the hill for an overnight stay, and the on-site Willow Creek Distillery turns local fruit into brandies and liqueurs, so a visit can easily stretch from an afternoon into an evening. For ideas on building Opolo into a broader west-side weekend, our Paso Robles guide covers the districts, the lodging, and the lay of the land.

Opolo Vineyards: common questions