Take a Paso Robles wine tour in a motorcycle sidecar. Here’s what it’s like
Want a new way to experience wine in Paso Robles?
How about taking a motorcycle ride into a vineyard for a glass amid the grape vines?
In August, Jaydy Gonzales and two friends opened Third Wheel Tours, a company that guides customers through Paso Robles wine country from the view of a motorcycle sidecar.
“We just want you to show up, relax, sip some wine, and enjoy the outdoors and the scenery of the vineyards,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales grew up in the Philippines, where motorcycles are a common mode of public transportation.
When he moved to the United States, he noticed fewer motorcycles on the road, but wanted to share his passion for them with the community.
“Motorcycles are kind of in our DNA, and we’re really passionate about creating unique experiences for people and creating those deep connections,” Gonzales said.
A handful of limo and van tours operate in Paso Robles, but “we wanted to breathe a new life into the tourism industry,” Gonzales said. “We like to use our name, Third Wheel Tours, to thank you for allowing us to be a third wheel, your personal DD driver.”
With three motorcycles, the company can accommodate up to six people per tour, Gonzales said.
“It’s fun,” Gonzales said. “We get to cruise around in sidecars with a group of friends.”
What are the tours like?
Third Wheel Tours offers a variety of experiences, most of which include rides into the vineyards.
The company’s “Taste of Cass” tour features an hour of wine tasting at Cass Winery in Paso Robles. The $75 tour includes a tasting of three wines in the vineyard and lunch in the tasting room, Gonzales said.
The motorcycle guide picks up customers at Cass Winery and drives them deep into the vineyard to taste Marsanne, a white wine with apple, pomegranate and cashew notes, Gonzales said.
Marsanne grapes are rare on the West Coast, but Cass Winery grows five acres of the varietal, Gonzales said.
“It has earthy tones to it,” Gonzales said. “Imagine the Earth split in half, it’s the taste you get from it.”
The next stop on the tour is a tasting of a rosé, followed by a petite syrah and lunch at the tasting room.
On the tour, the guides discuss the wine, the grape growing process and the animals that live in the vineyard ecosystem. Gonzales said it’s common to see wildlife on the tour, from deer to red tail hawks.
“At the end of the day, we want you to really enjoy your experience,” Gonzales said. “We want you to take a little piece of Paso back home with you.”
The company also offers a $150 tour called “Wine Country After Hours,” in which customers can enjoy wine tasting in the vineyard after it closes at 5 p.m. The 90-minute experience includes a tour of the vineyard, a bottle of wine served with a charcuterie board, and a private picnic, according to the website.
“It’s like a date night set-up,” Gonzales said.
On the premier tour, Third Wheel Tours takes customers to visit three tasting rooms across Paso Robles. The company switches among six wineries, including Rava Wines, Sculpterra and Still Waters Vineyards. Many of the six wineries are family-owned boutiques, Gonzales said.
The three-hour-long tour is $175 per person, and the wineries are all within five miles of each other — so there’s more time spent wine tasting than riding in the motorcycle between wineries.
“We try to keep that roller-coaster excitement, so you’re not just out there riding,” Gonzales said.
The company also offers a 90-minute tour of historic Paso Robles landmarks. That tour is $80 per person and includes beverages, according to the website.
Third Wheel Tours has a Baja California location, where they offer similar tours, Gonzales said.
Eventually, the trio plans to start a YouTube channel called “Crushing on Paso.”
“The idea is that we’re new here,” Gonzales said. “We’re learning about the wine country and we’re falling for Paso because of the small town charm.”
