San Luis Obispo, Calif.'s city-to-sea wine trail

July 14, 2015

Jamie Relth

The tiny college town of San Luis Obispo on California's coast made headlines in 2011 when it was named one of the four "Happiest Places" in the world by author Dan Buettner, and the "Happiest Place in America" by Oprah. These designations focused on such positive characteristics as the city's ban of drive-through restaurants and public smoking, its pedestrian and bicycle-friendly roads, its year-round gorgeous weather, and easy access to sprawling coastline and the ancient volcanic chain of "Seven Sisters" peaks.

Astonishingly, the prevalence of fine, local wine — primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as a growing trend of coastal aromatic white varietals — was somehow not a deciding factor.

Nevertheless, the award-winning vintages coming out of San Luis Obispo's little-known and underappreciated Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley and Avila Beach coastal wine growing areas (on average, just five miles from the waves) are sure to inspire smiles, especially during summer vacations to the USA's happiest town.

Follow this city-to-sea trail to discover some of the region's most sublimely refreshing white wines while enjoying the sea breezes and sunshine of California's coolest wine growing region (literally — it has an average daily maximum temperature of 70 degrees).

City attractions

For a quick glimpse of "SLO" community and culture, start at the heart of downtown on a Thursday evening. On this day each week, the main street transforms into a sunset street fair where thousands of locals and visitors peruse the fresh farmers' produce, local grub and live entertainment.

To escape the fray, turn just off the main drag for a stay at Granada Hotel & Bistro, where a recent multi-million-dollar renovation of the historic edifice offers visitors an upscale, second-story perch from which to observe the bustling town below. Exposed brick walls and original hardwood floors contrast with modern accents, original art and the finest amenities in the 17 snug suites. The property also features a popular Art Bar studio and a restaurant with a carefully curated international wine list to start off the wine country adventure.

From downtown, it's a quick, convenient five-mile drive to wine country. One of the first wine tasting rooms of SLO's Edna Valley AVA is Saucelito Canyon. Its approachable, barrel-table patio and tasting room is understated compared to its neighbor, Edna Valley Winery, but the wine and warm, family hospitality speak volumes. The winery has some of the deepest roots in the relatively young SLO wine region, having been built upon Zinfandel vines planted in the upper Arroyo Grande Valley in 1880. Rescued from a forest of overhanging poison oak and revived to its original vigor by the Greenough family in the '70s, Saucelito Canyon vines produce some of the region's best, most complex Zins, as well as the warm-weather favorite, Sauvignon Blanc. Second-generationwinemaker Tom Greenough has also begun expanding the winery's horizons with new Rhônevarietals like Grenache Blanc.

In an industry where Rhône varieties are the rising stars, and in a wine country where Chardonnay is king (the region just hosted the first International Chardonnay Symposium in June), Claiborne & Churchill winery stands out with its longtime dedication to the much lesser-known Alsatians.Riesling and Gewürztraminer are two of the most notable varietals of the now-French, once-German province of Alsace (just across the Rhine from Germany). When former University of Michigan professors Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill Thompson decided in 1981 to leave their careers to start a winery in California, they took inspiration from that region's famously "fruity, yet dry" wines. The varietal detour is memorable and worth experiencing at this sustainable, straw-bale constructed winery where their dry, elegant, aromatic white wines are refreshing in more ways than one.

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