Central Coast Wineries Well Worth a Visit

January 4, 2014

Sarah Fritsche

Well over 200 years after missionaries planted the first vines in the region, San Luis Obispo remains a thriving wine-focused town. Local university Cal Poly even has its own wine and viticulture program, the largest of its kind in the country.

In SLO, as the locals call it, the pastoral charms of the Central Coast's wine country are many: rolling hills, winding country roads, lush vineyards and laid-back tasting rooms, and all just a few miles from the ocean.

Claiborne & Churchill Vintners

Prior to diving into winemaking in 1983, Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill taught Old Norse languages, literatures and German at the University of Michigan. More than 30 years later, Alsatian-style whites, specifically dry Gewurztraminer and dry Riesling, remain the center of production for the small, family-owned winery.

The tasting room is located in the wine cellar, so visitors can watch winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia in action while sampling six wines ($10). On Sundays, a free tour is offered at noon and 2 p.m. A small gift shop features the usual temptations, and a large picnic area, complete with wicker settees, also beckons.

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