Slew of SLO Wineries Feature Tasting Rooms

January 2, 2015

Stacy Finz

Not so long ago, the western part of San Luis Obispo County, or SLO, as the locals like to call it, didn’t have the same wine tourism draw as its more prominent cousins, the Napa Valley and Sonoma County. But today, wine country on the Central Coast — in part thanks to the movie “Sideways” — has seen a renaissance.

Tasting rooms near SLO, many of them gleaming, contemporary centers filled with gift shops and gourmet foods, have become as big an attraction as the beaches, the bucolic beauty and Cal Poly University. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate the area, which has at least 29 wineries — yet it only takes 20 minutes by car to cover the vast majority of the county’s coastal wine country.

And the local vintners welcome visitors in style. Not all the wineries have tasting rooms (many, though, will meet by appointment), but the ones that do range from modern buildings with all the bells and whistles to century-old schoolhouses.

Here are some of the standouts.

Claiborne & Churchill Vintners

While this tasting room has plenty of outdoor space reminiscent of a French courtyard, it’s the barrel room that’s truly original. It was built in 1995 with 16-inch-thick bales of rice straw and encased in stucco. According to the staff, it’s the first commercial building in California built from straw bales and is so well insulated that it keeps the winery’s 350 barrels of wine at a consistent temperature.

Claiborne & Churchill produce 10,000 cases a year; two-thirds are dry Riesling and dry Gewürztraminer done in the Alsatian style. Other varietals include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

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