The Grapeline - The Wine Country Shuttle - San Luis Obispo & Edna Valley Winery Tours



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About Edna Valley/SLO's Historic Wine Country

South San Luis Obispo County, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, has earned worldwide recognition and respect for the exceptional quality of wine grapes produced in this ideal viticultural area. The area includes the Edna Valley, the Arroyo Grande Valley, each a designated American Viticultural Area, the Avila Valley and Nipomo.

Wine growing in San Luis Obispo County stretches back to the missionary days of California viticulture, when the first grapevines were planted by the Franciscan padres who settled California in the 1880s. Today, because of this region's ideal world-class microclimate and soils, wine grapes are the leading crop in San Luis Obispo County.

There are over 3000 acres of vines in South San Luis Obispo County, and more vineyards are being planted. The climate and soils have been proven to provide the perfect environment for growing and producing ultra premium quality wines.

Due to the unique geography of the South Central Coast, the valleys have east-west orientations and are distinguished by the extensive maritime influence on the climate and soil. The soils are dominated by marine deposits left millions of years ago when the valleys were under water. Loam and clay topsoil overlay calcareous marine deposits promoting complex flavors. The climate is tempered by marine air flowing directly into the valley from the Pacific Ocean. This cooling influence creates an unusually long growing season resulting in greatly intensified varietal flavors. All of these elements produce wine grapes and wines of complex flavors and intensity found only in the world's greatest wine regions.

Few wine aficionados visiting wineries in San Luis Obispo County's countryside realize that this region's wine heritage goes back 200 years. The first grapevines were planted by Franciscan padres to make wine for sacramental purposes, and it is recorded that the wines produced at the San Luis Obispo Mission earned the good padres higher revenues than any other mission producing wine in California.

Nearly 100 years later, early settlers began producing wine commercially. Yet it is only in the past decade that San Luis Obispo's wine industry has really flourished. According to a report by San Francisco wine consultants Gomberg, Fredrikson and Associates, San Luis Obispo County vineyards increased 72 percent in the last ten years. That's one of the most dramatic increases of any wine region in America.

Today there seems no limit to the number of new vineyards being planted in this county. Vintners strive to produce ultra-premium wines from varietals best suited for this region's microclimates. The cool climate and marine sediment in the soils of Edna Valley earned the valley's wine grape growers a reputation for growing superior Chardonnays. Yet today, viticulturists have proven that the soils of the Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley are also ideally suited for growing Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and white Rhone varieties such as Roussanne and Viognier.

The wineries are among the major recipients of awards in prominent national wine competitions. Yet fame has not detracted from a friendly and inviting atmosphere where it is not uncommon to meet the families and winemakers who actually own and operate the wineries.

Welcome, and enjoy!