SLO Coast AVA: So Cool

Being deep in the Wine Lover category, Craig and Stacey were looking to get out of town to discover a new AVA (American Viticulture Area). They did it every couple of months and felt it connected them to each wine’s unique place and its existence in time and nature. They had plenty of money so they were always in a position to just put a bag together and head to the San Francisco airport for a quick trip somewhere enticing. Craig stored his private jet there, so they always had just a small drive to live the luxury of a spontaneous traveling lifestyle. They drank a lot of Santa Barbara and Paso Robles wines in regards to the Central Coast, but they were not familiar with a place called the SLO Coast in and around San Luis Obispo. They had not actually hung out in SLO since the early 2000s, so they thought it was time to go taste and live it up in the area for a weekend. “Stacey are you ready?” Craig yelled, hollering from their high-tech kitchen to Stacey’s huge walk-in closet upstairs. Even though she was a Grateful Deadhead she did care about how she looked and dressed when traveling. Walking into some wineries with a tie-die and flip-flops does not always get you the looks you are looking for unfortunately. Like a lot of Deadheads with money, you would never know that they were on the Long Strange Trip.

As they stepped into their champagne color G5 private jet, the hostess offered them two glasses, ready to pour a bottle of Cristal into their flutes. The silky gold just drizzled into their glasses. They both smelled and took their first sip. “Awe.” they both voiced when the velvet honey hit their tongues. They drank Cristal as their everyday sparkling wine. They had the money and access so they had cases of it in their cellar and also on the jet. Friends loved it when they got to join the luxurious living hippies. They had a tube amp for their record player, an epic speaker system and stylish, abstract art spread all throughout the jet. There were comfy pillows and leather bean bags with tapestries on the walls and ceiling, keeping the bohemian vibe alive. As they were sipping their Champagne, they decided to put on the Buddy Guy album A Man And The Blues from 1968. They turned it up loud and started dancing, spilling some Cristal on the plush carpet. They weren’t worried about it. They had more and plenty of wine carpet cleaner so they acted like it never happened. They were getting closer to the SLO Coast and could see the Pacific Ocean along with bright green hills, vineyards and volcanic peaks that spread out for acres and acres. It was one of the most spectacular views they had ever seen flying in to the San Luis Obispo airport. After the 2016 Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and 2018 Melville Santa Rita Estate Pinot Noir, they turned off the Allman Brothers, Eat a Peach album and felt the smooth landing, prepared for a new adventure in the SLO Coast.

As Craig and Stacey landed they were pretty buzzed and needed something to eat. Their limo was late so they needed some food asap. They were clearly and visually upset that what looked like a local came up to them and said, “Are you guys okay?” Craig and Stacey both looked up and were shocked that someone cared enough to say something. “Ya, we just drank a bunch of wine and need something to eat. Our limo won’t be here for a couple of hours.” “Oh, there is a restaurant if you just walk right over there. It’s called Spirit of San Luis. It’s been here since the early 80s. It’s on the runway so it’s really cool.” Craig and Stacey looked over and headed that way seeing their jet parked from the quick walk. They entered the restaurant and were greeted so kindly. “Welcome to Spirit of San Luis, inside or out?” “Outside please.” smiled Craig. “Right this way!” They followed the possible owner past the nice looking bar and dining room heading outside. “Can I get you something to drink?” “Two Margaritas please.” ordered Craig with a sigh of relief. “Coming right up!” They both looked at each other and were so pleased with the view and great service starting out. “Here you go!” The drinks were out fast and the tasty and strong Margarita hit their lips and tongues taking that buzz to the next level instantly.

The both of them lit back up fast. “What can I get you to eat?” kindly spoke the waitress. They reviewed the menus and chose right away so they were ready when asked. “We’ll have the French Dip, Lindy’s Favorite Patty Melt and two more margaritas please, thank you.” Craig smiled and said. “Ok, great!” and she skipped off. The margaritas came right up and they went right down. They were really buzzing now. Their food came out quick and it looked fantastic. They wolfed it down and generously paid and tipped. The waitress was shocked when she saw a $1000 tip. Craig loved doing that especially when people were cool to him. They got up, walked to the door and opened it. The sun was shining bright and the breeze was majestic to them. This weather here on the coast is different then their home in Palo Alto. As they started walking back to the airport, Craig texted his limo driver who was still an hour from picking them up. As Craig yelled to himself, someone came up to them and said, “You look like you need some wine. You have to check out WineSneak right across the street. It’s a wine bar and shop and you can walk and wait for your limo there.” He pointed across the street and showed them the corner spot on Broad St. “Well, thank you. We will go over there now.” They took off fast to keep the buzz going and made it across the street in 5 minutes. They opened the doors and it was popping, literally.

As they walked in they were greeted by the owner Ash, who was very welcoming. They felt relieved because they did not know what to expect being in a new wine region. So far, everyone has been very cool to them so they were starting to see a pattern. They looked at the wines in the racks and were very impressed. A lot of local, in and out of state and a variety from all over the world. They had a special room with all of the next level wines to the right and a very nice looking bar to the left. Apparently, you can try the wines in the shop before you buy them. They had a system to preserve the wines, so lucky for the guests they got to taste what people were trying. Craig and Stacey were not used to that. After admiring the pleasant environment they sat down at the bar and looked what was in the preservation machine. Right when they sat down they were greeted by this beautiful women. Her name was Olivia and she was a local winemaker. “What can I get for you?” Olivia warmly asked. “Something SLO Coast, please.” “Ok, how about this 2021 Bassi Vineyard Pinot Noir from El Lugar? It’s a vineyard in Avila Beach just a few miles away. ”Let’s do it.” said Craig. When they started tasting the wine, a gentlemen sitting next to them named Coby said hello and introduced himself. Craig could tell right away he was cool. “How long are you guys in town for?” Coby warmly asked them. “Until Sunday.” Stacey kindly replied. “Well, why don’t you come to our winery and tasting room El Lugar. “Hey, that’s what we’re drinking, nice job, I love it!” smiled Stacey. “Thank you, the winery is right down Broad St. and you turn right onto Orcutt Rd. and then left onto Duncan Rd. Can you come by tomorrow at noon?” “Yes, we can!” After confirming, Craig got a text from his limo driver that he was ten minutes away. After getting the update they finished their glass and said goodbye to Coby, Ash and Olivia. They bought a bottle of the Pinot, signed the check and out the door they went. As Olivia saw them hopping into the limo, to Olivia’s surprise, Craig left another $1000 tip. They made eye contact, waved and off they went to Hotel San Luis Obispo.

As the wealthy and groovy couple drove off in the limousine down Broad St, they were wined out and ready to take things up a notch. Craig had his driver pick up some Ketel One vodka, tonic water and some limes so Stacey could make them a couple strong VTs. The limo had a JBL sound system so they bluetoothed it and put on Dancin’ in the Streets from a January 18, 1970 Grateful Dead show at Springer’s Inn in Portland Oregon. They were rolling once again. Speaking of rolling, Craig pulled out a perfectly rolled J and lit it up. This was some outdoor Humboldt County bud so once it was burning, they knew they were ready for lift off. As the smoke filled the limo, they rolled down the window and smoke started pillowing out into the brisk evening air. They were downtown now, so people walking down Higuera St. were cheering and clapping at the limo seeing the smoke rise up to the dark and starry sky. They turned the stereo up even louder and people started dancing on the sidewalk. It was pretty appropriate with the song and quite the scene from the limousine. As they rolled up next to Frog and Peach, they heard reggae coming from the bar. They told the limo driver to stop so they could hop out to check out the heady vibes. There was a small line so they waited just a few minutes and struck up a conversation with what looked like a local. “Where are you guys from?” a hippie looking kid asked them. “Palo Alto.” Craig replied. “No way, did you guys ever see the Grateful Dead?” Electricity suddenly struck and Stacey replied, “Yes, we used to see them in the 60s all the way up until Jerry died. We just saw Dead and Company a few months ago at Oracle Park in San Francisco.” “Wow nice, I went to that.” The fellow’s jaw dropped and there was an instant connection between the three of them. As they continued to talk, they were next in line so they showed the 6’6’’ bouncer their IDs. The bouncer saw the address and said, “Welcome to SLO Town!”…

As they walked into the pub, it was a tight squeeze for the couple. The slow deep basslines from the roots reggae made them feel alright. They went straight to the bar and ordered two Bourbons and things were ready to be taken to another level once again. The drinks came up fast, so they politely moved back over by the stage and sipped the whiskey like they were pros. As the glasses were half empty, a Stir It Up by Bob Marley came on and the place erupted. People were slowly bobbing their heads up and down and exhilarated with the Rasta music playing loud in the bar. As the song came to an end they gracefully went into The Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff. This is also a song that Jerry Garcia Band played, so when it came on, their new friend looked at them and gave then a huge smile and peace sign. The band played the song in a Jerry-style jam that added to the original version of the song. It transformed into a Jerry show all the sudden and you could tell SLO was filled with people that loved the Dead. They didn’t know that there was a scene in the college town so they fit right in. After two more whiskeys, the hippie couple had enough fun and Craig texted his limo driver to come pick them up outside of the bar. The limo showed up right away, so they said goodbye to some of their new friends and hopped back in the limo. It was something unique seeing a limousine pick up the couple outside of Frog and Peach, so you could see the patrons turn their heads watching them hop in and drive off to their original destination. When they got in, they had two Firestone Walker IPAs, another perfectly rolled doobie and more reggae by Bob Marley. It was a perfect ending to their first day in San Luis Obispo.

After sleeping in and waking up a little hung over, Craig and Stacey walked downtown and got some coffee at Linnaea's Cafe on Garden St. Drinking freshly brewed coffee in a San Luis Obispo coffee shop is an experience in itself. The smell and taste of the coffee zings you out of the spot into the fresh air, feeling the good vibes on the in and outside of the soul. It was a little late to sit down and eat so they looked up El Lugar and found an authentic Mexican food place named Efren’s that served breakfast burritos across the street from the winery and tasting room. Craig called his limo driver and set up the quick trip down Broad St. and onto Orcutt Rd. They arrived at the location, walked in, ordered and sat down inside. The burrito’s were huge and tasty and competed with some of the best at home in Palo Alto. Impressed by the food and service, Craig went back up to the front and put a hundred dollar bill in the tip jar. The staff lit up and the couple smiled and were glad to give back to the staff and community. Full from the burritos, they called the limo driver and before they could even put the phone down the limo was outside of the restaurant. It was 11:30am and their appointment was at noon, so they hung out in the limo and let their food digest getting ready for a big day of tasting. They planned on hitting El Lugar, Biddle Ranch Vineyard and Claiborne and Churchill, all a straight shoot down Broad St. and Edna Rd. It was now five minutes to 12pm and they drove a minute over to Duncan Alley and found the hot spot. As they pulled in, Coby was outside waiting and happy to see the unique couple arrive. “Hey Craig and Stacey, thank you for coming to El Lugar.”

Craig and Stacey both walked in and admired the elegance of the space. “Here, come check out the winery.” and Coby kindly invited the wealthy couple in. It was right by the entrance and connected to the tasting room so it was a unique experience from the start. It was filled with wine barrels and equipment and Craig and Stacey were blown away by the aromas seeping out from the barrels. “This is where I process my fruit.” Coby shared. After they explored where the magic happens they walked over to the aesthetic tasting bar and Coby handed them glasses and opened up a fresh bottle of his Pinot Noir Blanc for them. “Wow, this is so fresh, I can’t say I have had a Pinot Noir Blanc before!” surprisingly said Craig. They enjoyed the first wine quickly and moved on to the Rose and then the 2021 Spanish Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir. Coby has been making wine in the area dating back to 2002 after his Cal Poly days. His wife Katie and him started El Lugar (“The Place” in Spanish) back in 2013 making highly rated wines from the SLO Coast and Santa Barbara County. Coby is from San Luis Obispo so it was only natural for him to be pulled into winemaking. As Coby was pouring the wine, a nice looking couple walked in, smiled and said, “We would like to taste.” “Devon, Tina!” Coby hollered and was so excited to see his friends. Devon was in the industry and worked for Electros, an urban winery in Paso Robles and Tina got a job working in admissions at Cal Poly. They moved to Arroyo Grande because Devon got a job selling wine in California for this new producer. Everything at that magically timed moment worked out for everyone because Coby just opened all the wines. “Craig and Stacey this is Devon and Tina.” The two couples and Coby were having a ball laughing and sipping one of Coby’s Pinots. After some great wine and conversation with substance, Craig got on his phone and texted his limo driver. “Here, one last taste.” and Coby poured everyone a special glass of his 2020 Barrel Select Spanish Springs Syrah. As the limo pulled up, Craig and Stacey finished their glass and said thank you, hugging their new friends. “Where are you going next?” Coby curiously asked. “Biddle Ranch Vineyard.” and they walked out into the limousine and drove off down Broad St.

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The distinct transition from San Luis Obispo to SLO Coast wine country was apparent to the couple when driving down Broad St. running into Buckley Rd. and on to the city of Edna, a small town right after San Luis Obispo where the name of the Edna Valley AVA comes from. When going over the bridge and train tracks, they noticed all of the beautiful vineyards to their left and stared in awe as the scenery changed right in front of their eyes. The limousine driver was looking for Biddle Ranch Rd. to find Biddle Ranch Vineyard on the corner. They made the left and saw the farmhouse silo with BT Wine Tasting on it so they knew they were at the right place. The old but modern farmhouse looked soft, elegant and very welcoming from the outside. “I heard they have great Pinot Noir.” voiced Craig pulling into the parking lot surrounded by vineyards and fruit trees. As they were walking in they were greeted by a lovely lady named Sarah. “Welcome Craig and Stacey, right on time.” she said, graciously inviting the couple in to the gorgeous indoor and outdoor tasting room. “This is beautiful.” Stacey said, relaxed from the environment and last wine tasting. They signed up for the Reserve Tasting on the patio overlooking their Chardonnay vines, and were now ready for round two of their SLO Coast tasting experience. “Let’s start out with our Non-Vintage Sparkling wine.” said Sarah as she poured the bubbles into their glasses. “Wow, it has beautiful aromas of green apple, shortbread, brie rind, and tarragon on the nose and white pepper, kumquat, kiwifruit, ginger and white flowers on the palate.” smoothly and confidently described Craig. As they went through the lineup, they were so impressed with everything especially the 2020 Spanish Springs Pinot Noir. As they finished their last glasses, Craig texted his limo driver who was waiting down the street for them. “I’ll take a case of the Sparkling and a case of the Spanish Springs Pinot.” Craig shared, happily supporting the lovely staff and memorable, true wine country experience they were given. They hopped back into the limo and headed off just right down the road to their next destination.

They were now heading down Edna Rd. again so this whole experience was one straight shoot from El Lugar. Their final stop of the day was at Claiborne and Churchill Winery, a family owned establishment that began in the heart of Edna Valley in 1983. As the limousine pulled up, the couple was feeling very loose by this time. They have been to two wineries already, so the SLO Coast had dosed them with a euphoria that can only be described when tasting wine from multiple wineries in a day. Good thing they were not driving, because they were definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol by now, but not enough to take them off of their wine game. They exited the limo and entered into this wine country feel that made them feel like they were at home. They walked into the cozy tasting room which was filled with wine barrels, guests and a very welcoming staff. “Welcome Craig and Stacey, it is a pleasure to have you in.” the warm host Stephanie kindly greeted the buzzing couple and handed them their wine glasses. They got the Reserve Tasting, so they got to experience their 40th anniversary reserve wines along with a few of their library wines. After Stephanie poured the first wine, the couple wandered outside into the garden area where their was some lovely acoustic music playing, putting smiles on the faces of everyone that was hanging out enjoying the weather and their pleasant wines. As Stephanie came out to pour them their second wine, she gladly filled them in with the superstar list of winemakers that graced the winery with their existence and presence. “I heard you talking about Coby Parker-Garcia just now. Did you know that he used to make wine here? Along with Mike Sinor and Nathan Carlson, two other SLO Coast legends.” “No we did not, we just met Coby and visited his winery earlier today. We are also going to taste with Mike Sinor tomorrow. I don’t know Nathan, but if he is on that list he must be the man!” happily shared Craig. As they went through the lineup, they felt enriched to get a little Claiborne & Churchill history. “What a way to finish this glorious day.” shared Stacey. After their last library wine, Craig text his limo driver who showed up again instantly. “Can we get a case of the 2022 Estate Riesling and a case of the 2023 Edna Valley Pinot Noir please.” Craig kindly requested. As they signed the bill, grabbed the cases and told Stephanie goodbye, they hopped in the limo and headed back to their hotel feeling elevated and happily content. To Stephanie’s surprise, she looked at the bill and saw that Craig left another $1000 tip.

After all of the wine tasting, the adventurous couple wobbled into the Hotel SLO lobby and could barely remember what room they had. After wondering around and finally finding it, they walked in, fell on the bed and quickly passed out. When they woke up an hour later, they had not had dinner yet, so they wanted to head to Ox & Anchor which was a fine restaurant in the hotel. They ate, drank and stumbled more and finally made it back to their room to lay down and rest. After a good night’s sleep, along with grabbing breakfast in the hotel, it was now time to head to Avila Beach for their first wine tasting of the day. They hopped in their limo and off they went for a refreshing first tasting walking distance from the beach. As they walked up to Sinor-La-Vallee, they saw people eating oysters and drinking wine on the patio. “Wow, what a place!'“ Craig said as he all of the sudden wanted oysters and Sparkling Wine. Craig had a connection who made sure that they got to taste with Mike Sinor the winemaker and owner of the establishment. Mike is a local legend that has blessed winemaker after winemaker with his wisdom and guidance creating a local wine scene filled with great talent and opportunity. He runs and operates the Bassi Vineyard up the hill from the tasting room where winemakers use his grapes to make stellar high-scoring wines. “You must be Craig and Stacey, welcome.” said Mike who was happy to run through his splendid lineup with them. They started out with the Pet Nat, then the Sparkling, multiple Pinots, a Grenache and a variety of Syrahs. He really took care of them, educating them on grape growing and biodynamic winemaking. The tasting was rolling and Mike brought out all the stops for his new friends. Mike explained his organic grape growing practices and taught them about making Pet Nat. The couple was blown away by the wines and how kind and knowledgeable Mike was. The crowd was cool, just like the ocean breeze. The couple wrapped up their conversation with Mike and bought a case of the 2022 Black Label Pinot Noir and the 2019 Whole Cluster Syrah. “Thank you Mike, your hospitality and wines go unmatched.” Craig said as the limo pulled up to the curb. They headed off and while driving Stacey said, “Wow, Mike is the Man! You can see why he has the reputation he does.” They were soon driving up the hill on Avila Beach Dr. and were ready for round two.

As they made it to Orcutt Rd. Craig and Stacey were feeling good. Four tastings down, one to go. They were off to Chamisal who has been farming in the Edna Valley since 1973. “It’s up on the right.” Craig said to his limo driver as they got close. Pulling into driveway surrounded by vineyards was a real treat since they were just at the beach. They got out of the limo and walked up to the tasting room. “You must be Craig and Stacey, welcome.” said the lovely host. They signed up for the Signature Tasting which is curated to showcase their selection of wines experiencing an overview of their farming and sustainability practices. The couple spent 75 minutes overlooking their estate vineyard and sampling five signature library wines chosen just for them. They were in awe. Beach to wine country in minutes. After ending their tasting they bought two cases of the Estate Grown Sparkling Wine and called the limo and were blissfully off to SLO Airport to hop back on the jet. They now had 12 cases to load and already had a 2022 Saucelito Canyon Estate Zinfandel popped and waiting for them. The cases were loaded and the jet fired up its engine and off they went back to San Francisco. They smelt, sipped, raised their eyebrows and both simultaneously said, “The SLO Coast is so cool!” The End