Let’s chat San Luis Obispo wineries!
It’s no secret that I love visiting wineries. Tell me there’s a wine tasting-filled weekend planned and I’m the first to jump in line! It’s one of my favorite things to do and probably why I love visiting the San Luis Obispo area so much—the area’s wine culture is amazing.
As much as I love Northern California and its famous wine country (where I live!), I love escaping to the central coast for a more laid-back wine tasting experience. San Luis Obispo County is a wine lover’s dream with world-class spots and Paso Robles and its 300+ wineries right next door!
But I want to zero in on SLO because this small town has wine coursing through its veins, so to speak. To help you discover all of its hidden gems, I’ve put together this list of the top 14 San Luis Obispo wineries to get your wine tour planning off to a good start!
Pssst, heading to San Luis Obispo? Don’t miss these travel guides to help you plan your trip!
Things to do in San Luis Obispo (SLO Travel Guide)
Best Restaurants in SLO
San Luis Obispo Downtown Guide
What to Do in San Luis Obispo (Top 17 Things)
Best Beaches in San Luis Obispo
Top 14 San Luis Obispo Wineries
1. Edna Valley Vineyard
Since 1980, this gorgeous winery has been celebrated for its flagship grape varietal: Chardonnay. And while Edna Valley Vineyard’s award-winning Chardonnay wine gets most of the glory, they also produce wonderful Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio.
I promise you that sipping some Edna Valley wine and taking in the stunning panoramic view from their outdoor patio is time well spent! You can also enjoy a guided wine tasting inside the spacious tasting room with an expert for a super informative Central Coast wine session.
Edna Valley Vineyard is also well-known for hosting private events and is a popular wedding venue. Depending on the season, they also host tasting room events like live music and social wine gatherings.
2. Biddle Ranch Vineyard
If you like the idea of a cozy, home-style wine tasting experience, you’re going to love Biddle Ranch Vineyard. Imagine sitting outside of your best friend’s farmhouse to sip on some delicious wine and just chill. Lovely, isn’t it?
Biddle Ranch is in San Luis Obispo in the heart of Edna Valley, so it too specializes in Chardonnay with a focus on small-batch, handcrafted white wine production. Their tasting room also offers several Central Coast blends and varietals including Merlot, Sangiovese, and other reds.
3. Stephen Ross Wine Cellars
Stephen Ross is the winemaker behind the local, family-run wine business known as the Stephen Ross Wine Cellars. Their wine tasting room isn’t like that of other wineries of the region that are mostly situated in idyllic, scenic locations. You’ll find them in an industrial-style building with simple chairs and tables right near downtown San Luis Obispo.
But don’t let that non-vineyard feel fool you. Stephen Ross makes some incredible wine and their wine tasting flights prove it!
Their estate vineyard, Stone Corral Vineyard in Edna Valley, specializes in the small-batch production of some exquisite Pinot Noir. And their contracted vineyards also produce Chardonnay and rare offerings like Grenache Blanc, Albariño, and Petite Sirah.
You can also take advantage of less expensive offerings like Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel under Stephen Ross’ reasonably priced Flying Cloud label.
No matter what your palate is into, you’ll find it here.
4. Saucelito Canyon Vineyard
On Biddle Canyon Road in San Luis Obispo, you’ll find Saucelito Canyon, the tasting room for Saucelito Canyon Vineyard located in nearby Arroyo Grande.
It’s a sweet little place where you can sit at long picnic-style tables on their manicured outdoor lawn and savor their best wines.
Aside from their seasonal tasting flight menus, you can order food that makes the perfect pairing for Saucelito Canyon Vineyard’s estate Zinfandels, and other varietals. Choose from a variety of tapas like the Italian, the Frenchie, and Mediterranean Medley, or cheese and charcuterie plates large enough for four to share.
5. Filipponi Ranch
What started as a 300-acre ranch owned by a Swiss immigrant family is now a thriving, unique winery that makes hand-crafted wine in the ranch’s original dairy barn. The tasting room at Filipponi Ranch has been set up in the original ranch house.
Besides being utterly charming, Filipponi Ranch produces a variety of high-quality wines including Rosé, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and special blends.
The best part? After your wine tasting, move the party out to the lawn for a friendly game of horseshoes or bocce ball!
Located near the San Luis Obispo airport and a short eight miles from Avila Beach, make sure you make Filipponi Ranch one of your stops when you’re in the area.
6. Timshel Vineyards
Right next to Filipponi Ranch you’ll find Timshel Vineyards. Timshel is another small, family-run winery that prides itself on its artisan-style wine production process using the most organic processes possible.
It’s worth stopping for a taste of their wide range of wines including Chardonnay, Rose, Grenache, Syrah, Malbec, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon. You’ll find friendly service and plenty of choices.
7. Chroma Vera Wines
Chroma Vera Wines’ description says it all: a “tiny but mighty winery making d*mn good wine.”
Apart from its small size, Chroma Vera stands out for its Spanish grape wine production that includes Albariño, Tempranillo, and Garnacha.
To keep their quality top-notch, they never make more than 150 crates of any one type of wine. We love us some small-batch!
Chroma Vera Wines are not sold in grocery stores but you can have a lovely wine tasting in the quaint tasting room of their winery shop in SLO’s Broad Street Village.
8. Deovlet Wines
For a classic barrel room wine tasting experience, be sure to make a stop at Deovlet Wines’ tasting room near the Stephen Ross Wine Cellars in San Luis Obispo. It’s a friendly, welcoming place that won’t disappoint.
Deovlet sources grapes from the area’s finest vineyards and handcrafts varieties that include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and more, so you’re bound to find something you like.
9. Ragtag Wine Co.
A local brother-and-sister team is the driving force behind the Ragtag Wine Co. They focus on handmade small-batch wine production with grapes sourced mostly from vineyards in San Luis Obispo County.
Ragtag produces a wide selection of red wines including Malbec, Sauvignon, Meritage, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Petite Sirah along with whites—Chardonnay and Albariño—and Rose.
The Ragtag Wine Co. winery is located farther out on the SLO city limits, but they’ve set up a lovely tasting room right in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo.
You’ll want to make a stop there and enjoy a tasting, or for a glass (or bottle) if you prefer!
10. Tolosa
While you’re touring the Edna Valley, you’ll want to add the Tolosa winery to your wine tasting tour. This former cattle ranch property is now home to some exquisite Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wine production.
The Tolosa tasting room has a more modern bar feeling than some of its more rustic neighbors, but it’s a beautiful, classy place with lots of bar space and a view of the tank room for a rewarding wine tasting experience.
Tolosa also offers special tastings of their single vineyard in their barrel loft.
12. Baileyana
On the list of the most charming tasting rooms in all of San Luis Obispo County is definitely Baileyana’s which is a former schoolhouse from the early 1900s.
Sitting on the pristine lawn of a historic schoolhouse, sipping on handcrafted wine, playing a game of bocce ball—I just love everything about that picture!
Baileyana is owned by the Niven family and is actually one of their family lineup of wines that also includes Tangent, True Myth, and Zocker.
Spanning across brands, there’s truly something for everyone in reds, whites, and everything in between.
13. Autry Cellars
For a no-frills, down-home wine tasting experience, Autry Cellars has got you covered.
Everything about the winery and tasting room is casual, and it’s clear by the knowledgeable staff and impressive varietals that their focus is primarily on making the best wine possible.
You’ll really enjoy a tasting here, as Autry Cellars’ award-winning wines aren’t sold in stores, and availability is limited to just a select number of upscale restaurants and tasting rooms.
Be sure to sample a little of everything from their full range of offerings which includes whites, reds, dessert wines, and brandies.
14. Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards
This is a great little spot for savoring a wine tasting, a glass, or bottle of artisan wine in an idyllic outdoor picnic area that’s kid and dog-friendly!
Whether you go for a Chardonnay or a Zinfandel, you’re going to want to hang out here for a bit.
What’s cool about Kelsey See Canyon is that they also make hard cider which is a nice way to mix things up a bit. Oh, and they also make apple wine! Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it either but sounds too darn good to pass up.
And that’s my list of top San Luis Obispo wineries for you! I told you there was a lot to go through considering that SLO is just a small, quaint Central California town, but this makes a wine tasting tour all the more special.
I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy every minute of it—I know I always do! I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy every minute of it—I know I always do! As always, if you’re looking for some more areas to explore definitely check out Santa Barbara and Pismo Beach.
Looking for more travel content? Be sure to explore more of my SLO travel guides here.
San Luis Obispo Travel Guide
Camping in San Luis Obispo
What to See and Do in the San Luis Obispo Downtown Area
Best Beaches in San Luis Obispo
Top Restaurants in SLO
Fun Things to Do in San Luis Obispo
Airbnb San Luis Obispo
Hotel Cerro San Luis Obispo
Mission San Luis Obispo, but Make it Pink
FAQs
Yes, San Luis Obispo has a wine country to explore. It’s also known as a premier wine-growing region.
San Luis Obispo is known for:
– Pinot Noir
– Chardonnay
– Merlot
– Zinfandel
There are over 30 wineries in San Luis Obispo to enjoy and explore.
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
