If you’re looking for a wine tasting getaway on the west coast of the US but don’t feel like wading into big name regions like Napa or Sonoma, consider the quaint, central coast region of the Edna Valley. Unlike the nearby (and much larger) Paso Robles AVA, the humble Edna Valley AVA emphasizes cool climate grapes almost exclusively. This makes it an interesting destination for any fans of pinot noir, chardonnay, or riesling. A number of wineries also bring in fruit from surrounding, warmer sites to make syrah and other Rhone varieties and blends.

With a population of around 200, the actual town of Edna doesn’t offer much in the way of amenities for travelers. Nearby San Luis Obispo, on the other hand, will meet your every need for lodging, dining, and the usual comforts sought when away from home. In addition to the main downtown area, there’s also a smaller collection of quality restaurants near the train station. You can take in all the coffee, baked goods, lunch, dinner, and entertainment you want before, during, or after forays into local wineries.

In fact, before heading out to the valley, you can actually begin your wine adventure in town. We highly recommend Dunites, which has a tasting room in downtown SLO. In addition to the historical significance of the name (accompanied by a fascinating tale of a mid-20th century community living off the grid in the area), the fresh, expressive wines made it a deliciously educational first stop for us. The pinot noir was tasty and the unusual white blend, Moy Mell, came home with us. With 50% white pinot noir (not pinot blanc, but a white wine made from a red grape), 35% chardonnay, and 15% albariño, this wine has all sorts of life and flavor. Everything we tasted was engaging and refreshing. As food friendly as they are (and they are), these wines are not going to fade into the background at a dinner party.

 Just around the corner, the Ragtag Wine Co. offers a number of varieties and styles (sourcing fruit from both Edna Valley and Paso Robles). We were especially taken with the Edna Valley albariño. It’s a lively wine with great acid as well as stone fruit and tropical notes. We made space in our small checked bag for a bottle.

The drive to Edna Valley wineries from downtown SLO is only about 20 minutes. We appreciated the hospitality at Claiborne & Churchill, where the small estate vineyard grows riesling and pinot noir. The winery is celebrating 40 years of business, which makes it one of the original producers in the area. The 2021 Cuvée Frederika is a fun blend of chardonnay, gewürztraminer, and riesling. The 2021 Edna Valley syrah shows a little reductive quality a la the northern Rhone but also plenty of new world fruit. It’s an interesting wine, for sure.

An easy walk down the road, Windermere boasts the oldest vineyard in the valley (planted in 1974). With very limited production, the winery doesn’t offer tastings but there is a club and bottles to buy at the Sextant tasting room and deli housed in the historic Edna General Store building. This is a relaxing spot for a bite to eat and a glass of vino. Us being us, we purchased a bottle of the 2019 Windemere Estate Pinot Noir to bring home in our suitcase. It’s a bright wine with lovely fruit and an obvious oak influence.

With Paso Robles just 45 minutes to an hour one direction and Santa Rita Hiils, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos only an hour to 90 minutes the other direction, it would be easy to extend a wine trip to the area for as long as you can get time off from work. To keep it simple and focussed, however, you cannot go wrong with a trip to the Edna Valley. San Luis Obispo plus local wineries will easily fill a few relaxing days with interesting wine, delicious food, and a generous dose of natural beauty as well.

 Have you visited a lesser-known wine region lately? Be sure to email  us and tell us all about it.