Page 33 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer 2024

slovisitorsguide.com SUMMER 2024 33
San Luis Obispo & South County Wine Tasting
Every
Sunday
11am
to
2pm
March
April
May
~ Walk-Ins Welcome ~
live music • good people • food truck
4:30pm - 7:30pm
June through September
San Luis Obispo Wine Country
(805) 544-4066 | www.claibornechurchill.com
WINE TASTING
11AM - 5PM
DAILY
HAPPY HOUR
Friday
Check out Claiborne and
Churchill Winery
Claiborne & Churchill Winery,
still run by original owners Clai-
borne Thompson and Fredericka
Churchill Thompson, has been pro-
ducing Alsatian-style “alternative
whites” in San Luis Obispo since
1983. In 1995, Clay and Fredericka
built their pioneering, eco-friendly
straw bale-constructed winery and
opened their tasting room in the
Edna Valley, and over the years they
have expanded their picturesque
garden area to accommodate more
guests and larger parties for tastings
and seasonal events.
To the delight of visitors, the
upscale welcoming tasting room
is located right in the barrel room,
allowing the popular producer
to accommodate more visitors
comfortably. Reservations are avail-
able for small private events such
as birthdays, anniversaries, and
graduation parties.
Their guest cottage is perfect for
couples hitting the road for a week-
end, for parents visiting students at
Cal Poly, or for anyone just looking
for a relaxing “getaway.” The unit
is available for vacation rental
through the VRBO/Homeaway
website, or by emailing elizabeth@
claibornechurchill.com.
Centrally located in SLO Wine
Country, Claiborne & Churchill’s
vacation property is only a ten-
minute drive from Pismo Beach,
San Luis Obispo, or Arroyo Grande,
and a fifteen-minute drive to Cal
Poly.
Visit the tasting room at 2649
Carpenter Canyon Rd., in San Luis
Obispo’s Edna Valley; open every day
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except major
holidays), claibornechurchill.com,
(805) 544-4066.
Baileyana Tasting Room
offers a beautiful array
of wines in a historic
schoolhouse
Traveling along Orcutt Road
from downtown San Luis Obispo,
the Baileyana Tasting Room is the
first you encounter as you enter the
Edna Valley. Housed in the historic
Independence Schoolhouse built in
1909, the tasting room is the home
of Baileyana, Tangent, True Myth
and Zocker brands.
Charming both inside and out,
this tasting room offers wine-
tasting experiences designed to
accommodate all visitors. With
around 35 different white, red and
rosé wines to choose from, there
are wines for every palette, whether
the guest is a first-time wine taster
or an expert. For those willing to
adventure and discover, an amazing
experience awaits! With extensive
picnic grounds and views, the
tasting room is family-friendly
and provides a memorable and fun
experience for every guest.
Veteran winemaker Rob
Takigawa is focused on bringing
elegant chardonnays, aromatic
whites, and pinot noir wines from
the cool Edna Valley and powerful
reds from the warmer Paso Robles
to Baileyana visitors. These wines
are rich in story, and those stories
are well told by the engaging tasting
room team.
The Baileyana Tasting Room is lo-
cated at 5828 Orcutt Road, San Luis
Obispo. It is open from 10 a.m.- 5
p.m. daily, excluding major holidays.
Reservations are required. Please
book on Tock or call (805) 269-8200.
Wine, grappa, and apple
brandy at Autry Cellars
Nestled in the heart of Edna
Valley, overlooking rows of vine-
yards and a 40-mile stretch of the
Santa Lucia mountain range is
Autry Cellars. Owner and artisan
winemaker Steve Autry and his
tasting room staff pour wine
varietals, brandy, and grappa borne
from some of the best grapes se-
lected from across the region, along
with his signature apple brandy.