Wine trails now highlighted in new map, also available on website

San Luis Obispo wine country on California’s Central Coast may be a small oceanfront region, but the wine tasting possibilities here are almost limitless— as evidenced by the unveiling this month of six themed tasting trails.

The Avila Valley wine trail map.

Now visitors can build local itineraries around a range of lifestyles and wine styles, from urban tasting rooms to beachfront wine tasting. The trails are highlighted in the new SLO Wine Country tasting maps for 2015-16, as well as at SLOWine.com.

“SLO Wine Country is an intimate coastal region with less than 30 wineries, but there’s also a ton of diversity here, too,” said Heather Muran, executive director of SLO Wine Country. “These wine trails really showcase all that we have to offer, and they enable you to follow your personal tastes and timeline as you tour the region.”

The themed trails include “Avila Valley,” which offers a full day of wine tasting at and near the beach; “Backroads,” showing off the rolling vineyards, distinctive “Morro” peaks and storybook terrain of Edna Valley; “Urban Wine Trail,” featuring San Luis Obispo’s urban tasting scene close to downtown; “Old Edna & Biddle Ranch,” focusing on the most concentrated vineyard plantings in the region, highlighting signature local varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatic whites; “Arroyo Grande Valley,” the southernmost trail offering ocean views at one end and rustic hills at the other; and “Points North,” highlighting the Rhone and Bordeaux varieties that thrive in the warmer climes north.

Muran said that wine trail visitors are invited to tag #slowinetrail and share their comments, favorite trails and photos as they explore. Individuals who post photos during the month of July will be entered in a drawing to win a four-pack of VIP tickets to SLO Wine Country’s “Harvest on the Coast Grand Tasting & Wine Auction” happening November 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Avila Beach Resort.

Here, where our wineries boast an average distance of just five miles from the water, the prevailing coastal conditions are among the most pronounced of any wine region in California. Our ocean-cooled environment fosters unifying qualities that are native to the wines of SLO Wine Country.