Sparkling Wine on the San Luis Obispo Coast

The San Luis Obispo Coastal Wine region (SLO Coast Wine) is one of California’s coolest wine growing regions. The 30+ wineries in this area are an average of only 5 miles from the ocean! Coastal fog, wind, soil, and sun create wines refined by the Pacific’s influence. This makes for energetically acidic and complex wines, with a large number of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers, cool-climate Syrah, plus the Spanish white grape Albariño.

They also have 17 Sparkling Wine producers on the SLO Coast Sparkling Wine Trail! Plus 4 more wineries that offer sparkling wine online or for members only: Cadre Sparkling Albariño, Chamisal Vineyards, Cutruzzola Sparkling Wine, Saucelito Canyon Blanc de Blancs.

1. Ancient Peaks

Winery in Santa Margarita

2. Alapay Cellars

Tasting room in Avila Beach

3. Baileyana Brut Rosé

Baileyana Wines in Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo has a lovely pink sparkler out in limited release: Baileyana Brut Rosé – a traditional méthode champenoise.

4. Biddle Ranch Vineyard

Biddle Ranch also has traditional-style non-vintage sparkling wine, made entirely from Chardonnay grown in Edna Valley, year-round. This wine could easily be called a Blanc de Blancs: the classic Champagne style made only from white wine grapes in the Champagne region of France. This wine should satisfy any Champagne lover with its yeasty notes, flavors of tart green apple, fine bubbles, and crisp, elegant finish. It’s clean, with just a hint of almond, and absolutely delicious. Read more at my blog post about Biddle Ranch Sparkling Wine.

5. Center of Effort

Center of Effort has just released a Sparkling Rosé from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir called EFFORTVESENCE – the first Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wine from Center of Effort. This exceptional wine, over two years in the making, perfectly highlights our estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes and continues our commitment to quality wines and sustainable farming here in the Edna Valley.

From the winery: “Pale pink in color with small persistent bubbles, EFFORTvesence is clean and modern in style, showing freshness and energy. Green apple, pomegranate and floral notes finishing lively and fresh on the palate.”

6. Chateau Margene

This cozy tasting room in Morro Bay’s Embarcadero serves up wines from their organic, sustainable and family-owned winery. The sparkling Pinot Noir (coming soon) is from the estate vineyard and are hand-selected for their bubbles, ensuring the finest from the property. The Estate winery can be visited in Creston (Paso East Bubbles Trail).

7. Deovlet

Cutruzzola makes several sparkling wines—in such small-batch quantities that they don’t have them year-round. The Sparkling Pét-Nat Riesling will be available for wine club only. They are also currently working on a classic Blanc de Noir, which will be released in a few years.

8. Dunites Wine Co.

Owners Tyler and Rachel Eck have made a beautiful, traditional-style sparkling wine, even though it’s Pétillant Naturel made in the ancestrale method. It’s a blend of traditional Champagne grapes: 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, both fully from the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA. This is a perfect place for sparkling wine grapes, as the weather here is much colder than that of hotter areas like Napa Valley or Paso Robles. Taste it in in Downtown SLO!

9. Kelsey See Canyon

Estate winery in See Canyon, just outside Avila Beach.

10. Laetitia Vineyards & Winery

Originally known for Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, Laetitia continues to produce seven unique Sparkling Wines. The vineyard site was specifically chosen by the French 30+ years ago to grow Chardonnay grapes that remained acidic, delicate and fresh with green apple and citrus characters – everything you want for making sparkling wine. And that philosophy continues today with these current releases:

• Non-Vintage Laetitia Brut Cuvée
• 2017 Laetitia Brut Rosé
• 2017 Laetitia Brut Coquard
• 2017 Laetitia Brut de Noirs

Laetitia Vineyards & Winery is the only winery in the SLO Coast Wine Region that always offers a bubbly flight, as well as a Sparkling Only Wine Club.

11. Piedra Creek

Saucelito Canyon has released a Sparkling Blanc de Blancs from Chardonnay, only for club members.

12. Sans Liege

There are 2 cool places to taste Sans Liege wines: Pismo Beach and Tin City in Paso Robles (part of the Paso Downtown & Tin City Bubbles Trail).

13. Sextant

There are also 2 cool places to taste Sextant wines: the historic Edna town store in Edna Valley and the large winery on 46 west just outside of Paso Robles (part of the Paso West Bubbles Trail).

14. Sinor-Lavallee

Sinor-Lavallee‘s original Ancestral Pét-Nat Sparkling Pinot Noir is available now, just in time for the holidays. Mike Sinor has been making sparkling wine in the Pét-nat method since 2016, when he released his first Ancestrale, named after this age-old method of making bubblies. Each year, you can find something different and fun as Mike experiments with all natural frizzante bubbles.

This year’s sparkler is 2020 Soirée Du Gris, made from Pinot Gris in the spirit of vinho verde. This means it was picked early (when the grapes are almost still green) and delivers crispness to the palate, with flavors of green apple, pear and jasmine.

15. Stephen Ross Wine Cellars

16. Talley Vineyards

17. Wolff Vineyards

The newest addition to the SLO Coast Wine Sparkling Trail is this 2018 cuvee, produced in the traditional Methode Champenoise sparkling wine. Wolff Vineyards pressed Chardonnay grapes with early ripeness from their estate vineyard’s 45 year-old vines. This is rare in California! This blanc de blanc follows a Champagne production process which includes primary fermentation from 100% Estate Chardonnay fruit, inoculated with a secondary fermentation lees aged in the bottle, riddling, disgorgement of the yeast plug, dosage and final corking after two years. The end result provides crisp fruity flavors with a creamy palate and youthful elegance. The alcohol content is 12.5%.