A Short History of Wine in San Luis Obispo
By Marc Townsend, Tasting Room Associate and Historian
Mission Origins (1772–1830s)
The history of wine in San Luis Obispo is as rich as the varied cultures and peoples that call this beautiful region home. Dating back as early as the founding of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa on September 1, 1772, by Father Junipero Serra, wine grapes were planted as an important crop not only for religious ceremonies but for daily consumption and sale to merchants in order to support the Mission.
An 1883 illustration of Mission San Luis Obispo, where Franciscan missionaries first introduced grape growing and winemaking to the region. Source: The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County.
These first grapes were known as Mission Grapes, a variety that can still be found in many areas around SLO, growing wildly in the backyards of homeowners or cultivated by vintners. The grapes were used to make sacramental wine, table wines, and brandy. The Mission grape was the only grape grown in San Luis Obispo until the 1830s, when Europeans began to grow the various varieties they brought from their home countries.
Immigration and the Gold Rush (1848–1870s)
The California Gold Rush (1848 to 1855) brought the largest increase in the growth of wine grapes to the state after the Mission period. The miners, some US citizens and many immigrants, brought with them the hopes and ambitions of striking it rich.
Following them were a number of wine growers, or viticulturists, who decided to try their fortunes in supplying both the miners and their communities with grapes for them to make their own wine. As a result, the 1850s and the following decades saw a large influx of Swiss and Italian immigrants to the SLO region.
Over in Europe, the first reports of phylloxera, a disease that attacks vines and causes them to wither and die, occurred in 1863. While devastating to vineyards in France, the disease is believed to have been transported from America on vines intended for growth in Europe. By the end of the decade, the disease had already destroyed millions of acres in France. By the end of the 1870s, the disease had spread to Spain and Germany.
Phylloxera infestations devastated California vineyards in the 19th century, reshaping the wine industry in regions like San Luis Obispo. Source: Wikipedia.
Thanks to the earlier influx of immigrants prior to the phylloxera outbreak, the SLO region was already beginning to see its first major growth of vineyards, and it’s reputation for producing excellent zinfandel grapes was starting to spread.
The First Commercial Winemakers (1860s–1890s)![]()
The Dallidet Adobe in San Luis Obispo, home to one of the earliest vineyards planted in California in the 1850s. Source: Konrad Summers, Wikimedia Commons.
The first commercial winemaker in the region was Pierre Hypolite Dallidet. From the 1860s to the 1890s, Dallidet planted over 125 grape varieties for sale domestically and abroad. The historic Dallidet Adobe in San Luis Obispo is his historic home and worth the visit.
Adolph Siot, who emigrated from France in 1885, purchased a large parcel of land in the Templeton area in 1891. The first crop he planted was grapes, and those lands are now a part of Rotta Winery, the winery he began. Adolph not only produced wine but sold his grapes regionally for others to make wine with.
Andrew York (1833–1913) founded York Mountain Winery (originally called Ascension Winery) in 1882 in the mountains near Cayucos, becoming the first commercial winery in the county. For three generations, the family produced award-winning Zinfandel grapes among other varieties. Andrew’s contribution to the wine industry on the Central Coast cannot be overstated, as he not only spearheaded a successful wine enterprise but also helped to pioneer “dry farming” in the region, a practice that many others adopted soon after. Today, the historic York Mountain property is operated by Epoch Estate Wines.
Prohibition (1920–1933)
Prohibition, enacted in 1920, made the commercial production and sale of alcoholic beverages illegal. Prohibition lasted until it was repealed in 1933. During this time, only home winemaking for personal consumption and winemaking for religious use were allowed.
During Prohibition, clandestine stills and hidden winemaking operations kept wine culture alive in California, including San Luis Obispo. Source: Library of Congress.
Prohibition hit the wineries of SLO and across California quite hard, and it completely eliminated an important source of income. The vineyard business, however, continued to thrive as it wasn’t illegal to grow and sell grapes. What the buyers of those grapes did with them was their business.
It was during this time period that Sylvester Dusi, a Sicilian immigrant, purchased a large amount of acreage in Paso Robles and planted his first zinfandel grapes. Dusi continued to grow and sell his grapes, delivering them as far as the Central Valley, where eager customers continued to use them to make their own wine despite Prohibition. Once Prohibition was lifted in 1933, his reputation was already solidified as an excellent grower of grapes. His sons, Benito and Dante, and wife Caterina, were always present and helping with growing, harvesting, and sales. Today, Dusi Vineyard is owned by Sylvester’s great-granddaughter, Janell Dusi.
Another example of using the grape growing loophole in Prohibition is Clarence Casteel (1879-1953), whose family had moved to Paso Robles from the Utah Territory in 1887. In addition to ranching and dairy farming on their acreage, they planted Zinfandel grapes. During Prohibition, Clarence continued to plant table and wine grapes and sold them to customers regionally. One such customer was William Randolph Hearst, who had Clarence deliver grapes to his home, Hearst Castle.
As is true of the California spirit, Prohibition did not slow down vineyard growth one bit. Other well-known vineyards dotted the Paso Robles landscape during this period, including those of Martinelli, Bianchi, and Vosti vineyards.
The Modern Era: 1960s–1970s Growth
As the wine industry continued to blossom, so did the appreciation for the Mediterranean climate of SLO County, leading to a boom in the late 1960s and 1970s of vineyards being planted. In Paso Robles and Templeton, bold reds whose grapes thrive in the summer heat became the norm, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel coming to dominate the region. In the Edna Valley, just south of San Luis Obispo, cooler ocean breezes favored lighter grape varieties, providing a balance to the bold reds thriving inland.
In the 1890s, Robertino Righetti purchased 800 acres of land in the Edna Valley for use with dairy cattle. In 1967, Ernest Righetti planted over two hundred varieties of avocado on the family ranch, demonstrating the soil's excellence at growing low-water crops. In 1968, parts of Righetti Ranch were used for experimental grape growing to determine which grapes would grow best in this cooler, yet dry climate. Grapes from the first harvest were sent to the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) in 1972 for wine production to test their viability, and the result was very favorable. Edna Valley was identified as an excellent place for viticulture. (There is now a master-planned community with seven neighborhoods on the Righetti Ranch.)
The early 1970s saw great interest in enology (the science and study of wine and winemaking) and viticulture (the science, study, and practice of growing grapes), with UC Davis leading the way in study and education. Their efforts in planting different varieties of grapes throughout California to experiment with grape types in different climates established the State’s reputation as one of the world’s premium growing regions.
This reputation brought notable Central Coast winemakers to the university to study in the emerging program at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In the 1970s, Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery in Paso Robles and Stephen Ross Dooley of Stephen Ross Wine Cellars both studied enology at UC Davis, part of a generation of winemakers shaped by the university’s program.
The UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program has influenced modern winemaking in San Luis Obispo and beyond. Source: UC Davis.
In 1973, a group of wine enthusiasts and growers from the San Fernando Valley, calling themselves the Cellarmasters of Los Angeles Home Winemaking Club, traveled to UC Davis for a series of educational seminars and workshops. Many had already been sourcing grapes from SLO County and were familiar with the amazing harvests our soils can provide.
Many of those members went on to found wineries in our region including “Tobias founded by Pat and Marty Wheeler which today is known as Peachy Canyon, and owned by Doug and Nancy Beckett; Mastantuono Winery in Templeton, founded by Pat Mastan, today owned by the Donati Winery; Donatoni Winery founded by Hank Donatoni, and Piedra Creek Winery, founded by Meo Zuech.” (1)
In addition to the early 1970s excitement around California wine, 1976 saw appreciation for our grapes go global at the Paris Wine Tasting. Also known as “The Judgment of Paris”, the event included blind tastings meant to compare/contrast French wines with California wines. Two California wines took top honors at the competition: Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay (1973) and Stag’s Leap Cellars’ Cabernet Sauvignon (1973). With such success, winemakers turned their eyes to SLO County as a reputable and now world-famous destination for grape growing.
The 1976 Judgement of Paris wine tasting put California wines on the world stage, paving the way for San Luis Obispo to gain global recognition. Source: Unknown.
The Rise of Edna Valley (1980s–2000s)
By 1980, vineyards in the Edna Valley were thriving, with grapes sold to wineries throughout Northern California, even though few local wineries had yet opened.
Owners such as Andrew MacGregor, Norm Goss, and Jack and Catharine Niven planted vines. Vineyards such as Saucelito, Chalone, Chamisal, and Paragon began to produce award-winning Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel grapes.
In 1982, the Edna Valley was granted its own AVA, or American Viticultural Area, solidifying its reputation as a distinctive wine-growing region. This appellation is important as it restricts any wine from carrying the words “Edna Valley” to wines with grapes grown within specific boundaries.
By 1990, over a thousand acres of vines had been planted in the valley. The dominant grape was Chardonnay.
As 2000 approached, the boom of the 90’s saw the dominance of such well known brands as Edna Valley Vineyard (1980), Talley Vineyards (1982), Claiborne & Churchill Vintners (1983), Baileyana (1989), Stephen Ross Cellars (1994), Kynsi Winery (1995), and Sinor-Lavallee (1997) building on the rich history of wine established by Pierre Hypolite Dallidet who had opened the first commercial winery in the city of SLO back in the 1860s.
San Luis Obispo County AVAs: Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, and the New SLO Coast
With growing interest in regional wine identity, San Luis Obispo County now boasts three distinguished AVAs:
Edna Valley AVA (est. 1982)
Edna Valley was designated an AVA in 1982 and amended in 1987. It covers approximately 35 square miles (~22,400 acres) within San Luis Obispo County and functions as a sub-appellation of both the Central Coast AVA and the newer San Luis Obispo Coast AVA. The valley’s sandy clay loam and clay-rich soils support cool-climate grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Morning fog and ocean breezes create California’s longest growing season, ideal for balanced, complex wines.
Arroyo Grande Valley AVA (est. 1990)
Established in 1990, the Arroyo Grande Valley spans ~67 square miles (around 43,000 acres), which is now entirely within the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The region’s silty clay and sandy clay loam soils and northeast–southwest orientation allow maritime fog and breezes to moderate temperatures, enabling both early-ripening varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and Rhône‑style grapes (e.g., Zinfandel, Syrah) in warmer pockets
San Luis Obispo Coast AVA (est. 2022)
In March 2022, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA, or SLO Coast AVA, making it the newest AVA in the county. This expansive coastal appellation spans roughly 480,585 acres (~750 sq mi) and encompasses both Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley AVAs.
The SLO Coast AVA includes over 50 wineries and approximately 78 commercial vineyards cultivating nearly 3,942 acres—most located within six miles of the Pacific Ocean. Its cool, fog‑cooled climate favors Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (which make up about 78% of planted varietals), though Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Gewürztraminer, and Grüner Veltliner have also been successful.
The San Luis Obispo Coast AVA, established in 2022, encompasses both Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley—three distinct regions that define modern winemaking in San Luis Obispo. Source: SLO Coast Wine.
Edna Valley Today
The next 25 years saw a virtual explosion in wine growth in Edna Valley. The appellation had become known internationally, and Chardonnay vines, once the established variety of the entire valley, started to give way to other wines we love today. Edna Valley Albariño, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah grapes have come to be loved far and wide by wine lovers and continue to gain accolades and awards each year.
Established in 2015, Croma Vera Wines produces wines from Spanish varieties such as Albariño and Grenache from Edna Valley and Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. The Mission grape, introduced from Spain in the 18th century, was the first vine planted in San Luis Obispo. In that sense, the region’s story has come full circle, with Spanish-style wines once again central to its identity. Drawing fruit from both the Edna Valley and Paso Robles, Croma Vera illustrates the ongoing evolution of San Luis Obispo County as a diverse winegrowing region.
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Primary Sources
The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau