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Wine Tour: Edna Valley VineyardOnce buried under the Pacific Ocean, Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo, California is producing wine that can only be grown in the unique terroir.
All photos courtesy of Edna Valley Vineyard
A beautiful panoramic view of Edna Valley.
“ The cool ocean fog, gentle sunshine, and soils rich with marine deposits and volcanic remnants, are perfectly balanced for coaxing the best possible fruit from the vine.”
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To fully appreciate the wines of Edna Valley Vineyard in San Luis Obispo, California, one must have an appreciation for the valley where they begin. Millions of years ago, this east-west oriented valley was part of what is now the pacific ocean. Bordered in three directions by mountains and hills (the Santa Lucia Mountains to the northeast, low rolling hills to the southeast, and the San Luis range to the southwest), and Los Osos Valley to the north, it forms an ideal pocket for grape growing. A gap exists in the perfect place—where Los Osos Valley meets the ocean in Morro Bay, providing a natural wide-mouth funnel of cool marine air.
Edna Valley saw its first wine grapes in the 1800s, the days of the California missions. Even then, it was believed that Edna Valley grapes were of exceptional quality. The cool ocean fog, gentle sunshine, and soils rich with marine deposits and volcanic remnants, are perfectly balanced for coaxing the best possible fruit from the vine, yielding complex flavors. The valley’s modern day history began in 1973, when the winery’s founder, Jack Niven, planted Paragon Vineyard, dedicated to chardonnay.
For the past three decades, Edna Valley Vineyard has expertly crafted its flagship varietal, Chardonnay. Besides the legendary Edna Valley Chardonnay, four wines are offered nationwide, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. Under the guidance of winemaker Josh Baker, who has worked at the winery for a decade, each varietal is a pure expression of place.
Recently, some select blocks have been replanted with new varietal clones in Paragon Vineyard, which should lead to more intriguing wines. Edna Valley Vineyard crafts a variety of limited production wines including Malbec, Meritage, and Reserve Cabernet, sold exclusively in its tasting room.
The tasting room also features an all-glass wall providing an unforgettable view of Paragon Vineyard, the incomparable place where the wines of Edna Valley Vineyard are born.
WHAT TO BUY
'11 Paragon Chardonnay - $15.50
Quince, pear, ripe apple, apricot, brown spice, hints of vanilla, bright acidity
'11 Reserve Chardonnay - $45
Peach, tangerine, baking spice, honeysuckle, clove
'11 Santa Lucia Highlands Reserve Pinot Noir - $37
Ripe black cherry, blueberry and blackberry cobbler, notes of caramel, allspice
CONTACT
866-979-8477
info@ednavalleyvineyard.com
ednavalleyvineyard.com
TASTING
Tasting Room Open Daily 10–5
2585 Biddle Ranch Rd. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
SPECIAL NOTES
Scenic view, demonstration vineyard, wine club discounts, wine club events, weddings and receptions.
AN INTERVIEW WITH WINEMAKER JOSH BAKER
T&T: What drew you to the wine business?
JB: I was lucky enough to have a roommate at the University of Pacific named Gianni Abate. Gianni was a few years older, getting the same degree I was—Biology. He graduated a few years ahead, but started his career in the wine business locally. As Gianni’s career progressed, we started drinking better and better wine. By the time I graduated, I knew what I wanted to do.
T&T: What do you like about winemaking?
JB: Everything. It’s a very exciting time in the industry. The industry is seeing a new generation of winemakers and the camaraderie is different. There’s new thinking about grape growing and winemaking. Technology is quickly improving—we’ve got more and more toys to play with—and the fruit keeps getting better and better. I love the fun of it.
T&T: What do you feel is special about Edna Valley as a growing region?
JB: We’re a valley that’s east-west facing and is, in fact, an old estuary. So we have incredibly diverse soil types and a valley that was surrounded, at one point, by beach sand. By learning what to plant, and where, we’ve made incredible strides in fruit and wine quality. We’ve got one of the longest growing seasons in the world. We can hang fruit for long amounts of time and develop interesting flavors that aren’t found anywhere else.
T&T: At Edna Valley Vineyard, you’re making some incredibly complex wines. What can you tell us about your philosophy and techniques?
JB: It’s simple, really. First, rely on the valley to provide interesting, well-flavored fruit; get it to the winery in good shape; and let the vineyard do the talking. Second, make wines that are true to type. And third, and probably most important, is texture. We are wildly aggressive with stirring of our whites while they’re being stored in barrel. One of the dangers of making cool-climate Chardonnay is ending up with wines that are mineral driven and lean. To combat that, we stir every Chardonnay barrel once every week. In doing so, we get the lees to break down and release molecules that give physical weight to our white wines.
Touring & Tasting is a media company that produces a wine and travel magazine and is also partner in the Hitched Wine Club.
Edna Valley saw its first wine grapes in the 1800s, the days of the California missions. Even then, it was believed that Edna Valley grapes were of exceptional quality. The cool ocean fog, gentle sunshine, and soils rich with marine deposits and volcanic remnants, are perfectly balanced for coaxing the best possible fruit from the vine, yielding complex flavors. The valley’s modern day history began in 1973, when the winery’s founder, Jack Niven, planted Paragon Vineyard, dedicated to chardonnay.
For the past three decades, Edna Valley Vineyard has expertly crafted its flagship varietal, Chardonnay. Besides the legendary Edna Valley Chardonnay, four wines are offered nationwide, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. Under the guidance of winemaker Josh Baker, who has worked at the winery for a decade, each varietal is a pure expression of place.
Recently, some select blocks have been replanted with new varietal clones in Paragon Vineyard, which should lead to more intriguing wines. Edna Valley Vineyard crafts a variety of limited production wines including Malbec, Meritage, and Reserve Cabernet, sold exclusively in its tasting room.
The tasting room also features an all-glass wall providing an unforgettable view of Paragon Vineyard, the incomparable place where the wines of Edna Valley Vineyard are born.
WHAT TO BUY'11 Paragon Chardonnay - $15.50
Quince, pear, ripe apple, apricot, brown spice, hints of vanilla, bright acidity
'11 Reserve Chardonnay - $45
Peach, tangerine, baking spice, honeysuckle, clove
'11 Santa Lucia Highlands Reserve Pinot Noir - $37
Ripe black cherry, blueberry and blackberry cobbler, notes of caramel, allspice
CONTACT
866-979-8477
info@ednavalleyvineyard.com
ednavalleyvineyard.com
TASTING
Tasting Room Open Daily 10–5
2585 Biddle Ranch Rd. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
SPECIAL NOTES
Scenic view, demonstration vineyard, wine club discounts, wine club events, weddings and receptions.
AN INTERVIEW WITH WINEMAKER JOSH BAKERT&T: What drew you to the wine business?
JB: I was lucky enough to have a roommate at the University of Pacific named Gianni Abate. Gianni was a few years older, getting the same degree I was—Biology. He graduated a few years ahead, but started his career in the wine business locally. As Gianni’s career progressed, we started drinking better and better wine. By the time I graduated, I knew what I wanted to do.
T&T: What do you like about winemaking?
JB: Everything. It’s a very exciting time in the industry. The industry is seeing a new generation of winemakers and the camaraderie is different. There’s new thinking about grape growing and winemaking. Technology is quickly improving—we’ve got more and more toys to play with—and the fruit keeps getting better and better. I love the fun of it.
T&T: What do you feel is special about Edna Valley as a growing region?
JB: We’re a valley that’s east-west facing and is, in fact, an old estuary. So we have incredibly diverse soil types and a valley that was surrounded, at one point, by beach sand. By learning what to plant, and where, we’ve made incredible strides in fruit and wine quality. We’ve got one of the longest growing seasons in the world. We can hang fruit for long amounts of time and develop interesting flavors that aren’t found anywhere else.
T&T: At Edna Valley Vineyard, you’re making some incredibly complex wines. What can you tell us about your philosophy and techniques?
JB: It’s simple, really. First, rely on the valley to provide interesting, well-flavored fruit; get it to the winery in good shape; and let the vineyard do the talking. Second, make wines that are true to type. And third, and probably most important, is texture. We are wildly aggressive with stirring of our whites while they’re being stored in barrel. One of the dangers of making cool-climate Chardonnay is ending up with wines that are mineral driven and lean. To combat that, we stir every Chardonnay barrel once every week. In doing so, we get the lees to break down and release molecules that give physical weight to our white wines.
Touring & Tasting is a media company that produces a wine and travel magazine and is also partner in the Hitched Wine Club.
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