Read my most recent piece for USA TODAY TRAVEL about San Luis Obispo, CA’s “City-to-Sea” coastal wine trail (excerpt below) at http://experience.usatoday.com/food-and-wine/story/tours-and-trails/wine-tours-and-trails/2015/07/14/san-luis-obispo-city-coast-wine/30130875/.
The tiny college town of San Luis Obispo on California’s coast made headlines in 2011 when it was named one of the four “Happiest Places” in the world by author Dan Buettner, and the “Happiest Place in America” by Oprah. These designations focused on such positive characteristics as the city’s ban of drive-through restaurants and public smoking, its pedestrian and bicycle-friendly roads, its year-round gorgeous weather, and easy access to sprawling coastline and the ancient volcanic chain of “Seven Sisters” peaks.
Astonishingly, the prevalence of fine, local wine — primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as a growing trend of coastal aromatic white varietals — was somehow not a deciding factor.
Nevertheless, the award-winning vintages coming out of San Luis Obispo’s little-known and underappreciated Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley and Avila Beach coastal wine growing areas (on average, just five miles from the waves) are sure to inspire smiles, especially during summer vacations to the USA’s happiest town.
Follow this city-to-sea trail to discover some of the region’s most sublimely refreshing white wines while enjoying the sea breezes and sunshine of California’s coolest wine growing region (literally — it has an average daily maximum temperature of 70 degrees). … (Keep Reading at http://experience.usatoday.com/food-and-wine/story/tours-and-trails/wine-tours-and-trails/2015/07/14/san-luis-obispo-city-coast-wine/30130875/).
JAMIE RELTH 