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Tonya Michelle

California Coast•Travel

California Central Coast Wine Tour, Days 3 and 4

If you read the previous blog post on our wine tour of California’s Central Coast with E & J Gallo, you’ve already read about how much fun we’ve had the first two days. We were not prepared for the fun to come and each day seemed to get better and better!

Day 3

On the morning of day three, we woke up bright and early to board the van to head to San Luis Obispo for more wine touring! The morning air was crisp and cool as the fog moved in and we headed out on Highway 1 for an unbelievably scenic route to San Luis Obispo (think Big Little Lies intro!)

For breakfast, we stopped at the famous Big Sur Bakery. One of the foodies in our group has the cookbook from the bakery and has always wanted to visit. Caroline and I got a chai tea latte and some breakfast goodies that were so yummy. The bakery was so cute, and outside was a cactus garden that brought fun, hippie vibes to the cute café.

Along the way, we stopped for some wine photo ops as a group. Who could say no to a morning glass of wine and fresh air?

The California coast was simply breathtaking. Highway 1 was closed for an entire year due to damage from a mudslide and we were so lucky that it had just reopened a month prior to our trip. You can’t beat the incredible scenic views!

We arrived late morning to Stepladder Ranch and Creamery in Cambria for a tour of the creamery and goat farm on our way to San Luis Obispo. Known for their amazing cheeses, the goat farm was founded in 1871 and has been family-owned and operated ever since.

Taylor, our tour guide, taught us all about goats and how the creamery is used to make goats milk which they then turn into cheese. We even got to play with some of the Momma goats and none of us were expecting how much fun goats can be! They are the most affectionate animals and we were all laughing and smiling while they tried to jump all over us.

After showing us the ropes, Taylor had us sample some fresh cheeses. By far, the best cheese I had ever eaten! We sampled all different kinds from cow’s milk cheese that they purchase from a dairy farm down the road and turn it into their own cheeses, and goats milk cheese. I even bought some to take home with me for a late-night snack!

We weren’t the only ones impressed by the cheeses; Curtis Stone gave Stepladder a shout out in a recent article by the Wall Street Journal! “The ingredients I’m most excited about right now are from a little place on the California coast called Stepladder Creamery. They make really interesting, funky cheeses and aged stuff. ” -Curtis Stone

We were so excited to learn that Stepladder Ranch is starting a cheese club, hoping to ship cheeses across the country at some point. We will be their first customers when they do!

After reluctantly leaving the Ranch, we headed a little way down the road to have lunch at Centrally Grown. With beautiful views of the coast, we had a fabulous lunch paired with wines from Talbott & Edna Valley Vineyard, which we were visiting the next day.

Finally, after a long day of traveling, we made it to The Cliffs Hotel and Spa in San Luis Obispo! Located right on the beach, the views of the ocean were amazing, and it was so relaxing to be at the beach after a long day.

We then hurried to happy hour to meet with Edna Valley winemaker, Kamee Knutson, who gave us an overview of the wines we would be enjoying at the vineyard tomorrow. We sampled some incredible rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay as we got to know Kamee. She was so friendly and enthusiastic about winemaking we all got so excited about the following day at her vineyard!

While we sipped and sampled on some of Edna Valley Vineyard’s wines, two members from the San Luis Obispo tourism center came and gave us a brief overview of SLO and the Central Coast. We were so taken aback that one vineyard nearby is 50,000 acres, more than the size of Rhode Island!

After our happy hour, we boarded the van to Grover Beach where we were greeted by a waitress holding a platter of rosé for all of us on the beach. That was quite the greeting!

The beach was set up with a beautiful table and chairs with tiki torches and beach chairs surrounding a bonfire. We were all in heaven.

(Photo above by the amazing Stephanie – her Instagram / photography is HERE)

Our dinner consisted of a Caesar Salad with king crab legs, artichoke, potatoes, and corn in a magnificent seafood bake, unlike anything we had ever experienced before.

After dinner, we gathered around the bonfire with some Edna red wine and made s’mores. Kamee insisted we try a s’more with a Reese’s cup and I will never make a s’more the traditional way ever again! We could not imagine a more perfect evening.

Day 4

The next morning, we had the option to sleep in or go kayaking at Avila Beach. I chose to sleep in, but Caroline made the better decision to go kayaking with some of the group. I was so jealous when she raved all about it, talking about paddling into the morning fog and seeing sea otters and sea lions! Her pictures were amazing, and I highly recommend Avila Beach Watersports to go kayaking along the coastline.

After Caroline rushed home to get changed, we all boarded the van to Edna Valley. One of the most remarkable things about California is how much the weather changes as soon as your only a few minutes away from the coast. The temperature rose 20 degrees! Luckily, we dressed in layers for the entire trip, which I would highly recommend.

At Edna, we were greeted with a glass of rosé, the trend in California I suppose, and did a quick round of the building, taking in the beautiful scenery that looks out onto the San Lucia Highlands and one of the Seven Sisters, seven extinct volcanoes along the Central Coast that helped to shape the incredible landscape!

We then headed inside where we had a Chardonnay tasting where Kamee took us through each of the glasses poured in front of us and even had us try a Chardonnay she had just made that no one had ever tried before! We all had our favorites and were enthralled by each and every Chardonnay Edna had to offer. Before this trip, I was exclusively a red wine kind of girl. Now, I have realized that “there’s a chardonnay for everyone!” as Kamee would say, and I’m certainly a Chardonnay drinker now!

After our tasting, we each picked our favorite glass of Chardonnay and headed to the patio for a cooking demonstration by Kendra Aronson, author of the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market Cookbook! Kendra spoke a little about the SLO farmers market, one of the more famous and well-known farmers’ markets in the country and showed us how to make her famous pistachio pesto with crostini!

 

The pesto was the best we had all ever had and we paired it with some incredible salmon, also the best we’ve ever had! Everything in California was just so fresh, unlike anything I’ve ever had. Even something as simple as a salad just tasted so much fresher!

After an incredible day at Edna Valley Vineyards, Kendra took us all to the San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market to show us just how amazing it is and introduce us to some of the farmers she mentions in her cookbook, where she got all of the ingredients for our lunch earlier that day!

Needless to say, Kendra was right. Everyone was so friendly and there was something for everyone whether you wanted to stroll and enjoy some live music, check out Bubblegum Alley, or shop for some local produce, no one was disappointed.

Afterward, we had an amazing dinner at Novo, one of the best restaurants in San Luis Obispo. We brought our Edna wines with us and enjoyed ahi tuna nachos, a hummus plate, and bread for the table that were all divine. For dinner, I ordered a ribeye and Caroline ordered a lo mein dish with fresh veggies and chicken.

It was the perfect end to such an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime trip. We met so many amazing people that we are excited to keep in touch with and follow along with on all of their upcoming adventures. Thank you, E & J Gallo, Louise, Chelsea, and Kela for the trip of a lifetime. We could not be more grateful for such an extraordinary experience!

xx, Tonya Michelle

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Comments

  1. Monidipa Dutta says

    August 13, 2018 at 10:10 am

    I was planning for a trip to California. And I loved reading it. And mostly your pictures are wonderful. And one query here I have too how is the weather exactly there. I really hope it isn’t 40℃ hot.

    Reply
  2. Lois Alter Mark says

    August 13, 2018 at 10:26 am

    What a fantastic trip you had! The scenery is gorgeous in that part of the country and the wine tastings look like so much fun! (On a side note, I LOVE that pink sweater!)

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth O says

    August 13, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    It looks like you had such a fantastic time. The pictures you took are really beautiful and the place looks stunning!

    Reply
  4. Dogvills says

    August 13, 2018 at 5:25 pm

    You girls looked like you really enjoyed your trip. I would love to visit the Stepladder Ranch and Creamery. I love cheese of any kind and to pair it with good wine will be my kind of relax time!

    Reply
  5. Laura Dove says

    August 13, 2018 at 6:20 pm

    Oh wow what an amazing time you had! It looks incredible, the food looks delicious, and you all look beautiful!

    Reply
  6. ukwadia matthew says

    August 13, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    You definitely had a lot of fun. The atmosphere there looks so lovely and calm. Wow the meal you had at Novo looks yummy with fine wine to chill down.

    Reply
  7. Cara Newhart says

    August 13, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    Oh my goodness, this looks like so much fun! So many good stops.

    Reply
  8. Stephanie says

    August 13, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    Wow, this sounds like such an awesome trip! The California coast is so gorgeous and way different than the Florida coast I am used to.

    Reply
  9. Geraline Batarra says

    August 13, 2018 at 11:11 pm

    Wow, it looks like a nice place to visit and looks like you are really a great time during your trip. The place is so beautiful and the food and the wines looks really delicious.

    Reply
  10. Azanique Rawl says

    August 13, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    Okay girl, whenever you take your next wine trip, BRING ME ALONG! What an amazing time! I’m going on a local wine tour of Friday but would love to go on one this grand.

    Reply
  11. Kileen says

    August 13, 2018 at 11:48 pm

    This looks like such an amazing trip and the food looks delish. Love your outfits too, so cute!

    Kileen

    Reply
  12. Christa says

    August 14, 2018 at 12:19 am

    These photos are stunning! California is such a beautiful state. The wine is an added bonus. ?

    Reply
  13. Rachl says

    August 14, 2018 at 12:46 am

    This looks like the perfect trip with friends. I have college friends that I do wine trips with. Too bad we are in the midwest.

    Reply
  14. Melanie williams says

    August 14, 2018 at 4:19 am

    Oh wow…looks like you had a wonderful time. Loving the look of those three cheese..mmm just yummy x

    Reply
  15. Claire says

    August 14, 2018 at 7:02 am

    Gah. I miss Cali – Big Sur is fantastic from top to bottom (if expensive!) but generally the West coast is where its at! Great pics. Loved the blog.

    Reply
  16. Deborah says

    August 14, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Ahh goat cheese with wine sounds amazing!! How fun!

    Reply
  17. Carolyn says

    August 14, 2018 at 10:32 am

    Once again, can you just transport me to this magical place?? You make it look (and sound) so amazing. What a trip!

    Reply
  18. Sigrid Says says

    August 14, 2018 at 11:03 am

    Woohoo! A wine tour??? That’s the thing for me. I love that. And oh that salmon, oh my gosh! I am getting hungry. Thanks for sharing. Will consider getting on this next trip. 😀

    Reply
  19. Yota Chelf Dortlouke says

    August 14, 2018 at 11:10 am

    breath taking indeed! The landscape looks out of this earth and the food, omg the food along with the wine made me so jealous! Next time I’m going with you guys!

    Reply
  20. Jane says

    August 14, 2018 at 2:46 pm

    I love central coast, especially the Big Sur area. So lovely… yummy food and great wine. Your pictures speak a thousand words. Seems like you enjoyed yourself!

    Reply
  21. Anshika Juneja says

    August 14, 2018 at 3:25 pm

    It looks like, you spend lot of fun with your girls. Everybody is looking so cheerful and enjoying the holiday! Love these places you are visiting.

    Reply
  22. Rhian westbury says

    August 14, 2018 at 4:03 pm

    Those fresh cheeses sound really tasty and I bet they went so well with the wine. Sounds like a great trip x

    Reply
  23. Fashion and Style Police says

    August 14, 2018 at 5:40 pm

    What an amazing time you must have had. The beach looks so beautiful. Love the look of the food too.

    Reply
  24. Elle says

    August 15, 2018 at 12:05 am

    The views there are amazing. I was just along the coast in CA and I loved it aside from the heat wave that was going on.

    Reply
  25. Maysz says

    August 15, 2018 at 3:48 am

    This place perfect for relax and looks so peaceful and also I like your photos.

    Reply
  26. Jelena says

    August 15, 2018 at 6:19 am

    What a fantastic trip. It looks like you did not enjoy just wine, but in great food and socializing with new friends. This is a truly extraordinary experience!

    Reply
  27. Stephanie says

    August 15, 2018 at 11:53 am

    You’re seriously making me so jealous of this trip haha! I thought I was jealous after the first post – but you got to visit Big Sur too?? That’s such a dream of mine!

    Reply
  28. Nicole flint says

    August 15, 2018 at 12:41 pm

    Looks like you had so much fun!! I would love to take a wine tour!

    Reply
  29. Becca Wilson says

    August 15, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    This looks like it would be such an amazing tour. I have always wanted to go on something like this.

    Reply
  30. Vaibhav Mehta says

    August 15, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    I just got done with dinner and was craving dessert. After reading this, I’m craving wine instead..oh my fluctuating heart 😛

    Reply
  31. Sharon Wu says

    August 15, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    looks like u had so much fun darling! i miss the big sur! need to go back soon haaha

    Reply
  32. David Elliott says

    August 15, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    Big Sur is pretty darn amazing. It’s been a while since I have been out there, which things have prevented me from doing. But I will have to make a trip out there very soon.

    Reply
  33. narkis moshe says

    August 15, 2018 at 4:55 pm

    You girls know how to travel! I absolutely love all of the pictures. Can’t wait for the next time I’ll be in California to see all those places as well 🙂

    Reply
  34. Samantha Carraro says

    August 16, 2018 at 7:32 am

    Being Italian I’m a big wine lover and I would love to go to a wine tour.
    Your photos look so pretty and the place and all the food looks amazing.

    Reply
  35. Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says

    August 16, 2018 at 8:29 am

    I’ve been to Big Sur! That’s one of my top fave places to go in California! You looked like you had a fabulous time!

    Reply
  36. Nidhi Fouzdar says

    August 16, 2018 at 9:41 am

    This place is breathtaking. And your pictures look so gorgeous

    Reply
  37. Nailil says

    August 16, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    This looks like a great trip. I have California on my list. I hope to visit soon.

    Xx, Nailil
    http://thirtyminusone.com/

    Reply
  38. Atenea says

    August 19, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    All these places look amazing! Those views are so beautiful! It looks like such an awesome vacay!

    Reply
  39. Bushra says

    August 23, 2018 at 11:58 pm

    Seems like you had lots of fun… 🙂 Enjoyed reading this article… I loved all the pictures very very much <3 <3

    Reply
Previous California Central Coast Wine Tour, Days 1 and 2
Next How I took a leap of faith and tips on how to stay motivated while chasing your dreams.

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