Arroyo Grande Wineries

The Arroyo Grande winery region is one of the four appellations of San Luis Obispo County, California. The Arroyo Grande wine region may have few wineries, but it boasts of diverse microclimates and a viticulture history that is one of a kind. The Arroyo Grande wine appellation attracts wine producers who want to focus on production of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.

There are 12 Arroyo Grande wineries with production facilities and estate vineyards within the Arroyo Grande area, as well as ten other wineries located outside Arroyo Grande that source their grapes and label their wines with the Arroyo Grande wine appellation designation.

Several grape varieties are available in the Arroyo Grande winery region, to produce some of the best wines in the world. The wineries in Arroyo Grande are best known for their high quality Pinot Noir, rich Chardonnay and Syrah.

However, Arroyo Grande wineries also produce quality Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah/Shiraz, and Zinfandel among other outstanding Arroyo Grande wine.

There are 53 Arroyo Grande wines – 13 white, 35 red, 3 rose, and 2 sparkling.

California wine tasting in the Arroyo Grande wine appellation is an experience that wine lovers would not want to miss. Arroyo Grande wine tasting, amidst a picturesque view of acres upon acres of Arroyo Grande vineyards, makes the experience a relaxed but festive affair.

Many of the Arroyo Grande wineries are small, family-owned and operated; hence it's not unusual for the winemakers themselves to be pouring the wine in the tasting room. Arroyo Grande wine tasting is available daily or by appointment.

Arroyo Grande's annual Harvest Festival and Parade is a time-honored tradition that serves as a tribute to agriculture, the area's leading industry. During this event, Arroyo Grande wines are part of the attraction, which also includes a parade, agricultural exhibits, plenty of food, games, and arts and crafts booths.

Although the Harvest Festival and Parade is not the same in magnitude as the Strawberry Festival (an Arroyo Grande event held annually during Memorial Day weekend), it is also popular to both tourists and locals. This wholesome family festival is held throughout Arroyo Grande Village in Heritage Park and along the creek every September.

Arroyo Grande prides itself as the "gem" of the Central Coast of California. It is located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and elevated by 114 feet in the southwestern portion of its parent American Viticulture Area. Arroyo Grande is a 16-mile long winding valley in San Luis Obispo County with an east-northeast orientation. The U.S. Government made Arroyo Grande an official American Viticulture Area in 1990.

Like its neighbor Edna Valley, the diverse climate in the Arroyo Grande wine region is perfect for vineyards, courtesy of a Pacific Ocean breeze that keeps the area cool. Arroyo Grande's terrain is composed of sedimentary and volcanic soils over a layer of bedrock known as the Franciscan Complex, an uplifted oceanic and continental crust that was formed over 100 million years ago. Wines in Arroyo Grande truly reflect the nature of the region's vineyards.