Updated May 2024
San Luis Obispo Wine Country includes the SLO Coast, Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley AVAs, and is one of California’s coolest wine growing regions. The 30+ wineries in this area are an average of only 5 miles from the ocean! Coastal fog, wind, soil, and sun create wines refined by the Pacific’s influence. This makes for energetically acidic and complex wines, with a large number of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers, cool-climate Syrah, plus the Spanish white grape Albariño.
They also have 11 Sparkling Wine and local champagne producers in SLO Wine Country’s Sparkling Wine Trail, including Avila Beach and Pismo Beach!
See more! There are over 80 sparkling wine producers in San Luis Obispo County.
In San Luis Obispo Area
1. CaliPaso
Now open in the Creamery in SLO!
2. Deovlet: Myers-Deovlet
Myers-Deovlet is a joint sparkling venture between McPrice Myers of McPrice Myers Wines, and Ryan Deovlet of Deovlet Wines. You can buy it at Deovlet wines in San Luis Obispo’s Beverage District (behind Trader Joe’s). This is a Non-Vintage Blanc de Blanc called Line of Descent, a cuvée of 2013 – 2016 grapes made in the méthode champenoise. It’s also available at McPrice Myers on the Paso West Trail.
Méthode Champenoise is how sparkling wine is made in the Champagne region of France, also called méthode traditionnelle or classique. This is the highest-quality and most labor-intensive way to make sparkling wine. It involves bottling the still wine with additions of sugar and yeast after a first fermentation, ensuring a second fermentation happens in the bottle, trapping the bubbles inside. It then goes through aging (and periodic turning of the bottles to force the lees to the neck of the bottle), until it’s ready for dégorgement (to get these lees out) and dosage (to finish the wine).
3. Dunites Wine Co.
Owners Tyler and Rachel Eck make several beautiful, traditional-style sparkling wines, some in the traditional method (like in Champagne) and some in the ancestral method ( (Pétillant Naturel). Their current releases are the Blanc de Noirs Chene Vineyard, and the 2023 Pét-Nat. They are made from traditional Champagne grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both fully from the SLO Coast AVA. They make limited quantities, and usually sell out quickly.
Read more about Dunites Wine Co. Sparkling Wines.
Pétillant Naturel, or Pét-Nat, is an even more ancient way to make sparkling wine than the widely-used méthode champenoise (also called méthode traditionelle) originated in Champagne, France. In the méthode ancestrale, the wine is bottled with a crown cap before it even finishes its first fermentation, so it develops carbon dioxide as it goes. It’s not disgorged, often unfiltered, and can be made from any grape variety.
4. Filipponi Ranch
This historic winery and tasting room is on the south side of San Luis Obispo, in the family’s former dairy farm. It’s a small family winery where you’ll frequently see Filipponi family members when you visit. They have just released their first sparkling wine, 2022 Pét-Nat using Grenache grapes from the Estrella Disrict in Paso Robles.
5. Scar of the Sea
Scar of the Sea focuses on working with farmers who are instrumental in farming for the future and making wines with as little intervention as possible. They produced two sparkling wines sold online – Rose of Pinot Noir (made in methode ancestrale) and NV Solera (made in methode ancestrale). Watch for what’s next!
6. Stephen Ross Wine Cellars
A classic Blanc de Noir in the tasting room in San Luis Obispo’s Beverage District. The Stephen Ross Blanc De Noir is made in the Champagne style, from Pinot Noir exclusively grown on the San Luis Obispo Coast. It’s lean, elegant and clean.
7. Timbre
Timbre is one of the only wineries on the Central Coast making local Prosecco-style Sparkling Wine. This is the Charmat method of making Bubbles, where still wine is put into a tank, and carbon dioxide is forced into the wine, making fresh Sparkling Wine in a variety of styles (some Prosecco can be sweet, but the Bubbles at Timbre are crisp and dry). The Chardonnay has notes of green apple and yeast, while the Rosé is a little more strawberries and cream.
In Avila & Pismo Beach
8. Alapay Cellars
This tasting room in Avila Beach means you can always sip Bubbles by the ocean…who needs cake?! A classic, basic, dry sparkling wine that could be paired with many dishes, made in the traditional style.
Read more about Alapay Cellars Grand Cuvee Sparkling Wine.
9. Cali Love Wine
This pink disco party tasting room is originally from Solvang, and is now open in Pismo Beach, with more pink, beachy photos and sangria shaved ice! Their Bubbles include Stardust Brut Rosé, Gold Label Grand Cuvée, and the Wild Thing Peach Mango Sparkling Wine.
10. Kelsey See Canyon
Kelsey’s Estate winery in See Canyon is just outside Avila Beach, where you can picnic, play games, buy a flight, glass or bottle and relax to the sounds of wild peacocks. The Kelsey Sparkling Estate Chardonnay is crisp and refreshing, and made in the Champenoise style.
11. Sans Liege
There are 2 cool places to taste Sans Liege wines: here in Pismo Beach and Tin City in Paso Robles. The Sans Liege Sparkling Clairette was the last release, made in the classic Champagne style, with notes of brioche, sea salt and elder flower. They are currently sold out, but a new one will be released in 2024!
12. Sinor-Lavallee
At Sinor-Lavallee in Avila Beach, Mike Sinor has been making sparkling wine in the pét-nat method since 2016, when he released his first Ancestrale (named after this age-old method of making bubblies). Each year, you can find something different and fun as Mike experiments with all natural frizzante sparklers. He also makes a classic Champagne-style sparkler, called the Non Vintage Eclipse 137.
You can also get caviar and oysters at Sinor-Lavallee’s tasting room, The Shuck Shack, in Avila Beach!
Read all about Sinor-Lavallee bubbly wines here.
In Grover Beach
13. Outward
Outward Wines produce small-lot, site-specific wines from California’s Central Coast; sourcing fruit from vineyards that are farmed using sustainable, organic, or biodynamic practices. They released their Bassi Vineyard Pét-Nat of Pinot Gris (méthode ancestrale) but it sold out quickly! Outward Wines can be purchased directly through their site and wine club, or from a handful of locations listed on Outward Wines’ site.
See more! There are over 80 sparkling wine producers in San Luis Obispo County.
Biddle Ranch Vineyard Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine in Edna Valley
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