la.foodblogging

Before I head out of California, I thought it might be fun to see a bit of California I usually don’t see. A friend and I vacationed to San Luis Obispo (SLO), where we took in all the town had to offer. This includes the local farmers’ market and restaurants. Let me tell you, one thing SLO’s got tons of is BBQ. SLO is also abundant in great wines, which I got to discover. First of all, I am no wine expert. I only know what I like, and that’s what I drink. There aren’t many vineyards I’m familiar with, but the ones I like can usually be found at Trader Joe’s, Cost Plus, and if you’ve got the money, at your local grocery store. For me to recommend a particular wine tells you I must really like it.

I was extremely impressed with Edna Valley Vineyard, celebrating its 25th year. The 2003 chardonnay was beyond pleasant. I typically enjoy the oak flavor in chardonnays, but too often I find it overpowering. Edna Valley balanced it just right with fruits and spices. I don’t know all the fruits that went into it (trade secret, I suppose), but there is a nice mix of peach, citrus, and vanilla. I found this wine at Ralph’s for $21.49, which was way out of my budget. You can order it through Edna Valley directly for a more affordable $15.50 per bottle. (I am kicking myself for not picking a couple bottles of this when I was at the winery.) Although Edna Valley isn’t selling the 2004 chardonnay on its order form yet, I did pick up a few bottles at Cost Plus on sale now for $9.99. I bought this without trying it, basing my purchase on my experience with the 2003 bottle and the knowledge that about 80% of Edna Valley’s wines are chardonnays for a reason.

What I did buy while I was at Edna Valley was the $8 muscat, “Sweet Edna.” As I mentioned above, Edna Valley is best known for its chardonnay, followed by its pinot noir. Most people don’t think of dessert wines, and when they do, Edna Valley doesn’t exactly come to mind. The fact is, I usually choose port over muscats myself because muscats tend to be very syrupy for my taste. The “Sweet Edna” was just perfect. My friend thought that it didn’t taste like wine at all, which is why she liked it. The sommelier who was taking care of us for our wine tasting said that “Sweet Edna” tastes the most like wine out of all the muscats he’s ever tried. Me? I chose to stay out of that discussion and just enjoy the pleasant sweetness of the muscat.

Edna Valley wasn’t the only vineyard I went to on my little vacation, but it was the only one I liked. I thought I’d recommend this label, as their wines are available in Los Angeles. Here’s wishing you all good drinks and good food. A votre santé!

Edna Valley Vineyard
2585 Biddle Ranch Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
phone: 805-544-5855
fax: 805.544.7292

By Pauline (see more of her posts).