The 250 mile coast between San Francisco and Santa Barbara is chock full of tasty wineries producing 15% of California’s total output. The maritime climate and gravely soil help to produce some of CA’s best Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. So, you’re spoiled for choice when wine tasting on the Central Coast.
But what makes wine tasting in Pismo Beach special is the concentration of wineries within an easy 15 minute drive of downtown. So, you can stay local and enjoy Pismo’s best beaches and still have time for an easy afternoon of wine tasting.
What follows are three areas for wine tasting near Pismo Beach. Some tasting rooms are right downtown, and all of the others are within an easy 12 mile radius of central Pismo.
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3 Areas for Wine Tasting Near Pismo Beach
If you want to go wine tasting in Pismo Beach, there are a few things that you’ll need to keep in mind. You can often slide-in unannounced during mid-week, but on a busy weekend or anytime during the summer vacation months, advance reservations are a very good idea. Most (but not all) wineries will waive the tasting fee if you purchase wine.
There are several seasonal wine events including the Roll Out the Barrels wine fair which occurs in late June. Many wineries start harvesting grapes in September and they often host special events during this time. And there’s the Harvest on the Coast wine event in early November.
Wine Tasting in Pismo Beach Downtown
Taste of the Valleys Wine Shop
While not a winery, this bottle shop and tasting room offers a nice range of local Central Coast wines and some interesting international choices. They also have outposts in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. And unlike many wineries, Taste of the Valleys is open everyday.
- Location: 911 Price Street, right downtown, free parking.
- Hours: Monday – Friday: 2:00p-7p, Saturday: 12:00p- to 7p, Sunday 12p-6p.
Sans Liege Wines
Sans Liege is located right across the street from Taste of the Valleys, making it easy to do a 2-fer. They source grapes from a variety of vineyards, from Paso to Santa Maria. They do their own version of Rhone varietals and you can find white Rhone blends, Rose, Viognier, and Grenache and Syrah blends.
- Location: 870 Price Street, right downtown, free parking.
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday 12p-6p, Friday-Saturday 12p-8p.
Monarch Grove Winery
Monarch Grove is located a smidge south of the actual monarch grove. They’re a family-owned boutique winery specializing in sweet, fruity whites and Cabs, Zinfandel, Syrah and ports. And at $12, their tasting fee is a steal.
- Location: 180 Highway 1, Grover Beach.
- Hours: Thursday 12p-4p, Friday-Saturday 12p-5p, Sunday-Monday 12p-4p.
Wine Tasting in (and around) Avila Beach
Pismo is pretty chill, but Avila Beach is even chiller than chill. It’s a nice spot for a bit of wine tasting and a lazy, late lunch.
Kelsey See Canyon Vineyard
Whoa there! Before you get to Avila Beach, be sure to take a detour to Kelsey See. Not only do they have resident peacocks and corn hole games, but they offer some interesting adult beverages that the other wineries near Pismo Beach don’t offer.
They have both a vineyard and an apple orchard. So, in addition to the usual Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zin and Merlot, they also have quite a variety of ciders and apple wine.
- Location: 1947 See Canyon Road, Avila.
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday 12p-5p, Friday-Saturday 12p-6p.
Alpay Cellars
Alpay is a friendly, colorful tasting room located right in downtown Avila Beach. They produce 5,000 cases annually of reds, whites, dessert wines and sparkling wine. They carry some reds that many other local wineries don’t, including Cab Franc, Barbera and Tannat.
- Location: 415 1st Street, Avila Beach.
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:30a-6:30p, Friday 10:30a-8p, Saturday 10:30a-7p.
Sinor-LaVallee
They produce estate wines featuring Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Their warm wood-accented tasting room also offers an oyster bar, charcuterie and caviar.
- Location: 550 1st Street, Avila Beach.
- Hours: Everyday 12p-6p.
Wine Tasting in Arroyo Grande
Arroyo Grande is just a few freeway exits south of downtown Pismo, extending east into wine country. In addition to the two central tasting rooms noted below, the cute town center is a fun place for boutique shopping and great restaurants. We like the Palo Mesa pizza and the Monarch Bookstore.
Timbre Winery and Tasting Room
Timbre offers a wide variety of wines, from Albariño to Rose, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Syrah and other red blends. They have a cozy dog-friendly patio and a down-to-earth friendly vibe.
- Location: 225 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande
- Hours: Thursday-Monday 12p-5p
Verdad, Lindquist and Sawyer Wines
Verdad et al are located just down the street from Timbre. These three small-batch producers share the space and between them, they carry Albariño, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Rose, Viognier, Mourvedre, Marsanne, GSM, Graciano, and Carignan. In addition to the wide range of wines, they also offer cheese platters.
- Location: 134 A W Branch Street, Arroyo Grande
- Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, Sunday-Monday 12p-5p, Friday-Saturday 12p-6p
Kynsi
Kynsi is located on a historic ranch with a tasting room inside the old dairy. They have Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Rose, Pinot Noir and Syrah.
- Location: 2194 Corbett Canyon, Arroyo Grande, CA
- Hours: Everyday 11a-5p
Center of Effort
This modern winery offers Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose and Pinot Noir. They also host regular events with activities like winemaker dinners, pizza night and movies.
- Location: 2195 Corbett Canyon, Arroyo Grande, CA
- Hours: Thursday-Monday 11a-4p
Talley Estate
Talley has a lovely indoor/outdoor situation with comfy seating and space for a picnic. They offer estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Grenache Rose.
- Location: 3031 Lopez Drive, Arroyo Grande, CA
- Hours: Everyday 11a-5p
Wine Tasting in Edna Valley
Just 10 minutes east of downtown Pismo is a whole cluster of wineries in Edna Valley. This area was planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes by wine makers in the 1970’s and they’ve been perfecting the vines ever since.
The wineries below are listed roughly north to south and they’re primarily clustered along Edna Road and Orcutt Road. The southern end of the valley also includes a few of the Arroyo Grande wineries noted above.
Tolosa
Tolosa offers a lovely indoor and outdoor space. Their flights cover their estate wines, the library collection and single vineyard tastings primarily of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes that are so prevalent in the valley.
- Location: 4910 Edna Rd, San Luis Obispo
- Hours: Everyday 11a-6p
Autry Cellars
Autry ain’t fussy or fancy. They just want to serve you nice wines. Their award-winning wines include Albariño, Chardonnay, Vignoir, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot and Cab Franc. They also distill several kinds of grappa and brandy.
- Location: 5450 Edna Rd, San Luis Obispo
- Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11a-5p, Sunday 11a-4p
Biddle Ranch
They are putting out a farmhouse vibe with small batch, estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Rose, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Akubra, Claret and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Location: 2050 Biddle Ranch Road, San Luis Obispo
- Hours: Thursday-Monday 11a-5p
Edna Valley Vineyard
Edna Valley is on of our favorite go-to grocery store wines. But they keep the good stuff for the tasting room. On offer is their Sauvignon Blanc, reserve Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Meritage, Cabernet Sauvignon, and red blends. The offer different kinds of flights, including one that pairs the wine with local cheeses.
They also sell a tasty, peppery private label olive oil.
- Location: 2585 Biddle Ranch Road, San Luis Obispo
- Hours: Everyday 10a-5p
Saucelito Canyon
Chill out on their great outdoor patio while you sip their specialty Zinfandel (including old vine). They also carry Grenache, Rose and Tempranillo.
- Location: 3080 Biddle Ranch Road, San Luis Obispo
- Hours: Everyday 11a-5p
Baileyana
Baileyana operates out of a cute old schoolhouse. They have three sub-brands of wine: Tangent, True Myth and Zocker. Between them, they have quite a few different types of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with some Syrah and Rose.
- Location: 5828 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Hours: Everyday 10a-5p
Sextant Wines
This vineyard also has a tasting room in Paso Robles. But the one at the Old Edna on Edna Valley road is worth visiting for its cute mercantile and deli offerings. The wine choices are quite varied, including estate grown and flagship wines using Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Tannat, and Pinot Noir grapes, along with a lot of red blends.
- Location: 1653 Maxwelton Street, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 10a-4p, Friday-Sunday 10a-5p
Piedra Creek Winery
Piedra Creek is an intimate tasting room, and with their cozy outdoor patio, perfect for warm days. They primarily do Pinot Noir, but also have Lagrein, Lagrein Rose and Pinot Noir Blanc.
- Location: 1653 Maxwelton Street, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 10a-4p, Friday-Sunday 10a-5p
Clairborne and Churchill
This is a nice tasting room to visit if you want to site outside on a chilly day…because…fire pits! And if you really want to hang out, they have a guest cottage for rent. As for the wine, they offer Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, and sparkling and dessert wines.
- Location: 2649 Carpenter Canyon Road, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Hours: Everyday 12p-5p
Chamisol Vineyards
This winery is set on a very scenic section of Orcutt road. They have regular and reserve tastings featuring Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine.
- Location: 7525 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Hours: Monday-Wednesday 12p-5p, Thursday-Sunday 10a-5p
Malene Wines
What happens if you cross glamping with wine tasting in Pismo? Malene wines, of course! They have an Airstream trailer tasting room with an outdoor patio. They offer primarily Rose wines.
- Location: 7567 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Hours: Saturday-Sunday 11a-5p
Plan Your Trip to Pismo Beach
We’ve visited Pismo in all seasons, but use our guide for the best time to visit Pismo to determine your own window for going there. The article includes info on weather, how busy it is and seasonal events.
Then put your whole itinerary together with our extensive list of fun things to do in Pismo. In addition to all of the aforementioned wine tasting opportunities, we cover great hikes, scenic drives, fun parks, awesome Pismo beaches and where to go for sunset.
Where to Stay in Pismo Beach
Luxury Beachfront: Vespera Resort, Marriot Autograph Collection. This 4-star resort is located right in town. They have large rooms, a pool and a ton of outdoor seating areas with fire pits. Check reviews and book here.
Mid-range Beachfront: The Inn at Avila Beach. This quirky 3-star place has balconies, free breakfast, afternoon pie and ice cream and soaking tubs. Check reviews and book here.
Budget & Pet-Friendly: The Agrarian Best Western. This motel is located in Arroyo Grande. So, no ocean views. But it’s pet-friendly, offers free breakfast, has a pool and is easy on the wallet. Check reviews and book here.
If you are thinking of camping, check out our guide for Pismo State Beach Park, it includes tips on where to get the choice spots and how to snag reservations. The park has three different campgrounds featuring 40 RV spots with hook-ups, 120 tent spots and 250 primitive spots in the off-road dunes. RVs up to 36 feet are allowed.
More Fun Things to Do on the Central Coast
If you are doing a larger Central Coast trip, or if you simply like visiting the area repeatedly, we’ve got a ton of resources for you.
Use our Pacific Coast Highway itinerary to plan a larger itinerary. We have guide for how to spend a day in Big Sur and another for Carmel-by-the-Sea. Find things to do in Carmel Valley as well as Cayucos (which is a short drive north of Pismo and has great cookies). You could also make a stop in quirky Harmony.
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