San Luis Obispo Coast AVA
San Luis Obispo Coast and SLO Coast identifies an American Viticultural Area (AVA) within San Luis Obispo County, California. It was established as the nation's 261st, the state's 143rd and the county's seventeenth wine appellation on March 9, 2022 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition, nine years in the making, submitted by the SLO Coast AVA Association proposing the viticultural area named "San Luis Obispo Coast."
The area encompasses over 480,585 acres (751 sq mi) nestled between the Santa Lucia mountains and the Pacific coastline stretching about 70 miles (110 km) from Ragged Point southbound on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and Highway 101 to the outskirts of Santa Maria at the intersection of State Highway 166 and Highway 101. It includes the coastal communities of San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande and Nipomo while encompassing the county seat of San Luis Obispo.
The petition requested TTB to recognize "SLO Coast" as an additional AVA name, as "SLO" is a historical and commonly used reference for the county and city initials as well a description of the region's relaxed culture. The two names, "San Luis Obispo Coast" and "SLO Coast", were approved to identify the appellation and wine labeling. The new AVA overlaps the previously established Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley viticultural areas. There are over 50 wineries and an estimated 78 commercial vineyards cultivating approximately 3,942 acres (1,595 ha) with a majority of the vineyards located within six miles (9.7 km) of the Pacific Ocean defining an area whose grapes and wines represent it. Cool weather varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are commonly grown while lesser varietals Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Gruner Veltliner also thrive.