Taste the Arroyo Grande Valley, home to the southernmost wineries of the SLO Coast
Surround yourself with views of the rustic California hills and Pacific, and explore the charming downtown village of Arroyo Grande. From sparkling wine to Sauvignon Blanc, this trail is one of the most varied in terms of style and wine varieties, showcasing the mighty Arroyo Grande Valley. Total drive time is just 15 minutes among the wineries on this Southern SLO Coast Wine trail, with Timbre being walkable from the Arroyo Grande village.
Laetitia Winery & Vineyards
Laetitia Vineyard & Winery is dedicated to crafting premium estate wines that highlight the unique characteristics of the Arroyo Grande Valley. This coastal estate offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Originally established for the production of Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, Laetitia remains proud to produce seven distinctive sparkling selections. Today, the winery is equally celebrated for its handcrafted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Eric Hickey, Laetitia’s longtime winemaker and general manager, has now joined the winery’s ownership group. He partners with Ejnar Knudsen and Jeff Nicholson—two individuals deeply connected to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the broader Central Coast community, and California’s wine and agriculture industries—to continue building upon Laetitia’s 42-year legacy.
Eric’s history with Laetitia dates back to 1988, when he began working harvests and cellar shifts alongside his father, Dave, who served as a production assistant for Maison Deutz. At the age of 22, Eric officially joined the Maison Deutz team and later expanded his expertise in France, working vintages in the Rhône, Burgundy, and Bordeaux regions. In 2000, he became Laetitia’s head winemaker, a role he continues to embrace with passion and vision.
Highlights: There is a Sparkling Wine flight as well as a wine flight including their cool-climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. In the summer, check their events schedule for live music on Sundays near the end of the month.
Reservations: Reservations are recommended. On Sundays, club members can reserve a tasting in the Secret Garden.
Food: There are snacks/boards for purchase. No outside food is allowed.
Reserve a tasting at Laetitia.
Talley Vineyards
Talley’s goal is to create distinctive, handcrafted wines that reflect the unique character of each vineyard where the grapes are grown.
Talley Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery that specializes in estate grown chardonnay and pinot noir ideally suited for the climate and soils of the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys. The Talley’s farming history in the area dates to 1948 when Oliver Talley began growing vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Guided by this legacy and a commitment to long term sustainability, Talley Vineyards focuses on attention to detail in all aspects of farming and winemaking operations.
The goal is to produce distinctive wines of consistently high quality that best express the unique character of each of the Talley family’s six vineyard sites in the two valleys.
Highlights: There is a comparative wine flight of Talley’s single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. In the summer, book a tasting and tour, and members have their own updated tasting lounge.
Reservations: Reservations are recommended. Let them know how many kids or pets you have; they are dog and family friendly.
Food: There are snacks/boards for purchase. No outside food is allowed.
Reserve a tasting at Talley.
TIMBRE Winery
TIMBRE means the “color” of music. It’s what makes two voices sound different, even when singing the same song. It’s why two winemakers, working with the same vineyards, make unique wine. “The goal of our winemaking at TIMBRE Winery is to express a snapshot of a place (the vineyard) and time (the vintage) that will never occur again,” says winemaker Josh Klapper. “As a terroir-driven winery, we make wines expressive of the places and times from which they came.” His goal is achieved through enhancing and showcasing the integrity of the land and vineyards.
“We strive to produce wines of balance, which serve to convey not any one element – aroma, sweetness, acidity, alcohol, minerality, earth, complexity – but all of the elements in the wine in perfect harmony.” To that end, the fruit is handled gently in the winery using minimally invasive techniques and sustainable practices. You’ll find Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and even a hard cider. TIMBRE also offers special events throughout the year to taste their limited production wines.
Highlights: Super limited production wines, sourced from the SLO Coast as well as Santa Barbara County. They also refill growlers from certain wines/cider on tap.
Reservations: Reservations are not required, but you can call ahead if you want to be sure. They are dog and family friendly.
Food: There are snacks/boards for purchase.
Contact the tasting room at Timbre.
