Page 73 - Exploration10LLR

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While driving to the Central Coast Wine Regions of Paso Robles or Santa Barbara County, it is easy to drive
right past two of the smaller AVA’s in California: Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley. Both are part of the
larger Central Coast AVA. Unusual for California, both Valleys have more west to east orientations versus the
north to south, leaving them unprotected from the Pacific Ocean.
The area’s wine history follows that of the rest of California. Father Junipero Serra established a mission in
what is now San Luis Obispo, back in 1772. Mission grapes were planted around the mission for sacramental
wine. At the time, the mission produced the most prized wines in Alta California.

In 1845, the mission was sold to Captain John Wilson, and ceased its’ use as a church. By 1856, the official
city of San Luis Obispo was incorporated, and by 1861 became a stagecoach route for those traveling
between San Francisco and Los Angeles. About this same time, Pierre Hoppolyte Dallidet revived the original
mission vineyard, and others soon began planting vineyards of their own. Just down the road, in what would
become Edna Valley, dairyman Edgar Steele had purchased 58,000 acres for his dairy farm, and housing for
his employees. In 1883 Lynford Maxwell subdivided the area, and called it Maxwellton. The local citizens
later renamed it Edna. Even later, the entire valley became known as Edna Valley. Most of the grapes
produced in the valley were shipped to San Francisco.
The Edna Valley remained a rural farming area until 1973, when two families planted grape vines in the
valley. Jack and Catherine Niven, as well as the Goss Family both started in that year. The Nivens planted the
Paragon Vineyard with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, creating the Edna Valley Winery. Norman Goss also
planted Chardonnay at the Chamisal vineyard. Chamisal was the first commercially produced wine in the
valley.
In 1975, Andy MacGregor planted his first vineyard and few years later planted the Orcutt Vineyard. The
fourth winery was founded in 1978, by Corbett Canyon (anyone remember the old commercials with the
echoing “canyon, canyon, canyon”?).

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