Claiborne & Churchill (San Luis Obispo)

We were driving into Arroyo Grande when we got a little turned around. As we tried to make our way back home, we came upon this winery. We've seen their wine in restaurants before, and our curiosity got the better of us, so we made a stop.

First Impressions:

The winery is a little bit off the beaten path, which was nice because it was less busy then some other places. The tasting room was a good size. Not too large, but enough to hold several parties of people.
The tasting room is in the same room as the wine barrels, which I always enjoy, because you really get to see what is going on "behind the scenes".

The staff greeted us right away, and were very friendly. She told us about some of the events they have at the winery, including an Astronomy Night in October presented by a professor from Cal Poly. I can tell that they really appreciate their members and guests.

These were the wines available for tasting:

2011 Dry Gewurztraminer
2011 Dry Riesling
2010 "Twin Creeks" Pinot Noir
2009 "Runestone" Pinot Noir
2011 "Douce Amie" Sweet Orange Muscat

Wines we tried:

2011 Dry Gewurztraminer ($20)
We are both big fans of Gewurztraminer, so this was a treat to see. Unfortunately for those of us who don't like dry wine, this one is true to it's name. Otherwise, it was a good wine, dry and not too sweet.

2011 Dry Riesling ($20)
This wine was great, and not as dry as the Gewurztraminer. A little tart, with an aroma of orange.

2010 "Twin Creeks" Pinot Noir ($36)
Fruity, without being overly sweet. Quite tasty, and a little tart at the end.


2009 "Runestone" Pinot Noir ($40)
Absolutely loved this wine. A little bitter, but otherwise a favorite. I wish the price wasn't so high, but I'm not surprised given how good it was. This one was marked as Barrel Select, with just a few cases left.


2011 "Douce Amie" Sweet Orange Muscat ($16)
This one was a dessert wine, which smelled wonderful. I can honestly say it's one of the best dessert wines I've ever had. It wasn't too syrupy or thick, like many that I have tried. And it wasn't too sweet for us either. We ended up purchasing this to take home, we were so impressed.

Take Note:

Tasting is $10 per person, and waived with a purchase. They also allow shared tastings, and have a wine club. They had a unique selection of wines, as far as, taste profiles that surprised me and were very good. I recommend making a stop here.