California Winery Advisor

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Chamisal Vineyards

 3.5/4 3.5/4 (8 reviews)

7525 Orcutt Road , San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

(805) 541-WINE
tastingroom@chamisalvineyards.com

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About This Winery

As you turn off Orcutt Road into Domaine Alfred, you pass under a sign reading Chamisal Vineyard. The tasting room is in the old winery building originally constructed for utilitarian winemaking purposes, while a new state-of-the-art winery resides at the
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As you turn off Orcutt Road into Domaine Alfred, you pass under a sign reading Chamisal Vineyard. The tasting room is in the old winery building originally constructed for utilitarian winemaking purposes, while a new state-of-the-art winery resides at the other end of the property.

Inside is the original cement-floored winemaking room, which now serves as an exhibit space for local artists and the tasting room. The tasting bar is made of old wooden planks set up over oak barrels. There is a smaller tasting salon adjacent for club members.

Wines produced include a number of vineyard-designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, plus Syrah and a red blend (Syrah and Pinot Noir) called Da Red. Large-format magnums are also available.

In 1972 the first Chardonnay grapes were planted in Edna Valley at the famed Chamisal Vineyard. This experiment proved that the cool growing area could support specific grape varieties. Grape-growing methods improved with the development of different rootstocks, new canopy and trellis management systems and the expanding knowledge about grape varieties.

The vineyard sold in 1994, and over the next few years the new owner replanted the vineyard with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, later adding Grenache, Pinot Gris and Syrah. Additionally, Domaine Alfred is leading the region in developing organic farming methods that embrace a biodynamic approach to growing. Edna Valley now has close to 2,000 acres of premium wine grapes producing award-winning Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah, as well as several other varietals

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Winery Information

Hours: Open daily 10-5 pm
Fees: Tasting fees vary, Taste of Chamisal & Chamisal Reserve, $15 to $25
Price Range: $18 to $100 per bottle
Established: 1973
Vineyards: 81 acres
Production: 24,000 cases
Discounts: 10% case discount

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Amenities

  • Gift Shop

Ambiances

  • Casual & Relaxed
  • Family Run
  • Kid Friendly
  • Resort Like

Wine Types

  • Chardonnay
  • Italian
  • Pinot Noir
  • Syrah

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7525 Orcutt Road , San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

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Reviews

 3.5/4 (10) 3.5/4 (10 reviews)
 3.4/4 (10) 3.4/4 (10 reviews)
 3.5/4 (10) 3.5/4 (10 reviews)
 3.6/4 (10) 3.6/4 (10 reviews)

Rating Entries

The tasting room has been remodeled and looks great and is comfortable. The staff was knowledgeable and really nice. Ask for Brett. She rocks!

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We came in on a rainy day, and didn't know much about this particular winery; but we had a very nice time there. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, the taste room is small but comfortable, there is an outside patio which should be very comfortable on a sunny day. The wines were great, including a Chardonnay which generally I don't prefer. I will most likely be back, on my next visit to San Luis Obispo.

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Chamisal has taken over the old Domaine Alfred winery and tasting room. While DA made a few stellar wines ( and charged mightily for them) The Chamisal owners have brought the overall quality up nearer to their top offerings and are really exploiting the estate grapes they grow on their extensive property/ I has to be said that the upgrades to the tasting room are much appreciated as well.

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The tasting room was closed for remodeling during our visit so we had the unexpected pleasure of sitting outside to enjoy the warm afternoon sun and views of the surrounding vineyards.
We started with the Stainless Chardonnay and could have stopped there. We absolutely loved it, bought a bottle, and could not be happier. What's particularly remarkable about this is that we are not really white wine drinkers. This one was delicious though!
The other wines were good, but not incredibly memorable to me.
The staff was nice, prompt, and with passable knowledge. One server spilled some wine and seemed a bit flustered, but admitted it was not her usual role. She was really friendly though!
The success of the Chardonnay, combined with the great environment for tasting really made this one stick out for us.

 3.5/4 3.5/4 (0 reviews)

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Da Red is da best wine they offer. It's not the best red blend I've tried but it's a good one. I didn't care for their Chardonnay or Syrah solo but for some reason the Da Red was just delightful.

The tasting room staff were friendly and mostly knowledgeable. I wasn't huge on the ambiance of the tasting room but I've been to far worse...

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Reading some of these comments here, I'm a little perturbed to the criticism of the staff and some of the wines. I was visiting June 2010 for the first time and found it to be the best winery in Edna Valley. I don't know if, along with the name change, they now have new staff, but the staff were absolutely adorable. There was a new girl called Noelle, second day on the job, lovely and funny. I hope she's there when I go back in September, and another girl, can't remember her name but she was Chinese/German, extremely knowledgeable and gorgeous as well. These two couldn't have been friendlier. The wines were awesome- Not a bad one in the bunch. The stainless chardonnay was one of the best I've tasted, I'm not a chard person, but this was terrific. We bought 2 of them, 4 pinot gris and 2 pinot noirs. If you visit Edna Valley, do NOT miss this one, along with Wolff.

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The sign reading Chamisal really confused me. Thus, it is good to know before locating Domaine Alfred that the property is labeled off of the road as Chamisal. If you are into appreciating art this is a good place to sip a glass of fine Chardonnay, and let the creative works entertain and inspire. The staff was approachable. Overall, a nice stop.

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Good pinots but a fairly hefty price. The staff has never been welcoming or warm, even after stopping 3 times in 3 months.

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