Vintages

It’s been a cozy relationship for centuries: wine and olive oil, olives and grapes.

We never tire of exploring the wineries we have here in our back yard. But sometimes we want a little something different. Following are some ideas for alternate ways to experience what the region has to offer.

My Scottish brother-in-law, visiting with my sister from their temporary home in South Africa,wanted to see some of the wine country made world famous by the movie Sideways.

San Luis Obispo County is known and cherished largely for its get-away-from-it-all feel, its stretches of serene coast, its cute and welcoming towns, its pristine wine country. But we’ve got some trendy spots as well, andt here seem to be more debuting all the time, from big city-inspired nightclubs to chic eateries with a palette of artsy drinks.

Wine shoppers are finding SLO County reds from the 2005 and 2006 vintages;whites are generally from 2006 and 2007. All three vintages produced generally high-quality wines,with good concentration.