Cayucos, still a funky little beach town after all these years

Stuart Selkirk jokes that he had to quit his real job to make wine, but it’s a craft that has landed the Cayucos native on the small beach town’s map.

Cayucos Cellars is a family affair: from the wine labels to the finished product bottled each year. It has long been a labor of love for Selkirk; his wife, Laura; sons Clay and Ross; and daughter Paige.

Clay recently decided to expand his role in the wine industry by taking a job as a production assistant at Le Cuvier in Paso Robles.

There’s a good chance you’ll meet Selkirk and his faithful Corgi companion, Sadie, in the tasting room on any given day. If he’s not there, he is likely at the family ranch in the hills of Cayucos transforming grapes to wine.

Selkirk jokes that his hobby of making wine turned into a business when the wine cellar filled up and he wasn’t done making it.

He remembers growing up in a one-block town when it was home to pensioners, sea captains and ranchers. “Back then the streets rolled up at 3 p.m.,” Selkirk said.

Cayucos has since grown into a tourist destination boasting nearly perfect weather, quaint places to stay and established eateries. Its dog-friendly beach is one of the few in San Luis Obispo County where people and their four-legged companions can enjoy a long sandy stroll together.

The historical Cayucos pier, battered by more than a century of waves, will be rebuilt this year after being closed in 2013 for the public’s safety.

“The town doesn’t feel like it has changed, but it has,” Selkirk said.

Even with changes, Cayucos remains a funky little beach town adored by locals and tourists alike.

“I’ve been a lot of places, and this town really is all they say it is,” Selkirk said. “There really are no secrets about it. If we do have a best-kept secret, it is how beautiful our beach is.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2014 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Cayucos, still a funky little beach town after all these years."