The story of Talley Vineyards began when my grandfather, Oliver Talley, began growing specialty vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley in 1948. In 1982, his son and my father, Don Talley, planted wine grapes on a rolling hillside parcel unsuitable for vegetable farming. Four years later, in 1986, he and my mother Rosemary founded Talley Vineyards.
Talley Vineyards is located in the San Luis Obispo Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) which is recognized as the coolest AVA in the state of California due to its direct proximity to the cold Pacific Ocean.  Within the San Luis Obispo Coast, there are two smaller AVAs, the Arroyo Grande Valley and the Edna Valley, and our family owns vineyards and farms in both valleys.  The cool climate of the area, coupled with calcareous clay and shaly loam soils, makes it ideally suited to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Talley Vineyards’ specialties.
Since the founding of Talley Vineyards, the goal has always been to produce estate grown wines that capture the unique character of the vineyards we farm.  There are now a total of seven vineyards owned and farmed by my family: West Rincon, East Rincon, Rosemary’s, Monte Sereno and Las Ventanas in the Arroyo Grande Valley as well as Oliver’s and Stone Corral in the Edna Valley. The signature bottlings of Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which date to the inaugural 1986 vintage, blend these vineyards together to produce wines meant to capture the essence of the larger San Luis Obispo Coast region:  energetic citrus infused Chardonnay and savory, ethereal Pinot Noir.  In addition, single vineyard bottlings are produced from most of our vineyards, and these are meant to reflect the distinctive character of each site.
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Optimum quality and long-term sustainability are the two principles that guide our winegrowing decisions.  I work with Eric Johnson, our Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, to continually strive to improve fruit quality while ensuring that vineyard practices work in harmony with the natural conditions of each vineyard site.  Certified sustainable practices are employed in the vineyard: grapes are gently hand harvested at night and no herbicides are used.Classical winemaking techniques are gentle and noninterventionist.  Native yeasts are employed in fermentation, all Chardonnay is barrel fermented and completes malolactic fermentation, while Pinot Noir is fermented in small open top fermenters and punched down by hand.  The wines are gently bottled, generally without fining or filtration.  All Talley Vineyards wines are certified sustainably produced and all are vegan.
Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards continue to evolve.  There are now four members of the fourth generation of Talleys involved in the family farming and winery operation, which has grown to include more than 30 commodities and 6 wine varieties.  Our fruits, vegetables and wines are shipped all over the United States and exported to more than eight countries.  We are proud to share the bounty of the San Luis Obispo Coast with anyone who appreciates the authenticity and commitment to excellence that is the result of our four-generation family farming legacy in this very special region.
– Brian Talley
