San Luis Obispo is brimming with neighborhoods filled with historic fabric. It’s a quintessential college town with a high energy level – busy sidewalks, shops, restaurants and parks.

We had an afternoon tasting appointment at Dunites Wine Company in the heart of the downtown. It’s located in a small storefront in a row of charming, renovated old buildings just off the main street.

We were hosted by a Cal Poly graduate student, Julie who provided us with background on the wine company and enthusiastically led us through the tasting of the Dunites wines.

Tyler & Rachel Eck are the couple who have created the Dunites Wine Company. Tyler, the winemaker – Rachel, the viticulturist. Both work for other wineries as well. They named their company after the Dunites – a group of individuals who lived on the coast, in the dunes in the 1930’s. Best described as a bohemian commune it attracted artists, writers, and some who simply could not afford to live elsewhere. The story of the Dunites is worth a read!

We tasted the wines listed on the tasting flight as well as the 2023 Dune Song Grenache and the 2024 Zinfandel. The wines are beautifully made. I had 2 favorites. The Dune Song Grenache and the Bedrock Vineyard Zinfandel. And yes, we left with a number of bottles to return home with and share.

Thank you so much Julie for a relaxing and fun tasting!

Salud!

On a side note: Our host Julie (Julissa Preciado) is a winemaker in her own right! Carrusel 2022 San Saba Vineyards Pinot Noir (Monterey County) was her first wine. It received a 92 point rating from Wine Enthusiast. We stopped by the Region Wine Bar to have a taste of Carrusel. And…. home we went with yet a few more bottles!