Olives, Wine and the Central Coast

DON'T think i know too many places greener or more bountiful than the coastal strip that runs from big sur to just north of santa barbara. a wonder that the forces of develop- ment and suburb- anization that have wrecked much of the golden state haven't domest- icated this stretch too with an endless vista of malls and car lots.

i had the good fortune to visit san louis obispo, right in the middle of this graceful stretch, last month, looking for scenery and relaxation as well as the ultimate olive oil... the fact that there are wineries, many of which are a few miles north (and about 10 degrees hotter) in paso robles was icing on the cake.

HERE is my NYTimes piece, which ran today.

we visited mount olive farms, pasolivo, olea farms, and the unfortunately named weolive shop. that may seem yuppie-ish (anyone remember yuppies?) but let me remind my readers: homeric heroes and spartan warriors anointed their bodies with oil, and the branch, fruit or oil itself has played a key role in almost all of the major western religions.

my wineries assessment here. 

overall, a place i could return to almost endlessly.

Photos of Tolosa Wintery, Pasolivo and the Sanitarium: SRT