Farming for Wine at Talley Vineyards

“Wine, at the heart of it, is agriculture.” That was what Brian Talley told us as we wrapped up our tasting.

He says this with a certain tone of endearment. As proprietor of Talley Vineyards, Brian has been at the helm since 1991, growing it from essentially a side project started by his father to become the benchmark winery of San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast today. His identity, however, is much simpler - a farmer.

He says so because the Talley family consider themselves so, while the origins of Talley Vineyards seem almost like an accident. Their vegetable business, Talley Farms, has been around much longer than Talley Vineyards, when Brian’s grandfather began planting vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley in 1948. Brian was recently recognized as the 2024 Agriculturalist of the Year by SLO County Farm Bureau.

Talley Vineyards’ first vines, on the other hand, weren’t planted until 1982, by Brian’s father. They were at first an experiment to utilize the hills around their farm where no other agricultural product could be successfully cultivated. There wasn’t a master plan, just a hunch on how to best utilize idle farm land. And now, nearly four decades later, Talley Vineyards has around 76 hectares (190 acres) of vines across six vineyards planted in both Arroyo Grande Valley AVA and Edna Valley AVA (both are subregions of the newly formed SLO Coast AVA), producing Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that have been widely recognized for their quality.

Despite all of their success, Brian does not underestimate the challenges of the wine business, and does not take his responsibility lightly. Asked how he devotes his time between Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards, Brian admits most of his time he devoted towards the Talley Vineyards, working closely with winemaker Eric Johnson (who has been with Talley Vineyards since starting his wine career with them in 2007). These are wines made by people who know their soil and tend to their vines meticulously.

With all the consistency of stewardship at Talley Vineyards, it does not mean they are resistant to change. Although Brian cited the Burgundian approach of emphasizing nuances of single vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs as an inspiration, they have planted a small number of other varietals (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Syrah, Grenache, etc.) to bring diversity for their fans and followers. Brian was also quick to admit past mistakes of trying to adapt to critics’ stylistic preferences that did not best fit their wines’ characters. Fortunately, they have since moved past that phase.

Today, as Talley Vineyards continues to evolve, the wines maintain the delicate energy and complexity. It remains in the Talley family, managed by people who care about the land, care about their farming practices, care about the quality of their wines, and care about the legacy they are leaving behind.

(Brian Talley, left, with daughter Elizabeth Talley)