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Dresser Winery
May 15, 2023
Drink, Featured, Summer 2023 - Issue 40

Starting from Scratch: Dresser Winery

A couple’s dream to own a winery in Paso Robles creates meaningful memories along the way.

Tasting Spot - Macha
March 1, 2023
Drink, Eat, Spring 2023 – Issue 39

Going Green with Matcha

Used as an ingredient in lattes, baked goods, ice creams and more, matcha green tea has an earthy taste that adds complexity to a dish or drink.

March 1, 2023
Drink, Featured, Spring 2023 – Issue 39

Wildfire Woes

California vineyards may survive the flames but smoke is choking crops in a different way.

Chris Haisma In Bloom
March 1, 2023
Drink, Featured, Recipes, Spring 2023 – Issue 39

Horticulture Happy Hour

The season of colors and new life, spring is the perfect time for a cocktail that celebrates the delicious bounty of Mother Earth.

Cozy Drinks - Featuring KROBAR Craft Distillery
December 21, 2022
Drink, Featured, Winter 2022 - Issue 38

Cozy Winter Drinks Featuring KROBAR Craft Distillery

The holiday season calls for cozy cocktails! These specialty drinks use hand-crafted spirits from KROBAR Craft Distillery, which opened in Paso Robles in 2012.

Wine Grapes Adobe Stock
December 13, 2022
Community, Drink

Vineyard management focus of SLO County wine podcast

Interviews with leading industry professionals give listeners knowledge and insights into the latest science and research in the field of sustainable winegrowing.

Rambling Spirits SLO Public Market
October 8, 2022
Drink

Rambling Spirits Arrives at San Luis Obispo Public Market

Rambling Spirits is a distillery, bar, and restaurant born from its founders’ love for California.

September 1, 2022
Drink, Fall 2022 – Issue 37, Featured

From the Crops to the Classroom

San Luis Obispo County wineries fund scholarship that helps first generation farm workers and family attend college.

June 4, 2022
Drink, Featured, Summer 2022 – Issue 36

A Superior Space

Many Central Coast winery owners have begun investing in the architecture of their tasting rooms, constructing unique buildings that offer guests a memorable sipping space.

March 20, 2022
Drink, Featured, Spring 2022 – Issue 35

Wild Spirits

Central Coast Distillery forages wild ingredients to produce spirits that are close to nature.

March 17, 2022
Drink, Spring 2022 – Issue 35

The Power of Sour

Sour skeptics, get ready to pucker up because expert insight from San Luis Obispo County fermenters may change your mind about sour flavors and your understanding of the microscopi...

March 11, 2022
Drink, Spring 2021 - Issue 31

The Quiet Contrarian

In a cellar that’s quiet as a tomb, Paso Robles winemaker Dave Caparone sinks into a plastic patio chair, far outside the fray.

December 1, 2021
Drink, Winter 2021 – Issue 34

An Invitation to Agriculture

Cass Winery among the SLO County farms and vineyards to offer hands-on agritourism experience.

December 1, 2021
Drink, Featured, Winter 2021 – Issue 34

Masters of Mixology

A dapper gentleman donning a waistcoat and tie demands all cellphones, which he places inside secure pouches. Only then is the back door of the small room pushed open to uncover 11...

September 30, 2021
Drink, Fall 2021 - Issue 33

Bronzed, Crisp and Funky

Wines to welcome fall.

September 28, 2021
Drink, Fall 2021 - Issue 33

Famed Sommelier Turned Winemaker Lays Roots in Cambria

Rajat Parr brings extensive knowledge, experience to Phelan Farm.

September 16, 2021
Drink, Fall 2021 - Issue 33

Wine Club Promotes Diversity and Inclusion

Natural Action puts your money where your mouth is.

July 28, 2021
Drink

For Life’s Rosiest Summertime Moments, We Give You Rosé in All of Its Forms

The chilled, refreshing pink of rosé is a welcomed sight on a warm summer day. Though it’s so much more than just color, it’s the marriage of depth and freshness.

July 2, 2021
Drink, Summer 2021 - Issue 32

A Passion for the Process: The Art of Winemaking

Drinking a glass of wine while disconnecting from the outside noise and drawing inward is a special ritual, one that is so simple, it can be easy to forget the intensive labor requ...

June 15, 2021
Community, Drink, Eat, Summer 2021 - Issue 32

Cambrian Wine Bar Doesn’t “Stand on Ceremony”

Tucked away in the coastal town of Cambria, a 5-minute drive off the popular Highway 1 and a stone’s throw from the scenic Moonstone Beach, a charming enclave has stood the test ...

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    Recent Posts
    Edible SLO - Issue 52
    May 31, 2026

    As Expected: Edible San Luis Obispo’s ‘Unexpected’ Summer Issue Out Now

    matriarch Ingrid, here with guests who feel like family. The easy conversation and warm smiles keep people coming back.
    April 9, 2026

    La Casita: Grover Beach Mexican Restaurant’s Full-Flavor Food & Drinks

    You are invited Edible San Luis Obispo First Castle Spring Release Party.
    March 29, 2026

    You Are Invited: Edible Magazine’s Summer Issue Release Party

    🇵🇹 Portugal style wines are on the menu at Monarch 🇵🇹 Portugal style wines are on the menu at Monarch Grove Winery (@monarchgrovewinery) in Grover Beach (@visitgroverbeach where the owners recently opened a new tasting room. 🦋🍷

- - -

“On the Move” is featured in the 2026 Summer Issue of 
@edibleslo

Story By Emily Basanese
Photography by Sarah Kathleen

Monarch Grove Winery’s tasting room has been a fixture of the Grover Beach Amtrak station, greeting riders as they disembarked from the train. Like the butterfly, the tasting room recently migrated away, just around the corner to a larger space. Owners Ercilia Martins and Julie Garcia are excited for this new stage of their business.

After that initial trip, Julie was hooked. She began taking winemaking classes and scouting locations for the right space to open a tasting room at home in Grover Beach. They wanted to apply that same Old World approach characteristic of Portuguese winemaking to their wine. That’s when they landed on Monarch Grove Winery.

Ercilia and Julie purchased Monarch Grove Winery on the first day of 2024, but their passion for wine started long before their acquisition. Ercilia is originally from Portugal and grew up in the countryside, where her family made their own table wine. She brought Julie home for visits in 2019 and 2022. That’s when Julie first began learning about winemaking from Ercilia’s father, Joe Martins. 

“I fell in love with the culture and wine, and how food went with wine,” Julie says. “It’s an art.”

Transformation has been a running theme in both Julie and Ercilia’s lives, so a winery branded with the Monarch butterfly, a creature that undergoes dramatic physical change itself, was a serendipitous fit. 

“The Monarch is a symbol of transformation and this whole experience has been a big transformation in our lives,” says Julie.

Grover Beach was also spot-on. When Ercilia first visited the small beach town, she instantly felt at home; it reminded her so much of Portugal. Grover Beach may not have the renown of San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach, but that was part of the appeal. 

“There definitely has always been a pull to this community,” says Ercilia. In 2018, the two purchased their first home in Grover Beach and
    Some frames from Edible SLO Summer 2026 release pa Some frames from Edible SLO Summer 2026 release party. Thank you again to everyone at @theandersonpaso for your hospitality!

🎥: @stephenheraldo
    We laughed, we toasted, we celebrated - and we’re We laughed, we toasted, we celebrated - and we’re still smiling about it! 
 
What a beautiful evening of merrymaking to celebrate the release of our Summer issue. We’re grateful to all who helped bring the magazine to fruition: our editors, writers, photographers, illustrators, designers, story subjects, advertisers, partners, EVERYONE who graciously shared their resources, talent and stories with us. The only thing that could top that was enjoying a pretty rad party together.  
 
Huge thanks to @theandersonpaso for hosting the party in such a beautiful space, and for the delicious food, drinks and hospitality that made it so memorable. Now let’s show up for them - their restaurant is OPEN! ✨👏
 
Thank you, Edible community, for making these events some of the highlights of our lives. We’re grateful to celebrate alongside you. Consider our cups (and hearts) full ❤️
 
📸: by @simpledaysocial
    “Have It Your Way” introduces you to @chinagourmet “Have It Your Way” introduces you to @chinagourmetpr  owned by Jack Ming Chen. At China Gourmet, the menu is just a suggestion. 

Words by @ajabgoare 
Photography by @fusillofoto 

“I don’t see my favorite on the menu but I want it.” @chinagourmetpr owner Jack Ming Chen is happy to oblige. 

Team members at China Gourmet as well as on photographs of some of their popular dishes. 

Team members at China Gourmet as well as on photographs of some of their popular dishes. 

At China Gourmet, it’s all about having the dining experience that’s all about what you want.

🤤

This article was featured in our Summer 2026 issue. 

Subscribe to Edible SLO and receive your quarterly printed magazine delivered to your door.
    🤔 “Perspective: Executive Taste” - In this Perspec 🤔 “Perspective: Executive Taste” - In this Perspective piece, Loretta McFarland shares how learning to cook in her home kitchen as a child led to a career with unexpected opportunities to serve some iconic people, including a music legend and an American president. 

Words by Loretta McFarland
Illustration by Jenna Hartzell

➡️ This piece is featured in the Summer 2026 issue of Edible San Luis Obispo.
    “I’ve always been an activist at heart. I wanted t “I’ve always been an activist at heart. I wanted to change the world, and I thought that I could do that for law enforcement through helping kids. Now I’m learning how to be an activist.”

Before opening a pizza restaurant, the owner of (@bennyspizzaslo) in San Luis Obispo was focused on other aspirations. But as writer Christian Camacho explains, Ben Arona is making a difference with each slice.

Read full article on edibleslo.com

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