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SAN LUIS OBISPO | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKSalisbury Vineyards for Art, Wine, Vineyard Trolley Toursby Dave WilcoxTasting rooms providing wallspace for local artists to displaytheir work isn’t unusual. The fineart gallery within Salisbury Vineyards’historic schoolhousetasting room near Avila Beach,however, is a rare treat.Not only do the rotatingshows feature acclaimed nationaland international artists, theworks are selected and coordinatedby someone with morethan 30 years of experience as afine art dealer and agent.That would be Maridel Salisbury,whose husband, John, is asixth-generation farmer whofounded Salisbury Vineyards.Maridel Salisbury is uniquelyqualified to understand thenatural relationship between artand wine, and believes manyother wineries are catching on.“Wineries are getting wise tothe importance of combining artand wine and the way they naturallymesh.”Browsing the attractive galleryis part of the leisurely experienceenjoyed by visitors to the Salisburytasting room.The historic building housingthe tasting room and art gallery isa 102-year-old schoolhouse thatwas nothing more than a dilapidatedshell when the Salisburyspurchased it in 2000. Five yearslater, the family opened a tastingroom that, along with its outdoorpatio, exudes warmth and anunhurried sense of comfort. It isan easy place to linger, enjoyingwine while strolling through thegallery, or relaxing in a warmwinter sun.“I want it to be as warm andfriendly as possible,” MaridelSalisbury said of the tastingroom. “I want it to be as reflectiveas possible of a family atmosphere.”24The family atmosphere isgenuine.The Salisburys’ daughter,Jennifer Salisbury Rucks and herhusband, Kevin are partners andmanage the operations. Theirson, John Patrick Salisbury, is anartist living near New Orleanswhose paintings are shown ingalleries across the nation and onoccasion are on exhibit at SalisburyFine Art.LOS OSOS VALLEY RDSEE CANYON RDPERBACCOCELLARSKELSEY SEECANYONSANLUISBAYRDONTARIO RDAVILA BEACHorovinoAlapayAvila BeachTo Paso Robles(26 miles, see page 22)Shadow CanyonCellarsCALLE JOAQUINSALISBURY VINEYARDS101VACHELL101Special events during thespring and summer provideanother great reason for visitorsto put Salisbury on their itineraryfor wine-tasting tours on theCentral Coast.The popular “SchoolhouseRock” series features musicranging from jazz to blues tomambo on selected Sundays thatalso offers a gourmet lunch forpurchase. Weekend guests areoften treated to a trolley tour ofS. HIGUERAMARSH STSextant WinerySUBURBANPismo BeachP a c i f i c O c e a nMONTEREY STOSOS STBROAD STSANTA ROSATANK FARMStephen RossWineryBUCKLEY RDJOHNSON AVEJOHNSON AVEORCUTTHINDS AVETANK FARMEDNA RDPRICE CANYON RDOAK PARKBIDDLE RANCHEdna Valley WineryPiedra CreekBY APPOINTMENT1Cerro Caliente Cellars101TOLOSAWINERYOAK PARKCAMINOSLODOWNPUBBRISCOPOZO VALLEYSan Luis ObispoGRAND AVE.RIGHETTI RDCARPENTER CANYONNOYESthe winery’s nearby vineyards.John Salisbury farms 35 acresof vineyards in the cool-climateAvila Valley and include Syrahafter Pinot Grigio, along withmore recent plantings of theincreasingly popular Spanishimport Albarino. On 30 acres inPaso Robles the winery cultivatesCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot andSyrah.The Salisbury Vineyardstasting room is visible fromHighway 101 between the SanLuis Bay and Avila Road exits. It’sopen daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.It’s located at 6985 Ontario Road,about two miles from Avila Beach.Call (805) 595-9463, or visitwww.salisburyvineyards.com.BAILEYANA AND TANGENT VINEYARDSSaucelito CanyonCLAIBORNE& CHRUCHILL227Wolff VineyardsDomaineAlfredKynsiVineyardsWOODWINERYTRAFFICORCUTTTIFFANY RANCHCORBETTRDBRIDGECANYON RDBRANCH RD•The CasitasHUASNA RDRanchoArroyoGrandeTALLEYVINEYARDSLOPEZ DRHUASNA RDArroyo GrandeLAETITIA VINEYARDBarnwood Vineyardwww.WineCountryThisWeek.com