A Zinfandel vineyard was planted in the rugged terrain of the upper Arroyo Grande Valley in the late 1880s. The owners continued making wine during Prohibition, but abandoned the vineyard in the1940s; it wasn’t brought back to life until the mid-1970s, when the current owner painstakingly nursed the ancient vines back into production.

Only a few acres of that original planting survive today, but those venerated vines produce a complexity not found in most modern Zinfandel varieties. An acre of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec were planted in 1990 to add to Saucelito Canyon’s red wine offerings. The entire vineyard is dry-farmed, which results in the wine’s unsurpassed depth and character.

Saucelito Canyon’s new tasting room is on Biddle Ranch Road in Edna Valley, just off rural Highway 227. The Craftsman-style bungalow houses a quaint operation, with a tasting bar dominated by an ancient gnarled Zinfandel vine attached to the wall. Outside there are tables and chairs under umbrellas, and limited snack food is for sale along with gourmet olives.

Adjacent to the tasting room is a field of tomatoes surrounded by the enormous Paragon Vineyard. The winery makes very limited-release wines, including their Zinfandel and Cabernet, as well as Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc and a Tempranillo from Laetitia Vineyards south of Arroyo Grande.