Bike your way through Santa Maria Valley’s bottles.
The Santa Maria Valley’s temperate climate, scenic terrain and miles of trails make it the ideal destination for cycling enthusiasts. Local winemaker, Dave Corey, started the Bike & Bottle project to combine two of his passions—cycling and grape growing. Through the Bike & Bottle project, Corey, a former semi-pro cyclist, guides participants on appellation tours, with behind the scenes tours at wineries and breweries. His extensive knowledge of California’s Central Coast allows visitors to experience a local insider’s look at the area.
“Every tour is unique to each group,” Corey said. “The experience is super flexible and varies depending on a group’s skill level, what wineries work with their travels dates and more. Tours can range anywhere from one to three days, and we’ll take care of setting up accommodations, transportation, rides and lunch throughout your stay.”
A typical ride with the Bike & Bottle project is a circuit-type ride or a loop, visiting two or three wineries. The tours take cyclers past vineyards and discuss the history of each, their specialty wines, cultural practices and more. Cycling with the Bike & Bottle project differs from visiting the wineries on your own because Corey will customize each tour while providing insider knowledge of the region and wineries.
“Right now, we’re solely focused on private groups, which allows us to completely customize each tour,” Corey said. “The tours are really for all levels. Once I understand your group’s needs, I’ll customize a route, and we’ll go over the course profile beforehand.”
Corey is a Central Coast native and has working relationships with other local grape-growers. Corey says most winery owners are more receptive to Bike & Bottle tours than they are to other tours, because Corey can “talk the talk” with others in the grape growing and winemaking industry. Bike & Bottle tours allows cyclists more access to wineries, even in the harvest season, and a more personalized experience.
One of the best trails for cyclists is the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, which is a paved road that runs through vineyards and past 14 wineries.
“It’s a great trail for those who want to do a barrel tasting,” Corey said. “If a group wants to go all the way north to Cambria Winery, it ends up being about a 40-mile ride.”
There are also Bike & Bottle tour options for beer lovers. Corey says he can even customize tours that only hit breweries, focusing on places that brew locally throughout the Santa Maria Valley.
“We always stick to authentic and local,” Corey said.
To book a Bike & Bottle tour, you can call Corey directly at (805) 714-5057. Corey prefers to connect with people directly to get a good feel for exactly how to customize each tour. It’s recommended that you plan a Bike & Bottle tour during the week, since weekdays offer more access to wineries and winery owners. Corey also recommends booking a week-day tour a couple weeks in advance, and a weekend tour a month in advance.
You can visit Core Winery in in Old Town Orcutt.
105 W Clark Ave
Orcutt, CA 93455
(805) 937-1600
Visit Core Winery’s website to learn more about the Bike & Bottle project.
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In Santa Maria Valley, there’s so much to do from here. Hit the road and explore it all with our 24 hiking trails, 34 tasting rooms, seven unique AVAs, 13 beaches, and a growing selection of local breweries, all within a beautiful 30-minute drive. There is no need to venture far if you are looking for sand dunes, cycling and authentic Santa Maria Style dining. You’ll find it’s the perfect home base, where you can eat, drink and do more for less.
