Talley Farms began in 1948 founded by Oliver Talley. At that time, they started with growing vegetables first in the Arroyo Grande Valley. And in time, came to be recognized for the exceptional quality of the vegetables grown. As winegrowing became a success in the neighbouring Edna Valley, they started growing high-quality wine grapes on the steep hillsides above Talley Farms. In 1986, Talley Vineyards was founded with the vision to produce estate-bottled wines with the same reputation for quality as their vegetables—wines that captured the unique character of their land and exemplified their expertise as farmers.

The Edna Valley is a federally approved AVA that runs from the edge of San Luis Obispo southeast, where it adjoins the Arroyo Grande Valley. Winegrowing began in the Edna Valley in the 1970s, and there are nearly 3,000 acres producing, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir most widely planted. Weather conditions are more extreme than in the Arroyo Grande Valley, with colder temperatures in the winter, higher winds in the spring and warmer days in the late summer. Soils are diverse and range from heavy calcareous clays on the valley floor to thin sandstone, sandy clay loams on the hillsides and almost pure sand in the southwestern part of the valley, adjacent to Corbett Canyon Road