The Central Coast tasting room circa 2020 looked like this: a flight of five wines, a small plate of cheese and crackers, a chalkboard with tasting notes, and a person behind the bar who used the word "mouthfeel" at least twice. It worked. People bought wine. But five wineries are now proving it can be more.

At Tablas Creek in Paso, chef Ana Martínez prepares a three-course pairing menu that changes weekly and uses produce exclusively from the winery's biodynamic garden. At Tolosa in Edna Valley, a former Michelin-starred chef runs a pop-up kitchen every Saturday. At Claiborne & Churchill, the pairing is built around local oysters. None of these cost more than $75 a person. All of them are booked out three weeks.