(Winemag) - Largely overlooked, the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys illustrate the triumphs and challenges faced by California’s many wine regions. Here's what to know.

Although it only takes about a half hour to drive from end to end, the 15-mile span of the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys reveals all that should be championed and much of what remains challenging for California’s lesser-known wine regions.

The valleys, just miles from the chilly Pacific Ocean in southern San Luis Obispo County, are dramatically pockmarked with steep volcanic peaks of jaw-dropping beauty. They’re full of wildly varying soils, and are home to pioneering and iconoclastic ­vintners.

There’s tradition in the rows of Chardonnay that have thrived since the 1970s. However, much attention is also paid to Pinot Noirs that can be lithe or powerful, as well as cool-climate Rhône varietal wines and aromatic whites like Albariño and Grüner Veltliner. The wines are always solid and often superb, even those in the sub-$20 range.