True Myth & Abalone

The Nivens are one of the pioneering families in the Edna Valley of southern San Luis Obispo County, where they started planting chardonnay, pinot noir, and more in their Paragon Vineyard back in 1973. True Myth is the family’s newest, stylish, and affordably priced brand, and they’re breaking new ground again by selling their crowd-pleasing, tropical-leaning chardonnay in a package with fresh shellfish from the Cayucos Abalone Company just up the coast.

The package includes eight ounces of red abalone (complete with pretty shells), a disposable grill topper, Chardonnay Smoked Sea Salt from Pasolivo in Paso Robles, and two recipes, one for classic grilled abs and the other a crostini-based side dish by author Kendra Aronson, who wrote The San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market Cookbook. And, of course, there’s the bottle of chardonnay to wash it all down. It’s $95 total, but you can usually find the wine itself for $18 or less at stores all around the state. See nivenfamilywines.com.