The renovation and preservation of the heirloom property, once a 19th century stagecoach stop, was completed this year after the Auberge Resorts Collection acquired it in 2020. Set on 6½ acres of land that houses the town’s iconic water tower, this new version of Mattei’s comes in the form of a buzzy five-star resort. But the owners’ mission is to stay “true to the heritage” of the iconic destination.

Blending old and new has been a theme in Los Olivos, a charming town just two hours north of Los Angeles that’s known for its vineyards, lavender farms, orchards and horse trails. You’ll find a vintage gas pump outside the Los Olivos General Store, a carefully curated shop selling locally made lavender body wash and blood orange olive oil. At Olive + Lavender Farms, a modern and tranquil farm where you can stop for an olive oil tasting, there’s a 100-year-old stone wall, remnant of the site’s former era as a blacksmith shop for the stagecoaches. And while visiting one of the more than 30 wine tasting rooms in town, you’ll encounter city slickers enjoying sips next to longtime locals.

Los Olivos was established in 1861 as a spot on the stagecoach route from San Francisco to just south of town in Ballard, then continuing through L.A. to San Diego. In 1885, Alden March Boyd, a 22-year-old from New York, bought 157 acres here for $8,000, built a house and planted 5,000 olive trees, naming the property Rancho de los Olivos. Eventually the town became known as Los Olivos.

In anticipation of the Pacific Coast Railway station opening, entrepreneur Felix Mattei bought the land adjacent to the station in 1885 to build Mattei’s Central Hotel, known to locals as Mattei’s Tavern. The restaurant and rooms became a focal point of an area popular for ranch and farm activities, hayrides and horseback riding, as well as picnics and swimming in the rivers and lakes.

Over the years, Hollywood has found inspiration and evocative locations for television shows and films in Los Olivos. A section of Grand Avenue, right in the center of town, was the townsquare in the made-for-TV movie “ Return to Mayberry,” based on “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Alexander Payne’s iconic 2004 dark comedy “Sideways,” set in the valley, included the scene we all wish we could unsee — when Miles, played by Paul Giamatti, drinks the spit bucket at Fess Parker Winery Frass Canyon. A dinner scene shot at the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe, still popular today, culminates in a scene outside in which Miles shouts, “If anyone orders Merlot I’m leaving…” — a statement that has haunted leagues of Merlot winemakers ever since.

Now, tasting rooms, charming independent shops and cozy restaurants are all easily walkable from the central intersection at Grand and Alamo Pintado avenues. Make use of the town’s historic walking tour, with highlights that range from the Berean Baptist Church built in 1894 to the Los Olivos General Store from 1903, which was also the first Ford Agency in the valley and a gas station.

You may also spot a neighbor — such as local Jackie Schafer riding her horse, Dylan, down Grand Avenue. When asked if she’d ridden into town for a sandwich, she replies, “Yes!” And when asked if she shops at Jedlicka’s Saddlery down the block, she replies, “Of course! Visitors buy hats and boots. We buy those too, and all of the other things.” Dylan leans over for a pat on the nose.

This is a land where winemaking tradition and innovation exist side by side, with newer local businesses tucked among the old and where proprietors might live down the block or over the next idyllic hilltop. The hillsides are covered with colorful wildflowers in spring that look like buckets of paint have been artfully splashed among the meadows and trees. Think Mayberry meets “Avatar’s” Pandora: a quaint town set in a valley so beautiful it’s almost otherworldly.