I’ll Drink to That!

Cabernet Sauvignon Month in Paso Robles Highlighted by CABS of Distinction events.

Day 2 of my cabernet weekend began with a gorgeous drive through the back roads of Paso Robles wine country out to Windfall Farms, the venue for the CABS of Distinction Winemaker Seminar and Grand Tasting, hosted by the Paso Robles CAB Collective. Nothing but rolling hills covered with vineyards and sprawling oak trees. Ahhhh….. so relaxing….

The day’s events began with a winemaker panel moderated by Wine Enthusiast’s Steve Heimoff under a tent adjacent to the main building.  The all-star panel included Paso Robles pioneer, Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery, Daniel Daou, owner of Daou Vineyards & Winery, Steve Peck, winemaker at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, David Galzignato, winemaker at Jada Vineyard & Winery, Scott Shirley, winemaker at Justin and Kevin Willenborg, winemaker at Vina Robles.

This was a trade and media seminar, so everyone, including the Goddess of Wine, was busy posting, checking-in, taking pics and making notes.

Mr. Heimoff, who in an earlier article stated, “It takes powerful, consistent evidence to smash old stereotypes, but I have now experienced it, and am ready to declare for Paso Robles Cabernet”, asked the panel to share their thoughts on the history of Paso Robles winemaking, why they thought Cabernet from this area was different/similar from/to other wine regions and where they thought Bordeaux varietals would go in this region, moving forward. Gary Eberle gave a wonderful history as he has been involved with the area since his first visit in 1972. He thought the area was perfect for Cabernet and in 1973 started his plantings. His favorite vintage so far is 1991, but for this seminar we tasted his 2009 Estate Cabernet, 100% Clone 6. I’ve loved his wines in the past and this one was no exception.

Steve went on to say that “Paso has fulfilled early expectations”, and that was exemplified by the fact that 4 of the winemakers on the panel were transplants from Napa who were excited to move to Paso to make Cabernet. David Galzignato, of Jada, sent the point home when he said, “Paso Robles has the potential to be the best region in California”.

Needless to say, this seminar was amazing - each speaker was informative while offering up amusing wine anecdotes, and their wines were all delicious hints of what’s to come from this Central Coast wine region.

After the seminar we went into the tasting where many more examples of Cabs and Cab/Merlot blends were presented. All received high scores from me, but my personal favorites included:

HammerSky Vineyards - 2007 Party of Four (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cab Franc)

Jada - 2010 Jack of Hearts (64% Petit Verdot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon)

Daou Vineyards & Winery - 2010 Estate Soul of a Lion (74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 % Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot)

Eberle Winery - 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

An event in Paso Robles also always means making new friends and catching up with old ones!

Daniel Daou of Daou Vineyards & Winery

Patty Bello of B & E Vineyard

Gary Eberle sure has the attention of "Hoot 'n Annie" and other attendees

Annie and Matt Browne, Gina DeGirolamo, Dina Mande and Brigit Binns

I was so happy to be introduced to Brigit Binns, renown cookbook author, and learn of her latest book, “The New Wine Country Cookbook“. She also teaches classes at her spectacular outdoor kitchen, Refugio, in Paso Robles. Going to have to attend one of those myself!

After the tasting, our group of trade and media was joined by the winemakers back out under the tent for a delicious lunch of duck and pork cassoulet, salads and yum brownies. The winemakers proudly roamed the area offering tastes of their wines for us to enjoy with lunch. As the temperature started to climb into the 90’s, (you know I love it), I retreated to the air conditioned comfort of my car for the drive to my next  engagement….a wedding in Camarillo!

Yes, the trip was a whirlwind, but worth every minute. Nothing beats time spent in Paso Robles, where time slows down, the quiet back roads beckon, the wine flows, the food is fresh and local, and everyone is smiling.  For wine geeks, Paso fans, Cab fans and wine fans - I encourage you all to make a note to look for the 2nd Annual Cabs of Distinction next Spring and treat yourself to the CABS of Paso Robles! Cheers!

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

Cabernet Sauvignon Month in Paso Robles Highlighted by CABS of Distinction events.

Well, actually, it was only 22 hours, but I always manage to pack a lot in to a short amount of time. What a girl won’t do for a glass of wine, or two, or three…..

Like many, when I thought of Paso Robles wines, I tended to think more about Rhone grape varietals and Zinfandel. But in actuality, more than 50% of Paso Robles plantings are Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals. The confidence of Paso Robles winemakers producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab blends has taken a firm hold and they are ready to tell the world about their wines. To this end, The Paso Robles CAB Collective has been newly formed. Comprised of 16 wineries, these ambassadors are excited to be spreading the word on behalf of their AVA.

I was invited to attend the CAB Collective’s inaugural events, CABS of Distinction, last weekend, and was delighted to accept. With a sigh of relief and a big smile on my face, I arrived in (my happy place) Paso Robles, just in time to attend the Friday afternoon En Primeur tasting event at the Downtown Park Ballroom. This intimate event provided the opportunity to meet the winemakers, get acquainted with them and taste barrel samples of their 2012 vintage wines, only 6-8 months old. Many of these wines will later be blended to create the finished bottled product, so it’s very interesting to taste the components separately and get the winemaker’s take on how each is progressing.

Patty Bello of B & E Vineyards

Cheese display from Vivant Fine Cheese

After my drive and a lot of “teaser” tastes, I was more than ready to relax with a great meal paired with wonderful wines. There were a number of winemaker dinners being held that night in many of the major restaurants in town, each featuring wines from four or five of the collective’s wineries. I had a reservation to attend the McPhee’s Grill dinner in nearby Templeton with friends and couldn’t wait. Chateau Margene’s Mike Mooney emceed the evening, but Patty Bello of B&E Vineyard was there along with Gary Eberle of Eberle, Don Brady of Robert Hall Winery and Jim Gerakaris, CSW, of Justin Vineyards & Winery to talk about their wines and answer questions. Then the feast began…..

First Course: Salmon with Caramelized Onions over Saffron Risotto with Raisins and Pine Nuts - Paired with B&E Vineyard 2008 Merlot

Second Course: Medallions of Duck in a Blackberry Reduction over a Wild Rice Waffle - Paired with Robert Hall 2010 Meritage

Third Course: Oak Grilled Lamb Chop over Great Northern Beans with Spanish Chorizo, Mint Sauce - Paired with Chateau Margene Beau Melange

Fourth Course: Oak Grilled New York with Point Reyes Blue Cheese and a Cabernet Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Spinach - Paired with Eberle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - 2009

Dessert: Crazy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Almond Crunch and Caramel Sauce! - Paired with Justin Obtuse (Over the top delicious!)

Wow, what a day, what a meal! And the main event was yet to come the next day……

To be continued…

It’s the season for wine tasting festivals, events and private tastings and I’m trying to squeeze in as many as I can.

Friday, April 12 -

Private Tasting at Liquid Assets Cellars in North Hollywood, CA of Alta Colina Wines from Paso Robles. This Tillman family owned and operated winery has come to be known as one of the Central Coast’s most acclaimed Rhone producers and Maggie Tillman brought along an impressive line-up to share. She started the tasting off with their 2012 Grenache Blanc, as yet un-released, which was luscious and crisp, then we moved into a variety of Syrahs and Syrah blends.

-2012 Grenache Blanc.  86% Grenache Blanc, 14% Marsanne.

-2010 GSM.  45% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah.

-2010 Toasted Slope Syrah.  100% Syrah.

-2010 Block 2 Bio Syrah.  100% Syrah.

-2010 Old 900 Syrah.  95% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre, 1% Viognier.

Saturday, April 13 -

Wine tasting group over for tapas, Paella and Spanish Wines (of course a few non-Spanish wines made their way into the line-up). Always a good time, good food and good wine when this group gets together! Guests this evening included wine writer/educator, Denise Lowe, the “Goddess of Wine“, Shawn Burgert, The Wandering Wino, Shawn Shai Halahmy of Shai Cellars, Rico Mandel, photographer extraordinaire and many more of my favorite “wineaux”.

Thursday April 18 -

Valley Cultural Center Food, Wine and Micro-Brew Festival - Large event in Woodland Hills, CA featured many fine wines and tasty bites from local restaurants and caterers. I was pouring at this event so didn’t get to do as must tasting as I would have liked, but from where I was standing it sure looked like a great time was had by all. What was I pouring, you ask? Rabbit Ridge 2010 Grenache Blanc Paso Robles. Wonderfully crisp, floral and refreshing. Great summer wine! Check it out here.

Saturday, April 20 -

1st Annual Sierra Pelona Valley Wine Festival - Aqua Dulce, CA - Yes, there is wine in them hills, in fact Sierra Pelona is one of California’s newest AVA’s and is located just 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.  The festival was held at the beautiful Reyes Winery and featured the wines of  over a dozen wineries, a couple of  tequila’s and gourmet bites from some of the local restaurants. Highlights for me were the wines of Pulchella Winery and Harris Wine Biz, along with the Tequila Anejo from Tres Sietes.

Monday,  April 22 -

32 chateaux from the Right Bank of the Gironde estuary of Bordeaux were featured at this grand tasting from Le Cercle Rive Droite de Grands Vins de Bordeaux held at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

18 appellations were represented pouring their Merlot driven wines and introducing the 2012 vintage, which seemed generally to get a “thumbs up”. The other vintage widely represented was 2010, “Wines To Dream Of”, thanks to the year’s exceptional weather. Most of the wineries pouring are family-run and under 40 acres in size. It was great to listen to the family representatives, many of them also the winemaker, speak so passionately about their wines. It’s times like these that I really wish I could speak French! Paying close attention, I received a wonderful explanation/history of Malbec and Grand Cru classifications from the gentleman from Chateau de Pressac.  While many of the wines were young and could use bottle aging and/or decanting, I found most of them to be elegant, well balanced with interesting notes of various fruits and spice, making each wine unique yet truly indicative of the region. I very much enjoyed this tasting and look forward to my next opportunity to try these wines.

Next up:

Chianti Grand Tasting LA - Thursday, April 25

Cabs of Distinction - April 26-27 - Paso Robles, Calif.

Which tasting events are your favorites? Cheers!

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

In November of 2011 The Garagiste Festival held it’s first event in Paso Robles showcasing the “maverick” wine makers of the area and their wonderful limited production wines. The event was a huge success and the word was out in a big way - small wineries, creative winemakers, delicious wines! 2012 brought the second Festival and once again the public was wowed by the passion, vision and wines of  forty-eight artisan “garagiste” winemakers producing wines from thirty-eight varietals.   With an estimated nearly 200 garagiste winemakers in the Paso Robles area and on down the Central Coast of California into the Santa Ynez region, clearly there was a need for another Garagiste Festival a little further south. Enter The Garagiste Festival - Southern Exposure!

Last weekend, once again, 32 winemakers pouring close to 100 wines, let the wine world know they were playing for keeps - whites like chenin blanc, grenache blanc, viognier and chardonnay - crazy yummy rosés and reds - oh the reds! While you might expect plenty of great pinot noir from this area, and there was, grenache seemed to win the day. The event, held at the Solvang Veterans’ Memorial Hall, was sold out and social media is all a buzz about the great time had by all.

Garagiste Festival - Southern Exposure - 2013

A “more or less” complete list of wineries and what they were pouring:

Who's Pouring What? at Garagiste-Southern Exposure-2013

Some of the highlights:

Always good to see Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines. Especially liked his ‘11 Viognier, White Hawk Vineyard, ‘09 Mourvedre and his 2012 Rosé of Mouvedre, soon to be bottled.

Tercero Wines

Shawn Shai Halahmy of Shai Cellars, was there pouring his very popular ‘09 Adome (Cab/Syrah blend) and his ‘09 Grenache. He had excellent help pouring from good friend, Denise Lowe, the Goddess of Wine.

Shawn Shai Halahmy of Shai Cellars with Denise Lowe

The “king of grenache”, Mikael Sigouin of Kaena Wine Co. had 3 grenache wines from different vineyards to pour along with barrel samples of his soon to be released ‘12 Grenache Rosé. All were delicious!

Kaena wines at Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure 2013

Good to re-connect with James Ontiveros of Native 9 (’09 Pinot Noir) and to meet Jeff Fink, the winemaker for Pence Ranch. He and owner Blair Pence had 3 pinots, all 2010, but from different areas of the estate. All got top marks in my book!

Jeff Fink, winemaker, Pence Ranch

Other notables were C. Nagy (’11 Pinot Blanc-Bien Nacido Vineyard), Larner Winery (’10 Estate Viognier, ‘09 Elemental and ‘09 Syrah), and Storm Wines (’09 Pinot Noir,Santa Maria Valley). Best car of the day clearly went to El Rey Wines, who also poured two pinot noirs, both very good.

El Rey Wines - very cool car!

So much great wine under one roof! Congratulations to the folks at Garagiste Festival for providing another great wine-tasting opp! After a couple of hours tasting and schmoozing, we took a walk through picturesque Solvang, bought cookies and danish, ( a must when visiting the town), and finished the day with a detour to some tasting rooms in Los Olivos to pick up wine to take home. A great “day-cation”!  One more treat on the way home….a perfect California sunset…..

Sunset at Ventura Beach

Back Roads of Paso Robles Wine Country

In the 12 years or so that I’ve been visiting Paso Robles, the number of wineries has grown from 50 to almost 200! As I see it, so much more to love about this beautiful and welcoming California wine producing region.

Without question, some wonderful wines are being produced in Paso Robles, many by the small family owned and operated wineries that, I believe, are the heart and soul of the area. The rolling, oak studded hills, corduroyed with endless rows of vineyards on both sides of Highway 101, are home to small charming tasting rooms where visitors can enjoy an intimate wine tasting experience, often while visiting with the winemaker or owner. Sharing the landscape with the vineyards, olive orchards offer the sculptural beauty of the trees while providing the fruit for some of the state’s finest quality olive oil.

Olivas de Oro olive tree orchard

The Back Roads Wineries of Paso Robles, is a collective of over 20 such wineries along with olive oil producers and charming B & B’s located in the beautiful countryside east of Highway 101. Together these wineries produce an impressive and large variety of wines. Expect to find carefully handcrafted wines made from Rhone varietals such as Viognier, Rousanne, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre.   Classic Bordeaux varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. You’ll even find wines made from Italian varietals like Pinot Grigio, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Primitivo and Barbera. Of course, there’s plenty of Zinfandel and creative and innovative blends abound! A tour of the Back Roads wineries could take days, especially when it’s so easy to get lost in a long, relaxed conversation over a glass of wine while hanging out on a patio with a stunning vineyard view.

A Back Roads vineyard view.

For the first time, visitors to the 2012 Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend, October 19-21, will have the opportunity to taste wines and olive oils from many of the “Back Roads” producers all under one roof at the “Taste of the Back Roads” Wine Seminar and Grand Tasting to be held Friday, October 19.  Join the winemakers, as they take a break from the busy harvest, in tasting and learning about their fine hand-crafted wines and olive oils. The “Foaling Barn” at the picturesque Windfall Farms will be the setting for what I’m sure will become a Back Roads harvest annual event. Also available will be delicious food offerings from local favorites, Ted’s Taco Bar, Dean Brothers Smoke House and LaGuardia’s Homemade Since 1912. Guests will also be treated to the cool sounds of Acoustify to take them into the evening.  A special tasting seminar led by a panel of five “Back Roads” winemakers is being offered prior to the main tasting event.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation.

Windfall Farms

The area has many family run B&B’s, many located in vineyards or on orchard property, and all with tons of local charm. Click here for more lodging info. The event and Harvest Wine Weekend are just a couple of weeks off, so don’t delay in booking your room reservations.

More info about the wineries and olive oil producers of the Back Roads is available at www.backroadswineries.com. Tickets for “Taste of the Back Roads” are available at participating wineries and at Brown Paper Tickets.

I’ll Drink to That!

The 2nd Annual Garagiste Festival will be held November 10, 2012. This unique wine festival is the first and only festival dedicated to small lot production wineries, (under 1200 cases annually), from the Central Coast wine regions of California. These passionate winemakers are producing some of the most exciting hand-crafted wines and the festival showcases the wines and the winemakers at this festival held in Paso Robles at the stunning Windfall Farms.

As they did last year, the festival producers are holding a series of small “sneak peak” events leading up to the festival and today one such small tasting was held on the back patio of Wood and Vine in the heart of Hollywood. Warmly greeted by members of the Garagiste team, Doug Minnick and Lisa and Dave Dinsmore, I got my glass and off I went ……

First up a quick stop at the Les Deux Chat table to start the tasting off with their 2012 Roussanne, a perennial favorite of mine. Chris Connolly who owns Les Deux Chat with his wife, Patty, was also pouring their 2010 Viognier and 2010 Dante Dusi Zinfandel.

Next up was a lovely unfiltered Rhone white, 2010 La Marjorie, a blend of 75% Roussanne and 25 % Grenache Blanc. Winemaker and proprietor of Thomas Alexander Wines, Thomas Pitchon, was on hand to talk about his Chateauneuf du Pape style wines including  his 2009 Le Tigre (50% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre) and 2009 Les Origines (50% Syrah, 43% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre). Looking forward to tasting these wines again in November.

I was especially happy to finally meet Aaron Jackson of Aaron Wines, whom I had been corresponding with over the years via e-mail. I had been following this young winemaker, whose motto is,  “Life should be outrageous. Go Big or go home.”, and was intrigued with his creative approach to his grape of choice, Petite Sirah. His offerings this day were a clear reflection of that creativity. Tasted first his 2010 Rosé of Petite Sirah, which I really enjoyed, and am wishing I had a bottle of it to carry me through another hot LA evening. His 2009 Petite Sirah was luscious as was his unique 2010 Red Blend, pretty much a 50/50 blend of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel with a splash of Viognier added for an elevation of aromatics.

After hearing good things about the next winery, Westberg Cellars, I spent some time chatting with owner/winemaker Donald Burns. For you Chardonnay lovers who have a hard time finding much of it in Paso Robles, Don creates his 2010 Simply Chardonnay just for you. Fruit is from the Santa Lucia Highlands and sees no oak and no malolactic fermentation. Another crisp white, 2010 Willow White, boasts a blend of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. Oh so good in this summer heat. Bottled under his other label, Turtle Rock, his 2008 GSM is a winner, but I really loved the 2009 Red Blend, a unique blend of 48% Tempranillo, 29% Syrah and 23% Zinfandel. Wouldn’t mind having a few of those in my cellar!

Did you know there are Riesling vineyards in Cambria, California? Well there are and Cutruzzola Vineyards is making two different wines from them. I preferred the drier 2009 which would be great paired with Asian food or anything with a hot spicy kick. The only Pinot Noir of the day , their 2009 Gloria from their Cambria estate vineyards, was elegant and lovely.

Clearly the word is out that fantastic handcrafted wines are being produced up and down the Central Coast and the great turnout at today’s event is testament to that. But if you still need convincing, get your tickets for the Garagiste Festival including their winemakers seminars and special social events here. These winemakers are looking forward to sharing their wines with you!

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

Last night about 50 lucky diners were treated to a gourmet feast at the Tolosa Winemaker Dinner at Fab’s in Sherman Oaks, created by guest chef Rico Mandel. Fab’s is the neighborhood restaurant frequented by my “wineaux” friends  for dinner and our monthly wine tastings. And while there were many more guests at this event, it still felt comfortable and intimate as friends and family of Chef Rico gathered to begin the feast.

After a glass of perfectly chilled Proseco at the bar, we took our seats, and our gracious hostess, Amelia Yokel, promptly poured us a glass of Tolosa 2009 Oaked Chardonnay. The “oohs” and “aahs” were immediately audible as the amuse bouche was set before us as well. The roasted peach slices with fresh fig, pancetta lardons and treviso was a work of art and a fantastic combination of textures and flavors.

The next course reflected the bounty of the summer season combining lobster, heirloom tomato and watermelon slices with dill, hazelnuts and a drizzle of truffle oil. This course was paired with Tolosa 2010 No Oak Chardonnay, and each served to elevate the other.

After Amelia poured our first red of the evening, the Tolosa  2009 Pinot Noir, our first entreé arrived. Prosciutto wrapped chicken roulade stuffed with sundried tomatoes and greens, with asparagus and sage cream sauce. Have you ever seen a table full of adults pick up their plates and lick them clean? Well somehow we managed to maintain some level of decorum, but that sauce was “crazy delicious”!

As we recovered from this buttery indulgence, Amelia came by with the first of two Syrahs we would be enjoying with the meat course, Tolosa 2009 Syrah. Winemaker, Larry Brooks, explained to us that the fruit for this wine and the second Syrah, 2007 “1772″ Reserve Syrah, are from the same vineyard, but some vintages produce fruit that is so special it winds up in the “1772″. Indeed I did prefer the raisin-y, earthier flavors of the “1772″ with the venison chop with baby artichoke hearts, chanterelles, summer squash and Hibiscus sauce, but both syrahs were lovely.

Dessert, poached apricots, ricotta mousse and chocolate dipped almond florentine topped with blackberry syrah sauce (yum) was paired with an equally (yum) dessert wine, Tolosa’s 2009 Legacy Sweet Viognier.

Ahhhhhh……delicious wine…..savory food…..laughter…..good friends…..and all on a Wednesday! I’ll Drink to That!

A woman was buried today. In her eulogy she was described as a “woman of valor”. I love that phrase…”woman of valor”. I didn’t know the woman, never met her. I know her daughters and other members of her family, but would not consider us close and only “social” on a few occasions. So why did I find myself sitting at her funeral with her friends and family? I believe her grandson had the answer to that question when he said, “…she brought us all together today.” Something about that statement, the peculiarity of the situation and the statement of my driving companion kept my thoughts with the funeral proceedings long after I had left the cemetery and gone about the rest of my day. She had said something like, “isn’t it odd that we get back in our car and check phones and go on with our day while others are hurting. Life goes on like normal”. And life does go on…like normal. But for me..today…not so much.

Why was I helping to bury this woman? Why was I a part of this moment in this family’s history? It occurred to me that this “woman of valor” had played a part in my own history, totally unbeknownst to her. How interesting the way we have the ability to touch people’s lives without ever knowing it. She had given birth to a daughter, a strong independent woman who would as an adult inspire me to make a decision that would forever change me…for the better. A decision that would place me in a position where I would share a mind set and experiences with a group of people that would foster a bond whose strength never ceases to amaze me. A very special bond that preservers through the years…lots of years.  And it is this bond with these people, including that daughter of that “woman of valor”, that brought me to that funeral today.

I feel blessed to have been a part of the event, sad as it may be, because it a testament to the power of connection, and the awe it inspires. Thank you….Gita.

With all the wine tasting events held each year in California, Family Winemakers of California is always a favorite of mine. First of all, the event is all about exactly what the name implies. It truly celebrates family owned wineries, big and small. But mostly small. And every year there are so many new wineries to get to know, winemakers to meet and wonderful wines to try. What’s not to like?

With close to 200 wineries represented, some pre-event planning is definitely called for. This year I pulled the exhibitor list off the website with the site map and highlighted the tables I would give priority to. While there were so many old favorites I wanted to visit, I tried to choose those wineries I had heard about over the last year, but had yet to try.

Somewhere in the vortex of the internet I had heard about  A Cellar Full of Noise, operated by two charming young men, James Judd and Eric Alvarez. Their reds, made from Paso Robles area fruit, were rich and full, the Cab and Malbec with their other label, James Judd & Son, being standouts.

Just prior to the event I had received an invitation to taste from BX of Napa Wines. Her label logo is BX, and since those initials are near and dear to my heart, I was intrigued. I also liked the fact that she was a one woman show producing only 100 cases of wine in her inaugural release. This release was comprised of 3 wines, a Syrah, a Chardonnay, and the only 100%  Ruby Cabernet in America! I loved the Chardonnay and the Ruby Cab is a light, fruit forward red which would make an easy sipping wine with summer bbq’s. Owner/winemaker Bex Bishop is charming, knowledgeable and passionate and I really enjoyed meeting her.

Bex Bishop of BX of Napa Wines

I first tasted the Chardonnays and Pinots of Fog Crest Vineyard at last year’s event, so this year I was anxious to try their just about to be released 2010 Pinots and say hi to James Manoogian, owner and passionate force behind these fine wines. (Daniel Moore is their winemaker). The 2010 Estate Pinot Noir , Russian River Valley,  (200 cases produced),  is a beautifully balanced wine with long lingering fruit, and upon release I’m sure will be a hit with Pinot lovers.

James Manoogian, owner, Fog Crest Vineyard

I really enjoyed the wines from Harrington Wine, a new find for me this year. They are producers of an extensive line of Pinots, but they had brought with them this year their new releases which included a  Grenache Blanc and their 2011 Fiano, a white varietal I hadn’t heard of before. Fiano was a popular grape in ancient Rome, now primarily grown around the town of Avellino in the southern Italian region of Campania. The wine was similar to a Pinot Grigio, crisp and clean, but with a lusher, fuller mouth feel. I’m generally not a fan of Pinot Grigio, so this Fiano would be a welcome summer white at my house.

Getting back to reds, I really enjoyed those of Muscardini Cellars. Their Zinfandel was big but not jammy, their Syrah, lush, and my favorite was the “Tesoro“, a Super Tuscan style blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Some old favs visited were Buttonwood Winery, Cass (never want to miss an opportunity to say hi to co-owner Ted Plemons), Les Deux Chats (love their Roussanne and Viognier), Eberle, and Tercero, where I found owner/winemaker Larry Schaffer almost unrecognizable with a new, way shorter haircut.

Ted Plemons, co-owner, Cass Winery, Paso Robles

Larry Schaffer, owner/winemaker, Tercero Wines

The wonderful whites of Les Deux Chats

Hope your own tasting adventures have led you to some delicious new finds, and I totally recommend you seek out and try some, (or all), of the wineries I mentioned here. Support family owned business… of any kind - it’s a really good thing. Cheers!

Well here it is January, and I’m just getting around to writing about this trip. Will I ever get caught up? I think we all know the answer to that. But I’ve been busy. I love my clients, and it was my pleasure to spend December getting out their newsletters, promoting their special events and toasting to their success for 2012.

A trip to the beautiful wine country of Paso Robles is always a treat for me, but this time was extra special as I was attending the first presentation of a new wine festival and sharing my “happy place” with some friends who had never spent time there. While the drive up was a bit threatening as the rain was torrential at some points, the storm was gone by the time we arrived in Paso and not to be heard from again for the rest of the weekend.

Our first stop on Friday was Venteux Vineyards. I’d always wanted to visit there as I knew they also had a beautiful B&B on the vineyard property. I wasn’t disappointed - the estate is beautiful complete with vintage truck. Always a plus in my book. Sorry I didn’t get a picture of it. Enjoyed the wines, the hosts, the cats and made a mental note that I would love to stay at the property in the future.

Wine display at Venteux Vineyards

Tasting room lineup at Venteux Vineyards

Fall at Venteux Vineyards

We had made plans to dine that night at one of our favorites, Thomas Hill Organics. Joining us and our friends would be the Goddess of Wine herself, Denise Lowe, who was also there to attend the Paso Garagiste Festival. The great food and company was accentuated by great wine conversation and a first tasting or our friend Michael’s first bottling of Syrah with the Harridge House label.  Very exciting and so delicious! Congrats Michael!

Saturday was the day we had been waiting for and talking about for months. The premier of The Garagiste Festival, an event focusing on the artisan winemakers of the Central Coast. The venue chosen for the event was the gorgeous Windfall Farms in Templeton, a short scenic drive just southeast of Paso. Everyone was there, the weather was beautiful, the winemakers were excited and so were we. We tasted some wonderful wines, talked with the winemakers, and met up with other wine “friends” from my social media circles. The event was a huge success and I look forward to next year! Have a look at my photo album for pics from event.

After the festival, believe it or not, we went wine tasting! Bella Luna and Cass Winery were nearby so off we went. Cass we’ve known and loved for years, but this was our first visit to Bella Luna, and we were quite pleased with their wines and promptly bought a few to go. 3 winery dogs here! Love the dogs…

This trip concluded the next day with a private tasting at Frolicking Frog Cellars. This charming “garagiste” winery is owned and operated by Stuart and Maria Goldman, lovely people with a true passion for winemaking. They took us through a tasting of all their bottled wines and then a barrel tasting. Truly something for everyone here. Mostly reds - big, bold, soft and balanced with plenty of fruit. Stuart is always trying something new in his quest to make interesting wines and he loves to regale his tasters with his wine stories. Maria is a gracious hostess who instantly made us feel at home in their cozy tasting room on their rustic property overseen by their ….winery dog, a beautiful chocolate lab.

Wines at Frolicking Frog tasting.

Stuart Goldman, owner/winemaker of Frolicking Frog Cellars

So February and Valentine’s Day are coming up soon. Why not plan a romantic wine country getaway to Paso Robles? And…Zin Fest is coming up in March. Have a look at the calendar of upcoming events here and enjoy!