I’ll Drink to That!

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!