I’ll Drink to That!

The late afternoon before we were to drive to Paso  Robles for some badly needed down time we discovered that our tires were bald and had to be replaced before we could hit the road. We picked up the car in the late morning and left an hour later than I had wanted to. And who knew that the weekend we had planned to go to Paso Robles  was also the same weekend that families were busy moving their college kids onto campus and into their rooms in Santa Barbara? While the weather was perfect, traffic was terrible! And yet, with all that, we only arrived an hour later to Paso than I had hoped. Still had time to catch up with some friends who were bottling that day…I hoped.

Made a call and yes, Chris Connolly of Les Deux Chat said to come on over to In Vino Veritas - they were still working.

We had met Chris and his wife, Patty, at a Paso Robles wine tasting in LA a few years back. We were introduced by mutual friends who knew them from the entertainment industry and we all ended up having dinner together that evening. It was then that I found out they were making wine in their garage, making them the first garagiste winemakers I had actually met. Viognier and Zinfndel were the grapes they had chosen and they had just put their first vintage into barrel.

Well things have evolved nicely for the Connolly’s and while they have not given up their day jobs, they are pursuing their passion to make fine wine. We had the pleasure of joining them, their family and friends, as they were bottling their 2010 Ripken Vineyard Viognier and Roussanne. Tasted both and am happy to say they are indeed making some fine wine.

Also happy to say that Les Deux Chat will be participating in the Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles on November 12, 2011. This is a new festival celebrating the artisan winemaker and over 40 Central Coast wineries with small case production will be pouring their wines. As many of these wineries do not have tasting rooms, this will be a unique opportunity to taste and purchase these wonderful wines and meet the passionate people behind them. And don’t forget to say hi to Patty and Chris! Cheers!

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

GARAGISTES - (gar-uh-zhē-stuh) n, Fr. – A term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their garage, who refused to follow the “rules.”

This movement has taken hold all over the world and thankfully more and more of these small family owned wineries are being recognized for the true artisanal qualities that make these wines and their winemakers so special.  Now there is a new festival in town, Paso Robles that is, that focuses solely on the “artisan winemaker”. The Paso Garagiste Festival is quickly coming together and will be held Saturday November 12, 2011 in Creston, just a bit south of Paso Robles.

The festival is the brainchild of three friends who love wine and share an appreciation for the small lot winemaker. While attending a Rhone Ranger event in LA a couple of years back Stewart McClennan, Doug Minnick and Dan Erland Anderson started brainstorming for a way they could help promote these boutique wineries, primarily those of Paso Robles. They admired the fact that most of these winemakers, fueled by their passion for making exceptional wine, were working other day jobs, some commuting hundreds of miles weekly to do both, or were working for larger wineries while making their wine in their “spare time”. Many do not have tasting rooms and their case production is so small they can’t get the representation that the “big boys” get. They felt these “garagistes” needed some help in getting the word out and the plan for the festival began to take form. Well the word got out fast and soon wineries from further south along the Central Coast were asking to participate and now over 40 small production wineries who are producing under 1200 cases annually  are scheduled to participate.

Not just the wineries in this festival are special. The venue is fantastic! The magnificent Windfall Farms, a 750 acre horse farm in Creston, has been chosen, and the beautiful stallion barn will serve as the unique location for this special tasting event. Check out this video for a complete tour of the venue.

Entrance to "after party" room

"After Party" room where Australian country singer Stephen Rowe will perform

Needless to say I am thrilled with the idea of this festival! I have met with Doug and Stewart and we are completely of the same mindset - we love these wines and the people behind them, and we want to do whatever we can to help them get the word out about them. And…proceeds from the festival will go to support young winemakers at the Wine and Viticulture Program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. So I urge you to visit their website, watch the videos on their homepage and order your tickets. It’s going to be great!

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

Last Sunday I attended the Rhone Rangers tasting at Pier 59 Studios West in Santa Monica. Year after year, this continues to be one of my favorite events. Not too big, nice open venue, and lots of my favorite Rhone style wines, many from Paso Robles.

So, in case you’re wondering what is Rhone Rangers….it is an association devoted to promoting producers in California, Washington, New York and Oregon who specialize in the varietals originally from the Rhone region of France. While there are 22 recognized Rhone varietals, only a few stand out as the principal players.  The whites include Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Reds are headed up by Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre and supported by others like Cinsault, Petite Sirah and Carignan. Many of these show up in blends, adding even more interest, intensity, color and flavor to these already luscious, complex wines.

The  Central Coast is well suited for these varietals and more and more winemakers are producing these wines, experimenting with all matter of blends and styles. Lucky us - so much to taste!

Some of my favorite producers are:

Cypher - Templeton, CA

Ecluse - Paso Robles, CA

Edward Sellers - Paso Robles, CA

Frick - Geyserville, CA

Villa Creek - Paso Robles, CA

Holly’s Hill - Placerville, CA

Ridge Vineyards - Cupertino, CA

Kiamie Wine Cellars - Paso Robles, CA

Cass - Paso Robles

….just to name a few! One new one to add to the list is Jada Vineyard & Winery. I tasted their wines for the first time at this event  and was intrigued by their unique 09 White Blend and their rich 08 Syrah, Jersey Girl.

Besides tasting new wines, these events are also a great time to make new friends and catch up with old ones.

Denise Lowe and Xochitl Maiman

I’LL DRINK TO THAT !

As luck would have it I had lunch with rock stars today! It may have been in the heart of Beverly Hills, but the celebs I was with weren’t J Lo or Steven Tyler or Lady Gaga. No these “stars” were  some of the stars of Paso Robles!  Living my whole life in Hollywood means I have seen many superstars of film, television and music. But meeting a winemaker or other wine persona is always a much bigger thrill. Now I don’t usually admit that to anyone but my husband, but when Ian Blackburn of Learn About Wine said the same thing at lunch today I knew I was in good company.

Today’s winemaker lunch was  the preamble to yet another of Ian’s wonderful” Stars of…” events with Paso Robles taking center stage. “The Stars of Paso Robles Wine” tasting event was a two day event held one day in Orange County and one day at Two Rodeo on the famous Rodeo Dr in Beverly Hills, showcasing  over 25 of the top wine producers from the area.  Now as many of you know, my favorite wine region is Paso and over the years I have met so many wonderful winery owners, winemakers, B&B proprietors and restauranteurs. But today I met three wine personalities for the first time.

Michael Mooney is the owner and winemaker at Chateau Margene,  a boutique micro winery specializing in the production of small lots of premium Cabernet Sauvignon. His other label, Mooney Family Wines produces Rhone blends from the Paso Robles AVA  and Pinot Noir made with fruit from the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. Their wines are sold only direct from either their estate winery set amidst the gorgeous rolling hills of Creston, or from their Westside tasting room located at the intersection of Vineyard Dr and Peachy Canyon Road, just West of the 101 freeway. I have a very close friend who has been a club member of Chateau Margene for a couple of years and has shared with me some of their delicious wines. She is constantly talking about her visit to the estate winery, before the tasting room was opened, so I was thrilled to finally meet Michael and taste some more of his wine. His first offering was his Mooney Family 2009 Pinot Noir, made with fruit sourced from the Vigna Monte Nero Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This wine, released in April of this year, is a classic, elegant Pinot exhibiting lots of cherry in the nose, anise and tobacco in the palate with a long finish. This was poured with a dish of sea bass on a corn chowder/succotash like sauce with crisp edamames, and topped with micro greens.

Michael’s second wine was served with our last course, which was piquillo peppers stuffed with shredded beef in a robust tomato based ragu.

He explained that his 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was made from 60% estate fruit and that it was comprised of 90% Cab and 10% Merlot. He further explained the extended lees aging, (no racking for 16 months), and that the case production on this wine was 500 cases. He described this intense full bodied wine as having aromas of  black fruit, cassis, cedar, mocha and eucalyptus. I describe it as just plain delicious, and as it opened up in my glass it just kept getting better!

Chateau Margene Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

The second wine celeb is probably better described as part of wine royalty. Christina Turley of Turley Wine Cellars is the daughter of Larry Turley, an ex ER doc who co-founded Frog’s Leap, and the niece of winemaker extraordinaire, Helen Turley. Turley has established itself an an ultra-premium Zinfandel producer and in 2000 purchased the old Pesenti Vineyard in Templeton, where they dry farm 85 year old zin vines. They also have a winery in St Helena and produce Petite Sirah, white Rhone blends and Charbono. The Turleys recently planted 5 acres of what Larry calls “truffle trees” in hopes of producing domestic truffles on their Templeton property.

The first Turley wine we tasted was 100% Rousanne, Rattlesnake Ridge from Howell Mtn in Napa, 2008. This slightly opaque wine had a figgy  nose with good minerality, full mouthfeel and a long, full finish.  This was poured with a salad of arugula, roasted red beets, candied walnuts, pink grapefruit and goat cheese.

Christina poured her 2008 Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel with seared tuna wrapped in seaweed, batter fried and topped with lotus root chips. This deep garnet wine had a slightly odd nose, but the depth and spice of this full bodied wine made it a delicious choice for the entree.

The third member of the panel, although not a winemaker or winery owner, is a huge celeb in the wine industry for what he has contributed in the way of industry focused social media marketing.  Dare I gush and say that he is my version  of an American Idol, wine/social media style? Yes. I have followed his work and was just thrilled to finally meet him in person. Joel has worked for many prestigious wineries, but for the last 6 years has been at Hope Family Wines in Paso as their Director of Communications. Last year, with the help of Dina Mande of Juice Marketing, he created the video, “What is Wine”, winning first place in the 2010 Wine Spectator video contest. This video just makes me smile every time I watch it and everyone in it is a star of Paso Robles. And as long as you’re going to YouTube, you should have a look at the video introducing  the new wine being released by Hope Family Wines under the label of “Troublemaker”.

Joel’s first wine, also poured with the salad, was the Treana (another Hope Family label and symbolizing the trinity of elements, sun,sea and soil) White 2008, a blend of 55% Marsanne and 45% Viognier. For those of you still not acquainted with white Rhone varietals, grab a bottle of this wine  - drink it as an aperitif or pair it with summer salads, sushi and really any kind of spicy food. The wine has a floral nose and flavors of stone fruits with honey. Very full mouthfeel. Just delicious! His second wine was the Treana Red, a blend of 70% Cabernet and 30% Syrah, all sourced from Paso fruit. Joel told us that this 2008 is the 12th vintage of this wine.This full bodied  wine  had an initial licorice component that I really liked, but the flavor profile continued to evolve as it opened up in the glass. Also great paired with the beef dish.

Michael Mooney, Christina Turley and Joel Peterson

The food was delicious, the wine was amazing and the company was stellar. I should say also that I really enjoyed meeting the other lunch attendees from the media who provided lively conversation about our common passions…food, wine and writing.

After lunch I popped in at the tasting upstairs and said hi to a couple of my favorite wine people from Paso. Aram Deirmenjian of Kiamie Wine Cellars was uncorking his White Kuvée, one of my favorite white Rhone blends. He was truly looking like a rockstar with his new longer hair!

Aram Deirmenjian of Kiamie Wine Cellars

Ted Plemons of Cass Winery was doing what he does best - smiling and pouring wine. I had the pleasure of working with Ted and his wife, Lisa, during the Viognier harvest in 2009. They are just some of the nicest people I have met in Paso and perfect Paso wine ambassadors.

Ted Plemons of Cass Winery

Cass wines being poured at the Stars of Paso Robles - 2011

So if you haven’t visited Paso Robles yet…what are you waiting for? Great people, restaurants, B&B’s, wineries, parks, farmer’s markets, beautiful rolling hills and back roads and some of the most beautiful sunsets ever! And don’t forget the oaks…Paso Robles means “pass of the oaks”, and they dot the vineyards and frame the views everywhere you look. Paso has lots of annual events so check the website, Paso Robles Wine County Alliance, for updates and plenty of info.

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

Paso Robles is my favorite area in California to go wine tasting so I was excited to attend this year’s Paso Robles Grand Tasting Event, held this week at the spectacular Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. Paso Robles is home to more than 200 wineries and over 26,000 acres are planted to vine, with special focus on Rhone varietals and Zinfandel. About 40 of those wineries participated in this event, and I was anxious to try their new releases.

Upon entering the historic Vibiana, I am always struck by the beauty of this  Baroque style church built in 1876. The ceilings soar and light streams in through the upper windows. And on this day the tables were lined up with some of Paso’s finest.

Interior of the Vibiana in Los Angeles

My first encounter was with old friends, David and Amparo of Minassian-Young Vineyards. I met them a number of years ago in Paso when they were pouring at a special event held on the gorgeous grounds of Carmody McKnight. I have always enjoyed their white Rhone blend, (64%Grenache Blanc, 19% Viognier, 17% Marsanne) and the 09 didn’t disappoint. Redolent of apples it has plenty of crisp acidity. A unique offering from MY is their 08 Black Saint Peter, a blend of 45% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah, 16% tannat, 11% Cinsault, 6% Carignan and 3% Mourvedre. Big fruit and full body on this one. Their 07 GSMV, (GSM with 3% Viognier thrown in to brighten the blend), offers a long spicy finish. Nice.

David and Amparo of Minassian-Young Vineyards with Eve Bushman

Aram Deirmenjian of Kiamie Wine Cellars was there and it was great to re-connect with him. He had first poured me his White Kuvee in 08 and I’ve been hooked ever since. On this day he was premiering his 09 vintage of this Rhone blend. Steve Glossner, the winemaker, describes this blend as full-bodied on the palate with ripe casaba melon and lemon meringue richness. Scents of honeysuckle, lemongrass and persistent minerality. I describe it as “yummy”!

Silver Horse Winery, represented by owner Steve Kroener, has been producing some fabulous wines at their gorgeous winery in Pleasant Valley since 2005. Standouts on this day were the 08 Estate Petit Verdot (100%), 08 Estate Tomori, (60% Syrah/40% Cabernet Sauvignon), and the 08 “The Main Thing”, (45% Malbec/25% Cabernet Sauvignon/15% Merlot/15% Petite Sirah).

A new one for me was Thacher Winery and I really enjoyed meeting owner/winemaker Sherman Thacher and hearing his story. He started as a brew master in Santa Cruz, but along with his bride, fell in love with Paso Robles and eventually relocated there to make wine and enjoy a lifestyle they thought was perfect for raising a family. Couldn’t agree more! Their first vintage at this location was in 2008 and his 08 Triumvirate Reserve Zinfandel was named “Red” Sweepstakes Winner at the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. He had the 07 Triumvirate to taste that day which was silky with good acidity, and a bit of cinnamon. Also really liked the 09 Viognier and the 07 Syrah. The syrah fruit is from the Halter Ranch and Alta Colina Vineyards and offered a wine that was spicy, balanced and elegant.

And it just wouldn’t be a Paso tasting without visiting with Jeff and Karin from Roxo Port Cellars. Roxo offers ultra-premium Port style wines made in the metodo Portugues style. These are not the super sweet syrupy wines you may have always associated with Port. These are carefully crafted from hand-picked high quality grapes and include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Negrette, Barbara, Zinfandel, as well as the traditional Portuguese  varietals Touriga Nacional, Souzao, Tinta Roriz and Bastardo. Many of their blends pair beautifully with foods other than chocolate, although the Negrette with chocolate is fabulous! Next time you visit Paso, think outside the Port box and stop into Meritage Tasting Lounge downtown where you can try these delicious and unusual wines.

Two hours just isn’t enough time to taste all Paso has to offer, and this event left me yearning for a good long visit to El Paso de Robles. Good people, beautiful vistas and wonderful wine. And there are now so many great places to eat and beautiful hotels and B & B’s to complete the perfect wine country getaway.

I’LL DRINK TO THAT!

Last night we enjoyed a 2004 Cabernet from D’Anbino Vineyards and Cellars. It paired beautifully with beef tenderloin with an herb/mustard crust and leek and wild mushroom bread pudding. This wine had soft tannins, was full bodied and well balanced, and all around a delicious Friday night selection. Cheers!

Carmine Rubino of D'Anbino Vineyards and Cellars

Just back from another one of my whirlwind 30 hour trips up to Paso Robles and back. I always have so much I want to accomplish and there is never enough time! I’ve made so many wonderful friends up there and there are always so many new wineries to visit.

Started this trip with a good long visit with Paso’s very own Matt and Annie Browne of Hoot ‘n Annie’s blog. Annie made us a wonderful Creole style dinner with which we enjoyed a Zinfandel from Poalillo and a Mourvedre from Opolo while we talked about…wine of course! For dessert Annie pulled out a real treat that I had not seen before, Red Soles Winery “Bootlegger”.

This unique dessert wine is made in the “solera” style aging process like the Sherry’s of Spain. This process involves the blending of vintages in oak barrels -  each year as a portion of the oldest barrels is bottled, they are replenished with wine from the next oldest barrels. The resulting product is an aged wine with depth and character and no vintage. This Red Soles wine is made from Viognier and  unlike a “late harvest” Viognier should be served at room temperature as opposed to chilled. While late harvests reflect a brighter, sweeter wine with apricots and peaches on the palate, this solera Viognier is a richer, more complex wine with nuts and caramel and a long finish. Red Soles only bottles 40-45 cases of this decadent elixir per year in these really cool bottles brought in from France.

The next morning I was off early for coffee and a goodie at my favorite bakery, Cider Creek. While I was there I made sure to pick up a couple of jars of F.R.O.G. jam - basically a marmalade from figs, raspberries, orange and ginger. I use this in all kinds of recipes, some of which are mentioned in other posts on this blog.

Later that morning I had an appointment to tour the new winery site for Epoch Estate Wines. As fate would have it, this new winery is being built on one of the most historic winery properties in the Paso Robles area. This last summer, owners Bill and Liz Armstrong purchased the York Mountain Winery property off of Highway 46W in Templeton, that was founded by Andrew York  in 1882. They also own and have overseen the restoration of the historic vineyard owned by the philanthropist and musician Ignacy Paderewski, that was dedicated to Zinfandel in the early 1900’s. While restoration of the winery continues, a brand new tasting room has been built and is scheduled to open mid November. Epoch’s inaugural release this last summer was a sell out and received very high ratings. Tasting these wines will be a pleasure as the site is majestic and beautiful, tucked away under towering redwoods in the hills separating Paso Robles from the sea at Cambria.

The road to Epoch Winery

Liz and Bill Arnstrong of Epoch Estate Wines

On my way back down into Paso Robles, I stopped by Jack Creek Farms to look at the incredible myriad of gourds and pumpkins for fall cooking and decoration. Other Fall treats include cider and pumpkin fudge!

Next up on my way down Highway 45 W was a stop at Booker Vineyards. With harvest in full swing and it being the middle of the week, I knew the tasting room would not be open. But a couple of friends of mine made some calls and the lovely Addie Pitts left her position at the sorting table to come out to the tasting room and pour me the line-up of Bookers’s wines.

Addie Pitts of Booker

First wine to try was their 2009 Pink, a heavyweight unfiltered 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah. With baked cherries and strawberry rhubarb in the nose, this wine has a fuller body and more spice, maybe anise, than most blush wines. Always looking for a wine for Mexican food since I ‘m not much of a beer drinker, so I bought a bottle of this one.

After tasting through three wonderful red blends, the last two wines were 100%ers. The 08 Fracture is 100% Syrah aged 24 months in barrel. Lots of aromas and flavors going on in this one including a nose of tobacco, coffee and black fruits, and a palette with hints of chocolate, smoke, cherries and cassis.  The 08 Ripper, a 100% Grenache, also sees 24 months of oak giving it a full body with nice length. Lots of red fruit like strawberries and dark cherries.

Booker is a beautiful winery with a great vibe and wonderful wines. Don’t miss this one on your next visit.

Fracture gets its name from the fractured shale soil it comes from.

A stunning view of Booker's vineyard at harvest time 2010

My short Paso visit ended with a good long lunch to catch up with my dear friend, Melinda Laraneta of Laraneta Vineyards in Templeton. We discussed wine and olives and chestnuts and plans for their new winery. I wish her the best of luck with all the many steps involved even before ground is broken.

The driveway up to the site of Laraneta's new winery.

It takes plenty of perseverance to open a  winery, plant and care for a vineyard and produce and market wine. But how we enjoy the fruits of their labors, and how I do respect and admire the people that choose to do this. Cheers to all of you. And a big thank you to everyone in Paso that made this trip so pleasurable.

I’ll Drink to That!

Last November we had the pleasure of a visit with Denis Degher of Mojo Cellars. After a tour of his estate, (see previous post). we were treated to a tasting of his wines. One was his 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, 100%, made from fruit from Latchford Ranch off of Hwy 46 W. As much as we liked it then, he suggested laying it down for a year, which we did. So with much will power, I resisted the urge to open it until a few days ago. I should mention that during this past year, the wine has won a Gold Medal at the California Mid State Fair and was also named a San Francisco Chronicle Award Winner. And, yes, it was worth the wait to drink! This wine had mellowed and the tannins had softened to a rich, viscous, beautifully balanced blend of yumminess! Chocolate, tobacco, eucalyptus, cedar - all  in there. Enjoyed this with a grilled New York steak with a Dijon glaze and  a mash of potatoes and parsnips on the side.

Domaine Deger 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

I just got back from a whirlwind 24 hour trip to Paso Robles, and I thought I would let you know about some of the interesting people I met there and what they are up to in their wonderful wine country town.

First off, Spring has sprung. The vineyards are awakening from their winter slumber and bud break has occurred. The blue lupine and the yellow wild mustard intermingle,  painting the green rolling hillsides with spectacular color. The apple trees show off with their delicate pink flowers.

Your next glass of Sangiovese?

Apple blossoms at Laraneta

This last week the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce put on their Business Expo, Mission Possible, bringing together many of the local businesses to showcase their services and meet the residents of the city.

I was very happy to finally meet longtime Facebook friend, Dina Mande of Juice Marketing, a company specializing in website, print and video for wineries.  She has recently designed the beautiful new website for Mojo Cellars, a Westside winery owned by Sleepy Guitar Johnson, Denis Degher.

Sleepy Guitar Johnson, Denis Degher of Mojo Wines, performs regularly at Vinoteca Wine Bar in downtown Paso Robles

We walked around the event for about 2 hours, while tasting some wine from Sylvester Winery,  Eberle Winery and Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden. We met the folks from The Paso Robles Inn, La Bellasera Hotel & Suites, Hunter Ranch Golf Course, Taylor Party Rentals and tasted some goodies from the famous Chef Andre of Dining with Andre catering company. I especially enjoyed having a look at some of the wonderful and creative items produced by Marv Kohlman of California Barrel Crafts. He makes furniture, bottle racks and murals all out of recycled wine barrels!

Having walked the entire expo, we were quite hungry and decided a visit to Good Ol’ Burger was in order. For years we have been coming to this place after hours spent tasting the big red wines of Paso. That’s when we are seriously craving meat and this place is conveniently located on 24th Street right off the 101 and at the crossroads between the East and Westside winery areas. They moved into shiny new digs a couple of years ago from their original, shall we say, more “rustic” location, but the food remained the same. Great burgers and the best onion rings, period! Don’t forget the ranch dressing on the side. Just give it up and splurge. Although, for lunch we usually split a cheeseburger and a small order of rings. Plenty, trust me, especially if you’re planning on dinner in town in the evening.

Friends enjoying post wine tasting repast at Good Ol'Burger

Clearly, no longer hungry, it was time to head to town to Vinoteca Wine Bar where we were going to meet up with the popular Matt and Annie of Hoot ‘n Annie’s Blog fame. Vinoteca, located right across the street from the park and within walking distance of many of Paso’s finest restaurants, is the place to stop by after dinner to enjoy a glass of wine and mingle with the locals. Its cozy atmosphere  creates the perfect ambiance for an evening of meeting up with friends, old and new.

Friends at Vinoteca Wine Bar

Friday nights they feature live music, (see Denis above),  and on  Winemaker Wednesday,  one of the local wineries pours flights of their featured wines and can be paired with savory tapas. On the night we were there our friends Melinda and Joe Laraneta of Laraneta Vineyards were pouring their wines and the place was buzzing with activity. We totally enjoyed meeting Matt and Annie, chatting with them about wine, food and their Paso Robles lifestyle. We met many others who call Paso home including Daniel and Corrine Appelbaum, proprietors of Safe Haven Wine Services. These two have figured out the solutions to many of the shipping issues for the wineries themselves and for the consumer, not only increasing cost effectiveness of shipping and storage, but making it “greener” as well. If you’re planning a touring and tasting vacation in the Paso Robles area, give these people a call to find out how easy they can make it to ship your treasures home for you. Cyndee Smolik provides vital services of another nature to the wineries with her Uncorked Compliance Wine Industry Consultants company. She helps them stay on top of all the governmental compliance issues - no small task. It was also fun to meet Ashley Rae Fischer and her mother Becky Zelinsky of First Crush Winemaking Experience. First Crush offers wine lovers the opportunity to try their hand at crafting their own wine through a variety of interactive, wine-related learning experiences. We talked about the possibility of bringing their blending seminar to I’ll Drink to That’s members in the near future as a special event. Sounds like fun!

The next morning we had some errands to run in town so we first stopped at Vic’s Restaurant for a hearty breakfast. Delicious omelets, tender hash browns and tall buttery biscuits were just we needed to get us through the drive ahead of us. Then off to Safe Haven to drop off wine shipping inserts that I had been saving to recycle. Next, the mandatory stop at Cider Creek Bakery to restock on F.R.O.G jam. Fig,raspberry, orange and ginger marmalade, really, a pantry staple in our house. Great all by itself on toast, it is also so good mixed into dressings and marinades, for sauces, on top of a baked brie, and mixed into mashed sweet potatoes, with a little bourbon. We  come up with new ways to use it all the time.

We had only time for one tasting, so we stopped at Kiame Wine Cellars, whose tasting room is in the downtown area. I wanted to pick up a couple bottles of their White Kuvee, Proprietary White Blend, which is a favorite of mine. A delicious blend of 60% Roussanne and 40% Viognier from the Westside Derby Vineyard, this wine has scents of honeysuckle and lemongrass and a minerality component that makes this wine a great change-up from the heavy, oaky Chardonnays. We also picked up a bottle of their 06 R’Own Style Blend, comprised of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 8% Zinfandel and 2% Viognier. Give this one some air to allow the bright strawberry and rhubarb flavors to unfold, finishing with cinnamon spice.

Finally it was time to head home from our short trip, but happy to have met many more of the great people from this wonderful wine making area. See you soon, Paso Robles…..

The hills of Paso Robles are alive with the sound of music.  It seems everywhere you turn there is either a musician orchestrating a wine making venture or a winery treating their patrons to the talents of  local musicians. Jazz, country,  rock and roll and even classical all have a place in this sprawling wine making community.

Just this last weekend Paso Robles played host to the Paderewski Festival with concerts and competitions honoring Ignacy Paderewski, virtuoso pianist and composer from 1879-1941. He purchased land in the Paso Robles area in 1914 and for the next 25 years planted almond trees, fruit orchards and Zinfandel grapes. Friday night  Cass Winery played host to a classical piano recital of Paderewski’s works performed by William Koseluk  and on Saturday welcomed their club members to a “pick-up” party featuring the sounds of “Funk 30″, a local band playing funk, R&B, blues and rock.

Funk 30 playing at Cass Winery pick-up party

Since music has been an integral part of my life, and since I’m always anxious to try new wines, I set out to visit a couple of wineries where music and wine are the perfect pairing.  My first stop was at the D’Anbino Vineyards and Cellars tasting room located in the historic train depot in downtown Paso Robles.

There we were warmly greeted by Joannne Rubino, one of the owners of the winery. Her husband, Carmine Rubino, and his partner John D’Andrea both have had long successful careers in the music recording industry, film and television. The walls of the tasting room, which looks more like a very hip nightclub, are lined with photos and awards including a couple of gleaming Emmys in a glass case.  Career memorabilia also adds character to the space, including a Bay Watch pinball machine and a Roman helmet given to Carmine from HBO as a gift for his work on the series “Rome”.  Most of the family are musicians and when everyone’s schedules line up just right, D’Anbino fans are treated to concerts in the tasting room often paired with their wines and a generous helping of Italian comfort food.

Joanne Rubino at D'Anbino tasting bar

Paying homage to the family’s musical background the bar is embedded with a half  dozen piano soundboards, genius idea of Mike Rubino, a composer working in the Los Angeles area. The large space, comfortably appointed with couches, and some high rise cocktail tables and chairs, is perfect to accommodate the crowds that gather when the family band plays or when they bring in a guest artist. (Check the Events page for their upcoming dates.)

The lineup of wines all feature the D’Anbino family band depicted in a colorful watercolor image on the label. We tried them all, but a few were standouts for us. The Syrah Rose had plenty of rich color to it and good body to go with. Full flavored, this is one of the nicest roses I’ve had in a long time. Four varietals make up Quadraphonic, a juicy wine with Cabernet Sauvignon as the lead grape, accompanied by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and earthy rich Syrah. Wonderful layered finish. Their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, a bronze medal winner, is fruit forward with smoke in the mid-palate and vanilla in the long finish.  For those of you whose favorite wine pairing is port and chocolate, their Cabernet Port is a must. (Pun intended) It is not syrupy or over sweet and is delicious all by itself. Pair it with a chocolate mousse or just some good dark chocolate and you have the perfect ending to a special occasion or holiday meal.  Speaking of entertaining - their Cabernet Wine Jelly is delicious with a little goat cheese on a salty cracker. What wine would you pair with some cool jazz?

What would you pair with “roots and blues”? Something with a little mojo perhaps? Domaine Degher is offering both. Denis Degher started writing songs as a teenager. Attaining  recording and engineering skills was the natural progression and brought Denis  successful careers in the music and recording industries. For the last decade he has been recording under the Sleepy Guitar Johnson moniker, and it is under that name that he performs with his trademark red Gibson in and around Paso Robles  when he is not tending to his new-ish winery located in the north-western part of the area.  Denis, after being bit by the wine-making bug and  with a growing appreciation for wine, decided to purchase land in the rolling hills of Paso Robles to plant his small organic vineyard. There, with his young black lab, Coltrane, Denis  has created a horticultural symphony with the vineyard section accompanied by a colorful ensemble of trees, shrubs, herbs and flowers. To walk the estate with Denis is to truly understand this man’s commitment to heartfelt and intelligent farming.

Denis Degher

By day, Denis is a gracious host, proudly pouring a tasting of his small but impressive lineup of red wines. His 2005 Mojo is my favorite - a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese.This is a lush wine with soft tannins and a wonderful long finish. We also took home a couple bottles of the 2007 Cabernet. Although a little young right now, the beautiful fruit and tannins will clearly meld into a fabulous wine with a little cellaring.

That night, Denis performed at Vinoteca, a cozy popular wine bar located right across from the park in downtown Paso. We met up with some old friends and made some new ones as we sipped one last wine for the evening and listened to the sounds of  Sleepy Guitar Johnson. With roots firmly planted in music and terroir, Mojo is the perfect pairing of wine and music.

Denis Degher at Vinoteca Wine Bar, Paso Robles

Friends share a nightcap at Vinoteca Wine Bar

On the other side of the park from Vinoteca is the tasting room for Vihuela Winery. Vihuela, (also the name for a Spanish Renaissance guitar), offers up some big spicy red wines, one of which is named after the hot and spicy musical group, Incendio. Vihuela’s association with the group inspired this firery Syrah based blend and recommends enjoying this wine with the Incendio cd, a blend of the  exciting sounds of 3 spanish guitars. Incendio wine and Incendio the group - whip up some tapas and it’s a party. Vihuela shares digs with Vivant Fine Cheese, so it’s easy to find all the gourmet goodies needed for an impromptu gathering of friends. Their location also has an inviting patio where patrons can enjoy a glass of wine and cheese plate along with live music, often featured on the weekends.

Cheese selection from Vivant

Music, wine and friends - it’s all there in Paso Robles!

I’ll Drink to That!