SLO County Wineries News

April Frost Damage Coverage in Western Farm Press: "More than half of vineyard acreage in the Paso Robles area was damaged by frosts"

2011-05-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Western Farm Press recently published a detailed report on the April 8 - 10 frost that damaged vineyards throughout the Central Coast, right at bud break, and fried, to a brown crisp, the tender, young buds. The good news is, as of May 8, the "secondary and tertiary buds" mentioned below seem to be doing quite well on the north SLO County vines we observed.

From westernfarmpress.com:

California wine grape growers and vintners are tallying up the damage caused earlier this month when a bitter-cold Alaskan weather front slowly moved through a large chunk of the state’s Central Coast premium wine grape growing area.

Damage is unquestionably extensive in the northern San Luis Obispo and Southern Monterey counties around Paso Robles, Calif., and north to the King City area where tender 2011 crop buds were fried from hours of mid-20 degree temperatures.

Some vineyards may not have a crop to harvest this fall due to the April 8-10 frost.

Vintners and growers from Solano to Santa Barbara counties are assessing the damage. Although the vines may push secondary buds to set a crop, Stacie Jacob, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Alliance, reports growers are estimating the loss could range from 30 percent to 50 percent of the 2011 crop from the area’s 26,000 acres of vineyards.

“Although the magnitude of the frost was widespread and prolonged, it is too soon to tell exactly what the loss will be. It all depends on what the secondary and tertiary buds do from now on,” she noted.

Viticulture consultant Lowell Zelinski of Templeton, Calif., estimates that more than half of vineyard acreage in the Paso Robles area was damaged by frosts.

“15,000 of the 26,000 acres in the area suffered some damage,” said Zelinski. “Right now I would estimate 25 percent of the total acreage suffered a 90 percent crop loss. Losses will be so heavy that it will not pay to harvest some vineyards.”

“I have seen vineyards that look like they have been sprayed with paraquat. Buds are black. It is going to be bad.” Zelinski estimated only about half the vineyards in the Paso Robles area were covered by crop insurance when the frost hit.

Read the entire story at this link.

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New Central Coast food and wine celebration "SUNSET-Savor the Central Coast," Sept 30-Oct 3

2010-09-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Reminder: SLO County discounts on "SUNSET-Savor the Central Coast" main event tickets end on September 20.
Discounts for SLO county residents purchasing main event tickets October 2-3 to the new and very exciting culinary and wine celebration "SUNSET-Savor the Central Coast" end Monday, September 20, 2010.

General admission tickets at a special price of $75 per person, per day are available on a limited first-come basis; $130 for two-day passes.

General admission tickets for the main event at Santa Margarita Ranch are $85 per person, per day ($150 for two-day passes). Tickets for auxiliary activities range from $15 to $185 -- seminars ($15), culinary tours ($50), winery and harvest tours ($50), winemaker dinners ($125) and special events ($25-$185).

Some events are already sold out. These include: Morro Bay Oyster Company and Center of Effort Winery and Vineyards guided tours and lunches on Friday, October 1; Paso Glow and Niner Winery dinners on Saturday, October 2; and Tyler Florence Cooking Demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday, October 2-3. Others, are close to being sold out, so purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment.

To purchase tickets for "SUNSET-Savor the Central Coast," visit savorcentralcoast.com or call 800-768-6653.

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2010 Central Coast Wine Competition Winners at the Mid-State Fair

2010-06-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Paso Robles, California-- The Central Coast Wine Competition was held from June 17-18, 2010 at the Paso Robles Event Center. A total of 527 wines from the Central Coast American Viticulture Area (AVA) as well as Ventura County were entered. The Central Coast AVA encompasses Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties.

Best of Show, Best of White Wine, Best of San Luis Obispo County, and Best of Other White Dry

Vina Robles, Paso Robles 2009 White4 Huerhuero

Best of Red Wine and Best of Italian Red Varieties

Alapay Cellars, Santa Maria 2008 Lagrein, Paso Robles

Best of Dessert Wine and Best Dessert White

Pear Valley, Paso Robles 2009 Orange Muscat

Best of Cabernet Sauvignon

Aron Hill Vineyard, Templeton 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles

Best of Chardonnay

Harmony Cellars, Harmony 2008 Chardonnay, Paso Robles

Best of Fortified Red, Port Style

Paso Port, Templeton 2007 Ruby

Best of Meritage Rhone Blend

Rideau Vineyard, Solvang 2007 Chateau Duplantier, Santa Ynez Valley

Best of Meritage Style Bordeaux

Justin, Paso Robles 2007 Isosceles

Best of Merlot

Rancho Sisquoc, Santa Maria 2007 Merlot, Flood Family Vineyards

Best of Other Red Varietal and Best of Santa Barbara County

William James Cellars, Santa Maria 2007 Grenache, Santa Maria Valley

Best of Petite Sirah

Leprino Vineyards, Paso RObles 2007 Petite Sirah

Best of Pink

San Marcos Creek, Paso Robles 2009 White Estate Merlot

Best of Pinot Grigio

Quail Crossing, Santa Ynez 2008 Pinot Grigio, Santa Ynez Valley

Best of Pinot Noir

Claiborne & Churchill, San Luis Obispo 2008 Pinot NoiR

Best of Rhone Style

Venteux Vineyards, Templeton 2007 PMS

Best of Sauvignon Blanc

Ancient Peaks, Santa Margarita 2009 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles

Best of Spanish Red

Alapay Cellars, Santa Maria 2008 Tempranillo, Paso Robles

Best of Super Tuscan Red

Rancho Sisquoc, Santa Maria 2007Tre-Vini, Flood Family Vineyards

Best of Syrah

Venteux Vineyards, Templeton 2007 Syrah

Best of Viognier

Eberle, Paso Robles 2009 Mill Road Vineyard Viognier

Best of White Rhone

Per Cazo Cellars, Paso Robles 2009 Tres Blanc

Best of Zinfandel and Best of Monterey County

Kenneth Volk, Santa Maria 2007 Zinfandel, Monterey

For the past eight years the Central Coast Wine Competition has continued to grow, showcasing some of the finest wines produced on California’s Central Coast.

This year, major changes occurred, including expansion of growing areas eligible to compete.

The geographical boundaries will be expanded to include all of the Central Coast AVA and Ventura County.

The Central Coast AVA is a large American Viticultural Area that spans from Santa Barbara County in the south to the San Francisco Bay Area in the north. The boundaries of the Central Coast include portions of six counties. With around 100,000 acres planted in wine grapes, the AVA is home to several smaller appellations that share the same cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean.

The other new key component is a ground-breaking, networking solution in the California fair industry that will showcase the winning wineries. The California Mid-State Fair will be partnering with the Santa Barbara County Fair, Monterey County Fair and Ventura County Fair to host the Central Coast Wine Competition.

The Central Coast Wine Competition is the largest wine organized evaluation that recognizes wines produced exclusively from vineyards grown on the Central Coast regions of California.

This event promotes the excellent quality and diversity of commercial wineries and grape growers while recognizing the fastest growing wine regions in California.

The Judging Panels for the 2010 Central Coast Wine Competition will be comprised of wine professionals representing a variety of fields within the wine industry. The selection committee will see that the makeup of the judging includes a distribution of wine industry professionals such as winemakers, winery principals, retail and restaurant wine buyers and sellers, wine journalists, educators, trade professionals, and serious wine collectors.

To qualify for entry in the 2010 Central Coast Wine Competition, 100% of the grapes used to produce the wines must have been harvested within the Central Coast AVA Wine Region or Ventura County.

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Wine Community Contributes more than $45,000 to Local Organizations in 2009

2010-01-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

[From the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance:]

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance contributed more than $45,000 to 14 community organizations in San Luis Obispo County in 2009. A portion of the proceeds ($26,000) were raised at the Zinfandel Festival (March 21, 2009) and Wine Festival (May 16, 2009) auctions and were gifted back to six organizations at the December Membership Meeting on December 15, 2009. These proceeds focus on health, education and community services to the growing workforce and their families. In 2009 the Alliance was also able to donate an additional $19,000 to eight other organizations through in-kind and monetary donations and were honorably mentioned at the December Membership Meeting.

“The Paso Robles Wine community is proud to give back to the population that makes so much of what we do possible,” said Stacie Jacob, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. "To date, the Alliance has been able to contribute over $125,000 to local organizations.” The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance was honored to gift more than $45,000 in proceeds to 14 of the following organizations:

Monetary Donations Gifted on December 15, 2009
Artistic Resources Team, A.R.T. - $2,000
Boys and Girls Club of North San Luis Obispo County - $2,000
Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County- $5,000
La Clinica de Tolosa Dental Clinic - $10,000
Paso Robles Library Foundation - $5,000
Wellness Community – Paso Robles- $2,000

In-Kind and Monetary Donations Gifted Throughout 2009
Boy Scout Troop 60
Heritage Oaks Family Fun Day & Fun Run
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County
California Mid-State Fair Junior Livestock Auction
Paderewski Festival
Paso Robles Pioneer Day
Studios on the Park
Wine Country 1/2 Marathon & 5K Run

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance began its commitment to support the local community that supports the wine industry in 2006 with funds raised at the 14th Annual Zinfandel Festival. For the first time in 2009, the Alliance facilitated a Wine Country Auction during Wine Festival, furthering the Alliance’s dedication to giving dollars back to the community. The Wine Country Auction enriches Zinfandel Festival and Wine Festival by providing a charitable platform to exciting marquee events in wine country. Festival goers are encouraged to bid on wine and lifestyle items that are not available through commercial or retail outlets. Auction lots include signed large format library wines, wine country getaway packages and the annual collaborative blend wine.

Save-the-date for 2010 Wine Country Auctions
18th Annual Zinfandel Festival: March 19 – 21, 2010 - The Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival marquee event puts the fun back in Zinfandel by combining a classic Zin Tasting with a Wine Country Auction on Saturday, March 20, 2010.

28th Annual Wine Festival: May 21 – 23, 2010 – The Wine Festival marquee event is full of exciting surprises including a revamped Wine Country Auction with thrilling auction lots unavailable anywhere else.

Tickets for Zinfandel Festival are now on sale and Wine Festival tickets will be available in February. Both event weekends are filled with individual activities at area wineries.

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance represents wineries, growers and businesses in Paso Robles Wine Country. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country is California’s fastest growing wine region. It encompasses more than 26,000 vineyard acres and more than 180 wineries.

For more information, visit pasowine.com.
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Vineyard Team Nets Environmental Award

2009-11-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

[From NewTimesSlo.com]

After more than 10 years of effort to help local wine-grape growers spray fewer pesticides on their crops, the Central Coast Vineyard Team has won a national award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA representative Cara Peck presented the “Best-of-the-Best” award for Sustained Excellence in Integrated Pest Management to the vineyard team’s executive director, Kris O’Connor, at the Sustainable Ag Expo in San Luis Obispo on Nov. 16.

The Vineyard Team’s new “Sustainability in Practice”—or SIP—certification for local wines was named as one reason for the award.

“Our growers have always worked very hard to push the envelope in terms of pest management,” O’Connor said when accepting the award.

“We’ve been doing research and education for over a decade in this area and have consistently seen positive results.”

—Kathy Johnston

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2009 Harvest Wine Weekend, October 16 - 18, Throughout Paso Robles Wine Country

2009-10-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

Over 130 North SLO County wineries will host more than 150 individual events during "Harvest Wine Weekend," October 16 - 18.

The event celebrates the grape harvest season currently taking place throughout San Luis Obispo County -- a new vintage!

Individual weekend events from select wineries include:

Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles
805.237.3789
clautiere.com
Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Be prepared to add some pizzazz to your life when you visit a tasting room like no other! Think Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at the Moulin Rouge. Enjoy our garden's winding paths decorated with mosaic spheres, cubes, metal sculptures and rock circles!
Saturday: Join us for our famous flame-licked grilled chipotle hamburges served with our new release, 2 Cocky Sisters, complimentary with your tasting from 1 - 4 p.m. mmMMM Scrupdeli-o-cious! While you are here, take advantage of our 2004 Grand Rouge which will be discounted 50% off this weekend only.

Écluse Wines
1520 Kiler Canyon Road, Paso Robles
805.238.4998
eclusewines.com
Weekend Hours: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Écluse may not be familiar to you yet, but we will be! Join us as we open our winery for the rare opportunity to taste our handcrafted award-winning Rhône and Bordeaux-style Écluse Wines. We're showcasing our 2007 wines released this weekend. Be the first to taste our highly anticipated Lock Vineyard Zinfandel/Syrah blend "Improv" - it's fabulous! If you're lucky, you'll find Steve with the wine thief doing some barrel tasting. Experience wine tasting the old fashioned way in the barrel room with the winemaker. No fancy barbecues or events, just great wine. Come savor the wine that is truly Écluse!

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles
805.239.8900
jlohr.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Chef Jeff Jackson from The Range in Santa Margarita will prepare a fantastic five course menu of fresh, seasonal offerings. Seating at 6:30 p.m. $105/pp; $95/Club Members. Reservations required.
Saturday: Club Members and their guests may enjoy a VIP tour and tasting of limited release wines at 10 a.m., 12 and 2 p.m. We'll feature our new J. Lohr Gesture wines. No reservations required.
Sunday: Experience an Olea Farms Olive Oil seminar and tasting paired with a five course Tasting menu prepared by Cahoots Catering. Seating at 11 a.m. $60/pp; $50/Club Members Reservations required.

Jada Vineyard & Winery
5620 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
805.226.4200
jadavineyard.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Jada's Second Annual "Halloween at Harvest" Celebration starts Friday! A nod to the 60s. Hippie attire encouraged. New releases, barrel samples. LLWC members only Pick Up Party 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Prize for most original 60s look and more! Call for reservations.
Saturday & Sunday: Celebrate the 2009 Harvest the Jada Way! "Halloween at Harvest" celebrates the 60s all weekend long. Wear a 60s costume and you will be entered in our contest. Prizes for costume categories - Best 60s get-up and more! New releases, gourmet cheese pairing, live music and chocolates

L'Aventure
2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles
805.227.1588
aventurewine.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Stephan and Beatrice invite you to celebrate our 12th harvest at L'Aventure. Experience some of Paso Robles' most highly rated wines at our winery and tasting room, and learn more about our wines and westside terroir from our staff. Harvest Wine Weekend visitors will also be able to reserve a case of our 2007 estate wines and a wine club membership over the weekend. A vigneron first, Stephan Asseo has produced world-class, artisan, handcrafted wines in Paso Robles since 1998.

Opolo Vineyards
7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
805.238.9593
opolo.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: In between grape stomping, ethnic folk dancing, gypsy serenades and of course fabulous Opolo wines, we will be serving up some of the finest food in North County! Call today! $85/pp; $75/Members.
Saturday: Join the now 17 Far Out Wineries on Saturday morning to taste through what each winery considers to be their best wine. Meet the owners and winemakers. Reservations required. Call 805.237.0138 today!
Saturday & Sunday: Join us on the patio for wine tasting and our famous authentic, south-of-the border, carne asada tacos, carnitas and whole roasted lamb. Lunch $12/pp and tasting $5/pp. Both are complimentary for members

2009 Harvest: Yield "Up," Quality "Incredible"

From an article in Pacific Coast Business Times:

Unlike last year, when temperatures fluctuated drastically throughout the growing season, this year was mild and temperate, Fred Holloway, winemaker at Justin Vineyard & Winery in Paso Robles said. “The quality of these grapes is going to be very intense,” he said. “They’re going to be very flavorful.”
Just down the road at Firestone Vineyard, now part of the Foley Family Wines group, winemaker Paul Warson agreed that the grapes are some of the best he’s seen in recent years. “I’m expecting good things from this year,” he said.
In Santa Barbara County, Pinot Grigio grapes are flooding in, said Shayne Kline, general manager at Wild Horse Winery & Vineyeards in Templeton, while his part of the region is enjoying a bit of a later harvest. Wild Horse gets grapes from both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo county vineyards.
“There really is a lot of excitement this time of year for everyone,” Kline said – and not just for busy winemakers, but for visitors who often schedule late-summer trips around harvest time.
Chris Taranto, communications manager of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, a member organization for the region’s wineries and vineyards, said that he’s been hearing good things from his part of the wine world.
“All accounts at this point in time are that it’s up from last year,” Taranto said. “And the quality is also showing to be incredible this year.”

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2009 Growing Season: So Far, "Just About Perfect"

2009-08-19T15:28:00.001-07:00

From Talley Vineyards' great "Winegrower's Log":

Our growing season has been just about perfect this year with foggy mornings and daily high temperatures in the mid 70s. In Arroyo Grande, we’ve been spared the excessive heat that others have felt over the past couple of weeks, and this has allowed our crop to develop under ideal conditions with very little stress on the vines. We had some unseasonable rain in June that gave us enough moisture for some late season tillage to open the soil and expose the vine roots to more air. The crop size looks to be slightly above average, which is a relief after the short years of 2007 and 2008. Though it’s hard to make any definitive statements about quality until we get the grapes into the winery, things look good with a nice balance between crop level and canopy, very little mildew and no noticeable botrytis.

Vineyard Manager Kevin Wilkinson predicts that harvest will begin sometime during the week of August 24.

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Mid-State Fair Celebrates Local Wine Industry

2009-07-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

The California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles kicks-off its annual celebration of the SLO County wine industry this month with a professionally judged competition and a grandstand concert.

On July 16, the Fair will host its Wine Industry Awards Party, the culmination of the 2009 California Mid-State Fair Central Coast Wine Competition held on June 16.

According to organizers, "The Central Coast Wine Competition is the largest wine evaluation event that recognizes wines produced exclusively from vinifera grown on the Central Coast regions of California."

This event promotes the excellent quality and diversity of commercial wineries and grape growers while recognizing the fastest growing wine regions in California.

In 2003, the California Mid-State Fair presented its first-ever commercial wine competition, the Golden Spur Syrah Challenge, with fifty-three wineries submitting over seventy wines for judging. Today the competition has evolved to represent over 600 entries.

Wines will be considered for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in their respective classes as well as “Best of Class”, Best White & Red and “Best of Show.” “Best of Class” awards will be awarded to one wine from among the gold medal winners in each category. Best of Show is awarded to one wine recognized to possess special characteristics of the highest quality overall.

The objectives of the Central Coast Wine Competition are:

To offer a venue for California Central Coast wines to be professionally judged.

Provide information to wine consumers about the quality and style of wines that are currently being produced in the Central Coast area.

Help with the exposure of unknown or unrecognized wineries to the wine consumer (over 380,000 visitors attend the California Mid-State Fair).

Encourage competition between winemakers to improve quality practices throughout the wine regions of the Central Coast.

Expand the general knowledge and awareness of accomplished wineries in the Central Coast regions.

Provide an opportunity for the California Mid-State Fair to recognize the presence of the wine industry as an integral agricultural component of the community.

The Judging Panels for the 2009 California Mid-State Fair Central Coast Wine Competition will be comprised of wine professionals representing a variety of fields within the wine industry.

For a list of the judges for this year's competition, click here

To see the results of last year's competition, click here

The Wine Industry Awards Party will take place at the SLO Agriculture & Wine Plaza, in the Mid-State Fairgrounds.

The celebration continues on Friday, July 31 with An Evening of Music & Wine at the California Mid-State Fair, featuring platinum-selling artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host, and instrumental music advocate Dave Koz performing with Brian Culbertson, with Peabo Bryson. An awards ceremony for, among other categories, "Wine Industry Person of the Year," adds to the fun.

In a career spanning nearly two decades, Dave Koz has established himself as a platinum-selling artist. In 2007, he released two chart-topping collections of standards. At The Movies, his lush, romantic celebration of timeless melodies from cinema, spent eight weeks atop Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz chart and was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Pop Instrumental Album” category. It features special guest performances by India Arie, Anita Baker, Chris Botti, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Donna Summer, and Vanessa Williams.

The album also includes several stunning instrumentals, including Koz’s moving rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” which received a Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Instrumental Performance.”

Brian Culbertson is a keyboardist, trombonist, writer, arranger, producer and one of the most exciting live performing instrumentalist on the scene today.

Culbertson has worked with some of the greatest names in funk, including Maceo Parker & Fred Wesley (from James Brown's JB’s band), William "Bootsy" Collins and Phelps "Catfish" Collins plus members of the Rubber Band and the Horny Horns (all out of Parliament-Funkadelic), Larry Graham (of Sly & The Family Stone and his own Graham Central Station), Larry Dunn and Sheldon Reynolds (of Earth Wind & Fire), Greg Adams (from Tower of Power), and Tony Maiden and Bobby Watson (of Rufus).

Click here to go directly to the ticket page for An Evening of Music & Wine.

Win FREE Tickets!

Enter to win a pair of tickets to this year's An Evening of Music & Wine at SloCountyWineries.com. The deadline to enter is July 20, and the random drawing will take place on July 21, the day before the Fair begins! For more details, and to enter to win, stop by the front page of SloCountyWineries.com. Good luck!

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27th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival This Weekend: May 15 - 17

2009-05-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Although the "marquee" event for the annual Paso Robles Wine Festival happens on Saturday, May 16, when more than 90 wineries gather to pour their best in the quaint Paso Robles Downtown City Park, SLO County locals know that, arguably, the best part of the weekend is Sunday, when area wineries fire up their barbecues, and throw open their tasting room doors (even wider than usual).

From one tasting venue to another, along the beautiful back roads of the Paso Robles/Templeton wine country, the festive, sun-drenched parties are seemingly everywhere on "Wine Fest Sunday."

Here's what just a few wineries have in store this weekend:

Clautiere Vineyard
- Friday: Join us for a casual paella dinner paired with our new release, 2004 Grand Rouge, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. $25/pp; complimentary/members. We'll be offering 50% off this estate blend all weekend!
- Sunday: Join us for our famous flame-licked chipotle burgers served with our 2004 Syrah, complimentary with your tasting from 1 - 4 p.m. mmMMM Scrumpdeli-o-cious!
[1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles, 237-3789, Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m., clautiere.com]

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
- Friday: Last year was so much fun we're doing it again! We'll rock and roll to the sounds of The House Red Band while enjoying Cahoots delicious barbecue. 6 - 8 p.m. $55/pp; $45/Club. Reservations required.
- Saturday: Join us at the Park or at the Wine Center where Club Members may tour our facility at 10 a.m., 12 or 2 p.m., then enjoy a VIP tasting of our limited and pre-release wines. No reservations needed.
- Sunday: Want to play Winemaker for the Day? Then our blending session conducted by J. Lohr winemaker Steve Peck is for you! We'll start with brunch at 10 a.m. $55/pp; $45/Club. Reservations required.
[6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles, 239-8900, Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p. m., jlohr.com]

Jada
- Friday: We're celebrating our one year anniversary Italian style with new releases, appetizers and barrel samples. For LLWC members only. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Reception with live band, Italian appetizers, great wines and surprises!
- Saturday: Our one year anniversary celebration continues with a salute to Jack's Italian heritage. Italian appetizers, new releases, barrel samples, chocolates, music and more! $15/pp; $10/LLWC members.
- Sunday: Last day to celebrate Jada's one year anniversary with us. Jada wines paired with yummy Italian appetizers, new releases, barrel samples, music, fun staff and more! $15/pp; $10/LLWC members.
[5620 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles, 226-4200, Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., jadavineyard.com]

L'Aventure Winery
- Friday - Sunday: Please join us for an open house tasting of our new 2007 vintage estate wine releases. L'Aventure Estate Cuvée, Cabernet Sauvignon and Estate Roussanne are handcrafted wines, made in a family cottage winery setting. Limited quantities of each will be for sale at the winery.
- Saturday: Winemaker dinner where Stephan Asseo will present and discuss his 2007 vintage estate wines and speak about the vintage at Paso's new Thomas Hill Organics. Chef Antanas Sadunas will craft small plates to accompany each wine. Please call 805.239.3415 to reserve. $120/pp; $100/Wine Club members. Limit 50.
[2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles, 227-1588, Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., aventurewine.com]

Martin & Weyrich Winery
- Friday: Traditional Italian feast at beautiful Villa Toscana. Live entertainment, appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, dessert and Martin & Weyrich Italian varietals. 6:30 p.m. $60/pp; $50/Wine Club. Reservations required.
- Saturday: Your favorite concert venue is back at Martin & Weyrich's Vineyard Amphitheater! Featuring Guitars & Saxes, $40/pp; $35/Wine Club. Barbecue and wine additional. Gates open 6 p.m. Concert 7:30 p.m. Call for tickets.
- Sunday: Stop by our tasting room to enjoy premium Italian wines and the famous Weyrich Family barbecue! Great case specials, barrel samples and more. Browse our Italian Marketplace or have a picnic on our patio!
[2610 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles, 238-2520, Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., martinweyrich.com]

Opolo Vineyards
- Friday: Join us on top of the world at our gorgeous westside vineyard for an incredible, multiple course dinner paired with delicious Opolo wines. $110/pp; $90/Wine Club. Call to make your reservations today.
- Saturday & Sunday: While everybody (including Opolo's David Nichols) is at the Park, we'll be holding a party of our own out on the tasting room patio. Enjoy carne asada and carnitas tacos, whole roasted lamb, beans, salad and all the fixings!! $10/pp; complimentary/Wine Club. No reservations required.
[7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles, 238-9593, Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., opolo.com]

Rio Seco Vineyard & Winery
- Friday - Sunday: Get your vibes here at Rio Seco where fine wines and friendly people make your visit to wine country memorable! Talking wine, food, and baseball - no politics or religion allowed! Tom's famous smoked olives and barbecued munchies along with great discounts and super sales all weekend! Welcome to our world!
- Sunday: Serving the best of the Wild Boar barbecue with all the fixin's! 1 - 4 p.m. $20/pp; $15/Club Rio. Great music by one of Paso's favorite bands "Sideroads!" New releases and lots of fun! See you at the barebcue pit!
[4295 Union Road, Paso Robles, 237-8884, Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., riosecowine.com]

For more information on the Paso Robles Wine Festival, visit pasowine.com

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SloCountyWineries.com Newsletter -- April, 2009

2009-04-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

Two Great Events, both in Beautiful Santa Margarita, Mark April's Calendar

The Earth Day Food & Wine Festival: According to organizers, The Earth Day Food & Wine Festival is a collaboration of over 100 purveyors of award-winning foods and wines plus exhibitors highlighting innovative products and services. Local chefs and farmers will be serving delicious one-of-a-kind dishes based on locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, olive oils, and more.

This event will be held on Saturday, April 18, at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, and provides an opportunity for visitors to enjoy unlimited samples of local cuisine, while meeting the growers who produce great wines and foods, and nurture a healthy environment.

Complimenting the great food, wine, and exhibits will be live entertainment and dancing, a silent auction, a commemorative wine glass, and a tote filled with earth-friendly products.

The Earth Day Food & Wine Festival is a zero-waste event, and is a benefit event to support farmworker outreach and sustainable ag research conducted by the Central Coast Vineyard Team.

The Seventh Annual Cal Poly Wine Festival takes place on Saturday, April 25th.

The event is also held at the Santa Margarita Ranch, however, unlike The Earth Day Food & Wine Festival, which will be held at the area of the ranch between Santa Margarita and Highway 101, the Cal Poly Wine Festival is held in one of the ranch's vineyards off Pozo Road, about three miles east of town.

Among the many local wineries that will be pouring are:

J. Lohr Winery

Jada Vineyard

Talley Vineyards

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And Speaking of Cal Poly and Wine...

From a recent story in the Mustang Daily, "an increasing number of wine connoisseurs have found their niche in Cal Poly's wine and viticulture major," and that, "wine is popular amongst students..."

According to the article, Wine and Viticulture officially became a degree program spring quarter of 2004, although it had been evolving through Cal Poly's viticulture program for 20 years. The major was developed in response to a growing wine industry, particularly in the Central Coast.

Students enrolled in the wine and viticulture program learn about all aspects of the wine industry. It is a major that has high student interest and currently has 300 students enrolled.

---

2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Award-Winning Wines

Caliza Winery of Paso Robles recently took home Best of Class award in the syrah category and the Sweepstakes Award for Best Red Wine overall in The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

According to organizers, the wine competition is America’s largest, with more than 4,000 entries from around the world.

Caliza Winery is a boutique family winery specializing in small lots of red and white Rhône-style wines.
The winery has two vineyards totaling 20 acres.

To read a "Recap of the 2009 Wine Judging," click over to Michael Haran's Notes From The Back Room, where he writes:

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Sales of Red Blends Up

Nationwide, sales of red blends are up approximately 110 percent over the past four years, according to Information Resources, which tracks U.S. wine sales. The figures show especially explosive growth under $20.

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"A Toast To Paderewski"

The Paderewski Festival and the Back Roads Wineries of Paso Robles present "A Toast to Paderewski," Saturday, April 25, 6-9:30 p.m. at the Pear Valley Winery, 4900 Union Road, Paso Robles.

The chamber music concert and wine tasting event will feature pianist Marek Zebrowski, a Steinway artist and director of the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.

Polish appetizers created by Cass Winery Chef Jacob will include Waffled Potato Crisps with a Smoked Herring Mousse, Traditional Gwumpke with a Modern Twist, Kielbasa Wrapped in Puff Pastry and Served with Whole Grain Mustard, Borscht Soup Shots, Bacon Wrapped Prunes and Perogi.

Proceeds of the event will benefit the Paderewski Festival Cultural Exchange Program with Poland. Selected winners of the 2008 Youth Piano Competition will be invited to participate in a workshop and festival in Tarnow, Poland in June 2009. The cities of Paso Robles and Tarnow signed a sister city agreement in November 2008 to explore cultural and business opportunities.

Tickets info at paderewskifest.com.

The Paderewski Festival is a non-profit organization that sponsors the annual festival and youth competition in Paso Robles. The 2009 Paderewski Festival will be held November 12th-15th, with the Paderewski Festival Youth Winners' Concert & Gala Concert on Saturday, November 14th at the Paso Robles Inn.

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Bud Break Update!

Finally, in our March newsletter, we wrote, "for the next couple months (until the danger of frost is past... hopefully!), SLO County Wineries News will keep an eye on the local weather, and report in upcoming newsletters on any frost episodes that occur in the spring of 2009... should be interesting to watch."

Well, it turns out, there's an interesting update. On April 2-3, there was an overnight frost in parts of North SLO County, and that quick, relatively mild frost event did do some damage to the test vine outside the offices of SloCountyWineries.com (see photo).

It was nothing like the hard freeze event in May of '08, but this month's quick frost did kill about five, tender, young bunches on just that one vine.

We'll continue to monitor the freeze/bud-break situation, and report back next month.

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[Also on tap for next month: The Paso Robles Wine Festival weekend, May 15 - 17.]

SloCountyWineries.com Newsletter -- March, 2009

2009-03-11T09:28:00.001-07:00

Spring's "Bud Break" Means Nervous Time in Potentially Frosty SLO County Vineyards

Late March, when the first, tender (and, therefore, vulnerable) shoots appear on local grape vines, is also when central coast grape growers pay (even closer) atention to the themometer. Spring's annual miracle -- the "bud break" -- is nervous time in local vineyards, due to San Luis Obispo County's annoying little habit of seeing a hard freeze, late in the season.

Last year, one, quick, two-day freeze in May, when tiny, and vulnerable, grape bunches had already appeared on the vine, would turn many of those tiny grape bunches brown.

According to an article in the Lompoc Record involving the 2008 harvest:

Curt Schalchlin, who gets most of his grapes from the Santa Rita Hills near Lompoc and Westside Paso Robles, said he’s heard some growers are 40 percent short of their estimated yield.

“It probably has a lot to do with the early (spring) frost — the plants kind of had to regroup,” said Schalchlin.

For the next couple months (until the danger of frost is past... hopefully!), SLO County Wineries News will keep an eye on the local weather, and report in upcoming newsletters on any frost episodes that occur in the spring of 2009... should be interesting to watch. The impact that one, quick, late frost can have on an entire vintage, months later, is dramatic.

And, speaking of "bud break" and cold weather...

Here's a nice, little piece titled, "Bud Break at a California Winery," from Joanie Hudson's wine blog:

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Here's how some other grape growers deal with a possible spring frost:

"To prevent frost damage to the tender, new shoots, mow grass cover crops between the vines, leaving a "blanket" on the ground."

"If the nighttime temperatures threaten to drop below freezing, some vineyards workers spend the night tending to overhead sprinklers. As the water emitted by the sprinklers freezes and thaws, heat is created. The ice that forms around the buds serves to insulate and protect them."

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Paso's J. Lohr Turns Three Acres Over to Solar Power

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines unveiled the largest solar tracking array in the North American wine industry on Wednesday at its Paso Robles winery.

The ground-mounted installation is made up of 4,320 single-axis solar modules that track the Sun to optimize production of solar power. Covering three acres, the 756 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system is designed to offset 75 percent of the winery's energy usage

"With numerous sunny days, Paso Robles isn't just ideal for producing rich and flavorful Bordeaux and Rhône-style wines," said Steve Lohr, senior vice president of planning and development with J. Lohr. "It is also perfect for producing clean, renewable energy."

"Owning our own solar tracking array is another important step in our commitment to environmentally-conscious practices," said Lohr. "In our own way, we are working to protect the very climate that nurtures our grapes, while contributing to efforts that reduce the need for drilling off our spectacular coast," he said.

The energy generated from J. Lohr's system will reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by 29,887 tons over 25 years, the company estimates.

Tracking solar array is planted amidst the grape vines at J. Lohr's Paso Robles winery.

The new solar array is part of the company's broader program of sustainable winegrowing and winemaking techniques. Lohr uses organic soil amendments, limits its use of chemicals, controls erosion, conserves water, and practices composting and materials recycling.

Allison Jordan, executive director for the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, said the company is helping the entire California wine industry to make operations easier on the environment.

"J. Lohr has an impressive track record of environmental responsibility, and by both adopting sustainable practices and being willing to share its experience with others, is helping to expand the California wine industry's widespread sustainability movement," she said.

The tracking solar system was designed and installed by Conergy, which is involved in one in 10 of the world's solar photovoltaic projects.

"By investing in this bellwether system, J. Lohr becomes more energy independent and will enjoy more predictable energy costs for decades to come," he said.

Founded more than 30 years ago by Jerry Lohr, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines operates 3,000 acres of estate vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey County, and the Napa Valley.

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Hi Ho Silver... Paso Robles based, "The Rhone Rangers," Educate the public on Rhône Varietal Wines

Join graperadio.com in their podcast of a seminar held February 23rd, 2009, during the Paso Robles chapter’s 2nd annual Paso Robles Rhone Rangers Experience.

Click here to listen to this interesting podcast.

One commenter that had listened to the show wrote, "As an amateur winemaker, the information on a panel discussion like this is invaluable. I’ve given it 3 listens already and need to write down notes for this coming harvest."

The seminar includes some of the leading winemakers and vitculturalists in the world of Rhône varietals, including local winemakers:

• Adelaida Cellars, Terry Culton (Winemaker): 2007 Viognier
• Anglim Winery, Steve Anglim (Owner/Winemaker): 2006 Roussanne
• Calcareous Vineyards, Damian Grindley (Winemaker): 2007 Viognier, Marsanne
• Halter Ranch, Bill Sheffer (Winemaker): 2008 Rosé
• Terry Hoage Vineyards, Terry Hoage (Owner/Winemaker): 2006 “Skins” - Grenache, Syrah
• Villa Creek Winery, Cris Cherry (Owner/Winemaker): 2006 “Vulture’s Post” - GSM Blend
• Austin Hope Winery, Austin Hope (Owner/Winemaker): 2005 Syrah
• Edward Sellers, Amy Butler (Winemaker): 2005 Cuvee des Cinq - Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise & Cinsault

What constitutes a Rhône varietal wine? Well, 75% of the wine’s content must include one or more of the traditional Rhône grape varieties as approved by the French government for the wines of the Côtes du Rhône. In France’s Rhône Valley, there are 22 grape varieties including the better-known Syrah and Viognier, to the “up and coming” Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Roussanne, to the obscure Counoise, Bourboulenc and Picpoul.

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Wine Q & A With the San Diego Union

The San Diego Union Tribune has put together a fun, and extensive "Question and Answer" page on their web site, as part of their Wine Guide.

Here's the link:

http://wine.signonsandiego.com/pages/qanda.php?QAID=41

And when we say "extensive," we mean extensive.

Here's a tiny sample:

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Reminder: Zin Fest, March 20 - 22

Finally, as SLO County Wineries News mentioned last month, the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival happens later this month.

Individual winery events include:

Clautiere Vineyard
Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Be prepared to add some pizzazz to your life when you visit a tasting room like no other! Think Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at the Moulin Rouge. Enjoy our garden's winding paths decorated with mosaic spheres, cubes, metal sculptures and rock circles!
Saturday: Join us for our famous grilled chipotle hamburgers served with our 2004 Syrah, complimentary with your tasting from 1 - 4 p.m. mmMMM Scrumpdeli-o-cious! While you're here taste our new release 2007 Roussanne and take advantage of our 2004 Syrah which will be discounted 50% for this weekend only.
[clautiere.com, 1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles, 805.237.3789]

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Weekend Guest Chef Charlie will prepare a delicious assortment of appetizers paired with our best estate varietals at 6:30 p.m. $45/pp; $35/Club members. Reservations required.
Saturday: All weekend we will feature several new releases as well as a sneak preview of our new "tasting room only" wines. VIP tour and tasting for Club members at 10 a.m., 12 and 2 p.m. No reservations required.
Sunday: Let Chef Charlie tantalize your taste buds with a food and wine pairing beginning at 11 a.m., followed by a VIP tour and barrel tasting. $60/pp; $50/Club members. Reservations required.
[jlohr.com, 6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles, 805.239.8900]

Jada Vineyard
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Come celebrate with us Jada's first Zinfandel Festival weekend. We're releasing our 2006 vintage and they're tasting yummy! Cheese pairing to complement our wine, plus chocolates galore! Enjoy barrel samples too!
Saturday: Big Chili Cook-Off all weekend! Different styles of chili paired with Jada wines for your tasting pleasure. Vote for your favorite chili. Enjoy special barrel samples. Tours offered. Reservations required.
Sunday: The Big Chili Cook-Off continues with cheese and wine pairings to boot! Barrel samples offered and tours by reservation. Come enjoy our wines, ambience, great customer service and beautiful views.
[jadavineyard.com, 5620 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles, 805.226.4200]

L'Aventure Winery
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Stephan and family welcome you to visit the winery and enjoy his artisan, handcrafted "Paso blends" Optimus and Estate Cuvée. A vigneron first, Stephan focuses his energy on his high-density planted, low yielding vineyard. As if tending a rose garden, he cares for each vine separately, coaxing just eight clusters on average from each, the result of exhaustive shoot thinning and cluster dropping. In the winery, non-intervention is key to retaining the character produced in the vineyard. Come and let him tell you his story over a glass of wine!
[aventurewine.com, 2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles, 805.227.1588]

Opolo Vineyards
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Join us for our 8th Annual Zinfandel Winemaker's Dinner. Enjoy four incredible courses paired beautifully with some of Opolo's best. This event sells out every year, so call today.
Saturday & Sunday: What goes best with an Opolo wine tasting? A barbecue, that's what! Stop by the tasting room and enjoy whole roasted lamb, spicy tacos, beans, salad and much, much more. Lunch $10/pp. Wine tasting $5/pp.
Saturday: Join 16 Far Out Wineries on a unique "Walkabout Zin Tasting" in the caves at JUSTIN Winery. Meet the "Makers," attend breakout seminars, enjoy appetizers and more! 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. $55/pp. 805.237.0138 for more information and reservations.
[opolo.com, 7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles, 805.238.9593]

Pozo Valley Vineyards
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Escape the crowds and come down to Santa Margarita to taste our award-winning Zinfandels paired with hors d'oeuvres, along with many other wines Pozo Valley has to offer. Meet the family and hear our story behind this limited production winery. Our Downtown tasting room is only 1.5 miles off of Highway 101 - take the Santa Margarita exit. Complimentary tasting and wine discounts all weekend.
[pozovalley.com, 22202 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita, 805.438.3375]

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SloCountyWineries.com Newsletter -- February, 2009

2009-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Make Planz Now for Paso's Zin Fest in March

As Spring approaches, it's time to start making plans for SLO County's annual tribute to the "classic American wine grape" -- Zinfandel.

More than 100 wineries will host an array of special events throughout Paso Robles Wine Country during the Zinfandel Festival weekend, March 20 – 22. Weekend festivities include, winemaker dinners, food pairings, seminars, open houses and special tastings.

According to Wikipedia, "Certain California regions are regarded as 'exceptional' for Zinfandel, each with identifiable flavor characteristics. San Luis Obispo, particularly the Paso Robles AVA with its hot days and cool maritime evenings, produces Zinfandel known for being soft and round."

Saturday's "Grand Tasting" takes place from 7 - 9:30 at the Paso Robles Event Center (aka: the Mid-State Fairgrounds), 2198 Riverside Avenue, Paso Robles.

New in 2009 is the addition of "RESERVE," featuring the region’s best Zinfandels, held on the eve of Zinfandel Festival.

The Wine Country Auction held on Saturday features packages only available on the auction block. Directly following the auction is the Grand Tasting, featuring selections of Zinfandel and Zinfandel blends from more than 40 Paso Robles producers. Local chefs preparing cuisine to pair with, of course, Zin, completes the Festival experience.

Click here for tickets.

Individual events include:

And... think SLO County is the only place with "Zin-atics?" Think again.

Check out this article, where the Merced Sun writes about the "more than 275 wineries pouring more than 550 samples of just one grape variety in a single day," at the 18th annual Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) Festival in San Francisco, on January 31.

According to ZAP officials, more than 10,000 people were in attendance.

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J. Lohr, Finalist in Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "American Winery of the Year"

J. Lohr was one of only five finalists in Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "American Winery of the Year" for 2008, with the top award eventually going to Korbel Champagne Cellars.

Only five producers were nominated for American Winery of the Year in 2008. Joining J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, and Korbel as nominees were Rodney Strong Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards and Sineann.

"Each of the nominees was worthy of this award; the caliber of excellence represented by this group shows how competitive the American wine industry has become," commented Gary Heck, Korbel President and Owner, at the 9th Annual Wine Star Awards gala dinner, held January 26th in New York City.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine created the annual Wine Star Awards to recognize leaders in the crafting, marketing and distribution of wine and spirits worldwide, and highlight achievements of the past year.

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Flying Like An Eagle: Stephen Miller (and Family) Honored as the 2008 Wine Industry Person of the Year

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance honored Stephen Miller and Family as the 2008 Wine Industry Person of the Year during the organization’s 17th annual Gala held January 30, at the Park Ballroom in downtown Paso Robles.

Miller, along with his late brother Bob, began their vision for the Central Coast wine industry in the early 70s. From growing world-class grapes at French Camp Vineyards to establishing Paso Robles Wine Services, a full service processing facility, the Miller Family champions the Paso Robles American Viticulture Area (AVA) working with more than 150 brands.

The Miller Family vision for the region began in the late 60s with the purchase of the Camatta Ranch and the decision to plant wine grapes in the early 70s. French Camp Vineyard is home to more than 1,700 vineyard acres and 30 different varietals. The client list for the vineyard extends to more than 75 wine brands with 20 vineyard designated French Camp wines.

Paso Robles Wine Services was created in 2002. Home to more than 40 wineries, the full service facility also offers case good storage, barrel storage and vendors located onsite who offer direct-to-consumer shipping, trucking and sensory/laboratory services.

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Talley's "Winegrower's Log" Adds Video

Since mentioning Talley Vineyards' interesting on-line "Winegrowers Log" here last month, they have already advanced their technology, and added videos of their work in the vineyard.

The first two installments, at this link, include, "Pruning chardonnay at Talley Vineyards," and, "Pruning pinot noir at Talley Vineyards," where Brian Talley, and Vineyard Manager, Kevin Wilkinson (pictured, with Winemaker Leslie Mead), discuss and demonstrate the pruning techniques they use for the vines.

- - -

Grape Supply and Demand Near Balance

Despite recent economic news, the outlook for the state's wine and grape sector remains fairly sunny, according to speakers at the annual Unified Wine and Grape Symposium.

About 12,000 people attended the annual symposium last week in Sacramento, many packing the session on the "State of the Industry," for analysis of sales and the market outlook for 2009.

According to reports, the take-home message for winegrape growers is that supply and demand are roughly in balance, and with a 2008 crush estimated at about 2.8 million tons, there may be a slight supply shortfall going into the next crop year.

And, in other economic news related to California's wine industry: The effort to balance California's $41 billion budget deficit finds itself in wine country.

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed raising the state's excise tax on wine. Currently, Californians pay 4 cents per 750 milliliter bottle. But if the governor has his way, the cost could jump to nearly 30 cents for that same size bottle.

The idea has many in the industry concerned.

"To target a specific industry, especially an industry that's growing and thriving, one of the leading industries -- and to target an agricultural industry? I think is just not the approach to go," said Stacie Jacob, spokesperson for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

According to reports, the wine industry in San Luis Obispo County alone contributes $1.8 billion into the economy and employs 8,000 people.

Jacob adds that a tax like the one the governor is proposing would hurt the wine industry on the Central Coast.

"It really is one of the largest thriving industries in our area, and to have a tax like this is really one of those threats that could be detrimental to the industry," says Jacob.

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60 Minutes... and Counting!

Finally, in case you missed it, last month, 60 Minutes' Morley Safer did a great story on how scientists have found a substance in red wine that is slowing down the aging process in mice. Will it someday lengthen the lives of humans, too? Morley Safer reports at this link.

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SloCountyWineries.com Newsletter -- January, 2009

2009-01-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first of what will be a monthly series of fun and informative newsletters, quickly highlighting stories and events involving the local San Luis Obispo County wine industry.

Talley's "Winegrower's Log" Keeps Readers Informed on Vineyard Conditions Year-Round

One of our favorite local web features is the "Winegrower's Log" over at TalleyVineyards.com

According to the site, "The Winegrower's Log comments are from Brian Talley, Winemaker Leslie Mead, and Vineyard Manager Kevin Wilkinson about things happening here at the winery, in our Arroyo Grande Valley and Edna Valley vineyards, and in the vineyards around San Luis Obispo County, Monterey County and Santa Barbara County where grapes for Bishop's Peak wines are grown."

Here's a sample from the '08 harvest:

October 3, 2008
"We’re now wrapping up the 7th week of harvest with a big push to get everything in before the rain that’s predicted for tomorrow. We finished harvesting pinot noir yesterday. Our crews started at 3AM today with the goal to pick as much chardonnay as possible in our Edna and Arroyo Grande Valley Vineyards. After today, all of the East Rincon and Rosemary’s Vineyards will have been harvested. We’ll still have a bit of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and riesling remaining in both the West Rincon and Oliver’s Vineyards. All of our cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc are still on the vine in Hazel’s Vineyard, but these thick skinned varieties generally fare well in the rain.

Overall quality looks very good this year with good flavor and high acidity. Pinot noir yields are below average for the third straight year, but the chardonnay crop is the best since 2005."

Paso's J. Lohr on NPR's "Fresh Air"

NPR's "Fresh Air" recently featured Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. The two are also the authors of several books, including Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion.

The program, titled, 'Tastings' Columnists On What To Drink Now, discussed, among other things, "the right wine for the right price."

According to the Fresh Air web site, "California has long been a reliable source of good wine, and Gaiter and Brecher have been fond lately of wines from the Bogle, Kunde and J. Lohr wineries."

You can hear/read Fresh Air's, 'Tastings' Columnists On What To Drink Now, at this link.

L’Aventure's Impromptu Rave Review

It's fun to stumble onto some quirky notes that a visitor to SLO County's wine regions left on a message board.

Take this clip from, "Quick Paso Robles Westside Trip Report," on the writer's L’Aventure experience:

"After a stop to buy yet another styro cooler (girlfriend starting to shake head) we stopped by the mad Frenchman Stephan Asseo’s winery, L’Aventure. Stephan left France years ago when blends he wanted to try were forbidden by AOC laws. Eventually settling in Paso, many of his wines have received some heavy praise. I’ve heard the tasting room only pours a few wines at time, but I think that’s just because they sell out pretty... quick. We visited at an opportune time, and tasted through everything. What struck me here was the balance. I think these were among the most balanced wines we had during our trip and wish I had brought more home. The highlight here for me was the 2006 Estate Cuvee – A blend of Syrah, Cabernet, and Petit Verdot. I lost my written notes for all the wines we tasted here, but from what I remember it was amazing."

Gourmet Fare Offered Daily at Cass Winery's Cafe

Cass Winery is one of the few wineries in SLO County with a café that’s open daily.

“We decided to experiment to see if people would be interested since we are quite a ways out on the wine country trail,” owner, Steve Cass, told New Times.

Here's the Winter Menu:

Thomas Hill Farms Mixed Greens

House Baked Demi Loaf

Warm Spinach Salad

The Cass Crab Cakes

Tri Tip Panini

Seared Ahi

Truffle Pizza

Chocolate Truffles

Entrée menu items range from $10-15, and are prepared by their house chef, Brandon McPartland. No reservations required. Café is open daily 12-4 p.m.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH -- CC Polo Club at Clautiere Winery

The Central Coast Polo Club "Wigs Out" at the famous Clautiere Winery tasting room.

When you stop by Clautiere's "Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at the Moulin Rouge" tasting room (highly recommended -- great fun!), be sure to also check out Claudine (the "Clau" in "Clautiere") Blackwell's beautiful ironwork on display throughout the winery.

The girl can weld!

J & L Wines Adds More Solar Power

J&L Wines in Paso Robles, Calif., has announced the completion of a 46.4 kW solar electric system for its 28,000 square-foot warehouse. The system was installed by REC Solar Inc. of San Luis Obispo, Calif.

According to the companies, the new system will be used to power the warehouse’s temperature control, electronic surveillance, and the computerized inventory management systems. "J&L Wines will generate about 70 percent of the facility's energy needs with clean, renewable energy from the sun and will reduce electricity bills by almost 75 percent," says Angiolo Laviziano, REC Solar's president and CEO.

This is the second time the management of the two companies have combined efforts. Previously, J&L Wines owners Lorraine and John Alban worked with REC Solar to install three solar electric systems at one of their other businesses, Alban Vineyards.

Featured Events

Valentine's Dinner at Opolo: Join Opolo Winery, Saturday, February 14th at 6:00 pm for a cozy, romantic Valentine's Dinner in Opolo's inviting Wine Cellar.

According to Opolo, "Five delicious courses paired with some of our most fabulous wines. Dawn Lambeth and her incredible Jazz Trio supply the music and a whole lot of dancing takes place. Don't miss this one!"

For details and reservations: (805) 238-9593, or visit Opolo.com

Valentines Day Dinner Double Header at Cass: 6:00pm - 10:00pm, Cost: 95.00, Location: 7350 Linne Rd, Paso Robles. Celebrate a double dose of Valetines Day, 2/14 and 2/15, at Cass Winery. "Let us take care of you while Chef Jacob works his magic in the kitchen."

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San Luis Obispo County, Most Syrah Acreage in California

2008-12-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

By Laurie Daniel
for the Mercury News

There was a time when Paso Robles probably was best-known for its zinfandels. Its cabernet sauvignon also definitely has fans, and it's the most widely planted grape in the appellation. But syrah, which has been a hard sell for many California vintners, has moved to the forefront in Paso Robles.

It's tough to say why syrah has gained traction there. In general, it's an adaptable grape. It grows well in a variety of surroundings, though a cool-climate syrah will have different flavors than one grown in a warmer place. It produces a user-friendly wine with plump fruit and intriguing spicy notes. And it's versatile at the table, which is why it's a good bet for holiday meals. Or, as Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery puts it: "Syrah is the wine that merlot wanted to be." But those qualities hold for syrah from many places — why is it doing so well in Paso Robles?

Part of the success may have to do with quantity. San Luis Obispo County has the most syrah acreage in California, and more than two-thirds of that is in Paso Robles (though syrah still accounts for only about 10 percent of the appellation's vineyards).

Stacie Jacob, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine County Alliance, estimates that 90 percent of the group's member wineries produce a syrah or other Rhone-style wine. "Even your longstanding cab producers "... do a syrah," she says. In addition, while much of the cabernet fruit grown in Paso Robles goes out of the area and is used in central coast or California blends, she says, "a lot of the syrah stays in Paso Robles."

Another factor is focus. While many areas that produce syrah are better known for other varietals, "Paso Robles made a name for itself in Rhones," says Jason Haas, general manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard.

History may be playing a role, too. The grape didn't take off in California until after Eberle planted a block of syrah in 1974 at Estrella River Winery (now Meridian Vineyards) in Paso Robles, using cuttings from the experimental vineyard at the University of California-Davis. For a number of years, he was the only source for syrah vines, which he sold to nurseries and other wineries; that particular selection of syrah is now widely planted and has become known as the Estrella clone.

The arrival of Tablas Creek Vineyard in 1989 was also important to the development and reputation of Paso Robles syrah. The winery was founded on the west side by brothers Jean Pierre and Francois Perrin, owners of Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape in France's southern Rhone region, and Robert Haas, their U.S. importer. The partners had looked for a spot with climate and soils similar to Beaucastel's.

The days at Tablas were hotter than at Beaucastel, but the nights were colder, and the partners also liked the calcareous soils. Tablas Creek's founding conferred nearly instant credibility on the area as a place to grow Rhone grapes.

Then there's the matter of the Hospice du Rhone, billed as the world's largest tasting of wines made from Rhone grapes. The event, which found a permanent home in Paso Robles in 1997, attracts consumers, trade and winemakers from far and wide, and Paso wines are prominently featured.

Jason Haas thinks those cold nights are an important reason that syrah does so well in Paso Robles. "Syrah's real flaw is that it tends to be prone to lose its acids," he says. But the cold nights help the grapes retain acidity, even when they get very ripe.

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Special Pinot Noir Tasting During November at Talley Vineyards

2008-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Visit Talley Vineyards on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during November to experience their special Pinot Noir Tasting.

According to the Talley Vineyards' web site, "There is just a limited amount of time each year that we have all of our pinot noir wines available for tasting, and the time is now!"

The Special Tasting is $15/per guest ($10 for members) and includes the following 2006 wines: Estate Pinot Noir, Edna Valley Pinot Noir, Stone Corral Vineyard Pinot Noir, Rincon Vineyard Pinot Noir, and Rosemary's Vineyard Pinot Noir. Our daily tasting is also available: $6/per guest (complimentary for members).

Late Spring Freeze Shrinks '08 Harvest

2008-10-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice story from Pacific Coast Business News on this year's grape harvest in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

According to the story, "... this year’s grape harvest in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties will likely be down as much as 30 to 40 percent because of a spring freeze and later heat waves."

However, "A smaller crop isn’t categorically bad news. Less fruit means more flavor per berry and a tastier vintage."

Linked here:

Crush time – Wineries rush to process smaller grape harvest

Harvest Wine Weekend in Paso Robles Wine Country, October 17 - 19

2008-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

More than 150 individual events at over 130 wineries throughout the weekend

The region comes alive with the birth of the next vintage and an abundance of opportunities to soak in the experience await you.

2008 Harvest Wine Weekend: October 17 – 19 and bring your wine country experience to life when wineries open their doors to offer a cornucopia of activities unique to wine country.

Harvest is the season when wineries bring to the forefront those rarely seen vineyard and crush activities for wine enthusiasts to appreciate. See and learn vineyard practices in motion, take part in a blending seminar, or jump feet first into a two ton grape stomp at the 2008 Harvest Wine Weekend. More than 150 individual events at over 130 wineries throughout the weekend.

Individual events include:

Cass Winery
7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles
805.227.2888
casswines.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday: We are kicking off the weekend with a pig roast and bonfire in the vineyard! Gourmet treats will be provided by our own Chef Brandon McPartlan. $50/pp; $40/Wine Club.
Friday - Sunday: Camping and tours of the vineyard. We will be loading up the flatbed every hour for complimentry vineyard tours and for those brave enough, we'll be camping out all weekend! $600/pp; $480/Wine Club.
Saturday & Sunday: We will be premiering our new label, Flying Nypmh! Available for sale two days only. Live music both days. Sunday: Fourth Annual Grape Stomp and Barbecue for the Boys and Girls Club, $20/pp.

Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles
805.237.3789
clautiere.com
Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Clautiere has gotten a facelift! We have revamped the outdoors with hundreds of new plantings, more metal sculptures and a mosaic garden!
Saturday: This weekend we will be pouring our newly released Bordeaux style blend, Estate BDX! Come and join us for our famous grilled chipotle hamburgers paired with our 2004 Syrah, complimentary, 1 - 4 p.m. Mmmmm Scrumpdeli-o-cious!!

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles
805.239.8900
jlohr.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: We'll kick off harvest with a fabulous five course dinner prepared by Guest Chef Claude Chazalon. Seating at 6:30 p.m. Reservations required. $120/pp; $100/Wine Club.
Saturday: Stop by for a sneak preview of our 2006 Cuvées. VIP tour and tasting for wine club members at 10 a.m., 12 and 2 p.m. will feature a vertical of Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. No reservations required.
Sunday: Experience the best of our wine and cheese with a seminar featuring Vivant Fine Cheese, followed by barrel tasting and lunch prepared by Cahoots Catering. Reservations required. $65/pp; $55/Club.

L'Aventure
2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles
805.227.1588
aventurewine.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Please visit the winery and experience our innovative, signature Paso blends. A vigneron first, Stephan Asseo creates hand-crafted, artisan wines from our unique, high density, westside estate vineyards. Yields of as little as one bottle per vine result in the rich, complex and seamless Estate Cuvée and Optimus. Please join us also for dinner with Chef Jeff Scott at Joeli and Josh Yaguda's Willow Creek Farm on Saturday night. Chef Jeff will present a harvest season menu to complement a vertical presentation of six vintages of L'Aventure Optimus! Please call the winery for reservations. $150/pp.

Opolo Vineyards
7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
805.238.9593
opolo.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: Roll up your pants and be prepared to get stomped at the best party in Paso. Enjoy grape stomping, dancing, gypsy serenades, fantastic food and much more. $85/pp; $70/Club member. Call for reservations.
Saturday & Sunday: Join us on the patio as we prepare our authentic, south-of-the border carne asada tacos and whole roasted lamb. Lunch $10/pp; tasting $5/pp. Both are complimentary for Wine Club members.
Saturday: Join the 16 Far Out Wineries for the seventh annual Best of the West Seminar held at Opolo. This event includes a morning of education, wine tasting and fun! $55/pp. Reservations required. 805.237.0138.

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To read a nice article on the 2008 grape harvest along the Central Coast, click here. (By Mike Hodgson of The Lompoc Record)

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Community Day Highlights "California Wine Month," September 20

2008-09-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

From The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance:

To celebrate the passion that San Luis Obispo County residents demonstrate for the local wine industry, and in recognition of California Wine Month, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Vintners and Central Coast Vineyard Team is hosting a new program - Community Day 2008 - on Saturday, September 20.

Held each September, California Wine Month was created to raise awareness of California wines and to celebrate the state’s diversity.

“With Community Day, we are bringing the promotion home to the Greater San Luis Obispo wine country to foster local pride, help educate neighbors about our sustainable farming practices, and to invite the community to join the industry in toasting the 2008 vintage,” said Stacie Jacob, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

Among the offerings on Saturday, September 20, will be free wine tasting for SLO County residents; special vineyard and winery tours that celebrate the harvest and bring the crush experience to life; eco-friendly tours to showcase sustainable farming practices in the vineyard and in the winery; and a variety of wine specials for locals.

“The local wine community is proud of its contributions to the SLO County economy, which over the past decade has produced significant growth in employment and incomes, while preserving agriculture in a beautiful rural environment,” said Jacob citing the following statistics.

Wine, vineyards and related industries, products and services generated nearly $1.8 billion in 2007 in economic value in SLO County, including wages of $241 million and more than $86 million in state and local taxes.

In SLO County, wineries are tourist magnets, attracting over 1.2 million visits by tourists spending more than $113 million and creating more than 1,800 jobs.

In a very conservative estimate, charitable contributions by the industry exceed $1.1 million, not including many of the individual winery cash and in-kind contributions or many of the events in which wine becomes a vehicle for raising funds for community organizations.

Ninety percent of wineries and vineyards in SLO County are family-run businesses, many of them handed down from generation to generation, explained Jacob.

An example of the wine community’s interest in sustainable viticulture is the Central Coast Vineyard Team (CCVT -- web site). Created in 1995, the non-profit CCVT grower group has invested over a decade of research and demonstration into sustainable viticulture. It has evolved from a small grassroots organization aiming to protect water quality, conserve habitat, promote biodiversity and reduce pesticides, to a significant industry force impacting 30,000 acres that is recognized nationally by governmental and environmental bodies as an agricultural innovator.

“We are eager to celebrate the 2008 vintage, our neighbors, and our industry’s future with this new program,” said Jacob.

Individual Wine Month and Community Day Events include:

Cass Winery
7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles - 805.239.1730
casswines.com
Hours: Monday - Friday 12 - 5 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
During the month of September receive:
• 20% discount on all purchases
• Free tasting
• Complimentary vineyard and winery tours led by Steve Cass at 11:00 a.m. every Saturday. (Contact our hospitality manager Erin DuFrense, erin@casswines.com or 805.227.2888 to make your tour reservations.)

Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles - 805.237.3789
clautiere.com
Hours: Daily 12 - 5 p.m.
In celebration of Community Day we will be offering 10% off on 6 pack and 20% off on case puchases.

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles - 805.239.8900
jlohr.com
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Description: Complimentary tasting of our Limited Release wines and a 15% discount on purchases (wine and merchandise) for the entire month of September 2008.

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"A Taste of Paso Wines" in Downtown San Jose, Thursday, August 28

2008-08-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

Thirty Paso Robles wineries will visit Silicon Valley for the fourth consecutive year at A Taste of Paso Wines, Thursday, August 28, in downtown San Jose at The Sainte Claire Hotel. The wineries will be pouring their premium Paso wines paired with appetizers and a pasta bar. Silent Auction including magnums, library selections, lifestyle packages and more to benefit the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation: www.makewish.org.

For more information, visit tastepasowines.com

Participating wineries include:

J. LOHR VINEYARDS & WINES
jlohr.com

L'AVENTURE
aventurewine.com

OPOLO VINEYARDS
opolo.com

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California Mid-State Fair Central Coast Wine Competition Announces Award Winning Wines

2008-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

PASO ROBLES, CA -- The California Mid State Fair recently announced the winners of the 5th annual Central Coast Wine Competition.

This prestigious commercial wine competition recognizes the accomplishments, and evaluates the high standard of quality for which Central Coast wineries are known.

Over 600 wines were evaluated by a panel of influential judges selected from professional industry disciplines that include production, sales, marketing and media.

This year's competition offered eighteen categories. Each category yielded Bronze, Silver and Gold medals, as well as a Best of Class.

Best of Class results included:

2007 Huber Chardonnay, unoaked: Santa Rita Hills

2007 Vina Robles Sauvignon Blanc: Paso Robles

2006 Castoro Cellars Pinot Grigio: Paso Robles

2006 Claiborne & Churchill Dry Gewurztraminer: Central Coast

2007 Harmony Cellars White Riesling: Monterey County

2007 Ventana Vineyards Dry Rosato: Arroyo Seco

2005 Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon: Paso Robles

2005 Niner Wine Estates Merlot: Paso Robles

2005 Per Bacco Cellars Pinot Noir, Dronysus: Arroyo Grande Valley

2005 Penman Springs Petite Sirah: Paso Robles

2006 Sculpterra Winery Statuesque: Paso Robles

2006 Eberle Barbera: Paso Robles

2006 Kenneth Volk Vineyards Mourvedre: Lime Kiln Valley

2006 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel: Paso Robles

2006 Alapay Late Harvest Moscato: Paso Robles

Best Dessert Wine was awarded to 2005 Robert Hall Vintage Port: Paso Robles.

Entries were accepted from San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Benito and Monterey Counties. The panel of sixteen judges awarded eleven double gold and fifty-one gold medals.

"The Central Coast Wine Competition is clearly an excellent benchmark to the quality of wine produced from California's Central Coast," said Chief Judge Signe Zoller, President of Zoller Wine Styling.

For a full list of winners, click here.

The California Mid-State Fair runs July 23 through August 3, 2008 and features Central Coast Wine Competition winners at events throughout the fair.

Also...

An Evening of Music & Wine, Friday, August 1, 2008. Boz Scaggs will be the featured artist for An Evening of Music & Wine at this year's California Mid-State Fair, performing at 7:00 p.m. The Grammy Award winning artist will be performing the best known songs of his career, hits like "Lido Shuffle," "Lowdown," "Harbor Lights" and "We're All Alone," plus many others. For more information and tickets, click here.

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26th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival Wrap-up

2008-05-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

From the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance: The 26th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival provided an unparalleled experience for more than 5,200 wine enthusiasts on Saturday, May 17, 2008.

The Wine Festival is a weekend experience offering wine enthusiasts many options from wine tasting to golf to winemakers dinners to shopping in downtown.

Kicking off the weekend was the RESERVE event on the evening of Friday, May 16. More than 70 wineries showcased Reserve, Library or Barrel Sample wines to more than 350 wine enthusiasts in the Downtown City Park. This new event offered attendees a unique opportunity to taste special wines not normally featured at the Wine Festival or tasting rooms. Guests were greeted by winery representatives as winemakers, growers and sommeliers mingled within the crowd, ready to discuss the wines featured.

On Saturday, May 17, the main tasting event offered samples of more than 300 wines by 91 Paso Robles wineries in the Paso Robles Downtown City Park. The region's marquee event featured new culinary components –- a Demonstration Kitchen featuring the talent of top local chefs and culinary bites of lamb and beef provided by the American Lamb Board and Hearst Ranch Beef. Artisan Alley included purveyors of local olive oil, lavender, bread, Abalone, and cheese.

“Festival goers experienced what makes Paso Robles such a great wine grape growing region on Saturday,” said Alex Villicana, co-chair of the Paso Robles Wine Festival committee and owner of Villicana Winery. “The hot days and cool nights are pivotal to the development of Paso’s high quality grapes which translates into the premium wines sampled at the annual Festival.”

The premium wines of Paso Robles were also featured and discussed at wine education seminars, a new component to the Paso Robles Wine Festival. The first seminar, led by a local Sommelier team, tasted and discussed representative varietal samples of wines from Paso Robles. The second seminar was conducted by Steve Heimoff, West Coast Editor of The Wine Enthusiast Magazine, provided attendees a unique chance to discuss Paso Robles wines with an industry expert.

“The Paso Robles Wine Festival continues to be a marquee event for Paso Robles Wine Country and provides new and repeat visitors a prime opportunity to have a Wine Country experience neatly packaged into a single weekend,” said Stacie Jacob, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “The new epicurean enhancements to the Paso Robles Wine Festival truly round out this event by bringing in the natural complement of food to wine, offering Festival goers another reason to enjoy the Festival weekend.”

The Paso Robles Wine Festival weekend is framed by individual events at the area wineries throughout the three days with more than 110 wineries holding special open houses, barbecues, exhibitions, food pairing seminars, and more on Sunday, May 18, 2008.

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The 26th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival Weekend, May 16 - 18, 2008

2008-04-28T11:30:00.003-07:00

The annual Paso Robles Wine Festival weekend, the third weekend in May, is a perfect time to visit Paso Robles Wine Country. More than 100 area wineries host an array of special events including winemaker dinners, food pairings, seminars, winery tours, special tastings and more. These events can be found at many locations throughout the Paso Robles area, California's third largest and fastest growing wine region.

The 2008 Paso Robles Wine Festival marquee tasting event in the downtown city park will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2008. The Festival is the perfect opportunity to experience the distinct, different wines of Paso Robles, ask questions and converse with winemakers and producers from over 85 Paso Robles Wine Country wineries in a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

Located in Paso Robles' downtown city park, live music and wine country cuisine set the stage for this outdoor tasting amidst the shade of oak trees.

What began as a small community gathering 26 years ago, has grown to be the largest outdoor tasting of its kind in California and we welcome you to join us for this celebration of Paso Robles wine.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Individual winery events include:

Cass Winery
7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles
casswines.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday: The East and West coasts unite! We will be shaking things up with Cass Chef Brandon McPartlan and Chef Jeff Galkin of Café Panache in Ashburn, VA. Custom wine blending for a custom evening, $80/pp; $65/wine club.
Friday & Saturday: Lovers of the great outdoors welcome! Two nights of camping with all of the trimmings, dinner both nights, $600/couple; $480 wine club. Gourmet lunches being served all day at the most rockin' place in Paso.
Sunday: Live New Orleans blues, local artisan olive oils with other tasty treats and the best company around (at least we think so); the perfect end to the perfect weekend
Chateau Margene
4385 La Panza Road, Creston
chateaumargene.com
Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m.
Friday: Tours and tasting. Two new releases from Chateau Margene (2005 Cabernet and 2006 Cielo Rosso) and your chance to be one of the first to taste four just-released wines from our second label, "Mooney Family".
Saturday: Tours and tasting. Winemaker Michael will be pouring the six new releases at the winery, while sons Chris and Jon will be pouring the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon in the park at the Paso Robles Wine Festival.
Sunday: Tours and tasting. Sample six new releases (2005 Cabernet and five new red blends) while enjoying grilled appetizers and smooth jazz. Chill on the deck or take a stroll through the beautiful gardens.
Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles
clautiere.com
Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Come visit a tasting room like no other…where Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at the Moulin Rouge or in the park. Enjoy the new gardens with magical mosaic spheres and cubes, metal sculptures and rock circles.
Sunday: Join the Clautiere Crew for some or our famous grilled chipotle burgers especially prepared to complement our award-winning wines. Burgers will be served complimentary from 1 - 4 p.m. MMM...Scrumpdeli-o-cious!!!
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles
jlohr.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Join us for our annual barbecue by Cahoots Catering and rock to the sounds of The House Red Band. Barbecue served from 6 - 8 p.m. $50/pp; $40/club members. Reservations required.
Saturday: Join us in the park or at the Wine Center where club members may tour our facility at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m., then enjoy a VIP tasting of our limited releases. No reservations required.
Sunday: Our vineyard manager will be grilling his famous appetizers from 12 - 3 p.m. $10/pp; free for club members. Facility tours available for club members at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. followed by a VIP tasting. No reservations required.
L’Aventure
2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles
aventurewine.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Join the L’Aventure family to taste our newly released estate wines. We will present Estate Cuvée, Côte a Côte and Optimus from the 2006 vintage, as well as Estate Roussanne, Roussanne, Côte a Côte Rosé and Cuvée de Pots Rosé (you can ask Stephan or Beatrice about this one!) from 2007. $10/pp tasting fee includes a Reidel “O” series glass.
Saturday: Join Stephan and Chef Jeff Scott for dinner at the winery! Chef Scott, past executive chef at the Playboy Mansion in LA, will craft a seasonal summer menu to complement the Estate releases. Dinner is $150/pp; $120/pp for club members. Limited to 50 guests. Reservations 805.227.1588.
Opolo Vineyards
7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
opolo.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: Join us on top of our gorgeous westside vineyard for an incredible, multiple course dinner paired perfectly with Opolo wines. The event will be catered by Cahoots, always an Opolo favorite and is guaranteed to sell out fast! $110/pp; $100/club members. Call 805.238.9593 to make your reservation.
Saturday & Sunday: What's better than an Opolo wine tasting? A barbecue, that's what! Stop by on either Saturday or Sunday for a plateful of roasted lamb, south-of-the-border tacos, beans and much, much more! Lunch is $10/pp and wine tasting is $5/pp. Both are included with your Opolo wine club membership!
Victor Hugo Winery
2850 El Pomar Drive, Templeton
victorhugowinery.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Celebrate Wine Festival weekend with select barrel samples complemented with local and imported cheeses. Preview our new releases and enjoy Festival weekend - only specials.
Sunday: Learn the art of goat cheese! Local cheese artisan Bev Michels will demonstrate how to make fresh goat cheese. See winemaker/owner Vic Roberts attempt to milk a goat! Wine paired with cheese samples. 11 a.m - 1 p.m. $25/pp, complimentary for club members. Reservations required.

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6th Annual Cal Poly Wine Festival Set for April 26th

2008-04-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

Start your tasting event season off with the 6th Annual Cal Poly Wine Festival on Saturday, April 26th, from 1pm - 4pm.

According to organizers, "This year's festival is going to be bigger and better then ever! We have wineries coming from all around the state and local restaurants getting geared up."

The festival, held in the beautiful SLO County countryside just outside of Santa Margarita, is a fun, springtime event featuring great California wines, excellent food and live music.

The event was started as a Cal Poly senior project in 2003. It began as a small event, and has since grown to include almost 100 wineries, 20 restaurants and over 1,000 attendees. It is entirely student run, on volunteered time. A small team of dedicated Cal Poly students and advisors meet once a week from December through April to make this event happen.

Festival proceeds benefit the Cal Poly Vines to Wines Club. Vines to Wines is a student-run organization dedicated to promoting active participation in wine education and establishing industry connections. The "Learn By Tasting" philosophy equips leaders in wine business, oenology, and viticulture to address the diverse needs of the wine industry.

Festival proceeds also benefit the Cal Poly Horticulture and Crop Science Department, which has given hundreds of Cal Poly students a solid background in the fields of wine and viticulture.

The annual Golf Classic is on Friday, April 25th.

For more information, and tickets, please check out the CPWF's official web site: calpolywinefestival.com

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2008 Zinfandel Festival Auctions Reach New Records

2008-04-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance announced recently that a new record amount was raised at the 2008 Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival Live and Silent Auctions.

On Saturday, March 15, the auctions raised $85,000 – a 14% increase from 2007. This is an all time high record for the Zinfandel Festival, where portions of the proceeds raised go toward health and educational programs for the vineyard worker population in the Paso Robles community. Over 180 auction goers were in attendance and over 800 wine enthusiasts purchased tickets to the Grand Tasting. A total of 106 wineries hosted individual events throughout the weekend.

The auctioneer duo of Doug Beckett (Peachy Canyon Winery) and Doug Filipponi (Ancient Peaks Winery) donated their time, along with the spotter crew of Bernie Brauer (wine enthusiast), Dennis Cassidy (Paso Robles Police Chief-Ret) and 1st District County Supervisor Harry Ovitt.

Auction lots of note include – Villa Creek Restaurant dinner for 50 with Paso Robles Winemakers ($9,100); Artisan Restaurant dinner for 40 with Steve Heimhoff, West Coast Wine Editor, The Wine Enthusiast Magazine ($8,000); and The 2008 Zinfandel Festival Commemorative Artwork by Silvia Santos-Hunt and etched six liter Zinfandel Festival Collaborative Blend ($3,000).

There were 25 live auction lots and 60 silent auction lots available over the duration of the evening. A new milestone of 185 tickets to the Live Auction were sold in advance. This is a record amount and demonstrates the growing popularity of the only Paso Robles Wine Country focused auction.

The Zinfandel Festival Grand Tasting also featured a new record in wineries showcased with 51 Paso Robles producers pouring their best Zinfandel and Zinfandel blend wines. A crowd of more than 800 guests filled the grand tasting, sampling the fine wines and tastes from 12 of the best chefs and caterers from Paso Robles Wine Country.

“This annual event is a perfect example of the Paso Robles Wine Industry coming together for a evening of wine, art and food to support a worthy cause,” said Stacie Jacob, Executive Director, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “This evening could not be possible without the amazing auction lots donated from the wineries, vineyards and associated businesses in Paso Robles Wine Country, as well as the diligent efforts of the Zinfandel Festival Committee.”

A portion of the proceeds raised go toward health and educational programs for the vineyard worker population and their families in Paso Robles and will be allocated in the fourth quarter of 2008. In 2007 funds went to support free flu immunization clinics in a partnership with Twin Cities Hospital; ongoing dental care programs through La Clinica de Tolosa and a remote study center by the Paso Robles City Library Foundation.

The Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival takes place on the third weekend in March and is a celebration of the area’s heritage varietal – Zinfandel. The weekend traditionally begins with individual winery events on Friday, the marquee Zinfandel Festival Live Auction and Grand Tasting on Saturday, and more individual winery events that span the day on Sunday. Wineries reported record amounts of visitors throughout the three days of the 2008 Zinfandel Festival.

The next Paso Robles Wine Country event scheduled is the 26th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival. Save the date for Saturday, May 17, 2008 when more than 90 Paso Robles wineries converge on the Downtown City Park in the largest outdoor wine tasting event in the State of California.

Many new aspects have been incorporated into this year’s showing of the Paso Robles Wine Festival that pairs the culinary assets of Paso Robles Wine Country with the premium wines showcased in the park. These exciting new changes include an Artisan Alley, wine education seminars, a demonstration kitchen and new ticket levels.

Visit pasowine.com to learn more and purchase tickets.

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The Annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival Set for March 14-16

2008-03-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival is set to take place the evening of Saturday, March 15.

This marquee event consists of a Live Auction from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and features a tasting of the annual Zinfandel Collaborative Blend, wine country cuisine by five of the premier restaurants in Paso Robles, and unique wine-country-lifestyle auction lots.

The Zinfandel Grand Tasting promptly follows the Live Auction from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The Grand Tasting showcases over 40 wineries from the Paso Robles appellation that will present more than 200 Zinfandel and Zinfandel blend wines in an unlimited tasting format.

A celebration in Paso Robles would not be complete without an entire weekend dedicated to it. Look for individual events at a majority of area wineries beginning on Friday, March 14 ending Sunday, March 16.

Individual winery events include:

J. Lohr Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival Events: Friday, March 14, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Begin your weekend at J. Lohr's Paso Robles Wine Center celebrating the release of the winery's 2006 J. Lohr Estates Old Vines Zinfandel and the long awaited 2005 J. Lohr Estates Hilltop Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Saturday, March 15, 6:30 p.m., J. Lohr Zinfandel Festival Dinner, Paso Robles Wine Center, Members: $100/person, non members: $110/person. Chef Claude Chazalon will prepare an incredible five-course dinner. Seating will begin at 6:30 PM. Reservations are required and can be made through the wine center at (805) 239-8900 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily or email: prwinecenter@jlohr.com. Sunday, March 16, 11:00 a.m., J. Lohr Cuvée Symposium & Brunch, Paso Robles Wine Center, Members $65/person, non members $75/person. Join Steve Lohr for an exclusive J. Lohr Cuvée Symposium and taste our estate Bordeaux varietals as well as Bordeaux varietals from France. The event will be held in our barrel room. Brunch, featuring Chef Charlie, precedes the event. Reservations are required. For more information on J. Lohr Winery, please visit jlohr.com.

A full list of events searchable by activity, day or winery is available on pasowine.com.

The Zinfandel Festival is a celebration of Paso Robles Wine Country’s heritage grape variety which provides the basis for an annual highlight – the Zinfandel Collaborative Blend.

The only opportunity to sample the Collaborative Blend is at the Live Auction component of the Zinfandel Festival on Saturday, March 15th which is shared with attendees ready to place the highest bid on a number of wine country auction lots.

Tickets are on sale now for the March 15, 2008 event. Advance purchase is highly recommended. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit pasowine.com.

Paso Robles Wine Bill Signed By Governor

2007-11-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

SACRAMENTO – Governor Schwarzenegger has signed a bill to make Paso Robles the second appellation in the United States to have a unified labeling strategy. Currently, of the more than 200 appellations nationwide, Napa is the only region to have established labeling protections in law. This bill, signed last month, will give the Paso Robles brand a competitive edge for marketing both the wines and the region.

AB 87, by Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo), will help Paso Robles wines compete in a crowded international market.

“This new law will greatly raise the profile of our local wines,” said Blakeslee. “In an increasingly competitive global market, it is absolutely essential that the superb wines from the Paso Robles region receive the brand recognition they deserve.”

By creating a regional identity through labeling practices, area wineries will benefit from being associated with the highly regarded “Paso Robles” brand. This bill, like the Napa law, ties the greater Paso Robles American Viticulture Area (AVA) to future appellations contained entirely within the existing Paso Robles AVA.

“AB 87 is an important milestone in the growth of the Paso Robles Wine industry,” said Stacey Jacob, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “This new conjunctive labeling law strengthens the brand equity of Paso Robles and ensures Paso Robles stays on wine labels as future appellations within the Paso Robles AVA are created.”

The Paso Robles AVA is home to 170 wineries, more than 40 varietals planted over 26,000 vineyard acres in more than 45 soil series. As a result of this diversity, there are current efforts underway to further subdivide the Paso Robles AVA into smaller, distinctive viticultural areas.

While highly desirable in terms of sub-regional identification and industry value, the marketing of sub-appellations has the potential of diluting the prominence of the Paso Robles winegrowing area and confusing consumers. In an effort to preserve regional identity, AB 87 would require wines bearing the names of these proposed sub-appellations to also include the name “Paso Robles” on the label.

AB 87 was developed in cooperation with the Paso Robles Wine Alliance, and with the support of the California Wine Institute, California Association of Wine Grape Growers, Family Winemakers, Napa Valley Vintners Association, City of Paso Robles, Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, and Paso Robles Main Street Association.

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Cayucos Wine Festival, Friday, November 9th

2007-11-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Cayucos Wine Festival is an event as laid back as the town itself. It takes place on Friday, November 9th, at the Cayucos Vets Hall from 4-8pm. 16 wineries are participating from around the Central Coast with food from area vendors. Admission is $20, which includes 15 wine tasting tickets and a commemorative glass.

More info at: cayucoschamber.com

Waning Lugs = Party Time! SLO Vintners Association's Harvest Celebration Set for November 2 - 4

2007-10-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

As the 2007 harvest winds down, the sight of lugs -- those ubiquitous plastic containers used to hold harvested grape clusters -- begins to wane throughout the Edna Valley, and that can only mean one thing: Party time!

The SLO Vintners Association's annual Harvest Celebration is set for November 2 - 4, with the grandtasting on Saturday, November 3rd from 1 - 5 p.m., at the Avila Beach Golf Resort. There will be live jazz with San Luis Jazz, food and wine from over 30 different restaurants and wineries, plus live and silent auctions.

Individual winery events include:

Salisbury Vineyards Harvest Celebration Open House: Experience the passion of Pinot Noir in another time and place. Join Salisbury Vineyards for their biannual "Hair of the Dawg with a French Twist Breakfast” on Sunday, November 4 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. And then from 11 :00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Chef Ralph Fabula will demonstrate & prepare inventive hors d'oeuvres to pair with Salisbury releases.
salisburyvineyards.com

Talley Vineyards 17th Annual Open House, Sunday, November 4, 11:00 - 3:00. Enjoy complimentary tasting of selected wines from Talley Vineyards and Bishop's Peak paired with light hors d'oeuvres. Live music provided by local favorite, Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band.
talleyvineyards.com

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Harvest Tour in Paso Robles Wine Country, October 19-21

2007-10-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

The vineyards have changed color, blanketing the landscape in red and gold in Paso Robles Wine Country, and that means harvest time. Scents of ripened fruit abound, and the celebration from a hard year’s work fill the air. The harvested fruit is set to begin its transformation into premium Paso Robles wine and you are invited to come celebrate the beginning of the 2007 vintage.

Join the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance for the 2007 Harvest Wine Tour, October 19, 20 and 21, 2007 and experience the genuine Paso Robles hospitality when wineries open their doors to offer an abundance of activities unique to wine country.

Click here for a complete list of the Harvest Wine Tour weekend activities.

Here's what just a few wineries have planned:

Cass Winery
7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles
805.227.2888
www.casswines.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday: Lavish Harvest Pig Roast under the oaks and stars in the vineyard. Slow roasted underground 24 hours, plus gourment side dishes by Chef Charles Paladin-Wayne. Followed by a bonfire and LH wines. $100/pp.
Friday - Sunday: Camp out in Plemoville or Loodopolis, 2 lavish camp sites in the Vineyard. Hot showers on the crush pad, air mattresses, pillows, Friday pig roast, private dinner Saturday, breakfast Saturday and Sunday. Zen like! $600/couple
Saturday & Sunday: Saturday -- Bike costume race in vineyard. 11 a.m. Wine prizes for best costumes. Sunday -- 3rd Annual Foot Stomp plus live music. 2 p.m. Each event $20/pp for Paso Robles Boys & Girls Club. Hayride tours and Chevre sampling both days.
Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles
805.237.3789
www.clautiere.com
Weekend Hours: 12-5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: A tasting room like no other. Think Edward Scissorhands meets the Mad Hatter at the Moulin Rouge. Be prepared to add some pizzazz to your life. Clautiere has gotten a face-lift! We have revamped the outdoors with hundreds of new plantings, more metal sculptures and a mosaic garden!
Saturday: This weekend we will be unveiling our 2004 Mon Rouge and our 2004 Mon Beau Rouge! Come and join us for our famous grilled chipotle hamburgers, complimentary from 1-4 p.m. mmMMM…Scrumpdeli-o-cious!!
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles
805.239.8900
www.jlohr.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday: Guest Chef Claude Chazalon will prepare a five course gastronomic delight beginning at 6:30 p.m. $100/pp; $90/pp Wine Club members. Reservations required. Limited availability.
Saturday: We will be tasting our first J. Lohr Vineyard Series Fog's Reach Pinot Noir and pre-releases of our J. Lohr Creston Single Vineyard Merlot and Syrah at the Wine Center.
Sunday: Experience wine at its best! Join us for a Riedel Seminar (followed with lunch) and see how the Vinum stemware maximizes the flavors of individual varietals. $95/pp, $85/pp Wine Club. Reservations Required.
L’Aventure
2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles
805.227.1588
www.aventurewine.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Please stop by to visit our salon and experience Stephan Asseo's unique, signature Paso blend, L'Aventure Optimus. Please also sign onto the wine club waiting list in order to assure access to our Estate Cuvee, Cote a Cote, and "members only" selections in future. A bientot! "L'Aventure...where Bordeaux meets the Rhône!"
Opolo Vineyards
7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
805.238.9593
www.opolo.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: Roll up your pants and be prepared to get stomped at the best party in Paso. Enjoy grape stomping, dancing, gypsy serenades, fantastic food and much more. $65/pp members, $85/pp non-members. Call for reservations.
Saturday & Sunday: Join us on the patio as we prepare our authentic, south-of-the border, carne asada tacos and whole roasted lamb along with all the fixings. Lunch is $10/pp and tasting is $5/pp. Both are included with membership.
Saturday: Join the 16 Far Out Wineries for the 6th annual Best of the West Seminar held at Opolo. This event includes a morning of education, wine tasting and tons of fun! $55/pp. Reservations required. 805.237.0138
Victor Hugo Winery
2850 El Pomar Drive, Templeton
805.434.1128
www.victorhugowinery.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: Experience crush 2007 with the aromas of fermenting wines and view grapes rushing through the crusher! See the hands on effort of a small production winery including pump overs, shoveling tanks and pressing grapes. Enjoy new releases and barrel samples paired with local cheeses.

Paso Robles is the fastest growing wine region in California and Harvest Wine Tour weekend is your opportunity to experience why this area is quickly gaining acclaim on the national and international wine fronts.

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