Inside Paso Robles

First 2014 Paso Robles Rhone Rangers Varietal Series - Petite Sirah

Photo courtesy of Rhone Rangers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Experience a fun and educational varietal tasting that includes amazing Petite Sirah wines from 17 Paso Robles wineries. This is the first of a series of "Hot Tuesday Varietal Nights" put on by the Rhone Rangers that also inculdes live music, incredible cheese pairings, small bites and an educational area where you can extend your knowledge about this great Rhone varietal.

The host for the January Varietal Night is Niner Wine Estates located at 2400 Highway 46 West, Paso Robles. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased here: http://petitesirahnight.bpt.me.

Don't miss this fabulous event!

 

About Rhone Rangers
The Paso Robles Chapter of the Rhone Rangers is dedicated to the education and promotion of Rhone varietals and Rhone blends to local trade, media, and consumers, and of Paso Robles as a top California region in the production of outstanding Rhone varietal grapes and wines.

 

 

 

Pairings in Paso: Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf Paired with Vines on the Marycrest Syrah

By Sarah Leslie

Those who know me know that I don’t always get along with my kitchen. No one would ever use the words “cook” or “chef” to describe me. Sous chef? Maybe. But that hasn’t stopped me from seeking out the perfect food and wine combination and even I can pull off this month's Pairing in Paso.

This cold snap has clearly brought up an urge to hunker down and be cozy and cook comfort food. When I think comfort food I think meatloaf.  It doesn’t hurt that for all you Seinfeld fans out there that meatloaf was served for Festivus. And this is a festive time of year. But I digress…

For this meatloaf the special ingredient is bacon. I think we can all agree that bacon makes everything better. What’s even better is to enjoy the meatloaf paired with the wonderful Rhone varietal of Syrah. One of my favorites is the 100% Syrah from Vines on the Marycrest, 2011 vintage. This wine manages to be at the same time both bold yet delicate with tasty black raspberry and licorice that hold up against this bacon meatloaf beast. Enjoy the beast!

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, medium, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

3 white button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 pound lean ground beef

½ pound pork sausage, fresh (not in a casing)

¼ cup milk

6 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté 3-5 minutes until onions become soft.  Transfer onion, garlic, mushroom mixture into a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients except the bacon. With clean hands (and jewelry removed), mix all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Put the meat mixture in a broiling rack covered in tin foil. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf about 5 x 9 inches. Wrap the strips of bacon around the loaf crosswise overlapping them slightly and tucking ends under the loaf to prevent curling.

Bake at 400 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove from oven, cover in foil and let it rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Sarah Leslie is a marketing guru with Mental Marketing who loves to cook alongside her husband, striving to find the next great food and wine pair-up.   When not donning an apron, Sarah can also be found behind the bar at Clayhouse serving up some delicious Paso wine.  

 

Drinking PASO: The Old World Rules Do Not Apply

by Lisa Dinsmore

With over 200 wineries in the Paso Robles region, it's hard to believe I still have to explain to people where Paso Robles is. I’ve been drinking Paso wines for over a decade and know first hand that they are only getting better. Perhaps it’s the lack of focus that makes it hard for people to easily understand the region. No one grape to help pin it down. For me, it’s the plethora of options that keeps me coming back for more.

Zinfandel may have been king of the region in Paso’s early wine days, but with no governmental rules or varietal and climate restrictions, like in some Old World and other CA AVAs, active experimentation to see what grapes truly thrive here has literally changed the varietal landscape. It’s the Rhone grape clippings, brought over by Tablas Creek almost 30 years ago, that kick-started the expansion of Syrah, Grenache and Viognier into the region and that has, over the past decade, helped Paso gain national attention.

While many of our garagistes love their Rhones - that doesn’t mean they are always content to just make a GSM. Or a traditional Bordeaux blend, if that’s the way their passions flow. Mother nature provides more options in Paso than any other winemaking region. With virtually every varietal from around the world growing at their fingertips, Paso winemakers are free like nowhere else to experiment and create blends that pay off on the palate.  Rather than simply combining the grapes that happen to grow there, or being hemmed in by tight winemaking rules, they make the best wine they can, that vintage, from their plot of land. Who cares if you put some Syrah or Grenache in your Cabernet? Or a touch of Zinfandel in your GSM? Certainly no one making wine in Paso does. It’s about the passion they bring to the bottle, regardless of what grapes are in it. Old school notions be damned.

Festival attendees will be able to taste that spirit firsthand, with over 20 unique wines that could only be made in this region. To delve deeper into the topic, VIP guests will get the opportunity to taste and understand the whys behind blending off-book in our Saturday Seminar “Breaking the Old World Blending Rules” with panelists Christian Tietje from Cypher Winery and Jeff Strekas from ONX Wines. Both of these wineries are pushing the envelope when it comes to mixing grapes varieties. Whatever works to make the wine shine. Having had the pleasure of tasting their efforts, their imaginations are clearly unimpeded, much to the wine world’s benefit.

Being part of the Festival team allows me to explore the world of wine through the talents of a diverse group of devoted winemakers. I learn something new every year from every winemaker and have gained a deeper respect for all the hard work the wine “lifestyle” really is. There’s an experience at the Festival for every level of wine lover, from those who just want to taste and explore, to those who want to make the leap to the winemaking side. I hope to see you there.

2013 Schedule of Events

Thursday, November 7^th: “Undiscovered Treasures” Winemaker Dinner – 7pm

Friday, November 8^th: Happy Hour at “The Opening Round” – 4-7pm, followed by our Winemaker Mixer from 7:30-9:30pm.

Saturday, November 9^th: The Main Festival day includes (2) educational seminars - “What’s Wrong With This Picture? Educate Your Palate About the Most Common Wine Flaws” and “Garagiste Outlaws: Breaking the Old World Blending Rules” followed by the Grand Tasting and After Party - 11am-9pm.

Sunday, November 10^th:  “Nothing’s Perfect: How to Manage and Influence Your Wines to Greatness” Winemaking Symposium – 11am-1pm 

To purchase tickets or get more information about the 3^rd Annual Garagiste Festival, please visit their website at: http://garagistefestival.com/2013-paso-festival/

Lisa Dinsmore is the Event Director for the Garagiste Festival and has been a passionate Paso Robles wine lover for over a decade. She also has her own wine blog called Daily Wine Dispatch and has earned the Advanced Degree from the international WSET program.

Harvest is in Full Swing in Paso Robles

by Tina Swithin

Harvest in Paso Robles is a magical time of year and we've been thoroughly enjoying the photos from the local vineyards.  This photo (courtesy of Tablas Creek) is accompanied by a trivia question posed by our friends at Tablas Creek Vineyards.

Today's Harvest Trivia:

These beautiful grapes came into the cellar yesterday. Any guesses as to what they are?

Tablas Creek Vineyards is located at 9339 Adelaida Road in Paso Robles and their tasting room is open daily (10am-5pm).

Tina Swithin is the Marketing Coordinator and Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes blog-a-licious articles about everything 'Paso Robles'.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.

 

A Love Letter to Hospice du Rhône

Dear Hospice du Rhône,

I can’t stop thinking about you. Ever since we met last year, all I ever do is brag about you to my friends, family and colleagues. And now that we had the chance to spend even more time together last weekend at your 20^th anniversary, I’m more in love with you than ever.

Your seminars gave me first hand exposure to the international world of Rhône winemakers, buyers, collectors, importers and exporters, which left me dizzy. Your amazing lunches and grand wine tastings gave way to your passionate knowledge of this world of Rhône along with your entertaining approach to sharing that knowledge with the masses. All of this has left me intrigued and I can’t get enough.

You played hard to get at first and I wasn’t fast enough to snatch an opening night ticket to the speedily sold out Châteauneuf du Pape seminar and dinner at Bistro Laurent, featuring Author Harry Karis, Sommelier Kelly McAuliffe and vigneron Philippe Cambie, showcasing Châteauneuf du Pape wines hailing from as far back as vintages from the 1950s.

However, you could not elude me, as I was able to commandeer a weekend pass to all of your other events, at which, you changed my life. As a self-taught Rhône wine lover, the Why Spain (still) Rocks seminar, well, it completed me.  Discovering that Garnacha and Monastrell varietals hailed from Spain prior to becoming the Rhône staples Grenache and Mourvedre gave me the chills. The Spanish hamlets of Priorat, Jumilla, and Mentrida have now been added to my wine adventures bucket list thanks to Importer Eric Soloman and his band of merry Spanish winemakers who journeyed us through eight Garnachas, Monastrells, and Syrahs. The funky and fascinating Chester Osborn of d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, South Australia took us down under on a virtual tour of his Rhône focused vineyard using maps and photos, all while discussing his soils and winemaking techniques as we tasted about 15 of the 60 wines he produces. My heart went a-flutter.

Having lunch with you both Friday and Saturday was like two first dates. I loved the casual buffet set up, amazing gourmet fare and linen covered picnic tables that offered endless featured wines, waters and palette cleansers at each table. At Friday’s Rosé Lunch, hosted by Chef John Toulze of the girl & the fig from Sonoma, California, I’ll never forget that you introduced me to several memorable folk as we tasted five different chilled Rhône rosés.  Two gentlemen who sat at our table, a father and son duo visiting from Dallas, Texas, were true collectors that love Paso Robles, have been here time and again, and were looking to add to their cellar back home. Also at our table was the lovely and fascinating Matthew Trevisan, Paso winemaker and owner of Linne Calodo, his wife and a friend of theirs from Templeton’s historic Epoch Vineyards.

Turns out our Texas friends had been trying to get a tasting appointment at Linne Calado while they were in town, and as luck would have it, Matthew was headed over to the winery right after lunch to give a winery tour to a few folk. So, what did he do? He invited the whole table! I, of course, blushed and felt my heart swell with happiness and gratitude for the amazing relationship we are building. Oh, Hospice du Rhone, you are just so money to me, you don’t even know.

My cohort in wine-crime and I snatched up the offer and headed out to Linne Calodo. Gate code in hand, we punched those numbers and drove up the oak covered driveway into breathtaking beauty. There we met Brandi Stansbury, Linne Calodo's Director of Communications, who poured us four amazing tastings, and then took us out to the barrel room where Matthew, our Texas friends and the rest of the group were vertical barrel tasting. Our host was generous and a wealth of knowledge; his passion for his craft abundant and inventive. This is where we met Mitch from Chicago, a super nice restaurant and wine bar owner attending Hospice du Rhône to check out potenitial wine purchases to add to his menus back home. Love was in the air.

The Saturday lunch, catered by Chef Rick Manson of the Far Western Tavern from Guadalupe California, included amazing food, wine and company like Friday, however there was an added live auction that really got my ears perking and heart pounding. Professional auctioneers were selling off Rhône wine lots from all over the world, private dinners, and trips to Blackberry Farms in Tennessee that went for up to $25,000.  For you self-taught wine drinkers out there, it was a site to behold. The weekend also included grand tastings on Friday and Saturday afternoon that were over the top with producers offering exclusive vintages and varietals from all over the world, and delicious delectables from Blackberry Farms and Specialty Food Purveyors. My favorite part, aside from everything, was the French section, which I aptly dubbed Château Boulevard. French wineries, standing side by side by the dozens, including several from Châteauneuf du Pape, were pouring some of the best Grenaches I’ve ever imbibed. It was a two day love affair I will never forget, that ended with a Fiesta BBQ served by Chef Maegen Loring of The Neon Carrot from San Luis Obispo, California, and lots of laughs. Oh, parting is such sweet sorrow.

Well, Hospice du Rhône, as I wrap up my love letter, I just want to say that I now appreciate why sommeliers, buyers, and wine industry professionals taste wine, but don’t swallow. I entered the world of no return right after the second seminar and began spitting and dumping some of the best wine I’ve EVER tasted, or will ever taste. And, I will love you always for that. Until we meet again right here in Paso Robles, California...

Yours Eternally, Maryann Stansfield, Travel Paso Robles Alliance

Captions: Hospice du Rhône 20th Anniversary logo; Glasses lined up for tasting at the Spain (still) Rocks Seminar; Blackberry Farm cured meats hanging from the drying rack, along with cheeses, cured meats, okra and pickled beets at the Friday Grand Tasting; Approaching Linne Calodo wine tasting room and winery; A maze of wine and pourings at Friday's BIG Rhône Rendevous Grand Tasting event. Photo Credit: Maryann Stansfield

Maryann Stansfield is the Marketing Director for the Travel Paso Robles Alliance and Mental Marketing. Maryann loves to drink wine, learn about wine, discover new wines, eat food paired with wine, fall in love with wine and, on occasion, an unforgettable wine event. Cheers!