Inside Paso Robles

Hey, You Got Your Art in My Wine!

With the newly-branded Art After Dark Paso event that happens the first Saturday of every month, downtown art galleries and an art-loving wine tasting room are giving you some great reasons to come out and stroll through downtown Paso Robles on your way to dinner or a nightcap.

The three art galleries who will be open late this Saturday to entertain you during Art After Dark Paso are Dale Evers Gallery, Heritage Gallery West and Studios on the Park. Here is a map to get you around.

One downtown tasting room, LXV Wine Lounge, is offering a wine experience to delight all the senses, read on:  

LXV Wine Lounge

LXV Wine Lounge’s expansion into the art world continues! The boutique wine label, already seeped in the artistic traditions of the Kama Sutra, is hosting artists from its very own wine club for Art After Dark Paso.

No other wine label antes up the passion for art as LXV does: from their Amy Butler-made wines, to the artists behind each vintage’s story; from the Lounge tasting room itself, to the unparalleled spice pairings…LXV creates a culture of ever-evolving conversations around what art is.  

For their first official artist showing this coming Art After Dark, Neeta & Kunal present the stunning photography of Dr. Bill Sima. Not only is Bill the very first wine club member of LXV, and an orthopedic surgeon with a thriving local practice, but his photography stands alone as award-winning.

Bill Sima's photography evokes a sense of magic

Photographs will be on display from 6pm-9pm at LXV’s Wine Lounge experience for Art After Dark Paso on Saturday, February 1^st. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the artist’s charity of choice: “His Healing Hands”, a Christian non-profit that provides medical mission trips to countries of great economic and health care need. Bill takes no monetary profit for himself, nor does LXV. 

 

About Art After Dark Paso:

Art After Dark Paso is held the first Saturday of every month, 6-9pm in the City of Paso Robles, California. This free, self-guided art walk promotes artists, galleries, wine tasting rooms, and other venues that showcase the arts.

Dates for 2014:

January 4, February 1, March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6, October 4, November 1 & December 6

For more information about the arts in San Luis Obispo County, go to www.artsobispo.org 

An explanation for the local cheese shortage

by Danika Reed 

All year long we have people coming into Vivant asking for local cheese.  Most are visitors to our beautiful area, and still some are locals.  Many are perplexed at the shortage of local cheeses this time of the year.  My standard answer when asked to explain the shortage is “the goats are pregnant”.  Not many ask further questions, seemingly uncomfortable with discussing such topics, so I thought this might be the best place to explain in further detail. 

In the cheese world we talk about terms like “farmstead” cheese, “artisan” cheese, and “commodity” cheese among others.  To understand these terms, we must first understand the animals that are producing the milk to make our glorious cheeses.

Local Farmstead Operations

In our region of the Central Coast of California, there are a select few “farmstead” cheese operations.  This is defined by the animals being raised on the same property (or farm) that the cheese is being produced.  Using this method, the animals, mostly sheep and goats here on the Central Coast, are grazing as much as possible, and fed other supplemental grains and forages when the natural grass doesn’t grow due to lack of rain.  

To produce milk, the female goats and sheep (and cows, and yaks, and buffalo, ok you get the idea) must be impregnated once per year and give birth.  After they give birth and the babies are allowed to feed from their mothers for a short time, they are weaned and their mothers begin milking.  Farmstead cheese makers will then begin a season of cheese making, which starts with what they call the “Spring Flush”.  Hence the name, in most farmstead cheese making operations, they begin milking in spring after the babies are weaned and continue until the moms need to be impregnated again in the fall. 

With all of that said, the question still remains, why don’t we have local cheeses this time of the year? While most of our milking stock dried up (stopped producing milk) in the fall, they are now pregnant and getting ready to give birth in the spring.  Most local farmstead cheese production was over in October.  That means most fresh cheeses were unavailable by mid-October, and any hard cheeses the cheese makers made early in the year are sold out by this time of the year. 

Year Round Cheese Producers

We do still have local cheeses that are being made year-round.  This is accomplished by buying milk from farms that are staggering “strings” of animals.  This means that farmers group the animals within their herd into strings of animals that will get pregnant at different times of the year.  This will allow them to milk a portion of their heard year round.  

When a cheese maker buys milk from another farm, not on the same site as his cheese making operation, he can no longer call it farmstead.  Depending on how much volume the cheese maker is producing and his production methods, he can still call his (or her) cheese “Artisan”.  So, during our harsh cold winters here on the Central Coast (ok I think it has actually been 75 degrees since October but we still wear jackets!!) we might not have a huge selection of local cheeses, but with spring just around the corner, we can look forward to an abundance of fresh cheese in just a few short months. Hang in there people: more local fresh cheese is just around the corner!!  In the mean time, we have hundreds of other cheeses in stock to meet your every cheese desire!  

Vivant is Moving!

Stay tuned as Vivant is moving in the next couple of months.  If you want to stay up to date with our new adventures, send your email address to [email protected] and I will add you to our newsletter list.             

 

Danika is a local girl who, armed with a degree in Dairy Science and Ag Business from Cal Poly, went out to conquer the cheese world.  Now, with nearly 20 years of experience in buying and selling cheese she shares her knowledge and passion for the fromage with us through her store and website in Paso Robles, CA at Vivant Fine Cheese.

Pairings in Paso: Balsamic Steak Rolls and Eberle Zinfandel

By Jennifer Knoll

For some silly reason I was thinking that since the holidays are over life would slow down a bit. Boy was I wrong...so back to reality.  With life being so hectic I turned to another source for some dinner time inspiration, Pinterest. At first glance this dish grabbed me. The bright fresh vegetables playfully peering out of the tender rolled steak caught my eye; a bundle of goodness. And better yet this recipe ended up being quite simple, affordable and healthful which meant it was dinner success. 

The wine pairing was a simple choice, a Paso Robles classic, Zinfandel.  Since I was going the classic Paso route I had to go all the way, straight to the roots, to the pioneers themselves, Eberle Winery. This Zin is full of brambly boysenberry fruit, a soft touch of smoke with gentle tannins and white pepper that perfectly complimented the robust balsamic glaze and slightly charred veggies.  

I served mine over a bed of simply sautéed greens. Happy January to me!

Balsamic Steak Rolls

1 pound skirt steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

1 small zucchini
1 carrot
1 bell pepper, red or yellow
3 green onions

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup beef broth
1 shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons butter

Cut the steaks into 3 by 5 inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cut the zucchini, bell pepper, carrot and green onion into matchstick size pieces, a little longer than the steak width. To make the sauce: melt the butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until soft. Add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and beef stock. Allow the sauce to come to a boil and reduce to almost half. Turn the heat off and transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan (no need to wash it) add a touch of olive oil, turn the  heat up to high and toss in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini (there’s no need to cook the green onion) and stir fry the veggies until slightly charred, transfer to a bowl.  Take a strip of steak and lay it with the short side towards you. Place a few of the veggies in the middle and roll the beef up over the filling, securing it with toothpick along the length of the roll. Repeat until all the rolls are assembled.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a touch of oil, swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, and pan fry for 2-3 minutes. Turn rolls and cook it on all sides in the same way.  Remove the toothpick and serve with the balsamic glaze sauce spooned over the top of each roll.

Jennifer Knoll is a lifelong resident of Paso Robles. Growing up in the wine business and being surrounded by farmers, she developed her serious fetish for wine and food.  She is the Assistant Tasting Room Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard. Please get permission before reproducing recipe.

 

 

 

ennifer Knoll is a lifelong resident of Paso Robles. Growing up in the wine business and being surrounded by farmers, she developed her serious fetish for wine and food.  She is the Assistant Tasting Room Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard. Please get permission before reproducing recipe. - See more at: http://blog.travelpaso.com/foodie/#sthash.JsLqlPaS.dpuf

46 West Wineries are Throwing a Backstage Barrel Party!

by Sarah Leslie

What do you get when you take the magnificent wineries along Hwy 46 West in Paso Robles and add in the words Backstage and Barrel?  Well, you get to peek behind the curtain during the Backstage Barrel Weekend of course!

Forty-six West Wineries is a group of wineries nestled on the Westside of Paso Robles, with easy access from Hwy 46 West. This group offers a variety of wine styles and specialties that collectively demonstrate all the wonderful elements found in Paso Robles Wine Country.

Stop into any of the participating 46 West Wineries Saturday, December 28 or Sunday, December 29 and you’ll get the behind the scenes backstage tour. Meet the winemaker and taste wine right out of the barrel - before it hits the bottle! It’s really FUN and delicious. And it’s a chance to learn about the aging process of wine in a barrel. Who said learning can’t be FUN and delicious? For you inquisitive types, it’s your chance to ask all those questions about new vs. neutral, American vs. French vs. Hungarian…barrels of course.

Purchase a Backstage Barrel Pass for only $20 online. Please note that additional tasting fees may apply outside of barrel tastings. Along with the Barrel Pass you will receive a stylish commemorative wineglass to enjoy your behind the scenes barrel tastings at participating wineries all along Highway 46 West. Hope to see you there!

Photos courtesy of TravelPaso.com

Sarah Leslie is a marketing guru with Mental Marketing who loves to travel up Paso Robles looking for and tasting the best wines the area has to offer. When she's not enjoying the wine, Sarah can also be found behind the bar at Clayhouse serving it. 

 

 

 

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Hotel Meets Winery in Paso Robles - A Match Made in Wine Heaven

Unlock Paso Robles Wine: Vines to Wine

Harvesting in Paso: Garagiste-style

Adelaida's 2nd Annual Walnut and Wine Festival

by Melani Meister

During the 1940's, Paso Robles was one of the largest nut producing regions in the nation and this Saturday, December 7, Adelaida Cellars pays homage to this historic period at their 2^nd Annual Walnut and Wine Festival.

The festival will highlight Adelaida Cellars' 85-year-old estate grown, dry-farmed walnuts with delicious walnut-inspired bites paired with Adelaida wines, holiday music, olive oil tastings and more.

Discover these amazing local walnuts, just in time for holiday baking, from 10:00 to 5:00 pm on December 7th in the Barrel Room at Adelaida Cellars. Tickets are $10 and include small bites, eight wines, and the festivities. 

Hope to see you there! 

 

 

Win stocking stuffers and Discover Gift Ideas from Paso Robles!

This holiday season give the gift of the Central Coast! Enter to win an amazing bottle of wine compliments of the Paso Robles Wine Club, complimentary Wine Wrangler Wine Tours, Hearst Castle tickets, and holiday recipe cards. Weekly winners will be drawn through December 20, 2013. Enter on Facebook here! Or, enter to win  by signing up for our e-newsletter using promotional code Stockings2013.

Offering a festive Downtown filled with holiday lights, boutique shopping and unique galleries, Paso Robles is a great holiday destination featuring more than 250 wineries, numerous craft breweries, farm-fresh cuisine and a wide selection of accommodations. Visitors can purchase the perfect holiday gifts in Paso Robles or online - from that special bottle of wine to a wide array of hand-crafted items – check out the amazing gift ideas below!  

Vivant Fine Cheese Club – Many Cheeses if you Pleases!

sign up for their e-newsletter using promotional code Stockings2013. Click here to read more. - See more at: http://blog.travelpaso.com/#sthash.sIXYpidG.dpufOffering a festive Downtown filled with holiday lights, boutique shopping and unique galleries, Paso Robles is a great holiday destination featuring more than 250 wineries, numerous craft breweries, farm-fresh cuisine and a wide selection of accommodations. Visitors can purchase the perfect holiday gifts in Paso Robles or online - from that special bottle of wine to a wide array of hand-crafted items – check out the amazing gift ideas below!  Vivant Fine Cheese Club – Many Cheeses if you Pleases!

Sign up your friend for their amazing Cheese Club! Located in Historic downtown Paso Robles, Vivant Fine Cheese is the Central Coast's premier cheese tasting room, featuring premium local and imported handcrafted artisan cheeses paired with the finest Central Coast wine and beer. Experience what their cheese experts have in store to make your cheese tasting experience truly amazing. You can also try their "Wine Parings" and discover which wines pair best with cheese selections from Paso Robles and around the world. For more information visit their online store at www.VivantFineCheese.com.

Paso Robles Wine Club – Great Way to Get to Know Paso Wines

Become a member and enjoy premium award-winning wines from the Paso Robles Wine Region.  This wine club is a premium wine club for the aficionados who love Paso Robles wine, or want to know more about this fast growing region. It offers a diverse selection of quality Paso wines starting from $80 a shipment. If you want to learn more and taste fabulous wines from one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world, then this is the club for you. For more information visit the online store at www.BuyPasoWine.com.

General Store Paso Robles – the Ultimate Artisan Stocking Stuffer!

Paso-made fabulousness including a whole line of olive oil products and everyone’s favorite “Paso Chick” t-shirts. Joeli Yaguda, Erin Stuck and Jillian Waters are the proprietors of General Store Paso Robles, bringing a combined 25 years of experience in Paso Robles food, farm and retail. This dynamic three-some loves sharing their finds, from the Central Coast and beyond, with visitors, from local-made jewelry, food and pantry items to lots of odds and ends. For more information visit www.Facebook.com/General.Store.Paso.Robles.

Find an Amazing Cabernet Sauvignon to Suit Your Fancy

Along with Zinfandels, Paso Robles gained notoriety for its Cabernet Sauvignons. For some of Paso’s legendary Cabernet Sauvignons, check out Eberle, J.Lohr Vineyards, EOS Estate Winery, and Adelaida Cellars. For a list of wineries visit www.PasoRoblesCab.com.

Find Works of Art at Studios on the Park – Witness the Action

Discover art originals and prints, handmade designer jewelry, scarves and home décor at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles.  A unique open studio environment where you can witness the creative processes of over 40 local artists as they create their masterpieces, Studios on the Park offers classes, workshops and exhibitions. Proceeds support this non-profits goals to share the creative process with all including local children. For more information visit www.StudiosOnThePark.org.

Give the Gift of Paso’s Rhône Varietals – California’s Rhône Zone

Paso Wine Country is gaining popularity for their exciting Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Here are just a few wineries offering Rhône varieties: Robert Hall Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Linne Calodo, Halter Ranch, Clavo and Eberle Winery. For a complete list of wineries visit www.RhoneRangers.org/about/pasorobles.php.

Pithy Little Wine Company – So Clever

Located in the heart of historic downtown Paso Robles, they produce and sell fine California wines, olive oils, sodas and lifestyle products. The winery and mercantile is a great place to taste their collection of reserve wines, extra virgin olive oils and old fashioned cane sugar sodas while exploring a selection of California lifestyle inspired products for home and life. For more information visit their online store at www.PithyWine.com.

We Olive – Everything Olive Lives Here

For an urban olive oil tasting experience, head to We Olive in downtown Paso Robles to taste more than 30 specialty, extra virgin olive oils, both local and national, vinegars, olives, tapenade, olive oil-infused gifts sets, jams and more. Great gift ideas and corporate gift baskets. For more information and to visit their online store go to www.WeOlive.com.     

Craft Distilled Vodka and Gin from Grapes – Thirsty?

Paso Robles Craft Distilling, a micro-distillery, utilizes a unique distilling ingredient: premium Paso Robles grapes, a luxury that is normally too expensive for most distilleries to use in production. Paso Robles Craft Distillery applies the excess juice from its sister company, Villacana Winery, to its product, resulting in a high-end vodka and gin made with ultimate sustainability. For more information visit www.RefindDistillery.com.

Firefly Gallery - a Beautiful Boutique

Mother and daughter owners, Emily and Lauren, create holiday magic in their window displays and crafts throughout the store. They feature amazing books, linens, designer clothing, kid’s crafts and high end apothecary items. For more information visit www.Facebook.com/pages/Firefly/103839587506.

Brown Butter Cookie Company – Serious Cookies
Smell the brown butter sea salt cookies in downtown Paso Robles courtesy of the Brown Butter Cooking Company’s new location in the iconic Acorn Building at 12^th and Park Streets. The popular shortbread cookie company has opened the 1,300-square foot spot, complete with a storefront directly under the brick building’s acorn-topped clock tower.  For more information visit their online store at www.BrownButterCookies.com.

Sealed with a Kiss (SWAK) – Retro Cool
The popular store featuring retro, eclectic and, most of all, fun merchandise, has moved to Pine Street.  Treasure hunters will find more cool stuff in the new location, right in the heart of downtown with an entrance on Main Street. For more information visit www.SwakStuff.com.  

Sole Tree - a High-End Shoe Store

Owned by a young woman entrepreneur named Piper, this store is a dream come true for her. She had always wanted to open a shoe and accessories store in Paso Robles; and now she has! Specializing in all leather shoes from brands such as Born, Frye, Corso Como, Me Too and Kork Ease, as well as accessories and handbags, Sole Tree is the only high end shoe store in Downtown. For more information visit www.TheSoleTree.com.

AndBe Boutique – Wine Lifestyle Goods

This store showcases the Paso wine lifestyle with everything from jewelry to premium leather jackets and linens from all over the world.  Also the home of Paso Underground, a collective of small winemakers without tasting rooms. This group utilizes the store’s back patio as a collective space to pour their wines for patrons. For more information visit www.Facebook.com/AndBeBoutique.

Photos courtesy of TravelPaso.com.

 

Looking for that perfect, unique holiday gift? Why not add a little something for yourself by shopping in Paso Robles, CA. This artisan hamlet nestled in the coastal mountain range of central California, mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is just a three-hour drive from San Jose, making Paso Robles a centrally located destination for holiday shoppers.

Offering a festive Downtown filled with holiday lights, boutique shopping and unique galleries, Paso Robles is a great holiday destination featuring more than 250 wineries, numerous craft breweries, farm-fresh cuisine and a wide selection of accommodations. Visitors can purchase the perfect holiday gifts in Paso Robles or online - from that special bottle of wine to a wide array of hand-crafted items - check out the amazing gift ideas below!

- See more at: http://www.travelpaso.com/cm/experience_paso_robles/winter2013.html#sthash.XrQCWKto.dpuf

 

Find Artisan Gifts, Amazing Wine & Cheese Clubs, Win Stocking Stuffers, and Celebrate the Holidays in Paso Robles - See more at: http://www.travelpaso.com/cm/experience_paso_robles/winter2013.html#sthash.XrQCWKto.dpuf

Find Artisan Gifts, Amazing Wine & Cheese Clubs, Win Stocking Stuffers, and Celebrate the Holidays in Paso Robles - See more at: http://www.travelpaso.com/cm/experience_paso_robles/winter2013.html#sthash.XrQCWKto.dpuf

Find Artisan Gifts, Amazing Wine & Cheese Clubs, Win Stocking Stuffers, and Celebrate the Holidays in Paso Robles - See more at: http://www.travelpaso.com/cm/experience_paso_robles/winter2013.html#sthash.XrQCWKto.dpuf

The Alluring Secrets of Paso: Now, Then and Always

By Melanie Webber 

I first discovered Paso Robles and the Central Coast nearly 20 years ago, when a close friend moved to the area from LA and, like all who first experience its joys, I felt it was my special secret. As someone who spent a good part of my youth in Georgia, I was enchanted by the California version of Spanish moss weeping from grand oaks that gnarled across Paso’s golden hills, and that stooped their branches over rocky creeks.   I had never seen it outside the South, but this was a kinder, gentler version, still mysterious, but plush and pale green, not the haunted dark wires that drip down in the South.

Back then, the wine industry was just getting going and Paso's oaken landscape was not as blanketed with vineyards as it is now. My very first wine tasting was at Adelaida Cellars, pioneers back then, and I was hooked.  I fell in love with Paso and the treasures that surrounded it, from the awe-inspiring views, to the sweet and winding cow-fringed country roads; from the mission in SLO to the hot springs of Sycamore, the guano ‘snow’-covered Morro Rock, the lost-in-time beach town of Cayucos and the British-tinged charm of Cambria.   I loved the fogs that rolled in across the hills from the west, woolly ghosts with ice on their breath, and the gold-parched, sun-drenched hills to the east. I loved having breakfast at the Paso Robles Inn with its bubbling artesian springs, hanging out in Paso’s elegant town square, devouring gravy-slathered biscuits at Hoover’s Beef Palace.  I loved Paso’s cow-town feel, the down to earth people, the freshness of its farm air, and the wine… 

Like so many before and after, I felt that Paso and its surrounds were MY secret. When I would tell people in LA (although I had been warned not to by my friend, who feared a stampede of tourists) that I had been to Paso Robles and the Central Coast, they would say “oh yeah, right Monterey, Big Sur, I been there” and I would think to myself no you haven’t, but didn’t correct.

While much has changed in the past 20 years – Paso has indeed been ‘discovered’ as a stunning travel destination and celebrated as one of the most important wine producers in the world, its once bare golden hills and meadows now boasting row after row of vineyards, the town offering up an array of culinary delights and artisan shops – there is still much to discover. 

So, when my Central Coast friend decided to start a wine festival dedicated to small lot, artisan winemakers, it took little persuading for me to jump in. My task? To share a Paso ‘secret’ with the world, this time its over 125 garagiste winemakers. 

What an irony…. the ones wanting to keep this amazing treasure of a place secret, now having a hand in letting its secrets out. But, lack of awareness was one of the key challenges facing the area’s small-lot winemakers. Anyone who has had anything to do with making wine (let alone distributing and marketing it) knows what an all-encompassing task it is (not to mention the labor involved for those with their own vineyards).  Who has time or resources for marketing? These operations are so small and focused more on quality and passion for the art, than on telling the world.

The secret of these garagiste winemakers was one that we felt privileged to hold, but for them to survive, of course, the world needed to know.  So, when festival co-founders Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick decided, in 2011, to take that task on, and recruited Lisa Dinsmore and me to help make it happen, we threw our hearts and souls into it, not having a clue whether the festival that we put together in less than five months would attract the world --- or remain a secret.  

We had no problem getting garagiste winemakers on board (parameters – no more than 1200 cases); and some of the area’s most famous winemakers (Saxum’s Justin Smith, Four Vines/Cypher’s Christian Tietje, Lone Madrone/Tablas Creeks’ Neil Collins and Adelaida’s Terry Culton) were right there to help us with our opening seminars. But, when we pulled open the heavy wooden doors of Windfall Farms stallion barn that first crisp November morning, we wondered if there would there be anyone there except for our remarkably dedicated army of volunteers?

Well, indeed there was, and one of our proudest moments was hammering a sold out sign into a Windfall pasture, although we were sad to turn people away.

There is, in my opinion, no better way to experience the wonders of Paso Robles than at the annual Garagiste Festival (held November 7^th – 10^th this year), an event that keeps it intimate, enables wine lovers to interact directly with the winemakers, offers its attendees multiple new discoveries and is a true celebration of Paso’s quintessential local artisans, both wine and food, and set in some of its most stunning landscape. 

And so, this is the magic of Paso and the Central Coast: although today, there is more to love, more vineyards, more wineries, more garagistes, more restaurants, more festivals and events than ever before, it still feels like that privileged secret it was to me nearly 20 years ago.  Paso Robles, full of intimate charms, stunning natural beauty, diverse terroir, world-class wines and friendly people, continues to yield new discoveries for those that visit – all while remaining a place that each visitor feels is his/her own special secret. 

For tickets/information about the Garagiste Festival, held November 7th - 10th, go to www.garagistefestival.com

Garagiste Festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry.  Proceeds from the festivals are donated to the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program.

As part of The Garagiste Festival team, Melanie Webber spearheads Public Relations. Her public relations agency, mWEBB Communications, Inc., won a 2011 American Business Award for PR/Communications Campaign of the Year. A lover of all things Central Coast, especially the wines, she recently received her WSET Level 3 certification.

Harvesting in Paso: Garagiste-style

by Terry Nozick

If you have ever wanted to work harvest at a vineyard, you just might find your opportunity among the many small wineries in the beautiful countryside in and surrounding Paso Robles. It’s here that many of the “garagiste” winemakers produce artisanal wines in small batches – technically no more than 1,200 cases – operating, in many instances, on budgets fueled mainly by love of “terroir” and a passion for the grape.

Harvest for a small winery can present many challenges. Unlike industrial-sized vineyards, most of which are machine harvested using large, trained harvest crews, most of the smaller vineyards are meticulously hand-picked. This can be back-breaking work, with long hours, continuing for several weeks as different varietals reach maturity.

In some cases, small owners rally their family, friends, wine club members, and just about any one who will volunteer to help bring in the harvest.

I spoke to some of the winemakers who will be pouring at this year’s Garagiste Festival about how they manage their harvests. Vines on the Marycrest owner and winemaker Victor Abascal, who has 13.5 acres under vine, can attest to the fact that there are challenges for small wineries as their crops reach maturity, noting that it’s getting harder and harder to find help during harvest.  For him, harvest is a no-frills, just-work situation.  “The goal is always to get fruit into the winery as fast as possible,” he says. Abascal usually does the picking himself, with help from a neighbor’s farm hand.

Abascal also purchases grapes from other vineyards, some days picking up two or three lots of grapes, which “is always an adventure,” he says.  “Just pulling or hauling the fruit back to the winery is one of my main challenges. My vehicle is under-powered to say the least. Some of the vineyards I purchase from are not easy to get in and out of, with 2000 pounds of grapes on a trailer.”

Guillaume Fabre of Clos Solène does things a little differently, but faces similar challenges, some of which are self-imposed, as he is very particular and meticulous. He rents a couple of rows of different varietals from a vineyard on the west side of Paso, amounting to three acres. He manages 100% of the growing, farming, and spraying himself. Come harvest, he hand-picks at night to keep the fruit nice and cool. Because of his meticulousness, Fabre works with the same small crew each harvest. “I’m really a farmer,” he explains, “and I love to grow vines as if they were human beings. A lot of steps need to be done and when you are small, you can push the limits.” Larger producers, he says, just can’t do this.

Hoyt Family Vineyards is a one of the larger garagistes in terms of acreage, with approximately 140 scattered throughout the Central Coast and Malibu. They have an all- inclusive approach to harvest, inviting friends and family – including their children and childrens’ friends, who take the day off school – and pretty much anyone who wants to come to help their small hired crew. They  turn harvest into a fun-filled, festive morning, followed by a taco party lunch, which apparently is a draw for the harvest workers in the area as they come back for it every year, says owner Carol Hoyt.

“We usually try to harvest on Saturday,” says Hoyts, but “grapes don’t always cooperate.” But, she adds, people love to come to her harvest, and she welcomes pretty much anyone who is interested.

So, there’s no shortage of need among the garagistes for ready, willing, and able workers at harvest time. Garagiste harvest is a whole other way to experience Paso Robles, and the opportunity rolls around only once a year, usually in October.  So, don’t be afraid to ask to participate. You won’t regret the experience, and you will have a new app
reciation for each glass of wine you drink. And to taste the fruits of garagiste harvests past, including Hoyt, Clos Solène, Vines on the Marycrest, and 63 other artisan winemakers, come to the Garagiste Festival, held November 7th – 10^th in Paso Robles. For more information, go to garagistefestival.com.

Terry Nozick writes a blog, www.truthnwine.blogspot.com, which is syndicated on
www.winewomenandchocolate.com. As a former high-technology writer and editor, she is happy to be pursuing her true passion, wine, particularly those from the small, artisan vineyards in California’s central coast. She received her WSET Level 3 certification in 2013 and is continuing her wine studies, both formally and informally.

We Want to Hold Your Hand

If you can’t attend Viticulture college, mentoring is a great way to go, and Paso’s Garagiste Festival is a great place to start...

It all seemed so impossible, so out of reach.

Driving past Paso’s beautiful vineyards those many years ago when I first started to explore wine country, I would dream of making wine. I had no idea how that was ever going to actually happen. I had no background in farming. Heck, I struggled to keep my houseplants alive. And let's not even discuss how I would ever afford that vineyard. 

That dream was filed away with a few other long-shots, like playing major league baseball and selling a million records (let's face it, I'm not exactly a pioneer when it comes to choosing dreams), but I kept coming back anyway. If I couldn't buy my own winery, at least I could hang out in somebody else's beautiful tasting room. That's one of the great things about the wine business - it's not quite that easy to visit the dugout at Dodger Stadium or backstage at Staples Center. So I hung out. In Paso. A lot. And I learned.

It seems obvious now, but it was a revelation when I first realized that I didn't have to own any land at all to make wine. Fruit was available for purchase! Excellent fruit, too! In fact, many of my favorite wines are made with sourced (i.e., not estate) fruit. It began to dawn on me:  maybe I could do it that way, too.

Yes, there was still much to learn, a garage to clean out, equipment to buy, stuff to move, and mistakes to make, but at least my winemaking pals and I had a way forward now, so we jumped in.

The past four years have taught us much, especially the fact that there is no end to learning. We've been extremely lucky to have excellent and generous mentors – Paso Robles is full of them - who have helped us in so many ways - including how to interpret chemistry numbers and how to react to those numbers to make the best possible wine. This kind of generosity is commonplace in Paso, by the way, and another reason why making wine in Paso Robles is the way to go, especially for we newbies.

Winemaking involves chemistry, there's no way around that. What each winemaker chooses to do with those numbers that come back from the lab is a big part of the creative process. How to protect the wine from spoilage, how to solve problems, how to intervene the least to get the most out of your fruit, these are the decisions a winemaker has to face each year. Grapes left to ferment without guidance end up as vinegar. The winemaker makes the choices that prevent that from happening, and in the best possible way.

The Garagiste Festival is about discovery, certainly the discovery of new wines and winemakers, but also discovery of the process of making wine. The more you know about what goes into making great wine, the more you can enjoy and understand that wine.

Whether you want to make your own wine or simply get a deeper understanding of the process, be sure to attend the Garagiste Festival’s Winemaking Symposium on Sunday, November 10 entitled. “Nothing’s Perfect - How to Manage and Influence Your Wines to Greatness.” 

We’ve arranged university-level instruction with Cal Poly professor and winemaker and Baker and Brain Wines, Matt Brain, along with renowned winemaker Adam LaZarre who will explore some of the common hurdles faced by winemakers and attendees will have the rare opportunity to taste the influences of various remedies commonly used to craft the best possible wine. All sponsored by the good folks at Laffort. Plus you will be introduced to some of the many supporting facilities in Paso that make it possible to turn the dream of winemaking into a reality.

So the choice is yours, if you’ve got the same impossible dream I had, or just want to explore the world of wine in more depth, you can enroll at Cal Poly… or come to our Sunday Seminar.

For tickets to the Garagiste Festival Winemaker Symposium and all festival events and for more info, go to http://www.garagistefestival.com.

Doug Minnick is the co-founder of The Garagiste Festival, coming up November 7– 10 in Paso, with an added tasting event scheduled for Happy Hour on Friday, November 8.. Doug can be found this time of year punching down and pressing Cab and Pinot Noir in a garage with his fellow winemaking stooges, Ted Behlendorf, Dan Andersen, and Scott Gruber.

“Taste of the Back Roads” Celebrates the end of Harvest 2013

  By Xochitl Maiman

Can’t believe how fast this year has flown by! Paso Robles is winding up its 2013 harvest and getting ready to celebrate! And celebrate it will this weekend during the Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend. And actually there’s more to celebrate than just the harvest. There are new restaurants, new wineries, new hotels and B&B’s – even a new cookie store! Paso continues to grow and yet seems to maintain its small town feel that is so much a part of what I love about the area.

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

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

This year, visitors to the 2013 Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend, October 18-20, will have the opportunity to taste wines and olive oils from many of the “Back Roads” producers all under one roof at the “Taste of the Back Roads ”, Saturday, October 19. The event, to be held at the “Foaling Barn” at the picturesque Windfall Farms , will feature a VIP wine and food pairing before the Grand Tasting event. Guests will also enjoy hearty harvest cuisine prepared by Chef Jacob Lovejoy of Cass Catering and music by Mike Maguire. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation.

Happy Harvest Paso Robles!

More info. Tickets are available at participating wineries and at Brown Paper Tickets.

Xochitl Maiman is a social media consultant with a passion for working with family run wineries and other small businesses. With a big soft spot for Paso Robles, she often writes about local events, wines and people at www.illdrinktothat.info.