Paso Pleasures, Pics, and Updates!

Okay, Okay. Stop yelling. But you’ll still have to be patient!

Here are some teasers about my trip to Paso last week, and I had to share some of my adventures with you.

As I mentioned in last week’s entry, who knew it was Easter?!? Since the kids are grown and the grandkids live in California, I tend to be somewhat lax when it comes to keeping track of holidays. Oh well. My Sunday plans went awry, but that’s okay. My visits on Friday and Saturday more than made up for it!

Here’s an overview of what my trip was about:

The first stop on Friday was at Opolo. It was a necessity, because somehow, my Mountain Zin wasn’t packaged in my shipment. !!!!! For those of you who are fans of Opolo Mountain Zin, you know that’s an unforgivable sin (no pun intended)!

Their large and lovely wine tasting room had a few fans in there who were (surprise) tasting and buying wine. We met with Sherri who took us on a tour of the grounds. I took lots of pictures which will be on the website shortly. I can’t even begin to describe the magnificence of the view.

Our next stop was to Vines on the Marycrest, where, once again, we were taken on a tour of the vineyards by the winemaker and owner, Victor Abascal. The next time Victor comes into town and does a pouring, you have to come and meet him and enjoy his wonderful wines! He is personable, chatty, and very passionate about winemaking. Plus, he has a heck of a story behind his unusual winery name.

The next trip was to Villicana, where we met up with Alex. (Yes, Alex fans, he’s still as cute as ever!).

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Paso Robles! Friends, Me, and the 21st Century

If you’re on the newsletter mailing list, you are already aware that I did not fall of the face of the earth and am, in fact, still quite firmly attached to terra firma.

I am overloaded with stuff to tell you, and don’t know where to begin.

The Combatting Swirl Envy classes have been so much fun and gone so well. We’re churning out wine snobs by the truckload! There will be one class in April, but afterwards we’ll be on a temporary hiatus after that point as I recover from a medical “procedure” (yes, you can squirm), and finish updating the class to meet the requested needs of the students. We’ll have an even better CSE course and series of classes that will meet the needs of the neophyte Wineaux. Fun? You bet!

Thanks and shout outs to Valley Cheese and Wine and Khoury’s for allowing me to have space in their wonderful establishments. The students love the stores and have a hard time leaving without buying more wine!

Okay, here’s the embarrassing part. It’s time that I was brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

If you look to the right, you will see two sites that I’ve linked to. One is VinoLasVegas, which is the other Las Vegas-centric Blog, and the other is Classic Wines. Both sites are great in that they have video (!!!)

Of course the granddaddy of online video is my new favorite wine critic, Gary Vaynerchuk. He is a total nutcase, but certainly has the whole non-snobby wine thing figured out. What’s more, he has placed his own reviews of wine on the Internet and has – in the approximately year and a half since he started – become quite the global phenomenon. WineLibrarytv.com.

While my buds here aren’t quite at the global phenomenon stage yet, they do have great video that you have to check out.

The Vino Las Vegas Blog is run by two of my friends, Scott and Elaine Harris (Elaine is the cute one). Anyway, ever since they went to the World of Pinot Noir, I’m barely speaking to them, but I’ll recover and talk to them again some day. Maybe. (As you can probably guess, I DID NOT make it to the WoPN. Can you imagine? Me. The ultimate Pinot Ho. My motto: If you drink no Noir, you Pinot Noir. Dammit.)

But I digress.

Classic Wines is a little different. Matt Apsokardu has an incredible website dedicated to informing people about wines and he does enviable interviews with winemakers, tasters, etc. It’s easy to spend quite a bit of time at his site (ask me how I know), and you’ll learn a lot when you do. And spend money. But that’s a whole ‘nother discussion!

And I don’t want to leave out a new friend, TheWineryChannel.tv. That’s sort of where I met Victor Abascal, owner of Vines on the Marycrest. What a wonderful little site they have!

And now we get to me. I have recently spent wayyyy too much time looking for a battery for a 30-year-old camera before I remember that it’s really older than my kids and what the heck am I doing?!? So my goal for this Spring/Summer is to actually buy a little video cam so that I can look as cool as Scott and Elaine as they get these great interviews, blah blah blah. Grrr. Anybody have a flash bulb?

New stuff! My trip to Paso Robles will see new pictures on the website, interviews, tastings, and more. AND!! Keep your ears close by for news about the upcoming Vegas Wineaux at sea as we explore new wineries in places that would surprise you!

Sound mysterious enough? Stay tuned …

And thanks to Roger of The Winery Channel for granting permission for me to reprint the following little blurb from his newsletter. It’s so funny!

TOP TEN REASONS TO DRINK WINE

#10 - It’s mostly water… really good water.
#9 - Wine is easy. Comes in shades of two colors.
#8 - Wine is fruit juice and everyone know that fruit is really good for you.
#7 - The likelihood of a wine drinker strapping on a bomb
to blow up fellow wine shoppers at BevMo is virtually nil.
#6 - Wine is not explosive … mostly.
#5 - Wine bottles hold the perfect amount to seduce a willing lover.
#4 - Wine is an excellent excuse for having a wine cellar,
thus a place to hide from your spouse and kids.
#3 - Wine grows in the most beautiful places, so it’s obvious that God
wants you to visit there. Don’t make him any madder. Go now!
#2 - A moderate amount of wine improves
your appearance, intellect & wisdom…for a short time.

* (with a nod to Alfonso Bedoya - Treasure of Sierra Madre.)

#1 - Reasons? We ain’t got no reasons.
We don’t need no reasons.
I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ reasons!

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Vines on the Marycrest Tastes Vegas! and Event Reminder

You know how sometimes you meet certain people and just “click”? Well that happened a few weeks ago when Victor Abascal of Vines on the Marycrest winery contacted me when he learned about the Blog and what a Paso Robles fan I am.

Victor came to Las Vegas last week, and I had the opportunity (privilege, actually) to meet with him two days in a row. At 44, he looks far younger and has an engaging, friendly style. Victor is a Technical Engineer in the film business in Los Angeles, which makes for an interesting commute from his home in Paso Robles. Not only that, but his brother-in-law is Rick Baker of cinema special-effects fame!

He began his wine-making career by surreptitiously planting vines on the grounds of the Marycrest, a Catholic home for the aged, in his hometown of Culver City, California, and his winery’s namesake. Well, the nuns there freaked (can nuns freak?), and the police were called. Read more

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Hug Cellars Winemaker Tasting at My Home!

First of all, I’d like report that due to the overwhelming response to the new look of the website (average opinion: “Eww”), it’s been changed to something less, well, *vivid*! Brighter colors are still there, but it’s definitely easier to read. There’s also some information about upcoming services and the new logo.

And now for the main event: the report of the Hug Cellars Winemaker’s tasting at my home on Saturday evening, December 29. What a fabulous time!

The event was set up in just a few days primarily through MySpace and email. Augie Hug of Hug Cellars contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in having Edgar Torres, his assistant winemaker, stop by to showcase Hug Cellars wines. I hesitated all of, say, 1.5 seconds before I said yes. Edgar and I messaged through MySpace and got everything set up. I then contacted the Tex & Fritz Wine Club thing to invite them. I felt that those who were most knowledgeable about wines would be the best for the tasting. And was I ever right!

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Weekend in Paso - Part Deux

Windward has Burgundian-style Pinot Noir, which are flavorful and earthy with an amazing, food-friendly core of acidity that make these wines great for pairing. A discussion with Marc Goldberg revealed a man who is very passionate about his Pinots and whose vision is to let Americans know that a fruit-bomb Pinot is not a correct Pinot.

Castoro Cellars (1-800-DamFine – I love the phone number!) was there in full fun mode. Niels was autographing great posters (Irene is Dam Fine) while we savored their wines. They make a complete line of quality, moderately priced wines that were made for quaffing with friends. My favorite of theirs is the Rosato di Syrah (help me if I spelled it wrong!), which, unfortunately, they did not have at the Festival. It is an inky (for a Rose) wine with lots of Syrah character. I was introduced to their wines (and to Paso Robles) by a friend of mine and I have to thank her for the heads up!

 

It’s pretty obvious that I’m a fan of Hug Cellars. One of the reasons I became such a fan was because of his 2005 release of a Pinot from the Orchid Hill Vineyards. That wine with Thanksgiving dinner was absolute perfection. You can imagine how excited I was to find out that Orchid Hill is a winery in its own right. The only varietals they produce are Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier, and Zinfandel. Because they can focus on just a few items, they have been able to bring their entire portfolio to a very high standard. Their wines are delicious, but the Pinot (in my humble opinion) is a standout. Once again, it’s that mouth-bracing style that I like so much that makes me think immediately of Grilled Salmon with Capers as a pairing. Karen did the pouring honors and impressed me by giving kudos to Augie Hug for the fine job he did with OH grapes last year. See what I mean about Paso folks? By the way, they just opened up a new tasting room right off the park in downtown Paso. Gorgeous.

 

As I may have mentioned before, Villicana has the best Viognier (once again, in *my* opinion. YMMV.) and when we arrived at their tent, I quaffed a nice pour of it and once again felt that my assessment was correct. Then Alex made a challenge! He indicated that his grapes and those of Anglim Winery are from the same source. So away we marched, searching for the Anglim tent in order to do strategic Viognier testing. Um, *tasting.*

 

As it turned out, the particular Viognier they were pouring at that time was not from the same grape source as Villicana, but was fragrant and delicious, nevertheless. Because it was later in the day and I could feel palate fatigue creeping in, I limited my tasting to simply the Viognier and Syrah. Does anyone in Paso make a bad Syrah?

 

OF COURSE I had to stop by Tobin James’ booth. Toby was there in his glory, and they were pouring his wonderful wines. I took a couple of sips of Zin, a free cowboy hat, and was on my way. This is another winery that has a noticeable presence in my wine collection. My favorite (and I didn’t see it being poured), is the Fat Boy Zin, but I wouldn’t turn any of them down! Tooth-stainers, all.

 

There were several wineries that I tried for the first time, and there are three that really stood out. I’m not saying that the wineries are new (although I know that John Alan is relatively new), but they are new to me.

 

Hansen had a nice little crowd around their tent and I tasted their Syrah and Zinfandel. According to my notes, I thought their Zin was beautiful. Their website isn’t completely up yet, but promises to be up and running shortly.

 

John Alan himself was helping to man the pouring booth and makes a variety of very nice wines. This is a brand new winery, and John Alan is enthusiastic about his efforts. And he should be. As much as I loved his Syrah, he was very excited about the new release later this year which he stated would be even better. His Viognier had Viognier character (I’ve tasted too many that are either Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay wannabes), and his entire portfolio was promising. And yummy. Once again, we have website issues, but stay tuned for the unveiling. The website address will be http://www.johnalanwinery.com.

 

Another new winery – for me because I know they’ve been in Paso for a while – was Wild Coyote. WC had Zins, Syrahs, a Merlot, and a Zin Port that, unfortunately, was not open. When I say unfortunately, I mean unfortunately for *me* because apparently they’re about sold out of it. It’s in a wonderful bottle, and since my first real Port experience (American Port, of course) was a Zin Port, I only have love for Zin Ports! Gianni himself was there pouring, and exudes humor and friendliness. I will definitely make a point of visiting Wild Coyote next time I’m in Paso, which I hope is very soon!

 

Unfortunately, there were those wineries that I missed. And absolutely HATED that I missed! All of them are good, with a couple that are legendary in the world of wine. For instance, I missed both the Turley and the Linne Calodo tents. Both of these wineries produce incredible Zins and other varietals, are well-known throughout the wine world, and have a waiting list for those fans who want to be in their wine clubs.

 

Robert Hall is great, not only because of their nicely-priced and delicious wines, but also because of Robert Hall himself. He is quite a character, but I didn’t even get to stop by the booth to see if he was there on Saturday. I feel so ashamed! They have an expansive selection of wines, and there are several that are my favorites. By the way, they recently garnered a 93 score from Wine Enthusiast for their wonderful Vintage Port. Ha! I have a few bottles of it! By the way, when you are in Paso, you have to visit their winery. It is one of the most beautiful settings in the area.

 

Another booth/tent (whatever) I missed on Saturday was Carmody-McKnight. They have a very unusual history regarding the quality of their soils, and their wines reflect that quality. I own several bottles of their wine, including their new late harvest Chardonnay. Waiting for the special occasion! But I digress. They also have Pinot (which is ALWAYS gone by the time I’m ready to taste it), a great Cabernet, and Day in the Park, their unoaked Chardonnay.

 

And last but not least, I was able to stop by the Garretson tent, eager and excited to wrap my lips around some Celeigh – their Rhone Rosé – and was bitterly disappointed (like that?) that they had run out. Argh! As it turned out, that was the last tent anyway, and my palate had died by that time. If you’ve never checked it out, you have to check out their website. THIS IS A MUST!! Garretson wines are a love/hate relationship, and the fact that they give their wines Gaelic names makes for all kinds of pronunciation fun. The Celeigh, for instance, is pronounced “Kayley.” Their flagship Syrah, the Craic, is pronounced “Crack.” Want some Craic? LOL. This is Syrah with about 6% Viognier which makes for an amazing combination. It is a must to check out Garretson wines and decide for yourself if you love them or hate them. I love them. There’s nothing in between.

 

That’s about it! Whew! Obviously, I love Paso Robles. I really do … it’s my favorite, it’s local (as far as Wine Countries go), and the people are incredible.

 

To those of you who wanted to know, here is the link to take a look at Stanley Lambert’s Pristine Chardonnay.

 

Sorry about the posting being a day late. Oh, by the way - Marche Bacchus is having a Stanley Lambert tasting at their store tomorrow. Hope to see you there! Our buddy, Elliott, will be there as always.

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