GARAGISTE 6 - PART TWO

           To continue Adam Lazarre's presentation, four wines were poured. Two were large production and the others were his own label. A 2014 Sea Monster Eclectic White blend is "built" for Whole Foods. There were 6,000 cases made, grapes coming mostly from the Santa Ynez AVA and unoaked. Eclectic is an apt description for this $15 bottle that includes Viognier, Riesling, Grenache Blanc, Gewürztraminer and (what the heck) a kiss of Chard. It worked, go figure.

 

A little easier to figure was the other large volume offering. A commonly seen combo in this area, it was an 82% Petite Sirah and 18% Syrah blend. There were 16,000 cases made for a $14 retail and the grape sources were mostly Livermore with some N. Santa Barbara fruit as well. The wine is a 2014 Cycles Gladiator Petite Sirah, Central Coast by label. It sounded like a California appellation might be appropriate in this case since Livermore is an AVA on its own. Both regions provide cool climate versions of the fruit and perhaps I didn't correctly hear his breakdown.

The idea was to compare and contrast mass produced wines from his own label. The costs addressed in the first part of this posting aside, there were a couple of major differences between his small lot wines and the ones above.  The wines were 2014 Lazarre Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, of which only 175 cases were produced at a shelf price $22. A more than fair price point for the quality of the wine and considering the tonnage cost of Chard from that region. His focus is on Pinot Noir, which was poured as a 2012 version from the Central Coast appellation. Only 480 cases were made for sale at $36 and sourced from Santa Maria and Santa Lucia Highlands. It was more an old world style in look and on the palate than many of the somewhat massive Pinots seen from Santa Barbara and parts of Monterey County.

His comparison dealt with knowing the vineyard and the fruit, being involved with picking decisions, use of oak, smaller containers for fermentation. And, that the winemaker was personally in touch, on a daily basis, with the progress of the product. Plus the need for work arounds for things as simple as not having a bottle line and the toys while producing a superior product. Yet even the Pinot Noir was at the low end of  Central Coast pricing for the variety.

The second session of the day was called Illegal Blends. The being based on the restrictive laws seen in many growing regions in the world as to what grapes can go into a bottle. The garagistes can play it anyway they want. And that is one reason we get to taste Albarino, Counoise, Tannat at this event.

I would point out that all the wines poured were rated Best of Class or received 91 or more ratings from publications or competitions.

Erick Allen of Ascension Cellars poured 2015 "Silver" Blanc. Made at Cass (Paso Robles) and using SIP certified Chardonnay from Castoro Cellars, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier were also in this blend. The Rhone varietals were estate grown and both his wines were 13.9% alcohol. While the wine was light it offered more body on the palate than I expected. There were 465 cases at $36. The second pour was the 2013 "Soul Shaker" of which only 135 cases were made, priced at $66. It is his best selling wine and the fruit is sourced from Cass. It is 73 % Bordeaux blend - 40/20/13% Cab, Merlot and Petit Verdot with the remainder being Syrah. For the Paso area, these types of blends are fairly common, having mixed results as they combine "illegal" wines. It is an interesting experiment that may need some familiarization tasting to those not used to what Syrah can do to the more familiar combination.

Brian Brown of ONX Wines poured 2014 "Mad Crush", a $48 wine with 561 cases being made. There is a bit of something for everyone in this blend of 45% Grenache melded with nearly 1/5th Tempranillo and Malbec and 9% each Mourvedre & Zin. I found it very fruit forward with an evident backbone of tannin that should balance out as it sees more time in the bottle.

 

Steve Lemley from Pulchella Winery showed "The Awakening" 2014, an "unplanned" blend of which 125 cases were produced, priced at $45 and having a 15.7% alcohol level. Very deep in color, the wine is 66% Tannat, 34% Petite Sirah. Another example of a grape that is just gaining a foothold and another that was a standard for many years and fell out of favor for a while, now making a comeback, being used. Only the garagistes are playing on that field and making for one of the most interesting gatherings of the year. Can't wait for #7!

 

 

GARAGISTE 6 - ANOTHER SUCCESS & SPRING EVENTS ALREADY

          The wizards of small lot wines are back in their garages by now but the flavors linger on. Even a trained professional, such as myself, can be overwhelmed (some over served) by the variety of options served at the popular Garagiste Festival. And the word continues to spread. While a more local event when starting six years ago, I spoke with many who'd travelled from San Diego, the Sacramento area and from up north. They had good things to say about the lodging and dining options available in Paso Robles as well as their experience at the event. Many had learned of the Fest from word of mouth and were first timers but many indicated being repeats. And it was a knowledgeable crowd, who expressed being pleased with the ability  to engage the winemakers directly. It made for a nice end of season boost for the local restaurants and hotels too.

If not familiar with this group, there are a variety of things to do aside from the tasting and a mix of ticket options. First off is a Friday dinner and continues through Sunday's passport to some of the participating wineries, generally not open for public tastings. The main event is Saturday, beginning with a pair of seminars if you chose that level of attendance, and that includes lunch and early entry into the tasting. The day ends with a chance to wind down at an after party.

The seminars are a focus for me as they provide fodder for this blog. Much of what I post is information on trends, newly popular varietals, current ideas on winemaking, growth in various wine growing areas. Garagiste types are great for sourcing information on that as they are often on the first wave in such areas. 

First up was Adam Lazarre with, "A Peek Behind the Curtain" presentation. We are from a similar generation in the business and he took me back to my wholesale days with brands he was involved with, such as Jekel, Sonoma-Cutrer and Hahn. He is a brand building winemaker who does large production labels for Bev Mo, Whole Foods etc. and has grown 25,000 case wineries to over 100K. He discussed the differences between that experience and his own miniature production label.

I have discussed some of this in prior writing as I believe bringing people into the wine culture is good for the industry. You don't do that with $65 bottles of Cab, you need a mass market appeal and approachable wines. That is what the big boys (and increasingly women) provide. Adam pointed out the value in economy of scale and its effect on final price when entering the national distribution arena . The top selling (mostly multi label) thirty producers in the country sell 90% of the wine. None do less than 600,000 cases with #1Gallo putting 75M into the market. Over233M cases are made by the six top producers. After that, the double digits fall  off but the next thirteen on the list still are in the millions of cases with the last ten producing merely hundreds of thousands.

Compared to the Garagiste maker, the savings in cost of labels, closures, capsules and bottles is enormous. Often 50% or better in cost variance. And the ability to operate with all the new tech toys that artisan makers have no hope of capitalizing is also an advantage. Thus we get lots of reasonably priced everyday wines that are blended to a house style and dressed up with some back of the curtain techniques from made to order effects of available yeasts, oak alternatives and even powdered lees. This is not the little old winemaker image but it provides a product that allows people to become fans of wine, usually moving up the ladder. And that is good for the wine business.

                                                                                                                        To Be Continued

Never too early to start planning for 2017 events. Early announcements, some including early ticket promo pricing are out from the following events.

Santa Barbara Vintners (sbcountywines.com) will celebrate New Spring Releases Weekend  over April 20-23. Discounts are available for tickets through the end of the year. If you need your wine event fix sooner than that, World of Pinot Noir (worldofpinotnoir.com) also in Santa Barbara, will be held March 3-4. For those who really can't wait, Rhone Rangers to the rescue! The Paso Robles branch (rhonerangers.org) holds a now annual gathering at Broken Earth winery on Sunday March19. Known as the Experience it offers a complete day of panel discussions, lunch, silent auction and grand tasting. Tickets for the entire event or just the tasting portion are available. Full details and tickets are available via the indicated web sites.

HARVEST BRINGS A BINFULL OF PICKINGS FOR WINE LOVERS

          The weekend of Oct. 14-16 is Harvest Wine Weekend  in the varied sub-appellation areas surrounding Paso Robles. The final major event on the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance schedule for 2016, it is an unstructured opportunity to pick what you'd like to do at 140 wineries in the area. From dinners and various more casual daily food events, to music and art, there is bound to be something for you to enjoy.

The local Cabs of Distinction will hold a Grand Tasting at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort. Offering more than seventy wines made with Bordeaux varietals, it is a perfect kickoff to your weekend, running from 4 to 6 the afternoon of the 14th. Small bites are included and most participating wineries are represented by owners or winemakers. Details to this and what the wineries are doing for this special three days can be found via the PRWCA web site, pasowine.com. You can search by day, winery or activity or scroll through the full alphabetical listing. Where tickets are involved, information is on the individual web sites shown on the details pages.

 

            November 11-13 is the weekend for the 6th rendition of that barrel of monkeys known as the Garagiste Festival.  Some great background to this group, the garage band of winemaking, is on their website californiagaragistes.com, which also gives you the opportunity to sign up for "The Dirt" newsletter and to purchase tickets. My review of last year's event is in the archives of this blog.

There are over 200 wines and more than 60 producers of small lot and hard to find wines being poured. Friday night features a dinner at the Carlton Hotel in Atascadero. Saturday starts with a morning seminar from 11 to 12:30 at the Paso Robles Event Center, where the remaining events will take place. The panel will discuss "Illegal Blends" that test the boundaries of tradition. The Main Event tasting runs from 2 to 5 with the always fun After Party kicking off at 5:30. Hope to see you there. Also check into the free-wheeling Sunday options as many of those pouring on Saturday are putting out the welcome mat at their wineries.

36 YEARS & BIGGER THAN EVER

            About this time last year, I got the SOMM Journal issue with the results of the San Francisco International Wine Competition. I wrote a blog piece questioning the scale and value of such an event (see archive). Not to pick on this particular judging but the intrinsic worth of large panel judging resulting in questionable rewards. There are so many such events, though rarely of the size and scope of SFIWC, that every tasting room you visit has medals hanging from bottles on display.

Bigger and better than ever may not be necessarily so. The magazine only had room for the Best of Show, Double Gold & Gold winners (13 pages alone), The wasn't space for winners of lesser medals in the magazine. In his introduction to the listing, the respected Anthony Dias Blue, Executive Director of the event and Editor in Chief of SOMM, noted re: the 2016 event, that the judges had tasted 4,618 wines in four days. And the Double Gold category saw a 9% increase over 2015. Is giving such prestige to 279 wines a good thing? On a typical 100 point judging rank, is it possible that the number of wines scored at 96 or above should actually grow? And what does such largesse say for the value of the medal, having become more common?

Moreover, what does it say that $125 Cabernets are considered in the same realm as $16 ones? Or that many well thought of wineries avoid these judgings ?  The most egregious Double Gold example from last year being a $10 bottle of  mass produced, bubbles added, sparkler was given the same award as a $400 bottle of  true Champagne. In what universe would this happen if not one full of palate fatigue from doing over a thousand wines per day.

That said, there were some gems in small production wineries seeking some marketing clout. Sadly but frankly, to the average tourist wine imbiber, a medal is a medal. Be it Orange County, LA the Mid State Fair or the Fresno Wine & Folk Festival (which I made up I think), medals are impressive. So buyer beware. In some cases the award may be a shot to the foot. The B.R. Cohn winery, for example, submitted  its 2014 N. Coast Cabernet ($25) and the 2013 Olive Hill Estate version ($58). Both received a Double Gold award, giving prospective buyers a choice of equally judged wines for $300 or $700 a case. Vintage and stylistic preferences aside, kind of a no-brainer. Likely not the marketing three pointer for which Mr. Cohn was shooting.

A similar situation involved Hall Wines, a Napa vintner that won Best of Varietal with their $80 "Ellie's" '13 Cabernet along with the Double Gold. But both the "Coeur" ($70) and the Napa appellation ($55) from that vintage were also given the Double. This may not be a bad thing as it certainly establishes a pattern of well crafted wines from the brand, across a spectrum of pricing. But the Halls are an exception to my general hypothesis. Risking what is already an exceptionally well thought of  and award winning maker of Cabernet by tossing their hats into this immense ring. In this case it may have added to the icing already on the cake.

Given the Cab categories' price spread of winners, $10 for Cypress '14 Central Coast to a ZD '12 Reserve at $190, I question why allegedly superior brands with a reputation supporting their price point would chance comparisons.  One fix would be to judge the wines in the current manner but report the results in price tiers. Perhaps even taste them in that manner but not disclose pricing to the panel to avoid dollar envy.

Another problem I've experienced when judging wines is the fairness of comparing the same varietal from unfamiliar regions. There can be significant variation in what the locals find attractive in an emerging New World, South American version of the same grape versus what those in an Old World region may expect. And with all the factors of weather and soils or degree days etc., I find it difficult to make a fair distinction between Pinot Noir from the NW to those from Central Coast. Plus one must allow for personal preferences, which is nearly impossible to overcome, that puts some bias. Most serious judging events realize that and attempt to mitigate it by having a panel that can kick out the high & low scores and use the average for the rest in rating the wines.

I enjoy being on such panels and you generally find consensus on most wines, so I'm not trying to be a wet blanket here.  It is also educational to pit a group of, for example, Sangiovese from Tuscany vs. ones made in a California AVA, thus expanding you palate as well. People often ask me about my favorite wine. I tell them it should be the one in your glass that you are enjoying at the moment. Salute!

GOING HERE ©

            The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance holds the 34th Wine Fest Weekend, May 19-22. Details and Tickets and full information are available at pasowine.com. The weekend offers a variety of events within the overall structure. Saturday morning has a seminar on characteristics of  Paso Robles and sub-AVAs. Two winemaker dinners are available on Thursday night. There is a Reserve tasting Friday evening and the Grand Tasting in the park Saturday afternoon. Boxed lunches and food trucks are available and a picnic area provided. Wineries are offering various Festival related events and specials for ticket holding Festival Fans. One example of which is Friday night at Derby Wine Estates (.com) tasting room and patio. They will kick off this year's Wine Festival with an exclusive "Salt Lick BBQ" event! 

A Texas Brisket, Ribs and Salt Lick Sausage plate will be prepared for you, by the legendary Pit Master Scott Roberts, all the way from Driftwood Texas. The Derby Smokehouse will be preparing delicious side dishes to compliment this Authentic Texas BBQ!  Join the fun May 20th from 5:30-9:00pm. Pat and Matt of The Guitar Circus will be entertaining the crowd with their dueling guitar act. Tickets are $30 for general public, available on the web site above.

The Chardonnay Symposium (.com for details) will be held the weekend of May 12-14 in various locations in the beach towns near San Luis Obispo and surrounding wine growing sites. As the above mentioned CABs event, this event is also a SOMM Journal magazine involved event with a wide range of tastings, seminars and dining events. Many of the events involve sommeliers from around the country and versions of the varietal from many different Chardonnay centric areas.

June 13th is the date for the first American Albariño Summit. The event will take place at Brecon Estate (.com) in Paso Robles. This unique event features both an Albariño tasting and optional educational seminar. At least twenty Central Coast wineries will be pouring their current offerings at the tasting.  The seminar is from 5 to 6pm and the tasting will be 5:30 to 7:30.

The panel includes Albariño experts talking about the origin and history of the grape, viticulture and a sommelier to enlighten us on food pairings. Seminar tastings include a comparison of  Spanish, Portuguese and California versions of the wine. The main tasting will include live flamenco guitar and food pairings reminiscent of NW Spain. Tickets for both are $50 or tasting only at $35 and purchased via eventbrite.com.

BEEN THERE ©

            The things to do and places to go have come fast and furious in the past few weeks. So much so I haven't had time to catch you up on them.

Let's start with Wi-Vi, The Central Coast Wine Industry Conference & Tradeshow. This event now has five years of ever improving history and increased interest. Started , with a different title, by Becky (First Crush Winery) and Lowell (Precision Ag Consulting) Zelinski, they have handed off the event to Wine Business Magazine . The publisher has been part of Wi-Vi since the early days but now has added it to a series of trade oriented gatherings they offer. However, Becky hosted the direct to consumer seminar sessions, focusing on tasting room and wine club marketing.  The enology and viticulture classes were run by Lowell and offered continuing education credits for those attending.

Attendance has grown to well over 1,000 and trade show booths were getting lots of action as they were easy to visit on either side of the lunch buffet. The timing worked well for those drawn to some focused tastings in the same space. Also a varietal focus seminar & tasting of Cabernet Franc was the latest in the annual session led by Lance Cutler. Locally, The Farm Winery, Daou Vineyards and Calcareous Vineyard presented well received samples. Some party time was also on the agenda and provided plenty of face to face networking.

This has turned into a major event and draws industry people from all the California wine regions. I'm looking forward to another successful event next year.

Next up was the CABs of Distinction tasting and trade event run by SOMM Journal  magazine and the Paso area marketing group that promotes area Cabernet Sauvignon, the Cab Collective.  The second version of the program was a two day exposure for media and sommeliers to the quality of local versions of the varietal and Bordeaux style blends. It included a double blind tasting of Paso wines compared to high end Bordeaux and other well know California growing areas.

The Paso Robles chapter of Rhone Rangers holds monthly tastings of single varietals that are fun social occasions but also include seminars from time to time. The April get together, held at the new Alta Colina location, concentrated on Mourvedre. There is not a lot of tonnage available so varietal bottlings are not common. Most of the juice goes into GSM blends with Grenache and Syrah. The four wines tasted were all grown within a few miles of each other. The consensus of the winemakers is that there is this Westside sweet spot for this difficult to grow and very late ripening grape. Often harvested as late as November.

THE CALENDAR IS RAPIDLY FILLING ©

            My email is being flooded with wine events of interest here on the Central Coast. So, time to make a list and check it twice. The details and ticketing information are varied and often have a complex set of offerings. Rather than try to present that much information, I'll provide the links to the source of the ones you may find of interest.

The next two events on the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA) list are Blend Fest, February 19-21 and the March 18-20 Vintage Paso Zinfandel Weekend. The first is held on the coast in the lovely area around Cambria and was  a recent addition to the Alliance line up that proved popular when begun last year. It can also be tied to travel plans including the Hearst Castle and San Simeon. Zin Weekend also offers a travel double header as the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is held in the same time frame and is offering (link via the event details) a special screening of the sequel to the SOMM movie on opening day after a seminar led by Master Somm Fred Dame. A fellow Central Coaster and former wine director of Monterey's famous Sardine Factory restaurant, he is in part to blame for my entry in SOMM-ism. The weekend has some structured aspects but is free form in terms of planning visits to wineries rather than a large tasting format. Get all the facts and figures at www.pasowine.com and check out the site for suggested itineraries, lodging and dining options and a wealth of useful information on the area.

The Garagistes take their show back to Solvang for the annual Southern Exposure  tasting of small lot wines that are rarely available for tasting or purchase. Held February 13-14, ducats and info are found at their site, www.garagistefestival.com.

In Paso, at Broken Earth winery, on February 14, our local Rhone Rangers will hold a morning seminar followed by lunch (limited seats). Then a grand tasting of the wide variety of wines made from Rhone based grapes. Their site is at www.RhoneRangers.org where details and tickets are available.

Santa Barbara is the venue for a Winter Wine Classic on February 20th (www.californiawinefestival.com) and a Spring Weekend of April 21-24, provided by the area vintners (www.sbvintnersweekend.com). More about wine events in the county can also be found at www.sbcountywines.com. Another major area tasting is the World of Pinot Noir, March 4-5, at the Bacara Resort. This is an international event with Pinots from Burgundy, NZ and all U.S growing areas. A great look at the varietal, combined with educational sessions and some very nice dining events. Full WOPN details can be found, as well as tickets,  at www.worldofpinotnoir.com.

Growing annually as an industry must-do, WiVi Central Coast Conference & Trade Show,  will be held at the Paso Robles Events Center, March 15-16.Though the event is geared to wineries and growers, it has also provided tastings and seminars of interest to people who are oenophiles and might be something you'd enjoy. Check out the program at www.wivicentralcoast.com.

The Paso Robles Cab Collective will bring the SOMMs back to Paso for this year's edition of Cabs of Distinction, April 12-14. This is limited to trade and media but a public tasting is slated for later this year. Their site is www.pasoroblescab.com.

Check my prior post re: Hospice du Rhone  and Food & Wine's Pebble Beach event. There are many marketing sub-set groups that post smaller, winery oriented events. You might want to look at: www.montereywines.org, www.slowine.com and www.santamariawines.com.

DETAILS & TICKET OPTIONS ANNOUNCED FOR HOSPICE du RHONE ©

                The highly anticipated return of Hospice du Rhone to Paso Robles is now in the process of lining up seminar speakers and a few other small details. The event will be held at the Paso Events Center (fair grounds), April 14-16 with the Thursday offerings yet to be set. I'm guessing that there will be some local eateries holding wine & dine events.

Details on the weekend agenda, as well as tickets are now available (www.hospicedurhone.org). The all access pass must be purchased no later than April 7, unavailable at the door. But this is a likely sell out.

The full pass is $995 and includes two seminars daily, breakfast, lunch and tastings on Friday & Saturday, plus a BBQ dinner on Saturday, keeping you busy from 8 AM until after dark. Lots of fun, education and opportunities to taste some great wines from both the Rhone and local sources of the same varietals. Various other ticket options for individual parts of the event are also offered.

Hospice brings back the triumvirate of  major single focus tastings on the Central Coast, along with World of Pinot Noir (info on next year's WOPN event are now on line) and the Chardonnay Symposium. All are wonderful experiences that encompass both local and world wide producers.

You might also want to check you plans for March 31-April 3, when the fanciest wine event in this region (Napa Valley Auction may be even more "pinky up"), the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival. There's no lack of fun times in our part of the world.

Lastly, I note that there are some new lodging options available when planning to come to Hospice du Rhone. Several hotels have blocked rooms and rates shown under the "home" tab on the website, click on accommodations for more info. One of the major new locations has not yet done so and there are many B&B style operations in the area if that better fits your style.

RHONE RANGERS CELEBRATE ANOTHER SELL OUT ©

            Last February 15 Broken Earth winery was filled to bursting with fans of the nearly two dozen grape varieties found in wines based on those grown in the Rhone Valley of France. So, you might want to check their web site (www.rhonerangers.org) before Christmas if you want to attend in 2016!

This year, the event will be held, at the same location, on Valentine's Day.  Guys, here's your chance to get something for your sweetie other than heart full of chocolate! Tickets have gone on sale with both a full day of seminar and vintners' lunch, followed by a great tasting. There are all inclusive or tasting only tickets, and full details,  at the site above.

GARAGISTE'S #5 WOWS FANS OF ARTISIAN WINE ©

            I know this how? Because my new hero, Erik, told me, "It's awesome, best ever." So, you might well ask, why is he a hero? OK, here's the story. But first, the back story. This event uses stemless  glassware made by Stolzle, which is important to this tale. The taster crowd at the Fest has a tradition of clapping and cheering when someone drops and breaks their glass. This had happened two or three times before Eric gave me his review. As I turned away to let someone into the table I tagged an elbow and dropped my glass to the concrete floor. Dang, I thought! But when the bottom of the glass hit pavement, it just bounced. I made a move to catch it but down it went, then up again and I hadn't quite caught up. The third hit finally did the job and I bowed to the cheering crowd, skulking away find a replacement.

Fast forward to nearly the end of the tasting and I see Erik coming along across the aisle. Suddenly his glass makes a break for freedom. Hits, bounces. And again. And again, at which point Erik snatches it in mid-air. A three hopper and the glass is still intact and back in service. While Erik (whose last name I never got) pulled off a good save, what about that Stolzle? I highly recommend those of you with friends having bad hand/glass coordination get some of these beasts.

If you haven't been exposed to the Garagiste movement or their tastings and programs, put it on your to-do list. And get The Dirt online by signing up at www.californiagaragistes.com for news about the organization.

This year's version started with a winemaker's dinner on Thursday and a meet and greet event Friday evening. Held at Broken Earth Winery, it was a sell out and featured out-of-area wineries in the group. Saturday began with two fully subscribed seminars. The first was on the use of the aroma wheel in helping your appreciation of descriptors used in wine jargon. The second was a three maker panel discussion of current trends in using stems and seeds during the fermentation. Opinions on this have varied over the years and an option that doesn't lend itself to large production wineries. The process adds subtle changes to tannins and structure of the wines. If the technique is of interest, Kaena Wine Co., Paix Sur Terre & Golden Triangle wineries were the wines presented. All are very low production but some delicious samples were tasted.

The main event included nearly five dozen wineries with twenty or so varietals in the mix. Several food vendors also offered product to sample, ranging from olive oil to brownies. I didn't get a head count but think this was the largest crowd ever but a change in tasting table layout made it seem less crowded than last year. And if three to five hours of wine tasting hadn't worn you out, there was the After Party with beer from Paso's "Barrelhouse" micro brewery. Loud and proud AC/DC tribute band High Voltage kicked out the jams so the ladies could dance and the guys sit and watch, just like junior high.  A fun and well done festival, with a great and knowledgeable group of wine lovers in attendance. Can't wait for #6.  

KNOW THY MEDALS ©

            When I received a recent copy of The SOMM Journal it included the results (Gold or higher award) of this year's San Francisco International Wine Competition (www.sfwinecomp.com), I searched for winners from the Central Coast. I like to be aware of how the region fares against other areas of California and in this case the world. But the more I dug into the details the more I scratched my head.

Those of you who make regular visits to tasting rooms have seen bottles on shelves with medals and ribbons displayed. Wine club members are constantly reminded that such and such a bottling was an award winning wine. Or it received a score in this or that prestigious trade publication.

What you may not know is that to get this recognition the winery has to decide which ones have real marketing value. Then fill out often complicated paperwork to submit the wines, which also requires multiple bottles of the wine that need shipped within a time window. All at the expense of the winery. This can easily run into a lot of wine and related expense considering wine judging is coming close to being a spectator sport in terms of games played.

Submission to these events is a risk reward proposition and you have to pick your poison. With that in mind, let me run some facts by you. In the above referenced tasting, Anthony Dias Blue who is the Executive Director of the publication mentioned and a highly respected wine writer for many years, offered the following in his preface to the results.

The number of wines submitted was a record 4,902 offerings from 26 countries and 29 states, judged by 50 palates. Cabernet continued to dominate with 544 tasted, nearly a case per judge. The tasting uses a 100 point scale and uses the typical award of a Double Gold when all those on the panel (of course the judges are broken into smaller tasting groups) rate it the highest in the group being judged.

There were 254 of those awarded along with 538 Gold, 1,742 Silver and 1,568 Bronze. Thus, only 800 (16%) of those submitted didn't medal. This begins to look like those Participation trophies given to a 12 and under soccer team. And devalues the real merit of the awards. But all the consumer sees is that the wine was given this prestigious medal. If only 16% didn't get anything but another 16% received Gold or Double Gold, how good an indicator is the ranking?

Well, one might assume the submissions were all exceptional offerings to a top flight judging. Could happen that most were superior products. So let's look at a couple of examples. And also consider that it is possible that some rare category, say Best Sangiovese Blend, had few wines entered.  The judges all agree that one wine is the best of the lot but score the wine as an 86. Is this really a wine that merits a Double Gold? In this case, because they also award the best of varietal/type, the winner was a home boy, August Ridge 2010 Jovial Reserve, Paso Robles. This is a winery I enjoy and with which I am familiar. So good on them for a tasty and unique offering. I would guess that this category could include some Super Tuscan style entries and be more competitive than I suggested. But that is unclear in the way results are presented.

A couple of others include the Best Syrah + Best in Show Red. Also a Paso Robles wine, sort of, from Jeff Runquist, a 2013 Syrah. Jeff is a very accomplished (28 Gold & 80 Silver medals in 2012) winemaker with a serious resume (see jeffrunquistwines.com) and a winery in Plymouth, Amador County in the Sierra Foothills. He has a unique network of growers and uses those contacts to bring in grapes of 20 varietals and 9 AVA designations. His Syrah and Cabernet connections are from growers he knew from his days making reds in Paso as winemaker for Jerry Lohr. So, yes Paso is the AVA for the label but they take quite a ride for Jeff to use the grapes. Interesting that with all the wineries making Paso grown Syrah in this area, Jeff "crushes" them. Sorry, couldn't resist. Still, kudos to him.

And, to continue to blow the local horn, the Best of Type includes (also Double Gold) Balleyana 2013 Firepeak Chardonnay from Edna Valley, Cass Winery Viognier 2014 Paso Robles, Santa Barbara White Rhone Blend "Marcella's" from Fess Parker 2014. Also an Albarino 2013 from Wedding Oak in Edna Valley, Sangiovese 2013 by Gary Eberle, grapes from Wine-Bush/Hidden Valley in Paso and Best Nebbiolo out of Santa Ynez winery Old Creek Ranch, Estelle Vineyard 2009. The list goes on, check the referenced web site, but 39 top medals (15%) went to Central Coast wines and most were in the $28 to $36 range with several under $20.

One of the strangest categories was sparkling wines. The Best Brut & Best Sparkling was Champagne Collet 2004 Millesime Brut, France $96. But there was a Gold given to a $600 Blanc de Blanc NV from Armand de Brignac, France, which was alphabetically listed just above Barefoot Refresh NV Perfectly Pink, CA at $8. This I find difficult to understand and may indicate a flaw in what it takes, or should, to medal. And most of the really big money wines from cult labels avoid these tastings as they add no cachet but could be a bad miss. So, Know Thy Medals or Caveat Emptor.

SLO HARVEST, GARAGISTE FEST & HOSPICE RETURNS ©

          Most of the grapes have been harvested and the reports are generally coming in as much less crop than typical but also concentrated flavors that should turn into an excellent vintage for the Central Coast. With the ongoing lack of rain, this was to be expected. And as the weather has cooled just a bit, it is a busy time for wineries getting all the juice fermented and dealing with tourists who love the harvest season.

Coming up November 5-7 is the Garagiste Festival at the Paso Robles Events Center with side bar events at local restaurants. For ticket options and details on the event, see www.garagistefestival.com. There are full weekend passes, dinner on the 5th, main tasting, seminars and party involved and the group sent word out yesterday that the full pass tickets were selling out quickly.  If not familiar with the movement, the name of which comes via people making wine (starting with Bordeaux allegedly) in small batches in their garage. All the wineries participating make very few cases of their offerings and are not seen on the general market. Many are well known winemakers at larger facilities and do their own thing on the side. It was very popular with great attendance last year and many excellent wines were to be found. It also attracts a crowd that is more wine knowledgeable than general wine tourists. Plus there is a personal connection as the actual winemaker is usually pouring. Many of the larger tastings have to put tasting room or volunteer people at the booth due to volume.

            November 6-8 has another offering for the wines of the San Luis Obispo AVA, Harvest on the Coast. The opening dinner on Friday night is already a sellout but the main tasting on Saturday has tickets available. That also includes an auction event. And so does the Sunday Sliders & Wine event. Which is included for free in the full event ticket. Tickets and more information can be found at www.slowine.com. This takes place at the Avila Beach Resort who has special room rates for attendees.

            I am very pleased to hear that Hospice du Rhone will return to Paso Robles next spring, April 14-16 after a few years absence. They held a smaller, intimate version of Hospice at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee during that period and held the last one back in September of this year. Plans appear to have been to return there (per the resort's web site) next spring but a recent email blast announced the return to Paso. As the Central Coast is well known for producing wines from the nearly two dozen varieties grown in the Rhone Valley of France and the local branch of Rhone Rangers is very active, it seems logical to promote the local wines in the area. More details as available.

TRUCKIN' GRAPES, HARVEST WINE WEEKEND & DERBY

            I didn't mean to take July off but it flew bye and suddenly it is August and I've started seeing loads of early ripening whites being hauled to wineries near and far. More than half the grapes grown in Paso's AVA are sold to wineries outside SLO County. This is similar in all Central Coast growing regions. There is a sea of vines in south Monterey County on the Lockwood mesa as you drive the 101to or from King City. Pretty impressive and primarily headed for major labels outside that county. North Santa Barbara County is much the same.

First up, the annual Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance's final major event of 2015. Though always held the 3rd weekend of October, it is an early date this year, the 16th-18th. So not too early to make plans. Rather than a big central tasting event, Wine Weekend's focus is on special activities at the wineries. A wide range of options are available, throughout the now 11 sub AVA designations of Paso Robles. The PRWCA publishes a full listing of participating locations and what they have planned for your visit. This can be picked up at local wineries but should also be available electronically soon at www.pasowine.com.

I'm often asked about favorite wineries to visit. Like my children, I love them all the same. Perhaps since I don't have any. Seriously, from large production labels to those where a hobby got out of hand and is now a vocation, there are styles to fit what you are looking to see. Perhaps you want to concentrate on a varietal. The options cover such grapes as Zinfandel, Cabernet or Bordeaux blends, Syrah or Rhone blends and those that offer Pinot Noir. Even Italian specialists are found here. And the same is true of white varieties, including several wineries now making Albarino for example.

Maybe you want to know more about the Templeton Gap wines or those from the Willow Creek or Creston districts. And there are eight others to choose from! But the other question I get on a regular basis is from those with limited time. They have to be somewhere later but would like to do a tasting close to the hotel or where they stopped for lunch. There are several tasting rooms within walking distance, or a short ride, from City Park. The map in the PRWCA "Grow Wild" brochure has a detail of downtown Paso and includes restaurants and more. The booklet is readily available, including at the Association's office.

An option you might enjoy, is visiting the actual winery and tasting room of Derby Wine Estates. It is easily seen from many parts of town, located on Riverside just west of the railroad track. Look for the big square tower above the trees toward the south. Since some streets don't go through, the easy access is to take 10th west from Spring (main drag) St., cross the tracks to the dead end and go right (south) for a few blocks. Derby is a large grower operation with three distinct vineyards from the east side to the west side of the coastal range. They use only about 10% of what they grow for their own label. There are blends as well as an excellent Cabernet and several other varietals and a knowledgeable and friendly group in the tasting room. And it is all brand new.

The owners undertook a major project in purchasing the abandoned and fast fading Almond Growers co-op warehouse and processing facility. Though it may have been cheaper and less hassle to build new on their property along E46, a welcome sense of community committed them to a multi-year project to restore the landmark structure. It has been open for about a year now and they included an outside lounge area with a smoker. That is now a casual Friday site for smoked foods, wine of course and some music. Whether for a quick sample of local wine or an evening out, you'll enjoy yourself. More about the wines and events can be found on the web at www.derbywineestates.com.

CATCHING UP ©

            There has been so much to write about over the past few weeks there has been no time to actually do the writing. The previous piece about upcoming CABs of Distinction, Paso Robles Wine Fest and the International Chardonnay Symposium have all now taken place and yours truly made them all.

I don't do frequent recaps of done deals but this particular group is worthy of an after action report. Especially if you have not been involved but might wish to consider attendance in the future. The CABs (Cabernet & Bordeaux) event was a two part gathering. The first was a public tasting on the weekend and then a trade and media section on three days the following week. Out of town, I missed the big tasting and the kick off barrel sampling on day one. The feedback on both was positive from a crowd of wine writers, sommeliers, restaurant owners and hospitality types and bloggers with a wine focus. Hopefully this will translate into getting the word out on the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon and related Bordeaux varietals made in the Paso Robles area. SOMM JOURNAL magazine was a major backer of this event (and Chardonnay Symposium below) and imported Court of Master Sommeliers members from around the country. It was interesting to hear how wine list determiners viewed offerings from the Paso region be they in NYC or LA.

Several of the two dozen wineries in the CABs group offered various programs on the final day. I attended a blending at Brecon Estate (http://breconestate.com), aimed at deciding the future bottlings of their Reserve Cabernet and Bordeaux blend. Lucky for me, I was the only one who picked that session. Having done this in the past, getting one on one time with owner/ winemaker Damian Grindley and his wife Amanda, an untitled(?) but busy co-worker was a treat. Working with several selected barrels of Cabernet from the estate and other local growers including some York Mountain AVA juice, we first worked on the Reserve and then added other grapes to the blend. I was especially fond of the Petite Verdot which became a small but important addition to the final product. Great fun, as was trying to decipher English as spoken by a Welshman.

Then it was off to Vina Robles for a comparison of wines coming from the same grape but grown in various vineyards in the sub AVAs. Three each of Cabernet and Petite Verdot, which gave me four different AVA tastes of the later and five of Cabernet plus that from the stand alone York Mountain AVA. Winemaker Kevin Willenborg led us through the comparison. One interesting  comment regarding the Petite Verdot was how higher temperatures in the vineyards being used, vs. Bordeaux, softened the tannins. This made the wine more approachable than the Euro version and more useful for being a larger component of local Bordeaux blends. Our group included retail, publishing and other sommeliers in the mix leading to lively discussion and a nice final experience for CABs week. I look forward to a similar gathering next year.

            Next up, the Paso Robles Wine Fest weekend. This was the 33rd version of this Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance's major annual event. With about 250 participating wineries, there was plenty to do, spread all over the eleven sub-AVAs in the region. Wineries held many special events with food and music to go with your wine. Winemaker dinners at both downtown restaurants and the actual wineries, the Reserve & Grand tastings, educational sessions and auctions were just some of the good times.

After a bit of an organization stumble dealing with crowd control for the main tasting last year, the staff at PRWCA took hard look at prior planning for 2015. I note that part of the issue last year was really those in the crowd, many of whom got into the early entry line without the proper ticket and became a hurdle. Job well done goes to the fix provided. The security team vetted the tickets, did the purse search etc. whenever you arrived and used a simple stamp instead of wrist bands. Versus the half hour it took to gain entry to the park last year, the solution provided a five or fewer minutes from gate to wine in a glass. Brilliant!

Other new and improved features were expansion of the space, moving the music stage, food trucks inside the venue and a dedicated picnic area. A huge hit was the pre-packed lunch offerings from several local restaurants. For $10 you got a complete to go (each provider had a set item you could review) and a souvenir "keep cool" carry bag. I was surprised to see how many people took advantage of the idea and surveyed several of them. Thumbs up from all. See you at the 34th next spring and hoping the weather remains as perfect as this version.

            Last in this triple play were three days spread over the Five Cities area, along the coast, south of San Luis Obispo. There was a tie in to local government who helped make the event a showcase for various resorts and local chefs. The International Chardonnay Symposium was also part of the SOMM JOURNAL relaunch effort and brought in nearly twenty members of the Court of Master Sommeliers. While most were from well known California operations, some diversity by way of Montana and Colorado was also in the mix. They were put to work on panels, judging and yeoman's efforts in controlling the wine service at the dining events. 

It is interesting that the Central Coast sandwiches the Rhone, Zin and Cabernet climate of Paso Robles with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of Monterey and Santa Barbara regions. And south San Luis Obispo County is closer to Santa Barbara in that regard. Pardon my generalization. If you aren't familiar with south Monterey County, it ends only about 15 miles north of Paso. There are huge areas of vines from there north to King City, easily seen from Hwy. 101, especially on the Lockwood mesa. But no wineries until Greenfield. The better known Monterey wines come from further north, along the River Road wine trail and Carmel Valley. In terms of wineries, Monterey has far fewer than the cousins to the south. But there is a lot of juice coming from the area, including major players such as Lohr, Wente and Gallo for example.

The point of the above is that Chardonnay is the most popular varietal grown and sold. It deserves to have a focused event. One that isn't just about the area but inclusive for comparison. This event does that, as does the World of Pinot held in Santa Barbara due to the growth of, and interest in, wines from that grape. Paso's interest is also well represented by the Rhone Rangers events, a strong garagiste presence in those wines and representation at events like the Wine Fest discussed above. The fine Zinfandels from the area have that showpiece as well. Adding the CABs group also serves Paso's terroir well and will hopefully grow.

So, I see good things for the future of the Chardonnay Symposium. It was well organized, despite the challenges of a moving feast of locations and program options. Held in an area that is increasingly tourist oriented, it adds a nice component to the mix of events. And it fits in well with the Pebble Beach wine event to the north and Sunset Magazine's  Savor event. Both of which include the broader variety of wines from the region.  Pebble Beach also goes into comparisons with the best of Napa, Sonoma and others.

A nice mix of tastings, educational panels and a crowd size that provided access to sixty Chardonnay producers, up close and personal, split over two days of tastings. Plus after hours dinners and, in this case, a lunch with the retrospective tasting of Mt. Eden & Hanzell made for an experience I recommend you put on your wine calendar for 2016.

FUN WITH FACTOIDS ©

            In case you were wondering, there is a lot of wine and winery growth going on all over the country. The gorilla in this room is Gallo. In 2014 the 70 brands that make up their portfolio saw 80M cases sold. Many to people who have no idea their fave beverage is a Gallo product. The company has always shown smart and aggressive marketing skills. But the current success is partly due to taking the pulse of those seeking value for every day consumption and responding to it. From a quality and flavor standpoint, some of these products are very attractive to the general public. Gallo has also trended a bit to the upscale market, including the recent acquisition of the J label sparkling wine.

            Also growing are the number of virtual wineries. Not of the video game universe, these are labels that represent winemakers who operate under the umbrella of another brands bonded premise. This is a method that has attractive features for small volume wines. They avoid the hassle and expense of having a government bond for the storage facility and can spare themselves the high capital demands of seldom used (but expensive) equipment. It is a win for the bonded winery as well, which can charge for the use and get revenue from such things as available empty tankage, bottling line and warehouse space.

Virtual wineries make up 18% of the U.S. producers but more than 1/3rd of those in California. The total number of wineries (including non-grape producers) grew by about 7% last year depending on various data sources. With California boasting nearly four thousand wineries now the state is home to 47% of those in the entire country. Add the over 1,300 in Washington and Oregon and you see the effect the industry has on the west coast. With 525 new wineries opening last year, the total number in the U.S, is now 8,287.

There are wineries in every state in the union. Texas is now 6th with 215 and Hawaii, with 4, is ahead of last place Mississippi which has only 2. Bet you wouldn't have thought Alaska is at #45 with six. Arizona and New Mexico both have 48 bonded wineries. But those clever virtual guys and gals have 15 in AZ and there are zero in NM.

One last fact; in the annual list of Ten Hot Brands as published by Wine Business Monthly, the Central Coast took one-fifth of this year's listing. These were Paso based Halter Ranch and Monterey County's McIntyre. Congrats!

            I should mention that the eleven sub viticultural areas now in the Paso Robles AVA are now label legal. However, you are not going to see many of them on store shelves for a couple of years. Most wineries are holding off until the 2015 vintage is in bottle and some are going even more slowly. More on this can be found in an archived article.

EARTH DAY, CABERNET & MORE TO DO ©

            Celebrating Earth Day - April 22 - a bit early, many wineries along the Central Coast are having special events over this weekend.  If you are thinking about a little wine tasting check out these web sites for which and what is offered: montereywines.org, pasowine.com, sbcountywines.com, slowine.com or smvwines.com. One afternoon long major celebration, by way of example, is the Main Event  at Castoro Cellars (.com) taking place on Saturday the 18th. Tickets, along with a discount code, as well as details are on their site. It continues with a "recovery" yoga session and brunch on Sunday.

            The Paso area is well known for Zin, Syrah and other Rhone varieties. But in the background of world class reds, Cabernet Sauvignon gets less buzz. Over the past few years a small but growing group of wineries (pasoroblescab.com) has been trying to change that. Known as the Paso Robles Cab Collective, they are hosting the first major event the organization has held. Called Cabs of Distinction, it takes place May 1- 7. Friday through Sunday is consumer focused, starting with a four course meal at Il Cortile Ristorante on Friday evening, with wines from Cht. Margene and Le Cuvier.  Saturday is the Grand Tasting offered by the twenty six wineries in the Collective. On Sunday, fourteen of the wineries will feature special tastings and other offers for Grand Tasting ticket holders. Details and tickets are available at the web site above. For sommeliers and others in the trade/media additional tastings, education and tours will take place Tuesday through Thursday. If qualified go to info@pasoroblescab.com to request a pass for those sessions.

            A few other upcoming things that might interest you include the following. Per usual, more information and ticketing is through the web sites noted. April 29 - May 3 is the annual Wine, Waves & Beyond  a beach themed combo of tastings, golf, surf movie, long board surfing, wine dinner, music and car show. Something for everyone. FlavorofSLO.com is the place to find what's happening Sunday, May 3rd in support of United Way. It will be held at historic Jack House in San Luis Obispo where, on April 29th, an event called Lambs On The Veranda is happening. Enjoy the property and garden and learn the history of sheep ranching on the Central Coast. Call 805-781-7300 or go to slocity.org/parksandrecreation for reservations.

BIGGER & BETTER/MORE OPTIONS - WINE FEST '15 ©

            Only six weeks away, the PRWCA (pasowine.com) spans the May 14-17 weekend with more things to do and see than ever. The Paso Robles Wine Country Association at the above site is the place to get all the details and purchase tickets. Out of necessity, the number of attendees at the various events are limited and have sold out in the past. So you might start making plans to ensure you get to those you are interested in attending.

Some changes to the Grande Tasting portion of the Fest may be of interest. These include new and improved picnic and music facilities. Pre-packed box lunches are available for a modest fee. Menus and payment can be made on line and enjoyed in the picnic area.

The Garagiste organization will be running a lounge area. If not familiar to you, these small lot winemakers offer some delicious and hard to find wines. Two other groups, Paso Rhone Rangers and the fairly recent Cab Collective will offer pop-up seminars. Art studios will also display their work in the park.

Two morning seminars will showcase the Paso AVA and the eleven sub-sets that are now allowed on local labels. Winemaker dinners are also planned and there is a Reserve Tasting and auction as well. So join with us in "Darn Near Paradise" for the biggest gathering of the year.

WiVi III THE BIGGEST & BEST YET ©

            From water issues to phenolics , dealing with vineyard pests or the latest in winery equipment, attendees at the third edition of WiVi, the Central Coast Tradeshow & Conference, found plenty to do. Add in great lunches, tastings and a kick-off party with appetizers and music, it was all good. A review of how the industry fared in 2014 and what might lie ahead this year were kick off sessions. These were followed by break-out sessions in viticultural, enological and marketing  areas. Also tastings that focused on rose wines (a growth area) and another on the impact of fast analysis of fermenting wine in allowing manipulation of color, tannin and the desired profile by today's winemaker.

As had been a successful change last year, the trade show was an open-all-day  event on day two only. This was well received by prior participants in 2014 and resulted in the largest group of exhibitors to date. This was true of the increase in ticket sales as well which doubled over the first event last year and increased about 30% over that this year. Comments from those attending were very favorable, as were those from exhibitors and sponsoring businesses. Hosts Wine Business Monthly  magazine and Precision Ag Consulting did a great job in putting together the logistics of a growing event, improving it year over year and being an active presence throughout the entire proceedings.

If you are in the industry or a consumer who wants to increase their knowledge of the product and have not attended, I recommend it highly. To find out more go to wivicentralcoast.com. If you did attend, I think you would agree that you learned a lot, had a great networking experience, tasted some very good food and wine and had a good time doing it.

Thanks to all the companies that backed the event, the participating speakers and wineries that supported the general tastings. Also those from the Garagiste movement who poured wines you rarely see in the market in the final general tasting. Hope to see you there next year.

WiVi RETURNS FOR 3RD VERSION ©

            This now annual rite of spring takes place March 17-18 (Tues/Weds) at the Paso Robles Event Center. Officially the WiVi Wine Industry Central Coast Conference & Trade Show, the event was successful in 2013 and exploded last year. Billed as the largest of its kind south of San Francisco, it is hosted by Wine Business Monthly magazine and Precision Ag Consulting. While primarily aimed at those in directly involved in wine production and related support industries, for the true wine geek, it offers some interesting and informative symposia.

There are general session looking back to trends coming from the past year, new groundwater regulation and what 2015 looks like. Breakout topics include enology, viticultural topics, the state of the business, DTC & social media metrics. Lunch is provided both days, a Rose focus tasting is held on Tuesday and the grand tasting features local garagistes. Plus you can celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the evening kickoff party. Time is short, so get all the details and ticketing options at www.wivicentalcoast.com.

 

 

 

MARCH EVENTS COME IN LIKE A WINE LION ©

            Various tastings, festivals and winery events are filling up the spring calendar. Here are some samples for your consideration. First up is Vintage Paso  aka Zinfandel Weekend being held March 20-22. Primarily a celebration of all things Zin with around 130 producing wineries having special tastings, entertainment and food, this year features Zinposium. For $35 per session you can join with 99 others (attendance is limited) on Friday the 20th/Saturday the 21st. Day one focuses on 100% Zinfandel wines. A panel of winemakers will present six wines and discuss the history of the area and the popularity of this varietal as grown there. Both sessions are held in the ballroom of the Paso Robles Inn. The first will begin at 5:30 and Saturday's seminar will be at 10a.m. Another six winemakers will present Zin blends. If you hadn't heard, the Paso Viticultural Area recently was granted 11 sub AVAs and discussion of how the variations in soil and climate effect the wine is a likely topic of discussion. Details and tickets can be found at www.pasowine.com.

That same web address will also feature the 33rd annual Wine Fest May 14-17. There are several ticket options, including the grand tasting in City Park. While some time off, people living in San Luis Obispo need to consider purchasing tickets prior to March 15 to receive a $20 discount for early purchase.

Solvang will be the site of Southern Exposure on the weekend of March 27-29. Just a short drive north of Santa Barbara, just east on Hwy 246 from the Buellton exit of the 101 if not familiar to you. Quite the scenic little town built to remind early residents of their Danish heritage and known for its connection to the Sideways movie. This is a gathering of the garagiste wineries of  which a wrote a while back. If interested, you should hurry to their web site www.californiagaragistes.com and click on "sign up for The Dirt", their news letter. If you do so by March 2nd it makes you eligible for discounts on tickets. This is a very interesting and fun event, with a chance to talk with small batch winemakers and taste things rarely available.

This is a good spot to congratulate Stephan Asseo for being named the 2014 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year. For nearly two decades his efforts at the L'Aventure winery, this French native has shown his faith in the region was proven correct, making some stunning wines in the Bordeaux style.

Next up, the return of Warbirds, Wings & Wheels after a one year hiatus and regrouping.  One of my favorite local events due to a family friendly free admission policy. It will take place May 9 at the Estrella Warbirds Museum & Woodland Auto Display at the Paso Robles airport and run from 10 a.m. until 4 in the afternoon. Food and refreshments, a huge and varied car show, music and access to the museum. Many pilots fly in with special restorations, warbirds are in the air and you can get up close and personal with the car owners. Plenty of parking on site.