Eve's Wine 101

Wine Country Resorts to Visit This Summer

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ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – When planning summer vacation time, travelers from far and near seeking natural beauty, exquisite food and wine experiences, unique-to-the-location adventures and attractions and luxurious getaway amenities and hospitality should consider one or more of these wine country resorts – all with special programming and easy access to the country’s finest wineries.

Silverado Resort and Spa – Napa Valley

Tucked into the rolling hills of legendary Napa Valley, Silverado Resort and Spa offers wine aficionados proximity to over 400 wineries, and the resort’s Best of the Valley wine tastings on Saturdays feature sommelier-led tastings of selections from highly respected local wineries. Outdoor activity enthusiasts will love the two championship golf courses, 10 tennis courts, bike and hiking trails and three swimming pools at the resort. Other customized features for Wellness guests to enjoy are the spa’s 30 fitness classes offered weekly and over 30 spa treatments available.

New This Summer: Daily yoga classes in the historic, tranquil Mansion Garden

Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa – Texas Hill Country

Located along 290 Wine Road between Johnson City and Fredericksburg in rugged, naturally beautiful Texas Hill Country, Carter Creek is the only winery resort in this wine country –which is home to over 50 wineries – that also houses a brewery, producing seasonal craft beers that beer lovers will want to savor. The winery’s award-winning wines include blended Plateau Red and white blended Gloriosa, and for music lovers, there’s live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night. Vacationers will want to be outdoors for all the nearby recreational offerings: hiking, biking, bird watching, kayaking, boating, horseback riding, golfing, fishing, caving and more.

New This Summer: Full-service Spa opening with five treatment rooms featuring organic ingredients

Carter Estate Winery and Resort – Temecula Valley

The resort is situated on 109 pristine acres, near more than 40 other esteemed Temecula wineries and many visitor attractions, including Harveston Lake Park for walking, jogging and summer boating, and the location is known for hot air ballooning adventures and horse-drawn carriage rides through the vineyards. Wine lovers appreciate that Carter Estate has a roster of award-winning wines and is especially known for its delicious méthode champenoise sparklings. For comfort and pampering, there are 60 luxurious villas with private patios steps away from the winery vineyards.

New This Summer: Exclusive Méthode Champenoise Tasting Experience in collaboration with Grazing Theory Cheese, available on Saturdays and Sundays

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa – Temecula Valley

Beautifully situated on 63 lush acres of rolling vineyards, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and is the only full-service resort and spa in the valley. For oenophiles and new wine appreciators, this multi-award-winning winery has been distinguished as a four-time winner of California Winery of the Year and offers over 45 wines to taste. Gourmet dining attracts food lovers to The Vineyard Rose Restaurant with appealing summer al fresco dining on the landscaped patio. For vacation pampering, GrapeSeed Spa touts 22 treatment rooms with patios with fountains and features a yoga studio.

Happening This Summer: Rhythm on the Vine® Concert Series featuring jazz, pop and country performers

Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach – Central Coast

An idyllic beachfront boutique resort along the Pacific with near proximity to Central Coast’s famed wine regions of Arroyo Grande, Edna Valley, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Cambria, this noted region for wine lovers includes more than 250 wineries. Vespera Resort hosts regular wine dinners with outstanding wine partner participation. After a day of wine tasting, guests can enjoy Vespera Resort’s beachfront location and, at night, its Stargazing Program with in-room collapsible telescopes to take outside to the Starlight Lawn. Special attraction for dog owners is the Pismo Pub Club that welcomes best furry friends to the resort with all kinds of amenities.

New This Summer: Tacos & Beer Menu offered along with live entertainment on Starlight Lawn on Saturday afternoons overlooking the Pacific

America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste, Offers America’s Best Wine Club

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PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival (USA Today), The Garagiste Festival, has launched The Official Garagiste Festival Wine Club, offering consumers across the US* rare access to the same under-the-radar, innovative, micro-production wineries that have made The Garagiste Wine Festival famous. And, just like the festival, which limits attendance to preserve its singular experience, only 300 members will have access to the limited production wines of The Garagiste Wine Festival Club.

The club also offers wine lovers a chance to contribute to the future of winemaking as it supports The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, one of the country’s top winemaking programs.

“The Garagiste Festival Wine Club is another first for the garagiste movement” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “We are so excited to introduce the official wine club of The Garagiste Festival, offering wines delivered straight from the garagiste movement’s heart to your doorstep. No other wine club provides access to this range of hard-to-find gems from the burgeoning micro-winery movement, and none are associated with the actual Garagiste Festival.”

The Garagiste Festival helped spark the garagiste wine movement when it launched in 2011 with a mission to bring wider attention to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan micro-wineries making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. It is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste**’ winemakers.

Garagiste Festival Wine Club members receive three shipments of four bottles of premium wines each year that reflect each of the Garagiste Festival regions: Paso Robles, Northern California, and Southern California (including Santa Barbara County). Membership in the club means that consumers who are unable to travel (as well as those who can!) to the festival’s four annual events can experience remarkable, hand-crafted wines from some of California’s (and the US’) most renowned and innovative wine regions, year-round.

For example, the next wine shipment will include wines from among the over 40 micro-production wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills and Livermore that will be poured at The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure which takes place on April 30th in Sonoma, at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall. To buy tickets, click here.

Carefully selected in a blind tasting by a panel of industry professionals (winemakers, sommeliers, wine writers, etc.) from the over 600 wineries in the Garagiste Festival’s orbit, the Garagiste Certified wines encompass the wide range of varieties, blends, and styles — and the high quality typical of The Garagiste Festival. Each shipment reflects The Garagiste Festival’s core principles: micro-production, locally-sourced, passionately-produced, and delicious — the kind of quality and innovation only achievable by wines handcrafted in small batches.

“Our festivals, the home of the garagiste movement, are known for discovering today’s, and tomorrow’s, rockstar winemakers,” continued Minnick. “Our wine club brings that rare opportunity closer to home.”

To join The Garagiste Festival Wine Club click here
For more information about The Garagiste Festival, click here
For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

*Garagiste Festival Wine Club shipping is available in the following states: AK, CA, FL, NV, OR and Washington DC.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The 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 support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

**Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

VESPERA RESORT ON PISMO BEACH INTRODUCES VESPERA VINTNER’S CLUB

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PISMO BEACH, Calif. – New for 2022, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach introduces Vespera Vintner’s Club, which includes partnerships with some of the Central Coast region’s most exceptional winemakers – offering activities dedicated to local vintner’s wines including monthly wine dinners, complimentary Saturday tastings at Somerset Grill bar, monthly featured wines served by the glass and specially designed wine packages for overnight guests.

The monthly collaborative dinners, curated by Chef Frank Barajas, will be served in Somerset Grill’s private Barrel Room. Barajas and his team will meet with each winemaker to create multi-course dinners for these one-of-a-kind events showcasing Somerset Grill’s regionally inspired, classic seaside “Oceanside Americana” cuisine with the freshest ingredients from Central Coast California and beyond. Each featured winery will have a winemaker or other influential member at the dinner to interact with guests and share their pairing knowledge.

Discounts for monthly featured wines are available for wine club members who stay at Vespera, and Vespera Vintner’s Club offers special packages for wine dinner and tastings for overnight guests, as well as discounts when visiting partner wineries. Packages are as follows:

For package reservations, visit vesperapismobeach.com/accommodations/packages.

The schedule of the first seven monthly wine dinners in Vespera Resort’s Barrel Room through July follows:

Laetitia Vineyard & Winery Wine Dinner

Wednesday, January 19 at 6 p.m.

Laetitia Vineyard & Winery will present premium estate wines that showcase the distinctive qualities of the Arroyo Grande Valley.

Daou Vineyards Wine Dinner

Tuesday, February 8 at 6 p.m.

Daou Vineyards produces its exquisite cabernet sauvignon on unrivaled terroir of Daou Mountain in Paso Robles.

Claiborne & Churchill Vineyards Wine Dinner

Tuesday, March 8 at 6 p.m.

Claiborne & Churchill Vineyards is a small, family-owned winery in San Luis Obispo, the heart of Edna Valley, known for using traditional European winemaking techniques.

Wolff Vineyards Wine Dinner

Tuesday, April 5 at 6 p.m.

Located in downtown San Luis Obispo, Edna Valley, Wolff Vineyards is ecologically friendly, certified sustainable and California Central Coast inspired.

Chamisal Vineyards Wine Dinner

Tuesday, May 3 at 6 p.m.

Chamisal Vineyards in San Luis Obispo specializes in chardonnay and pinot noir with its wines distinctively influenced by its soil types and proximity to the Pacific Ocean.

Hope Family Wines Dinner

Tuesday, June 7 at 6 p.m.

The Hope Family vineyards are in the Paso Robles region, and they have been producing high quality red wines for 30 years from the cool, rich, calcareous loam of the Templeton gap.

Qupé Wine Dinner

Dates To Be Determined

Since 1982, Qupé has been producing American Rhône varietals from the coastal regions of the Central Coast that are representative of its dedication to character, quality, balance and terroir.

Wine dinners are $129 plus tax and gratuity each and limited to 16 guests. Reservations are recommended by emailing Jaclyn.Dawson@vesperapismobeach.com or calling (805) 773-1011.

 Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach

147 Stimson Avenue

Pismo Beach, California 93449

(805) 773-1011

www.vesperapismobeach.com

About Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach

Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, opened in late 2019, is an upscale beachfront resort on California’s Central Coast located in Pismo Beach along the city’s boardwalk and within walking distance to downtown Pismo Beach. The oceanfront resort offers 124 appointed guestrooms, most with private balconies overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and the hotel’s signature restaurant, Somerset Grill, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vespera Resort can accommodate events including business meetings and weddings, and the resort has a state-of-the-art fitness facility, onsite pool and lawn with firepits overlooking the Pacific Ocean. More information can be found at www.vesperapismobeach.com, Instagram, and Facebook.

Perlises Pick: Exploring the Paso Robles Area

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Much as one might want to, spending 24 hours per day at wineries is not a realistic option. So, here are some non-winery suggestions:

First, you’ll need a place to stay on your visit. Unlike when we first started visiting the area decades ago, Paso Robles offers a wide range of accommodations for every taste and budget. For a place that is right in the middle, both in pricing and proximity to wineries, we really enjoyed staying at the Oxford Suites. It is also just south of the center of town where the nightlife is. This is a fairly new hotel, and we were very pleased with the cleanliness and the amenities, such as the full hot breakfast and the manager’s reception in the evening. The breakfast is complimentary to all guests and the reception, while available to all, is complimentary to those who book their stays directly. There is a very nice fire pit in the back. But the best part for us was the hotel staff. Everyone was extremely helpful and cheerful – not a surly one in this bunch. We’d like to give a particular shout-out to Erin – she was outstanding. An added bonus was the practically private freeway entrance to head south on CA101 to Highway 46 W or Tin City.

Oxford Suites

www.oxfordsuitespasorobles.com

800 4th Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446

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A while back, we reviewed San Luis Obispo County Wine – A World Class History [www.evewine101.com/2021/04/03/perlis-picks-san-luis-obispo-county-wine-a-world-class-history-book-review/]. Since then, we’d been eagerly looking forward to finally meeting up with co-author Libbie Agran, who is the founder of The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County (the Project). The Project has exhibits at various locations in the area, but its home is in the Paso Robles History Museum in the middle of Paso Robles City Park, with the showcase Wine History Gallery. We got there just in time for the end of the Celebrating Zinfandel exhibit, which was perfect for these Zinfans – the exhibit really brought back of lot of good memories. Hopefully, we will make it back in time to see the exhibit that replaced it: Celebrating Amphorae, which explores this ancient winemaking practice, including the area winemakers that are still using it. From Libbie: “You will love the Amphora Exhibit. We are near completion of our Documentary Film on the same subject. Patrick McGovern at the University of Pennsylvania, the famous archeologist who analyzes food and wine residues in clay vessels or shards found around the world, will be interviewed for the film which will be released next Spring. We are planning two Symposia in Paso Robles on Amphorae winemaking in 2022 in Paso Robles.

There will be winemakers from other countries including Georgia, Italy, and Armenia attending.” But again, the Wine History Project has exhibits all over town and you should check out the website for more information. Libbie brings an incredible amount of passion to this project and it is well worth your time. Also worth your time is the rest of the Paso Robles History Museum where you can learn even more about the area and its long history. Docents are very knowledgeable and helpful.

The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County

www.winehistoryproject.org

Paso Robles History Museum

www.pasorobleshistorymuseum.org

800 12th Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446

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Getting away to Cambria for a respite from wine tasting (that is if you want one!) is always a fun trip. It is just a 25-minute drive on scenic Highway 46 W. Cambria is as quaint and busy as ever. This time, we took a side trip and left downtown Cambria for the beautiful trails of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. They have a wide range of easy-to-moderate experiences with stunning views of the crashing waves. We have been there at sunset a number of times and it takes your breath away. And it’s free – although donations are always welcome.

www.fiscaliniranchpreserve.org

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Finally, you gotta eat, right?

Our favorite restaurant in Paso and one of our favorites anywhere is Il Cortile. Michael hadn’t eaten pasta in months and knew if he was getting it anywhere it would be here. From appetizers of seafood zuppa and poached egg over white polenta to main courses of papparedelle with wild boar ragu and the branzino special, along with the great service and beautiful night sky, we were so glad to be back in Paso.

Il Cortile

www.ilcortileristorante.com

608 12th Street

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We’ve eaten many times at the original Black Cat Bistro in Cambria but this was our first time at its sister restaurant, Black Cat Bistro Too in Paso. It was the same great food and service we’ve come to expect. The pork belly appetizer was incredible and the entrees of duck breast and shrimp scampi were delicious as well. Our server Dancene took great care of us on the sidewalk patio.

The Black Cat Bistro Too

www.blackcatbistro.com

1218 Pine Street

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Roots on Railroad and The Backyard on Thirteenth provide a unique outdoor food (Roots) and drink (Backyard) combination that should not be ignored. Roots was founded by Chef Chris Beckett and his business partner Katie Castillo in early 2020. Chris had been founding chef for local faves Fish Gaucho and The Crooked Kilt. After an extensive career in in the industry, he wanted to open the “biggest-little restaurant in town.” The large Backyard beer garden provides a great complement of mostly local beers and wines to go with the food or just for sipping on their own. There are umbrellas for shade, tables and comfy lounges with ample seating

www.thebackyardpaso.com

1300 Railroad Street

www.rootsonrailroad.com

1304 Railroad Street

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Finally, we also really enjoyed our breakfast at the Hunter Ranch Golf Course on our way into town as well as lunches at Vivant Cheese Shop, Taste Craft Eatery, and Springside Restaurant. All these places provide great service, outdoor seating, and delicious food too.

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarship Winners Announced

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LARKSPUR, Calif. – Jeff O’Neill, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, and Charles Woodson, Intercept Wines, are pleased to announce and congratulate students Abigail Barnabas and Stella Tuffli, winners of the Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarship, on their academic excellence and achievement. The scholarships were developed in partnership with Sonoma State University and through the California Community Foundation (CCF), in partnership with California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, to recruit and retain high-achieving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry.

“I’m excited to congratulate Abigail Barnabas and Stella Tuffli on their incredible accomplishments,” comments Jeff O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. “Our goal is to always support the wine community and nurture the next generation and specifically the BIPOC community. We hope these scholarships will facilitate their passions in the wine industry and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for these outstanding students.”

Abigail Barnabas, eldest of three children, spent the first 16 years of her life in Ethiopia before moving with her family to California in 2018. She is an undergraduate earning a B.S. in electrical engineering from Sonoma State University. Barnabas says, “Winning this scholarship is an exciting opportunity that is going to take away worries of tuition and housing, but also expand my growth and vision and do things I’ve never done before.”

On campus, Barnabas is inspired by mentors at Sonoma State, including Umoja Queens, a mentorship program for students who identify as Black womxn within the Pan African Diaspora to connect with faculty that also identify as Black womxn. Barnabas is working toward her post-graduate goal of strengthening her skills and utilizing electrical engineering to create a more diverse, sustainable, safe, and efficient wine industry. In her spare time, she is an avid reader who enjoys all genres, but especially science fiction.

Tuffli, a Bay Area-native from Concord, California and a wine and viticulture program first-year at Cal Poly, began her degree program this fall. Tuffli was initially drawn to the industry after realizing it could offer worldly experiences and provide an amazing opportunity for expanding her knowledge. Her main area of focus is wine business, and she is working toward a career in wine sales, marketing, and hopefully, starting her own winery. Tuffli is most excited about Cal Poly’s unique viticulture program and the classes in agricultural economics, because it will assist in her goals to learn about business in agricultural communities. “I am very proud of myself for getting this scholarship on my own. [It] really proves to myself that my hard work [has] really paid off, [and] this scholarship also will help my family financially and take the stress away from paying for college.”

“I am honored to support the next generation of BIPOC wine professionals as we strive to create opportunities for diversity within the industry,” comments Charles Woodson, NFL Hall of Famer and owner of Charles Woodson’s Intercept Wines. “Congratulations to both Abigail and Stella as they begin their careers. I look forward to seeing their growth along this journey. Build Your Legend!”

This scholarship, in partnership with the two California universities, will cover 100% of the tuition, and room and board to support both winners over their entire undergraduate college career. The ongoing scholarships will fund one student at each university at a time. O’Neill Vintners & Distillers will provide internships, mentoring, and offer hands-on learning opportunities for scholarship recipients to enhance their college experience in the wine industry.

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Disclaimer: The CCF operates the Charles Woodson and O’Neill Family Wine Scholarship to benefit Cal Poly students. CCF is not affiliated with the University.

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About O’Neill Vintners & Distillers

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers was founded in 2004 by industry veteran and entrepreneur Jeff O’Neill. The vertically integrated winery is one of the fastest-growing wineries in California with a reputation for producing premium-quality wines from the North Coast, Central Coast, and Central Valley. The company’s national brands portfolio includes Line 39, Robert Hall, Harken, Day Owl Rosé, Game Box, Rabble, Accomplice and Charles Woodson’s Intercept. For more information, please visit www.ONeillWine.com.

San Luis Obispo County Wine Awards ANNOUNCED!

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PASO ROBLES, CA – The San Luis Obispo County wine industry annually comes together to honor members of the local wine community. These awards recognize dedication, stewardship, innovation, and leadership demonstrated in the San Luis Obispo County wine community. The 2021 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Awards go to – Winegrape Grower of the Year, Lucas Pope, Coastal Vineyard Services; Winemaker of the Year, Jordan Fiorentini, Epoch Estate Wines; and Wine Industry Person of the Year, Lorraine Alban, J&L Wines.

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Coast Wine Collective, the Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles Area, The Vineyard Team, and past award recipients worked together to identify the 2021 winners. The honorees are evaluated on their leadership and accomplishments in California’s third-largest wine region, San Luis Obispo County.

“It’s exciting that the wine community can again come together, in person, to recognize the leadership, hard work, and dedication of those who have helped bring worldwide recognition to this region and the wines produced here,” said Joel Peterson, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “These awardees elevate the reputation of this area through the cultivation of high-quality grapes, the creation of award-winning wines, and the distribution of many iconic labels. Their passion and devotion have helped build the brand awareness of the San Luis Obispo County wine region as a world-class viticultural area.”

The San Luis Obispo County Wine Community celebrated this year’s award winners at a special event on Friday, July 23 at the California Mid-State Fair.

ABOUT PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY ALLIANCE
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is the official trade organization that represents wineries, growers, and businesses in Paso Robles Wine Country. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country is California’s third-largest wine region. It encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 200 wineries. For more information, visit pasowine.com. Facebook – @PasoRoblesWine, Instagram – @Pasowine, #pasowine.

SLO Coast Wines’ Roll Out the Barrels Celebration Is Back — Refreshed and Reinvented for 2021

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The longtime regional wine experience returns after a Covid hiatus, offering its first-ever auction of rare bottles and a series of new, exclusive experiences at the wineries.
The SLO Coast Wine Collective’s annual Roll Out The Barrels celebration, which has drawn thousands of wine lovers to San Luis Obispo’s wine country since 1990, returns this year with an all-new format: A series of exclusive events held at member wineries throughout the Central Coast, and for the first time, an auction of rare bottles curated by the winemakers. 
All of the events and the auction will take place June 24 through June 28.
As the region emerges from the 2020 Covid-19 shutdown, the SLO Coast Wine Collective is committed to restarting its popular yearly event, but in a way that is safe and comfortable for participants and winemakers. “Roll Out the Barrels is the perfect opportunity to taste new wines and say hello to our winemakers as Covid restrictions loosen up,” says Stephen Ross Dooley, President of the group’s Board of Directors. “We’re excited about being open again and seeing the people who’ve enjoyed our wines all these years.”
Roll Out the Barrels 2021 will offer unprecedented opportunities for wine lovers throughout the long weekend: Most events will be limited to 10 to 25 participants, allowing plenty of individual interaction with winemakers — and giving winemakers the chance to pour wines made in limited quantities and older bottles pulled from deep in their cellars. 
Among the wineries offering tasting flights of older vintages are Laetitia, Baileyana Wines, Edna Valley Vineyard, and Absolution Cellars. Other wineries will extend their hours into twilight, with tastings and tours that immerse you in the beauty of Edna Valley as the sun goes down. Sinor-LaVallee in Avila Beach will be featuring freshly shucked Pacific Gold oysters from Morro Bay Oyster Co, and at Center of Effort Winery, attendees will be guided through every step of the winemaking process — from grape to glass — while sipping current releases in the newly renovated facility.
Because attendance is limited and available by reservation only, we strongly suggest checking out the event list on the SLO Coast Wine Collective website at https://bit.ly/2TaC5Dp to secure reservations as soon as possible.
For the first time in history, Roll Out the Barrels will include an auction of exclusive wine lots curated by our members. And you don’t have to attend an event to bid: Anyone can take home our stellar selections of vintage Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Albariño, Grenache, Zinfandel, and more. Among the lots: large format bottles from Tolosa Winery, Biddle Ranch Winery, and Stephen Ross Wine Cellars; vertical collections from Talley Vineyards and Timbre Winery; mixed assortments from Croma Vera Wines, Absolution Cellars, Autry Cellars, and Saucelito Canyon Vineyard; plus some surprising bottles and limited releases. 
To view the lots and place bids, go to https://bit.ly/3hKXhKy. The auction site goes live 9 a.m. June 24 and closes at noon June 28.
Previously Roll Out the Barrels centered on a grand tasting in downtown San Luis Obispo featuring all of the wineries pouring their latest releases. This year, the SLO Collective emphasizes the one-on-one relationship wine lovers have with the wineries. Says Kathleen Naughton, the Executive Director of SLO Coast Wines: “We are ecstatic about the return of the event. We’ve put safety at the top of our list by shifting all of our events to the individual tasting rooms — with the happy result of everyone having a better chance to connect.”   
This year’s event also arrives as the region is on the verge of a new AVA (American Viticultural Area) designation, a coveted classification awarded by the Federal government that recognizes the distinct character of a region’s wines. It will put wines grown and made on the Central Coast in the company of AVA designates such as Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Sta. Rita Hills.
“The SLO Coast is gaining great momentum as a wine region due in large part to the influence of the many incredible things to offer in San Luis Obispo,” Dooley says. “We’ve missed so much since the start of COVID and we urge all attendees to also explore the restaurants, shops, and galleries in the area when they’re visiting the wineries. We do hope you’ll come, enjoy the wines, stay and explore and fall in love with the SLO Coast.”
About The SLO Coast Wine Collective: SLO Coast Wine Collective is where the coast meets the vines. Our 30 wineries are in San Luis Obispo County on California’s Central Coast, encompassing vineyards and wineries along a 60 mile-long, 15 mile-wide stretch of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. This is the coolest-climate winegrowing region in California and has long been the source of some of the state’s most respected Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. It has recently won renown for its production of aromatic grape varieties such as Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, and Grenache. Website: https://slocoastwine.com/ 

Perlis Picks: San Luis Obispo County Wine — A World Class History (Book Review)

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Reading San Luis Obispo County Wine — A World Class History by Libbie Agran and Heather Muran with the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County brought back a lot of great memories and also filled in a lot of gaps.

I think Karen and I started visiting the Paso Robles wine region in the late 1980s or early 1990s. One of my earliest memories of visiting the wineries of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County dates back to us driving down the 101 from the San Francisco Bay area and making a pit stop at Castoro Cellars. Around that time, we also had many happy visits to places like York Mountain Winery, Estrella River Winery [Gary Eberle’s first winery], Arciero, Pesenti and others that are no longer with us, at least in their former incarnations. Castoro, of course, is still producing great wines, along with a host of others that we have seen spring up throughout the area that we have come to consider practically our second home.

And while I’ve felt that my knowledge of the Paso Robles wine region has been pretty extensive, this book taught me so much about what I didn’t know and really filled in the connections between the various industry icons over the history of not only Paso Robles but Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande as well.

The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County was founded by Libbie Agran in 2015 to study and document the vineyards, varietals, growers and winemakers of the area going back to the 1700s. Working with Heather Muran [who served as a historian with the project in 2019 and 2020], the book [Libbie’s second], presents the history of the region along with the interrelationships of the people involved in an extremely readable and easy to understand fashion.

Libbie’s writing style flows off the page. She went through numerous oral interviews to collect history and information.

The book is also highlighted with many family photographs of the founding members of the SLO Wine region. At the end of each chapter, Libbie lists several historical sites to visit that were discussed in that chapter.

But wait, there’s more!

While the book is a must-read in its own right, I also highly recommend that you check out the Wine History Project’s website. There, you can dig deeper into what is presented in the book and support the work that Libbie is doing. Last April [wow, time flies] I wrote about the film 91 Harvests Perlis Picks: 91 Harvests (evewine101.com) which covers the Dusi family history, but the website provides all the information on the other work that Libbie and her team are doing, as well as exhibitions around the area – I am definitely looking forward to checking these out on our next visit.

Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County

https://winehistoryproject.org/

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 30 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman.

Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also President of MCP Financial, which provides outsourced controller services. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or mcpfinancial@aol.com.

Vintage Eve 7/2018: What Did I Find at The Latest Garagiste “Urban Exposure” in Santa Monica?

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Garagiste festival co-founders Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick (locals know Doug from his shared wine tasting room in Downtown Newhall, Double Trouble) as well as countless experienced volunteers, succeeded once again to bring nearly 50 small producing wineries under one roof – Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club – to be discovered by wine lovers.

Left to right: Erik Siering, Mark Wasserman, me, Paul Quinn and James Schreiner.

(Photo: My favorite people – and wine – at Vinemark Cellars and TW Ferm Co! — left to right: Erik Siering, Mark Wasserman, me, Paul Quinn and James Schreiner.)

Urban Exposure features artisan winemakers from across California, including Paso Robles, Santa Barbara County, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Los Angeles County and more. The Garagiste Festival is Los Angeles’ only wine festival that exclusively features high quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste’ winemakers, offering Angelenos a unique opportunity to discover hard-to-find wineries, taste hundreds of their wines, and meet the winemakers…Over 70% of the wineries pouring at the festival do not have tasting rooms, and most are not on “wine country” maps and difficult to find except at the Garagiste Festival.

Pretty sure I’ve covered every Garagiste event that has been produced in Los Angeles for the past five years, as well as a couple in Paso Robles. I look forward to trying the new vintages from wineries we’ve discovered before, and wines from new wineries added to the event. This year I tried to taste as many Rare and Reserve offerings as I could as well, before palate fatigue set in.

Will now share a few of my take-aways (oh how I wish I could’ve taken some of the wine home with me!) from the event. (Too thirsty to read on? Shoot over here to see the event photos.)

Wineries Tastes (I have only noted the wines I enjoyed – keep in mind I did not try every wine that was offered at every winery table.) 

Bellante Family Winery: 2016 Viognier, Los Olivos, Camp 4 Vineyard, and 14.9% alcohol.

Betwixt Wines: 2012 Grenache, Boer Vineyard, Sonoma (sold out) and 2010 Syrah.

Byron Blatty: Mark’s brand new Rose of Grenache, LA County, $27 and 2016 Tremor blend of Grenache, Syrah and Merlot, LA County, $58.

Caliza Vineyards: 2013 Estate Grenache, Paso Robles, only 50 cases made, $75

Cutruzzola Vineyards: 2012 Riesling, Riven Rock Vineyard Estate, San Luis Obispo County, 12.5% alcohol, 450 cases, $28 and the 2015 Riesling with 128 cases and $30. 

Dusty Nabor: “K” Super Secret Syrah, Ballard Canyon, 27 cases, $45 and 2016 Super Secret Grenache, Ballard Canyon, 27 cases, $45. 

Frisco Cellars: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, Yattes and DiPietro Vineyards, $56.

Gordenker Wines: 2012 Sylvia Drive Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $68. (Parker gave this wine 93 points.)

Hoi Polloi: Everything: Pinot Noirs and Syrah! Love Minnick and happy to support local business! 

Kaleidos Wines: 2014 Praying Mantis, 100% Syrah, Paso Robles, 88 cases, 15.6% alcohol, $65.

Leverage: 2014 Trajectory, GSM, Paso Robles, 85 cases, $60.

Parmeson: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, 149 cases, $60.

Pulchella Winery: My all-time favorite local winery was serving up their Rose of Tannat, “Rogue Rose of Tannat”, Bella Colina Vineyards, 120 cases, $35 as well as six 2016 releases. 

Record Family Wines: 2013 Reserve Merlot, Paso Robles, 100 cases, $35. 

Siela Wines: 2015 Chardonnay Dry Creek Valley. (SF Chronicle Wine Competition gave this a Silver in 2017, I would’ve given it a Gold.)

TW Fermentations: 2014 “Cultivator” Bordeaux Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Paso Robles, 14.7% alcohol, $68 and a Malbec with 14.9% alcohol.

Vinemark Cellars: All 2014s: Reserve Pinot, $41; Cabernet Sauvignon, $32; “Mezzanotte” Primitivo/Petite Sirah blend, $32. 

Volatus Wine: 2015 White Rhone Blend, $25; 2016 Bolter Rose blend of Tannat, Grenache and Viognier, $14; and Reserve Red blend of Syrah and Malbec, Paso Robles, 65 cases, $45.

All Wineries

Alma Sol+, Ann Albert, Ascension Cellars+, Bellante Family Winery+*, Betwixt Wines, Brophy Clark, Byron Blatty+, Caliza Vineyards, Cavelletti Vineyards, Cloak & Dagger+, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Domaine Kreger, El Lugar Wines, Frisco Cellars*, Golden Triangle, Gordenker Wines, Hoi Polloi+, In Vino Musicas+*, Kaleidos Wines, Kitson Wines*, LA Wine Project+, Lavender Oak Ranch+*, Magna Vita Cellars, Malibu Ridge+*, Marin’s Vineyard, Mastro Scheidt, Metrick Wines+, Monochrome Wines, Murder Ridge, On Your Left, Pulchella Winery+, Record Family Wines*, Siela Wines*, Stolo Family Winery, Sweezter Cellars+, Sycamore Ranch+, The Blending Lab+*, Tlo Winery, Torch Wines, TW Fermentations, Vinemark Cellars+, Volatus Wine, Wildwood Oak Winery* (*First time pouring at the festival, +Based in LA County)

Festival Sponsors: ETS, Glenn Burdette,, Farm Credit, Laffort, Digital Dogma, mWEBB Communications, Travel Paso, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

Keep track of where the next Garagiste festival will be offered here: http://garagistefestival.com

For special discounts and updates on Urban Exposure, Taste of Garagiste mini-tastings and other Garagiste Festival events and news, sign up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/,

Follow on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1rgBC80).

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

O’NEILL VINTNERS & DISTILLERS WITH CHARLES WOODSON ANNOUNCE NEW COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP SERIES TO SUPPORT BIPOC WINE INDUSTRY STUDENTS WITH TWO TOP CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITIES

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Larkspur, CA; October 27, 2020 – O’Neill Vintners & Distillers with Charles Woodson are pleased to announce the Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarship, a new series of college scholarships with California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and Sonoma State University. The scholarships aim to recruit and retain high-achieving Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry. The scholarships will be available to students accepted at the respective Universities for the upcoming Fall 2021 semester.

Editor’s Note: Photo attached courtesy of Christina Schmidhofer. 
From left to right: Myles Adams, Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture student Class of ’22; Jeff O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Vintners & Distillers;  Justin Trabue, Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Class of ’17, Assistant Winemaker at Lumen Wines; Simonne Mitchelson, COO Natural Action Wine Co.; and Charles Woodson, Intercept Wines and Former NFL Player.

BIPOC students applying to the undergraduate programs in Wine and Viticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. The application portal for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will close December 4, 2020 and the Sonoma State University application portal will close December 15, 2020. Prospective students may refer to the links below for more information on the application process. While these scholarships will offer two students the opportunity to complete a 4-year degree, the goal is to encourage additional donors and wine industry support to create funds for full or partial scholarships to offer more BIPOC students entree to the wine industry.

“I cannot think of a better way to support the next generation of young BIPOC wine professionals than with scholarships at the top universities in the heart of America’s wine country. I look forward to getting to know future recipients of the Charles Woodson & O’Neill Family Wine Scholarships,” comments Charles Woodson, former NFL player and partner of Charles Woodson’s Intercept Wines with O’Neill.

The scholarship, in partnership with two California universities, will cover 100% of the tuition and room and board to support recipients over their entire college career. The ongoing scholarships will fund one student at each university at a time. O’Neill Vintners & Distillers will provide internships and mentors to offer hands-on learning opportunities for scholarship recipients to enhance their college experience in the wine industry.

“I hope this initial scholarship gift will inspire other members of the wine community to support our top universities in reaching the BIPOC community,” comments Jeff O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. “In both my personal and professional life, I have made community service a priority – and what better way to support the wine community than to create a nurturing environment for the next generation. I am so excited to partner with Charles Woodson yet again and welcome the scholarship recipients into our O’Neill Vintners & Distillers family.”

Contribute to and find more information on the Cal Poly Scholarship

Prospective students interested in attending Cal Poly, learn more here

Contribute to and find more information on the Sonoma State University Scholarship

Prospective students interested in attending SSU, learn more here

About O’Neill Vintners & Distillers

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers was founded in 2004 by industry veteran and entrepreneur Jeff O’Neill. The vertically integrated winery has grown to become the seventh largest winery in California with a reputation for producing high quality wines from the North Coast, Central Coast and Central Valley. Through its extensive vineyards and modern production facilities, O’Neill provides premium winemaking services to the industry as well as its growing portfolio of national brands. The company’s national brands portfolio includes Charles Woodson’s Intercept, Line 39, Robert Hall Winery, Harken Chardonnay, Exitus, Day Owl Rose, and Allegro Cellars. For more information, please visit www.ONeillWine.com.