The General Store

January: A New Start

After a bustling holiday season (we had a blast, hope you did, too!), we count on January as a chance to take a breath and a long look around. We close for our annual inventory and cleaning day, change lightbulbs and put puzzles in blissfully organized rows. We have more time to watch the wind blowing leaves through the gazebo, and talk about what cozy things we have cooking at home.

Most importantly, January is when we start to reach out to makers and say, “Would you be interested in making this with us?” You won’t notice a change on the shelves for a bit, but come Spring, new items will start to peek out from beside the olive oils and bar soaps and mixers. Just this past year, we brought in a host of new local products, including: • Mrs. B’s Honey Mustard • Lotion & Hand Soap in our custom Gratitude scent • Shower Steamers and Healing

Honey Body Oil from Life

Elements • Pop Gold Caramel Corn • Mother Beauty’s bath soaks • Daily’s Dog Biscuits (for big guys!) • Fire Cider, Garden Red, and Citrus White vinegars from Chaparral Gardens • Kelpful sustainable seaweed seasonings • Barreled Bee Honey • Be Well candles from Fable Rune • Raspberry January is Nutmeg Jam from Hartley Farms the quietest • Candles made month in the just for us by The Body Bean…(Wow! garden… But Just Because That list is longer than we realized!) We’re really it looks quiet proud of our relationships with local doesn’t mean makers and of the that nothing way partnering with them keeps our is happening. store unique and grounded in Paso – Rosalie Muller Wright Robles. So if it seems a tad quieter, just know we are quietly rolling up those sleeves, sharpening our (Blackwing) pencils, and getting to work. Happy New Year, Neighbors! The Team @ General Store Paso Robles

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Includes a Side Salad & One House Wine

MONDAY Portabella Pasta TUESDAY Coconut Shrimp WEDNESDAY Grilled Fish Tacos

A Look Back

and A Vision Forward for 2022

By Steve Martin, Paso Robles Mayor

One year ago, I bid the old year goodbye and good riddance while looking forward to a New Year filled with hope for recovery for our City as a vaccine emerged to blunt the ravages of COVID-19. As usual, things got complicated.

As we struggled with a brave, new world filled with continued masking, social distancing, and political upheaval, our City was forced into a new realism. In addition to the usual challenges presented by the lack of affordable housing, the impacts of homelessness, and the need for improvements in our public safety system and street repairs, we also anticipated plummeting city revenues and new expenses caused by the effects of the pandemic. We braced ourselves for more problems and fewer resources.

Here’s what happened in 2021.

Vaccine distribution slowed the spread of the virus. We fought our way out of the shutdown and, with city assistance, business survived. People still got sick, but not as frequently or seriously. Still, only about half of our city population has been vaccinated. Regardless of your own research or political allegiances, one simple fact remains: those vaccinated are safer than those who are not. All else, as one news outlet describes it, “is noise.”

City finances bounced back. As restrictions eased, the pent-up desire to “get out and do something” drove visitors back to our City, which was described by Country Living as one of the 10 Best Small Towns in the nation; by NBC’s Today Show as one of the country’s Top Summer Vacation Destinations; and by Travel & Leisure as one of the country’s best small towns for retirement.

Paso Robles proved itself again to be the “can-do” City in San Luis Obispo County. We broke ground on a new fire station and made plans for a new police station. We finished a $1.5-million street-sealing project. We helped open Project HomeKey, the most significant effort to date to combat homelessness in our City. We used machines, work crews, even goats to clean up the Salinas Riverbed and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire. We broke ground on new homes and apartments. We received a $2.8-million federal grant to expand Internet broadband services. We welcomed back the Mid-State Fair, Pioneer Day, and Christmas activities. (You can see a moving video of 2021 accom16 | pasoroblesmagazine.com

plishments at prcity.com/CivicMedia?VID=43, produced by city employee Shonna Howenstine.) So, what’s next?

The New Year will bring its own hopes and challenges and promises; hope for continued physical and social healing for our City, state, and nation; challenges of infrastructure and economic development; promises of new tools and new ideas. As virus variants emerge, we will have to make personal and public decisions about protecting ourselves and our loved ones. As new technologies propel us into new economies, we will have to see clearly which paths to take to reap the benefits of different and better jobs, more affordable housing alternatives, and safer streets, bridges, and highways.

Politically, progress will be more challenging than ever. Local, state, and federal redistricting will draw new lines around our communities, changing the way we work together and sparking new controversies. New partnerships will be formed even as some old ones fade away. We will begin to think of ourselves differently in terms of geography, representation, vision, and planning.

In the year to come, we will be called upon to reach deeply into our pioneer roots, embracing new technologies and strategies. The notion that Paso Robles would become world-famous for wines and tourism once seemed far-fetched. Just so, the idea that technology, spaceport, and telecommuting can make us the place where one can have a dream career AND a dream home in one of the finest communities in the nation may seem foreign. This new vision for Paso Robles will build upon our past successes and create a more prosperous, stable, and resilient economy. We must be the new pioneers, as excited about our future as we are about our past, willing to embrace what comes next.

A year ago, I bid 2020 goodbye and good riddance. Today, I bid 2021 farewell with the feeling that our “can-do” community has done it again. We have endured. We have thrived. We are ready for the future.

Welcome, 2022.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and look forward with great excitement and anticipation to the things we will accomplish together over the next 12 months.

As always, stay informed, stay involved, and stay strong, Paso Robles. 

Across the country on January 9, citizens take the lead on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Law Enforcement Officers of every rank and file have chosen a profession that puts their life on the line every day for their communities and for that we are deeply grateful.

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Calendar of Calendar of JANUARY EVENTS

DUE TO COVID-19 ALL EVENTS ARE TENTATIVE AND DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CALL AHEAD OR CHECK ONLINE FOR MORE DETAILS

JAN. 1

AVILA BEACH POLAR BEAR PLUNGE/DIP

AVILA BEACH PIER & PROMENADE TIME: 12:00 p Dip | 11:30 a Pictures DETAILS: 10th Annual dip into freezing waters of Avila Beach. Join in the fun of fitness, nature, and a new year!

JAN. 15

ATASCADERO’S 6TH ANNUAL TAMALE FESTIVAL

SUNKEN GARDENS, ATASCADERO TIME: 11:00 a - 7:00 p DETAILS: FREE! Over 25 Tamale Vendors will be on site, as well as, a variety of entertainment for all ages!

JAN. 23

ABIGEL KRALIK

VIOLIN

RECITAL

TEMPLETON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TIME: 2:00 -4:00 p DETAILS: Hungarian-American violinist Abigel Kralik performs live! Visit festivalmozaic.org for tickets.

FEB. 4 - 5

FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE

PAVILION ON THE LAKE, ATASCADERO TIME: Fri. 6:30 -9:30 p ( Ages 11 and under) | Sat. 7:00 - 10:00 p (12 & up) DETAILS: Fathers, uncles, grandfathers, or anyone with a special girl is invited to spend a semiformal evening full of music, dancing, refreshments & more! Go to visitatascadero.com/events for more details.

Stay up on all the events and happenings in North San Luis Obispo County!

SUBMIT UPCOMING EVENTS TO: office@13starsmedia.com

JAN. 27

VIRTUAL ART AND CRAFT SERIES

ATASCADERO’S SWEETHEART STROLL

PASO ROBLES LIBRARY TIME: 6:00 - 7:00 p DETAILS: Create January’s cross-stick robin in a winter garden. Register before Jan. 13. Call (805) 237-3870 to register.

FEB. 11

DOWNTOWN ATASCADERO TIME: 5:00 - 8:00 p DETAILS: Stroll with a wine glass, over 15 different tasting spots while enjoying bands, entertainment and more! North CouNty Farmer’s markets

TUESDAYS

PASO ROBLES

11TH & SPRING STREET TIME: 9:00 - 11:30 a

WEDNESDAYS

ATASCADERO

SUNKEN GARDENS TIME: 3:00 - 6:00 p

SATURDAYS

TEMPLETON

6TH & CROCKER TIME: 9:00 a - 12:30 p

Pioneer Day Queen

By Camille DeVaul

The year 2021 was a big one for local Irene Marquart. In October, Irene was named Paso Robles Pioneer Day Queen, and on November 24, Irene turned 100 years old.

Irene celebrated her 100th birthday with a luncheon attended by family and the Paso Robles Mayor, Steve Martin, who presented Irene with a certificate of recognition. Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham's office and the County Board of Supervisors also sent congratulatory certificates.

But the most discussed topic of the day was the number of cards that were sent to Irene with good wishes. The project started with the staff at The Oaks at Paso Robles, who thought it would be good to get the community involved by asking them to send greeting cards. The grand total was 160 cards, with most hailing from Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, but there were cards from as far 22 | pasoroblesmagazine.com

away as Australia and Holland and from other states such as Washington, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, and Oregon.

Irene Elizabeth Smith Marquart was born November 24, 1921, in Fulton County, Arkansas. Going into the depression, Irene's father moved out West to California to find work. "When you have a family of eight, I guess you'll do what you have to do to keep them fed," says Irene.

In 1929, Irene’s mother sold all their belongings to buy a flatbed pickup truck, and seven siblings moved to the Creston area. Irene's father was a farm laborer at the time, and she remembers her parents working hard to support her and her siblings: Virgil Smith, Grace Stanley, Gladys McMillan, Geraldine Keeling, Evelyn Muir, Doyle Smith, and Doris Anderson.

After a brief stay in the San Juaquin Valley on a ranch near Corcoran, Irene's family settled in Cres-

Irene during her birthday luncheon with her birthday cards from around the world (left). Irene with her husband Nick Marquart (top right). Irene's late son Nick Jr. (bottom right). Photos courtesy of Westmont Living ton in the early 1930s.

Irene recalls, "It was a happy childhood—we were a family of eight. I think my best memory of my childhood was sitting and listening to my mother play her organ."

She remembers listening to her mother play hymns on the organ, which now sits on display in the Paso Robles Pioneer Museum.

On top of playing the organ, Irene's mother was a fantastic seamstress. She sewed all of Irene and her siblings' clothes. Irene said, "She made some beautiful quilts. Which I'm very fond of, and she always made them from pieces of fabric left over from the clothing she made for us."

Irene was only eight years old when the stock market crashed in 1929, creating the Great Depression. Despite the tough times, Irene says her family never suffered during the depression, not food-wise, at least.

She attributes this to her mother's ability to be

Irene Marquart

Turns 100 Years Old

360-Degree Oak and Vineyard Views | Historic Farmhouse | Ample On-Site Parking | 3 Miles to Town

self-sufficient by constantly canning and growing their own food.

After attending elementary school houses in Geneseo and Linne, Irene went to Templeton High School, where she graduated in 1939. She spent her high school summers cooking with her sister Gladys McMillan for harvest crews of 16 men in Carrisa Plains.

This, Irene says, is how she learned how to cook. She recalls her sister knowing precisely what the harvesters wanted to eat after a long day farming. While it sounds daunting to some of us to cook for that many people, Irene says. "It wasn't. It was just cooking."

Then, at one Saturday night dance at the Templeton Legion Hall, Irene met the handsome and lovable Nick Marquart. At least, that is how Irene remembers it. But, she says if you had asked Nick, he remembered meeting Irene for the first time at her sister's house.

Regardless of how they met, the two hit it off and were married in 1939 on Nick’s family ranch, which he was managing. They married on a Saturday evening so Nick's brothers could attend after work. Rather than a white gown, Irene wore a navy blue dress. Irene says, "He was the kindest, most caring person I had ever known—he was a kind person to everyone. I don't think he had an enemy."

Nick Marquart’s family ranch is located in the Josephine area between Paso Robles and Cambria. In the 1870s, Nick’s grandfather, Nicholas A. Marquart, homesteaded the ranch. Throughout the years, Nick and Irene ran dairy cows, farmed hay, raised beef cattle, farmed up to 1,000 laying hens, and even farmed Christmas trees.

While Irene raised their three children, she helped Nick run the ranch. Later she worked various jobs in the area.

Nick and Irene have both been Farm Bureau members since 1939 and held various leadership positions. Both have been Templeton 4-H Club leaders, members of Happy Trails RV club, and charter members of the Paso Square Dance Club. Irene was also active in the Paso Robles Women’s club, Paso Robles Republican Women, and a docent at Templeton Historical Museum. Later in life, Irene picked up a new hobby, wood carving, which she says gave her a lot of joy.

Sadly, Nick passed away in 2006 at the ripe age of 90 years. The two had three children together, Nancy Otto, Lucille Milani, and Nick Jr. Today, Irene has six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and recently welcomed her first greatgreat-grandchild. "I have a great family who has been great to me—I've had a lot of friends who have stood behind me through many things," says Irene.

While Irene lived through some hard times in American history, those poignant and rather terrible world events didn't overcome the good things in life.

She says, "I've been happy all my life. I can't remember any time that it has not been a happy life except for when my husband passed away, and I have a son that passed away. I think those were probably the two hardest parts. But I've been so fortunate to be in good health and really enjoying life as it goes along." 

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The Art of Amphora-vinification

Paso Robles’ nonconforming winemakers are so ahead of the curve they have circled back some five millennia to an ancient vinification system in the theory that everything old is new again. In recent years local winemakers have embraced winemaking in amphorae producing textural and nuanced wines. These large egg-shaped clay vessels tapering to a flat bottom were historically used in Georgia, its birthplace, and then spread globally from China to the Mediterranean area. So, I guess it’s no coincidence that the Paso Robles History Museum downtown is staging an informative exhibit, “6,000 Years of Winemaking in Clay Amphorae,” curated by the San Luis Obispo-based Wine History Project. The comprehensive exhibit, which runs through February 28, 2022, includes maps, historical timelines, a selection of clay vessels, and an Amphora Wine Trail map. In 2011 Paso’s Ambyth Estate, a winery focused on Rhônestyle wines, was the first winery to import amphorae from Italy. What started with a couple of amphorae has morphed into 20-some vessels mostly from Italy and a few from Australia and California, ranging in size from 350 liters to 750 liters. Founded in 2003 by Phillip and Mary Hart, Ambyth is also Paso’s first Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyard and winery. The amphora’s renaissance began in Italy’s northeastern region of Friuli, mostly by a group of winemakers drawn to organic and biodynamic farming and natural winemaking practices. These non-intervention style winemakers saw many benefits to amphora-vinification, such as its superior insulation, which gives wines its freshness, and the porous vessel that allows oxygen into wine twice as fast as wood barrels. Gelert Hart, Phillip’s son and currently Ambyth’s winemaker, calls it happy oxidation. “It’s the most neutral aging vessel that still allows the wine to breathe age into a classic old-world style,” Gelert explained in an email. He uses both amphorae and barrels for fermentation and aging red, white, Rosé, orange wines, and cider. Indeed, it was Ambyth’s introduction of amphorae that sparked interest among locals. Winemakers such as Giornata Wine’s co-founder and winemaker Brian Terrizzi got his first amphorae from Ambyth’s second Italian shipment in 2012. Terrizzi began using amphorae for some of his white Italian varieties. “It’s part of the natural movement, and we don’t add yeast or nutrients,” Terrizzi asserted. “Barrels give wine a lot of flavor and amphorae don’t, and the shape helps ferment wines faster.” Many of Terrizzi’s whites are tinted in pastel colors of orange and pink. These “Orange Wines” (made by leaving skins of white wine grapes 24 | pasoroblesmagazine.com

to ferment with the juice) are all the rage among millennials and popular with winemakers using amphorae.

We sampled 2020 vintages of Giornata’s orange-hued Falanghina, expressing a fresh cidery flavor; a citrusy Fiano; a peachy Friuliano; and a surprising Rosé of pinot grigio.

Sherman Thacher of his namesake winery is another true believer in non-intervention. “We practice super low intervention; we bring in the grapes, and they follow their own path,” said the winemaker, who tends to favor neutral oak and therefore likes the neutrality of amphora. “The wines retain a freshness.” For chenin blanc and cinsault bottlings, Thacher will use multiple vessels like amphora and neutral oak barrels for vinification.

Dave McGee, owner of Monochrome, also uses multiple vessels for vinification. For the 2018 Analog in a Digital Age marsanne blended with grenache blanc and viognier, McGee used both amphorae and stainless steel for vinifcation. “It lends more complexity,” he said.

While the 500-liter size is most popular, at Denner Vineyards, I came across two extremely large 7.5 hectoliter vessels, which Anthony Yount uses for Sixmilebridge and his label Kinero, wines that are produced at Denner winery.

From Denner, I savored two iterations of the Dirt Worshipper syrah. The 2013 vintage was fermented in stainless steel and aged in oak barrels for five months. Then the wine was split — half into amphora and the other half remained in oak. Both versions aged another 17 months. The amphora-aged showing herbal and olive tapenade notes against the voluptuous oak version lush with fruit and expressive tannins.

Epoch’s Jordan Fiorentini admitted she’s still in the experimental stage with the one amphora she acquired for Epoch Estate in 2013. “Amphora can be more oxidative, and my style is reductive winemaking,” she noted. She has tried making mourvèdre, aged 12 months in amphora and eight in oak barrels, and loves the wine’s earthy characteristics. So how do these local winemakers access their amphorae? Enter Manu Fiorentini, Jordan’s Italian-born husband and founder of Itek Wine, launched in Paso in 2010. Fiorentini was already importing oak barrels, concrete wine tanks, and other stainless-steel equipment. By 2012, he added amphorae when he saw them at Ambyth. His winery customers are located all over North America, but his largest clientele is here in Paso. “People here are more experimental with these vessels,” Fiorentini remarked. Plus, being local helps in terms of servicing the vessels. Other local wineries using amphorae include Clesi, Indigené, Desperada, Lone Madrone, Thibido, Derby Wine Estates, Pelletiere Vineyards, and Edna Valley’s Chamisal. 