Vino – November-December 2017

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

In This Issue

ROCK STAR WINEMAKER Adam Lazarre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 HARVEST FESTIVAL Four Views of a Harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 COVER STORY LDT Cellars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Wicked Harvest Bourbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Featured Dining: Buona Tavola . . . . . . . . . 27

NORTH COUNTY WINE TASTING MAP .30 SOUTH COUNTY WINE TASTING MAP . 33 CALENDAR OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Featured Lodging: Paso Robles Inn . . . . . . 36 Featured Tasting Room: Chateau Lettau. . 42 TRAVEL Chateau de L’Horte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

GENERAL MANAGER Beth Bolyard bbolyard@atascaderonews.com

Luke Phillips Madeline Vail Ruth Ann Angus

COVER PHOTO Photo by Luke Phillips: LDT Cellars

EDITOR Luke Phillips lphillips@atascaderonews.com

ADVERTISING Stan Angel Adriana Novack Sheri Potruch

VINO MAGAZINE PasoRoblesPress.com 805-237-6060 935 Riverside Ave, 8A Paso Robles, CA 93446

EDITORIAL Stan Angel Beth Giuffre

GRAPHIC DESIGN Jim Prostovich

VINO is published by the Paso Robles Press. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. The Paso Robles Press made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in the magazine, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions.

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ADAM LAZARRE

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WINEMAKER

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By Madeline Vail OF VINO MAGAZINE

ever before has the moniker “rockstar winemaker” seemed so befitting to a featured winemaker as it does to local enologist Adam Lazarre and his wife Angie. Having just returned from a raucous weekend in Las Vegas where they binged on some of their favorite heavy metal bands, they even concluded the weekend on Nothing More’s tour bus where Lazarre wines are the band’s beverage of choice.

Which makes one ponder on the notion of how so much in life, if not all, comes full circle.

“I was a Hollywood baby," Lazarre said. "My dad was a Hollywood actor, my mom was a big Broadway actress but when my dad left acting he became a rock band manager. He represented some major names but then he became a theatre professor and we moved back east.” But if his father had hoped that leaving Hollywood for the world of academia would keep his son from the world of rock n’ roll he was gravely mistaken.

“I went to University of Buffalo for aerospace engineering and totally dropped out after one year and played in a rock band in upstate New York for the next couple of years," Lazarre said. "I ended up realizing I didn’t have the talent and the discipline to make it big so I ended up joining the Marines and spent nearly the next seven years in the military. That’s where I discovered my love of wine.”

And that’s where his epic journey into the world of winemaking began. Stationed in Seattle, Lazarre was dry docked in the naval ship yard and took a real interest in wine because the culinary scene in Seattle “is like second to none,” said Lazarre – ”But no one knows about it because Seattle likes to keep themselves secret, they don’t want everyone up there. I ended up dating this one gal that ran a wine shop and she gave me these books.”

Apparently, the interest in the wine books greatly overtook the interest in the girl as memories of “the girl” seem to have evaporated while the obsession with wine only grew.

“So I ended up going overseas," Lazarre said. "I lived on a little island called Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and I would fly every month on the behest of my commanding officer to Singapore and I would go with a laundry list of stuff that I would pick up for fellow sailors and airman on the base: like gold, silks and jewels they could get for cheap out there. But I would go to this one market, for myself, and stock up on wine. At the time you weren’t supposed to bring alcohol onto the island,” laughed Lazarre. Having to bribe British custom agents with bottles of Guinness stashed inside Lazarre’s boxes of contraband wine, one could say Lazarre had a brief career as a smuggler to support his obsession.

And the obsession not only went deep but sent him on an entirely new trajectory.

“At the time I just got completely bitten by the wine bug so I

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took a little leave and travelled to California and went to a couple universities and decided I wanted to go to Fresno state,” said Lazarre. Lazarre not only went to Fresno State but ended up with a degree in the mid-90s in Food and Nutritional Sciences and Enology. “So that’s where I started and I’ve been on the Central Coast most of my career,” said Lazarre.

After graduation Lazarre worked at a handful of wineries. “When I graduated there were only a small handful of us and all of us moved into head winemaking positions. I was a production winemaker at Jekyll in Monterey and then went to work for a big wine company – which shall remain nameless at this time – and discovered I didn’t like making wine from behind a computer,” said Lazarre –”and my path took me to the VP position with Hahn Estates in Monterey.”

According to Lazarre, Hahn Estates was a 25K case winery at the time, selling primarily Bordeaux. “They were growing grapes that shouldn’t be up there. So at the time I was part of the team that re-planted nearly 800 acres to pinot noir and some smaller Rhone plantings and created a couple brands while I was there,” said Lazarre. One of them being the label “Rex-Goliath” in 2005 which “blew up to a half million cases in two years.”

This is where Lazarre really started to find his branding legs and things only got bigger from there. “When I took over Hahn it was all Bordeaux and we picked up some vineyards in Paso Robles and transitioned to Pinot. We started winning best in shows and getting great scores and when I left the winery in 2008 we were at about 800,000 cases.

I blew up some really big brands and got the opportunity to work with some incredible marketing geniuses and super fruit,” Lazarre said.

Lazarre then moved on in 2008 and helped start a winery for the guys that produced "American Idol": Villa San Juliette. “And it was at that time I started the Lazarre brand with my wife Angie. It was originally a single varietal, high-end pinot noir and we were one of the few that were doing that at the time and then that “Sideways” movie hit and you just couldn’t find Pinot noir anymore, the cost of the grapes tripled at that time. I felt very uncomfortable charging my customers that much more in order just to break even.”

“So (Angie and I) started branching out into different varietals. Sauvignon blancs, Albarino, we had a killer Paso Robles merlot and some others in the line-up,” Lazarre

said.

Despite being a “hired gun” or a “heavy hitter” doing private labels for Bevmo and the control label for Costco, the Lazarre brand is his and wife Angie’s labor of love.

At 800 cases a year, Lazarre's wine is what they want to ultimately do as a their full-time business and once again, with things coming full circle, Lazarre’s experience with “big wine” has put them in the position to do just that.

“One of the neat things is that because of the other brands that I’ve created, some huge brands, we put a lot of really great grower’s kids through college and consequently we’re able to capitalize on those relationships and now we have access to some really incredible fruit that normally might not be accessible to tiny, high end, meticulous producers like us.”

“So for us its really important that we have access to great fruit. At Lazarre wines we make the wines that we love.

There are certain varietals we don’t want to get involved in, not necessarily because we don’t like them, but because there are already so many people in the area that are doing such a great job with them, and I don’t want to be one of 300 voices in the Paso Robles area doing the same thing. Which is primarily why we do a lot of whites. We do more whites than we do reds and the reason being that – obviously we love white wines but white wines are just an incredible challenge. I would argue that a really good chardonnay is the hardest wine in the world to make. Which is evidenced by all the bad Chardonnays that are out there. You can’t hide flaws with white wines. And so the challenge for us – I’ve been involved with millions of gallons of cabernet and zinfandel as well as other varietals – but really making high-scoring, highly regarded whites as well as pinot noir and merlots, these are the things we love when they are done well. So we really want to focus on them,” Lazarre said.

He continued, “Angie and I spend a much greater effort on making 120 cases of a killer sauvignon blanc than I do on making 70 thousand cases of a cabernet. We love the challenge. A lot of the wines that I make we don’t drink at the house, but the Lazarre wines we crack open every day because we love them.”

The Lazarres produce 600 to 800 cases a year of their own label which boasts a Paso merlot and a Central Coast pinot – ”we’ve gotten back into doing single appellation pinot noirs with the recent release of our Santa Rita Hills pinot noir. We originally were doing single vineyards but the problem is you get a 94 to 95 point

When we have a great bottle of wine that we’re super proud of its super easy for others to pick up on that passion.

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score, then the vineyard thinks you need them more than they need you and then the price goes up on the fruit and, having worked in the value wine industry for so long, I just can’t see passing that onto my customers.”

They also have an albarino, a chardonnay from the Santa Maria Valley and a sauvignon blanc from Santa Barbara.

“Those are wines that we absolutely adore," Lazarre said. "I don’t know if we’ll be adding any more in the future. Maybe we will but these are the wines we’ve been focusing on and we absolutely love. We’ve been blessed with some great scores, a ton of accolades and really great press,” said Lazarre.

And to give credit where credit is due, Lazarre makes it very clear that Angie is part of every aspect of the winemaking, “They are punching down when she comes to the winery and she’s happy to operate any of the VINO Central Coast Edition

equipment and run hoses. But the most important thing is she’s involved with all the blending that we do because at the end of the day she has to stand at the front of a table at a pouring somewhere and she’s got to say, with the most amount of conviction, that she absolutely adores this wine because that’s how you present your passion to other people. When we have a great bottle of wine that we’re super-proud of. Its super-easy for others to pick up on that passion.”

Lazarre wines can be found at a handful of local retailers and restaurants and are represented statewide by Epic Distributing but according to Lazarre the easiest way to get a hold of a bottle is to reach out to them directly through their website at www.Lazarrewines.com, Instagram or their Facebook page.

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HARVEST FESTIVAL

Four Views of a Harvest

By Luke Phillips, Beth Giuffre, Stan Angel & Madeline Vail OF VINO MAGAZINE

On Oct. 20-22, as Harvest Wine Weekend brought countless events, parties, fun activities, culinary treats and more to wineries and tasting rooms across the North County, the Vino Magazine crew hit the road in search of the quintessential Harvest Festival experience.

We decided that SummerWood Winery would be our first stop after hearing about the tasting room’s huge window overlooking the production facility and the harvest time activites that take place there. From there we visited nearby Castoro Cellars for another tasting before moving on to Opolo Vineyards for a quick bite and a peek at their giant Harvest Fest party.

We hit the road in the early afternoon. There was a hint of an autumn chill in the air. We passed more than one local pumpkin patch, all buzzing with activity and as we reached the first vineyards of Templeton and Paso wine country, we were treated to beautiful views of endless rolling hills, covered in vines beginning to change all sorts of warm, rusty colors. That’s where reporter Beth Giuffre picks up the story:

Photos by Luke Phillips

Madeline Vail crushes grapes with her toes at Opolo. Stan Angel and Beth Giuffre wine taste at SummerWood.

Why is it I always want to move into the tasting rooms around here? They are ridiculously picturesque. Shouldn’t I be calling this place home, with miles of grassy lawn that overlooks an estate Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard having an afternoon glass of champagne in the gazebo?

As soon as our news crew arrived at my imaginary new home, down the road from that white-washed wooden sign that points you in 12 or so different prospective wine adventure-based directions, to next to the beautiful, peaceful SummerWood Inn, Stan and I decided we would be the first to taste SummerWood’s wines, and we knew this place takes good care of you, so we stepped up to the plate. SummerWood’s tasting room is an L-shaped marble-topped bar in a vast room with a fabulous boutique collection of gifts and local specialty foods.

An entire wall of SummerWood is a window, and as we stood and tasted, we witnessed a winery worker up on a ladder, reaching into one of the big steel vats, stirring the grapes. They had harvested all their grapes and had nine tons of fruit to process. The young man, Continued on page 16

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who was doing “punch downs” looked like he was getting a serious workout, and among the rows and rows of gigantuan steel tanks, in the super-clean and impressive high ceiling room, I felt kind of like we found the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.

We were a day early for the Caramel Apple Bar for Harvest Wine Weekend, but we didn’t miss the pet costume contest. Stan loves the reds, and I love the whites, and the little dog dressed as a hot dog, loved gazing at my leg. I just like being in a place where families and pet companions can hang out too, and the vibe is casual and unpretentious. The room was packed with tasters. A whole family. A couple of senior ladies who walked over from the Inn. Some lovey-dovey couples doing the wine-country thing. SummerWood had three tasting room employees pouring at the bar. They were very personable and knowledgable and constantly moving – arranging cheese plates and placing fresh glasses, pouring the line, from the 2016 Picpoul Blanc to the 2012 “Sentio,” the Central Coast Wine Competitions’ gold winning Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc and Syrah blend.

The darkest I go these days is Grenache, so it was no big surprise that my wine of choice from more than ten of the wines we tried was Chilean winemaker Mauricio Marchant’s 2014 Grenache blend: the GSM. My taste buds enjoyed the violet undertones and earthy mushroom notes, sweet oak and rhubarb on the palate, with the Syrah adding structure, and Mourvèdre adding the spice. I like a lingering finish on my reds, and this one took my personal prize, with the soft tannins relaxing and stretching out the medium-bodied wine.

I took a bottle of the 2014 Vin Blanc home with me. I found it to be the most aromatic of the whites, as I was very pleased with the orange and peach in the nose. The mouth-feel opens into creaminess, with that little touch of oak and a rounded and delightful finish. I also loved the Gold Medal winning 2014 Viognier, also creamy and full of ripe peaches and citrus, beginning with a honeysuckle aroma and ending in a long finish.

Stan and I were having a lovely chat with Lindsey Cash, the Tasting Room and Wine Club Manager, a smart, young bundle of knowledge from Massachusetts who comes from a wine-making family and knows quite a bit about the history and feel of SummerWood. She helped with the 2015 crush.

“I loved it,” she said, and said they don’t do the the ‘I love Lucy’ kind of barefoot grape stomp, but she’s been out there with some rubber boots crushing the grapes.

Harvest is such a busy time for the wine industry. One of the tasting room staffers said she knows this time of year the winemaker and his helpers will be in the cellar until three in the morning some nights. The tasting room is usually a bustling place, especially on Fridays, and Cash said often times SummerWood is a first stop on the wine tasting tours, since it opens up at 10 a.m.

I could have gone on and tasted more, but it was time Photos by Luke Phillips

SummerWood's tasting room has a little shopping area, lounge, outdoor patio and an enormous window overlooking the wine cellar.

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for Castoro Cellars, so I passed my ruby-stained baton off to Stan Angel: Make no mistake, we live in a special place at a special time. The Central Coast is fast becoming one of the finest winemaking regions in the world and we’re here to see and enjoy it. No better way to enjoy it than during Harvest Festival when all our local wineries put out their very best products for us to sample.

I was fortunate enough to sample some very fine wines with my colleagues at two of our prestigious wineries. It was great to have us all sample the wine and share opinions on what we liked or disliked about each vintage.

First stop was SummerWood Winery and I started with a white blend called Vin Blanc, a 2014 vintage which blends 53 percent Roussanne and 47 percent Viognier. A lovely bouquet of citrus and a fruit forward taste of pear and citrus with just a hint of toasted oak. Next we tasted their 2014 Viognier, which was a Gold Medal winner this year at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

A well-deserved award. Light flavors of peach with a hint of citrus and a long smooth finish. We then moved to SummerWood’s red wines. Each one exhibited the big bold flavors coupled with light tannins we have come to expect from many of our local winemakers. The most memorable red wine though was the 2012 Sentio — a lovely blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. This was a Gold Medal and Best of Class in the 2016 Central Coast Wine Competition. This wine exemplified the very best of this winery’s red wines, bringing together the richness of plum flavors with a coffee finish and the fragrance of blackberry and vanilla.

Our next stop was Castoro Cellars. We parked our vehicles and made our way up a walkway covered with a trellis supporting grape vines with bright yellow leaves and big clusters of purple grapes hanging down everywhere. We sampled the fruit, plucking a couple of grapes from the vines as we made our way up to the tasting room.

While I found many of the wines we sampled from the tasting list to be excellent, there were a few standouts.

The first is a refreshing white blend called Tango, a 2016 vintage — a lovely blend of Viognier, Chardonnay and Albarino. A perfect wine chilled on a warm summer night, there was a wonderful fragrance of pear and jasmine with a light spicy taste over the fruit. I found my colleagues all agreed on the superior 2015 Grenache and the award winning 2014 Zinfusion as well.

These two wineries were the perfect example of the way to best sample and enjoy our local wines. I truly valued the input my friends shared with me.

After our visit to Castoro, we left for Opolo Vineyards, handing the story off to Luke Phillips: After tastings at Summerwood Winery and Castoro Cellars, the gang broke away from the 46 West wine trail Continued next page

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and headed out Vineyard Drive to one of the most popular Paso hot spots, Opolo Vineyards.

We’d seen the vines surrounding the Highway 46 wineries turning autumn shades of red, orange and brown, but the hillsides once again gave way to bright green as we entered the cooler areas of the Adelaida district.

Arriving at the Opolo tasting room can be a magical experience. Turning off of Vineyard Drive, a small dirt road takes you about a quarter mile through the vineyards to a fork in the road. One fork takes you to Opolo’s main event area and the other to the tasting room. During Harvest Fest weekend, a gigantic white tent sat atop a hill in the event area, but I was meeting the others at the tasting room, so I took the fork leading to the left. I parked my Jeep out back and made my way around the tasting room to the front patio. This is where the magic comes in.

Like most things at Opolo, the patio is huge, flanked on one side by the tasting room and on the other by a vinecovered hillside, backlit by the late afternoon sun. Sinatra played over the patio speakers and the intoxicating smell of meat cooking drifted through the air.

We were in search of our Harvest Fest meal, and although we hadn’t purchased tickets for the $115 dinner being served up on the hill, I was aware of the tasty fare that Opolo often has available at the tasting room, so that’s where we headed with our fingers crossed and we weren’t disappointed.

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There weren’t many options on the menu due to the festivities happening elsewhere in Opololand, but we did get our choice between a Cevapi sausage platter for $19 or a Cevapi sausage wrap for $17. So Cevapi it was.

I’d never heard of Cevapi, but later research revealed it to be a skinless sausage made from lamb, veal, pork and beef, a very popular dish across southeastern Europe. Opolo served the sausages Greek style with pita bread, chopped tomato, chopped onion, lettuce and Kajmak, yet another food with which I was not familiar. Turns out, it’s a dairy product similar to clotted cream made from the milk of a water buffalo. You learn something new every day.

The food hit the spot. The lightness of the other ingredients balanced the strong flavor of the meat. The flavor of grilled meat also paired fantastically with my included glass of Opolo’s Mountain Zin, a smooth and light selection.

After our meal and an hour or so of lounging on the shaded patio we loaded into a trailer pulled by a tractor that took us up the hill to get a first-hand look one of the biggest harvest parties in Paso Robles. That’s where Madeline Vail picks up the story: As Luke polished off his sausage wrap, a shuttle reminiscent of an old gypsy wagon rolled into view. I hopped on along with several other hungry and excited harvest revellers. As our full wagon was pulled by a single

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tractor through the vineyard, higher and higher toward the oversized, white tent perched magnificently on the top of the hill, I was enraptured by the sheer beauty and almost completely forgot what I was there for in the first place — grape stomping.

Besides my initial exposure to grape stomping via Lucille Ball’s 1956 episode, “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” or the viral Youtube video of the unfortunately, clumsy local TV reporter that fell hard during her own grape stomping demonstration, I had never experienced this myself or even saw it done live. Even as the day of the event approached I could still hear that poor reporter’s deep, guttural groans of pain from the video that my children would gleefully hit replay over and over again as they wiped tears of laughter from their eyes.

My prayer for the week was as follows, “Please God, let the grape tub be huge, not too high above ground, and most importantly please don’t let me fall.”

As we disembarked, we were greeted by a live acoustic trio, several young ladies and men donning the native holiday costumes representing some of the Opolo family’s Serbian roots, and three, very large, wide, shallow tubs packed with clusters of dark, purple grapes just inches off the ground. If I fell, at least it wouldn’t be far.

“We started this with just a small group of friends and family but then 10 years ago my parents decided to make it a party for their club members and the public,” said daughter and namesake of one of the owners, Ricki Quinn.

“Every year it just gets bigger and bigger, it’s really been amazing. My niece Kennedy has been doing it since she was two.”

Just then, I turned to Kennedy, age 7, for some history and some sage advice.

Me: So what’s your first memory Kennedy?

Kennedy: Falling down. It was disgusting.

Me: So do you have any advice for me?

Kennedy: Don’t fall down.

Note taken. After a couple of raw oysters bathed in “hogwash” and a full glass of the 2014 Chardonnay down the hatch I decided it was time. I kicked off my cowboy boots, removed my socks and I’m sure committed a major ‘faux pas’ by not washing my feet first. My stomach lunged a little at the thought but then practicality kicked in and reminded me that there was absolutely no way VINO Central Coast Edition

this juice being stomped on tonight by hundreds of virgin grapestompers and gleefully inebriated revellers was ever going to see the inside of a barrel much less touch the rim of someone’s glass.

I proceeded to roll up my jeans, hand my glass over to my husband and to my own surprise, delicately set my right foot upon a single, plump cluster of grapes. They were so cold, so innocent, I actually felt bad stepping down onto them. Then the next foot. I was all in. Up to my shins in full cluster, cabernet grapes and it was unlike anything I had ever felt or even expected.

“Well, that’s that,” I said to myself just as my husband’s voice broke through my apparent mild case of catatonia saying, “Stomp on them! You’ll never make any juice just standing there, the whole point is to squish them.”

But I didn’t want to squish them. I was good. I felt enough to get the idea but of course you can’t go to a grape stomping without actually “stomping” so “a’stomping” I went.

Apparently the stomping action reminded others that this was the whole point of the party — besides enjoying four rounds of passed hors d’oeuvres, free flowing wine and bubbles before the magnificent family style buffet including whole spit roasted lamb and dozens of whole barbecued chickens — because I was suddenly surrounded by fellow stompers laughing, some even using me for balance as they tottered around, and most impressively maintaining their composure while posing for their “once in a lifetime” photo ops.

When I say once in a lifetime, it’s not a cliche. As I was hosing off my feet in the hospitably provided barrels on the side of the mountain, I heard not just one but several people say, “Well, I can write that one off my bucket list!”

Indeed.

I will absolutely return next year to enjoy the frivolity of the Serbian boys and girls dressed in their colorful native costume as the sun sets over the horizon, my endless glass of fine wine, look forward to my sumptuous dinner, and watch all the newbies cringe and groan as they persistently try to rinse the sticky juice and those stubborn, residual grape skins lingering between their toes.

If someone asks me to join, my response will be, “No thank you. I’m good. I’m very, very good,” as I grab yet another oyster from a passing tray.

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November/December 2017

19

COVER STORY New Locale for New-World Winemaker

20

November/December 2017

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Central Coast Edition VINO

LDT expands crush facility, opens new tasting room

By Beth Bolyard OF VINO MAGAZINE

W

hen does scientific method crossover into artistic intuition? When is finetuned measurement replaced with pure, unadulterated talent? For Edward Cholakian, this line is a tightrope he walks every day at LDT, Lusso Della Terra Cellars, a high-end winery he began a number of years ago.

The Paso Robles winery started humbly enough with smallbatch, handcrafted wines served from an unpretentious tasting room located off of 13th Street downtown. Now, the winery has become so much more. With a growing custom crush facility, new equipment, and brand new tasting room, LDT Cellars is quickly coming into a league of it’s own.

Cholakian has long been preparing for the facility he currently operates, one a-buzz with harvest work late in October. When he started his own wine label, LDT, he was using crush facilities all along the Central Coast. After years of crushing his grapes in other facilities, Cholakian eventually took the plunge to start his own crush operation off of Airport Road along the famous 46-east corridor.

It wasn’t long before moving the tasting room to front the facility made perfect sense. Now, Cholakian and his staff work tirelessly to provide a taste of LDT to a variety of wine tours, curious visitors, and faithful followers.

But the small-lot wine is only the tip of the iceburg for Cholakian, who quickly found after opening his facility that there was a need for more than what his own wine brand could fill. The custom crush is heart of the operation off Airport road and providing the most comprehensive custom wine facility is the beat that keeps everything else moving.

"The main business is custom crush, it’s top priority.”

Cholakian said of his winery and facility. “I would like to keep LDT smaller, but the custom is where it’s at. It keeps this business going; it allows me to play with more high-end stuff for my brand.”

Cholakian’s dream for his own wine is to continue to provide a small-lot, high-quality wine through the LDT brand, but his vision for high quality wine doesn’t end there. Every client who walks through his doors receives top-notch wine possibilities, with Cholokian’s artistic intuition leading to the best possible wines and his mad-scientist-like desire to provide perfectly executed wine-sceince projects.

This combination of artistry and idealism is found in every wine Cholakian creates for his clients. He now has more than 30 clients ranging from large clients like local grocery stores, to small clients like other wineries and businesses. He even creates custom crafted, limited-selection wines one barrel at a time for families looking for gifts and brides and grooms looking for a special wines to commemorate their wedding day.

The facility provides comprehensive winemaking from Continued on next page

VINO Central Coast Edition

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November/December 2017

21

fruit to bottle. Everything in the process can be handled by the facility; they provided full-service winemaking from small-lot bottling to producing thousands of cases often conceived from tasting to production.

Cholakian said it is his newer additions to the facility that make all of this possible, including their new crush tank, full analysis lab, and new bottling line. It’s these newer toys that give Cholokin the power and the joy to create.

“It’s so amazing. I finally got all the toys I always wanted as a kid,” Cholakian said. “It’s frickin’ sweet. We’re making much better wine, that’s my favorite part. We’re making the best wine with all these new little toys.”

Walking into Cholakian’s custom tasting session is like walking into a wine-centered science experiment where compound chemicals are replaced with wines, tannins and sugars and beakers are replaced with wine glasses.

The session starts innocently enough with one bottle of a custom blend that is open to re-creation through “newworld winemaking,” a process that involves adding a variety of tannens and sugars on the spot. Soon enough, though, the table you were working on fills with a plethora of wine glasses all in the effort to find the perfect taste. One wonders in these moments of wine creation where the artist ends and the scientist begins.

This process, one that once took place in Cholakian’s 22

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house, is one that is only possible through new world winemaking processes, adding tannins and sugar is just the start. Cholakian prides the newest toys he gets to use in winemaking, especially his lab where he can test a variety of elements in the wines he would normally have to send our at a hefty price tag.

Cholakian’s new lab not only saves the winery money, it also creates a cost-effective option for winemakers who come to Cholakian for his custom winemaking ability. The facility as a whole acts as a method for clients to create the best possible wine, while receiving the most value in their winemaking.

“Absolutely anything you need that we used to have to pay a lot of money to send to other labs we just do it in house now,” Cholakian said. “I can get an answer on the spot instead of waiting on a sample I sent out, it makes the wine making better.”

Anyone who comes to the tasting room can get a full tour of the facility, along with wine and cheese pairing and a barrel sample via a 'wine thief', the eye dropper-like device used to steal wine from the barrel.

When asked about his new facility and flourishing operation, Cholakian couldn’t be happier, now living a fulfilled dream, and only has one response, “I’m loving it.”

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2014 Pinot Noir

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2010 2014 Chardonnay Cabernet Sauvignon

96 points

94 points

November/December 2017

23

Photo by Ruth Ann Angus

Jim and Gloria Zion holding a bottle of Wicked Harvest Bourbon Whiskey.

This Harvest is

By Ruth Ann Angus FOR VINO MAGAZINE It comes from Kentucky, but is transformed in California and now has made its home in Morro Bay. I’m talking about bourbon.

In an area where wine is king you might think it would be difficult to challenge the throne with a bourbon, however, Wicked Harvest Bourbon Whisky is right up there on the steps to stardom. Jim and Gloria Zion have crafted a drink that combines three elements; an aged Kentucky bourbon, pistachios, and the essence of Merlot embedded in wine barrels.

Gloria Zion, who bills herself as Director of First Impressions, explains that husband Jim is Managing Partner of Meridian Growers in Fresno and farms pistachios, almonds, and pecans. He also serves on the Food Science and Nutrition Advisory Council at Cal Poly University. Several years ago, at a board meeting Jim met Steve Thompson, who owns Kentucky Artisan Distillery.

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Thompson, although retired, still works on projects that interest him. Both men began to wonder what it would be like to finish aged Kentucky Bourbon with natural pistachios. They then thought it would also be interesting to age the brew in used wine barrels – barrels that once contained Merlot. After a couple of years of experiments and about 38 iterations they came up with a product that has unique flavor and a smooth, long finish.

“Bourbon really should be sipped,” Gloria explained as I took my first taste, “and not downed in shot.” I agreed after sipping and enjoying the velvet-like quality of the drink. It has a long, slow warmth that extends across the palate and it is not too bitter, and not too sweet. “This is probably the best bourbon for persons who don’t regularly drink bourbon,” Gloria said, “It really can be used in place of wine.”

“Since producing pistachio bourbon, we also tried using

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Central Coast Edition VINO

almonds,” Gloria said. “but we found them too bitter. We are going to try pecans next.”

The Zions decided that it would be best to do their own distribution and formed Velvetree Foods Distribution Company, LLC. This gives them complete control over their product and keeps it local. Although the farm is in the Central Valley, the Zions have relocated to Morro Bay and began their distribution here. Gloria, whose original career was in education, began marketing the bourbon and it is now carried in the Central Valley and on the Central Coast in markets, liquor stores, and restaurants in Morro Bay, Cayucos, Los Osos, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Atascadero, and Paso Robles.

Restaurants in Morro Bay carrying the liquor are Dorn’s, Harbor Hut, and the Inn at Morro Bay. You can purchase bottles at Morro Bay Liquor.

Wicked Harvest Bourbon was a finalist in the 2017 Fresno Food Expo People’s Choice Award. The Zions approach to their business is holistic. They believe that integrity and loyalty are qualities necessary in partnerships and a foundation for a healthy organization. They feel the people they work with have enormous reservoirs of untapped potential to learn, grow, contribute and lead. They espouse stewardship of natural resources and understand that they have taken on innovative and unchartered work. They take the time to laugh and to celebrate small wins and appreciate each other.

Look them up on Facebook@ pistachiobourbon and check out their web site to find places to purchase the brew: www.wickedharvestspirits.com .

ABOVE: Wicked Harvest Bourbon Whiskey in the pistachio grove.

Photo by Ruth Ann Angus

LEFT: Gloria Zion doing a funny face pointing to a bottle of Wicked Harvest Bourbon Whiskey with Jim.

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November/December 2017

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FEATURED DINING Photo by Luke Phillips

Avvoltini di melanzane alla Parmigiana, a grilled eggplant rolled with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, spiced with oregano. The flavor-packed dish was baked in a light tomato basil sauce.

Chef Antonio Varia talks porcini, Piemonte and coming to America Buona Tavola in Paso Robles

A

By Beth Giuffre OF VINO MAGAZINE

s the winter months cool the oak trees and turn the Central Coast vines bare and dormant, Antonio Varia, executive chef and owner of the area’s favorite Italian restaurants, Buona Tavola in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo, will be finding new ways to serve up the truffle mushrooms, polenta and risotto. Winter is the perfect time for Varia’s Osso Buco or the most popular of the menu's primi piatti: Spaghettini allo Scoglio d’Oro — a festa of a pasta dish with roasted garlic, Manila clams, black mussels, sea scallops, baby lobster tail, white shrimp and diced roma tomatoes in a crustacean saffron broth with a touch of cream. And with a bottle of Colline Novaresi “Fara,” from the wine list: a blend of nebbiolo, vespolina, and uva rara

Continued on next page

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Photo by Luke Phillips

A chef at the Paso Robles Buona Tavola location looks out from the open kitchen.

— “Mamamia, it’s so good,” Varia would say.

Both his restaurants are favorites on many couples lists and take the highest Zagat ratings, but the Paso Robles location is in a romantic spot, just off the downtown square. Many choose Buona Tavola for wine dinners, wedding events and private parties, and the locals all know Chef Varia. The ambiance is elegant and charming and romantic, with stunning custom lighting, and a nice view of the kitchen’s magic-making under and arc, where Varia and his chefs create arguably the best, and most authentic Northern Italian cuisine between San Fransisco and L.A. Varia switches his specials all the time, and if we’re lucky, we might be able to taste some of his porcini risotto — with porcini mushrooms he collected on one of his latest trips to the Europe, from the English countryside of his wife’s descendents’ home town.

On journeys back and forth from Europe, Varia visits his beloved home, a little town the region of Piemonte, Italy called Armeno, where his father left him the top flat of a house to stay in with a view of the mountain that he likes to ski down in January.

Armeno, in the province of Novara, is known for it’s chefs, Varia said. The Queen of England’s chef, now retired, is from Armeno, as well as Master Chef Alfredo Marzi, and Varia’s father, who lined up young Varia with cooking jobs in the best hotels and cruise ships as soon as he was tall enough to reach the countertop.

Varia has been cooking since age 8, ever since his mom had an operation and was in rehabilitation for months.

Young Varia, the middle child of three, took over the cooking duties of the house while his father worked and

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older sister ran the household. He was stirring risotto over a flame the same time American kids were hoping to pour milk into a bowl of Cheerios without spilling.

In Armeno, chefs and waiters are celebrated, Varia said, so much so that the town celebrates “Festa di San Lorenzo,” honoring St. Lorenzo, who is the Patron Saint of chefs and cooks.

Varia learned everything he needed to learn as an apprentice by cooking alongside master chefs in his native Italy and in Europe’s finest hotels, and teaching himself to speak English through books. He stopped going to school in junior high to start cooking. “I believe education is very, very important,” said Varia, sitting on the patio, having lunch in his Paso Robles restaurant. His accent is charming. “(It) is the key. For somebody. For me — I always work hard.”

In the summers Varia worked on “the big island on the side of Italy” — Sardegna, and in the winters, at the ski slopes. “My father tried to send me to the best places,” he said, “places where there was a prestige.” He honed his skills on the Princess Cruise lines and as an executive chef in several award-winning Los Angeles restaurants.

He worked with his father, who passed this July, for about three months when he was young. He said his father, like many of the great chefs who used to give him a “kick in my butt” over cooking things properly, was the ultimate perfectionist. He remembered cutting up the soffritto (onion, celery and carrots) for a Minestrone back when he was young, and his father’s reaction — “He come by with a big chef hat, ‘You call that Minestrone?’” Varia growled, mimicking his father, “‘Throw it away! Do it again!’ —

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Central Coast Edition VINO

Photo by Luke Phillips

The facade of the restaurant in Paso Robles

crazy.” So Varia said he learned to cut with precision. “I throw them away. Next time we make it better. I learn how to do it with love.”

Varia’s memories of his early cooking jobs were of preparing fresh abalone, black sea urchins, schooling French chefs on how to make a proper pasta, and even of feeling content just listening to music on his Walkman, sweeping an entry in anticipation of a restaurant opening in Marseilles, France. “I always enjoyed what I was doing. I love learning things.”

Varia does things a little differently at his place. He approaches cooking like an artist and lives to make people sigh with delight when eating his dishes, but he’s gracious with his staff and he works very hard to educate the front of the house on the dishes, the best way, being, of course, to taste the dishes themselves. His chefs have been working with him since he opened his first restaurant in San Luis Obispo 25 years ago. “I kiss my dishwashers. I show them love. They need that. They work hard. I speak Spanish probably better than English. And I love them,” said Varia.

His cooks are from Mexico, a country he can appreciate coming from. Believe it or not, Varia was one of two Italians who had to cross the border to America back when Varia calls himself “crazy, stupid, and young.”

Before relating his border-crossing experience, Varia must tell you how many tacos and Coronas he ate and drank during the whole ordeal. The man truly lives for the flavors of food and drink.

“I try to be truthful because I believe America was made for people that want to do something,” said Varia, who was working on a Princess Cruise line as a cook when Southern California chef Antonio Tommasi was looking for some talent

for his restaurant in Los Angeles He asked Varia, age 23 at the time, to come work for him. Varia tried to get a work Visa, but was denied due to the complications of working for the cruise lines. So Tommasi gave him the idea to cross the Mexican border at San Ysidro and San Diego so Varia could get to work at his new job.

As Varia describes it, he and one other Italian crossed the border with thousands of people, mostly Mexican, and meeting people from all over South America too. “It was the scariest thing I ever done,” he said. He was watching the border patrol at the crest, timing it, with big M16s in their hands. And Varia and his friend were running up and down the hills constantly, trying to avoid detection with the help of some paid guides.

He remembers waiting for the sun to go down, and the ladies coming around with bags of tacos and cold beer. “...and we ate so many tacos...cerveza.”

Varia and his friend made it across the border safely, arriving late in the night. The very next day he was was working in an Italian restaurant in the U.S. He eventually earned his citizenship, and talked about taking the test for his Visa, and crying out of appreciation that he was entering a country with endless opportunity.

In his hometown of Armena he sees an influx of refugees from places like Morocco and Syria. The population went from 15,000 to 17,000. He said the town’s mentality a whole is pretty ‘closed,’ but when Varia meets a refugee he smiles and asks him how he’s doing, “Come va?” Because he knows, firsthand, what it feels like being a stranger in a strange place.

“I travel the world for my work,” he said, “I’m no longer the little child growing up in the little town...I was wild back then. I Continued on page 40

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Downtown Paso Robles Arroyo Robles Pianetta

Bodegas Paso Robles 13th St

Parrish Family

Rabbit Hole Grizzly Republic Chateau Lettau

Herman Story

Frolicking Frog

12th St

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Pine St.

Park St.

Spring St.

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Riverside Ave.

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Starr Ranch

Derby Wine Estates

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Carmody McKnight Tablas Creek

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Hearst Ranch Winery

Poalillo

Thacher

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Lone Madrone Kiamie rs la el C Tolo Halter Ranch Adelaida d

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Moonstone Cellars

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Black Hand Cellars

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Anglim D’Anbino

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Jack Creek

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Epoch Rocky Creek

Highway 46 West

Harmony Cellars

Sextant Niner Grey Wolf Midnight Cellars & Dark Star Summer Silver Horse Tooth & Nail Wood Zenadia Paso Port 4 Lanterns Aron Hill Castoro Peachy Donati Family Canyon J Dusi Zin Alley Hunt Croad Cellars Cypher

Doce Robles

1 Cayucos Cellars MCV Chateau Margene Cuatro Dias

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Brochelle

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Brian Benson Onx Field Recordings Clos Selene

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Sarzotti

La Tab s las Rd

Pomar Junction

V ineyard Dr

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El Pomar Dr Hansen Hidden Burbank Oak Ranch

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Four Sisters Ranch

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Tackitt Family

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Loma Linda August Ridge

B&E GreMark

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Nichols Ruby Cellars

Chateau Margene

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Agriculture from Above

Agriculture from Above can provide various types of agriculture consulting including: • • • • • • • •

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Morgan Wicks | 805.286.8057 www.agriculturefromabove.com Email: agriculturefromabove@gmail.com

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Rentals 2-4-6 Seat

robbacart.com 821 Paso Robles St. Paso Robles, Ca 93446

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November/December 2017

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101

Vintage 1255

San Luis Obispo San Luis Wine Bar Meze

CC Wines 101 LAGUNA LAKE PARK

Cerro Caliente Cellars

Stephen Ross Winery

Filipponi Ranch

Refugio Ranch Vineyards

Tolosa Winery

Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards

True Myth Saucelito Baileyana Canyon Tangent Autry Biddle Ranch Trenza Cellars Vineyard Cadre Edna Valley Zocker Vineyards Wolff Vineyard Piedra Creek Chamisal Vineyards

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Sextant Claiborne & Churchill

Kynsi Vineyards

Culton Wine Co. Alapay Cellars Sinor-Lavallee Avila Wine & Peloton Roasting

Avila Beach

Port San Luis

Talley Vineyards Bishops Peak 101

Shell Beach

Center of Effort Wine

Sans Liege Taste of the Valleys

Pismo Beach 101

Grover Beach Grover City

Phantom Rivers

Oaks

Arroyo Grande

Oceano

101

Laetitia Vineyard

Halcyon 101

PISMO DUNES NATURAL PRESERVE

South San Luis Obispo County Winery Map

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 7th Annual Paso Garagiste Wine Festival 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Taste over 200 ultra-premium wines from over 60 hardto-find micro-wineries from the Paso Robles region and all around California. The Garagiste Festival is the first and only organization that gathers these undiscovered artisan ‘garagiste’winemakers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot wines in the world. You'll never find these wines in supermarkets - and you'll never find them all in one place like this.

Discover the biggest "small" thing happening in the world of wine. At the Paso Robles Fairgrounds located at 2198 Riverside Avenue in Paso Robles.

10-15-20 Year Anniversary Winemaker Dinner 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

We have a lot to celebrate! It's our 10-15-20 year anniversary! 20 years ago we planted the first grapes, 15 years ago our first label was produced and 10 years ago the Mitchella tasting room was built. To celebrate, we are inviting you to join us for an intimate five-course Winemaker Dinner with Chef Jeffery Scott.

We will begin with a champagne reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The menu can be found on our site mitchella.com under Events. $100 (Wine Club Members) $125 (Non-Members).

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Local Bites: Calcareous Vineyard 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Foodies of the central coast are cordially invited to our November “Local Bites” event, hosted by Calcareous Vineyard, to learn more about the Paso Food Co-op’s mission to build a member-owned community food market featuring local products. This FREE event will feature: A food and wine pairing lunch with locally-sourced foods available for purchase, live music beginning at noon and a lively discussion of the benefits of a food co-op.

During the weekend leading up to the event, Calcareous Vineyard will feature a co-op themed menu highlighting local foods that would be carried in the store when it opens.

The Local Bites event series provides fun, community gatherings for existing members to reconnect and for potential new members to find out what the co-op is about. Hosted by a local business, the event celebrates local food and drink producers, healthy eating, and lifestyles of the Central Coast. Ultimately, the event supports the co-op’s mission to create and embrace abundance, balance, and diversity through investment in the local food system. Calcareous Vineyard is located at 3430 Peachy Canyon Road in Paso Robles.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Cuvée + Create at 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Join Kim, of flowers by Kim, as she guides you on how

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to create your very own fabulous fall succulent pumpkin centerpiece that (if properly cared for) will last for about two weeks. Just bring your creativity and we will take care of the rest. Rava Wines will be creating a custom fall sparkling wine cocktail. Wines will also be available for purchase by the glass. This is the first workshop of the Cuvée + Create series, that you are not going to want to miss!

Workshop fee is $75 per arrangement, includes all materials and step-by-step instructions and a complimentary sparkling wine cocktail. Please bring gloves if desired. There are only 20 spots open for this workshop! Rava Wines is located at 6785 Creston Road in Paso Robles.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 BeTogether at Parrish Family Vineyard 1 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

It is our favorite time of year and we want to invite you as well as your family for a time together the day after Thanksgiving! We will be offering specials through out the day. Two Tastings & a Cheese Pairing for $25, Two Glasses of Wine & Charcuterie plate for $28, 10 to 20% off bottle purchases with a drawing at the time of visit. Wine Club members receive extra discounts this day and into the weekend. For Club members, enjoy by the glass specials and a special library Silken vertical.

Thank you for your continued support of our family and we wish you a beautiful season with your loved ones!

See you soon. *Reservations recommended for groups of 6+.

Parrish Family Vineyard is located at 1220 Park Street in Paso Robles.

SAT. NOVEMBER 25

2017 Holiday Lighting Extravaganza and Charity Drive 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

We will once again be hosting our Holiday Lighting Extravaganza and Charity Drive. This event represents the true spirit of the season, as we will be raising money for the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (PRYAF). This event is designed to be fun for the whole family and will include over fifty lighting displays, music from the Cuesta College choir, special holiday pricing on wine, a visit from Santa, as well as much much more!

We invite all families and friends to come join the team at Broken Earth Winery to celebrate the joy of the season.

To support the PRYAF we are asking for a $10 donation per vehicle. All donations collected will go straight to the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation. Broken Earth Winery is located at 5625 E Highway 46 in Paso Robles.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Art& Wine Series: Alcohol Ink Stamping 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

You'll have great fun experimenting with all fabulous colors of alcohol inks. You'll apply inks into five glass

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ornaments and spritz them with compressed air to achieve unusual swirl effects. They'd look gorgeous on your tree this holiday season or as a conversation starter at an ornament exchange. Then, it's on to applying your choice of alcohol inks on six coasters and five dominoes and spritz them with compressed air or alcohol. Wow! Everyone looks totally different! We'll add magnets to the back of the dominoes. Everything is included to complete six coasters, five magnets, five ornaments and a glass of wine! PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED at creativemetime.com. Changala Winery is located at 3770 Willow Creek Road in Paso Robles.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 First Saturday of the month Vintner and Vines Tour 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Deep in the willow creek district of Paso Robles, discover distinctive Italian wines unique to Pelletiere Estate by walking with our winemaker, Amy Butler and Vintner, Janis Denner as they explain the process involved in making limited production Italian style wines.

Learn about the heritage of Italian grape growing and origins Pelletiere Estate's rare Italian varieties, compare old world and new world approaches to winemaking and discuss Paso Robles' unique micro-climate. Then experience these exceptional wines first hand with a guided tasting.

Start time: 11 a.m. There is no fee for the tour. Normal tasting fees apply. No reservations are required however, we do encourage you to let us know ahead of time if you will be joining us so that we can make the proper accommodations. Remeber your sunblock and proper touring shoes!Pelletiere Estate Vineyard & Winery is located at 3280 Township Road in Paso Robles.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Release at Parrish Family Vineyard 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

We invite club members to the release of the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a Reserve and Estate wine!

This new release will feature the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass as well as a special Cabernet Vertical for wine club members. It's a warm and fun night as the Paso Robles Light Parade will pass right outside our tasting room.

RSVP to club@parrishfamilyvineyard.com *The street will be closed for the parade, so be sure to stop Downtown early to grab parking. The 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a different Cab from the Clone 6 as we did 2 Cabernets in 2014. Parrish Family Vineyard is located at 1220 Park Street in Paso Robles.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3

Art & Wine Series: Succulent Wreath Making at Changala Winery 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.​

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon learning how easy it is to

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS create with succulents to complete a gorgeous, lush wreath. Make it a fun outing by inviting your friends and family. $75 class fee with all materials provided including a complimentary glass of wine. PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED visit creativemetime.com.

Changala Winery is located at 3770 Willow Creek Road in Paso Robles.

Calcareous Vineyard is located at 3430 Peachy Canyon Road in Paso Robles.

Holiday Open House Saturday, Dec. 9 - Sunday Dec. 10, 10a.m. - 5 p.m.

Take a photo with Santa and enjoy fresh snow and treats! Complimentary for Wine Club Members, $20 for guests. Enjoy a Special Pouring of 2011 Reserva Bordeaux Blend, Holiday Sweets with Hot Cocoa and Vin Brulé (Mulled Wine). Please RSVP online at osolibre.com/ reservations/. Oso Libre Winery is located at 7383 Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles.

Celebrate the Holidays with unique gifts, case specials, Holiday treats, and sounds of the season! Get your Holiday shopping done early and find that perfect gift for you wine-loving friends and family and enjoy a sip or two for yourself!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 Toys For Tots Drive at Calcareous Vineyard 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Bring a new, unwrapped toy for donation and receive a complimentary tasting! Wine Club members will receive an additional 5% discount.

Bring a second toy donation to take part in our Holiday Vine Wreath Workshop where you can decorate your own grapevine wreath to take home and enjoy for the season!pin

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16

Santa Snow Day at Oso Libre Winery 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 Wine Speak Paso Robles 2018 Tuesday, January 9 - Thursday, January 11

The time is here for our first Wine Speak event here on the Central Coast! Join us for a golden opportunity of an intimate gathering of master sommeliers, winemakers, and industry professionals. “Wine Speak Paso Robles” is a trade-focused event that will take place in the Paso Robles wine country on January 9-11. Our goal is to create an opportunity for the wine community

to get together for a time of learning, sharing and camaraderie.

Highlights of the event include deep dives into New World Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah; a Paso Robles blind tasting led by master sommeliers; and “The Philosophy of Aloha” hospitality seminar led by two senior executives from Hawaiian Airlines.

“This is a unique event that blends broad perspectives with local flavor,” Wittstrom-Higgins said. “It will be educational, but also very social. Audience participation will be highly encouraged, and everyone who attends will make new friends.”

Featured master sommeliers will include Fred Dame, vice president of prestige accounts at American Wine & Spirits and chairman of Board Guild Somm. com; Nunzio Alioto, former chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers; and Greg Harrington, founder and winemaker at Gramercy Cellars. Featured winemakers will represent numerous regions, including Walla Walla, Napa Valley, West Sonoma Coast, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Paso Robles and Victoria, Australia.

Please visit our website www.winespeakpaso.com for more information and to purchase tickets. Must be 21 or older. For more information visit winespeakpaso.com.

We hope you can join us! The Carlton Hotel is located at 6005 El Camino Real in Atascadero.

Hit the trail for a personal, uncrowded, true wine country experience. Speak to the owner or winemaker in an intimate, unhurried atmosphere.

Make the Creston Wine Trail your weekend destination.

Visit us on First Fridays for special pourings and pairings.

CrestonWineTrail.com VINO Central Coast Edition

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FEATURED LODGING Staying in the heart of Paso Robles

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November/December 2017

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Central Coast Edition VINO

Paso Robles Inn: A historic hotel and landmark with wine country flavor

S

By Beth Giuffre OF VINO MAGAZINE

ome loyal travelers cherish the Paso Robles Inn so much, they stay there every single time they visit the Paso Robles wine country. The historic hotel really has it all: an intriguing past fit to be told by a wise grandfather near a fireplace, local wine-themed rooms fit with private outdoor hot spring baths, a stylish Steakhouse, a nostalgic 40’s style coffee shop with delish breakfasts, weekend entertainment at the Cattleman’s Lounge, an original building from the grand hotel built in the late 1800s, and all-inclusive event facilities. To boot, the Inn is located right across from the Downtown City Park and square, an easy walk from some of Paso Robles tasting rooms and restaurants – Buona Tavola and Thomas Hill Organics, hip and cozy cafes, the Park Cinema and ever-changing nightlife.

At the front desk and entry has been designed in South American-style, with hand painted tile on terra cotta floors, and colorful, historical-themed wall mural work. A John Wayne statue kind of winks at you if you look up the staircase as you enter the Steakhouse and the staff greets all guests with friendly, down home warmth. For history buffs, the Inn is a treasure trove.

Every piece of art hanging on the wall – every piece of furniture has a story behind it – even John Wayne, who stayed at the hotel on numerous occasions. The place has a long list of celebrity visits. According to “The History of the Paso Robles Inn,” Mel Gibson and Greg Kinnear were guest of the Inn while filming a movie, and the California Mid-State Fair brought in performers like ZZ Top and Alabama.

“I think it’s really special because it’s been in the area for a very long time and it’s historic,” Paso Robles Inn and Steakhouse General Manager Erica Fryburger. It’s so great here because I hear a lot of stories, people who have been here with their families when they were kids and now they’re returning now with their kids.

People take a lot of pride in it. It’s a place where a lot of people come and take their senior pictures and prom pictures. I think it’s somewhere where people can stay and couples can get away.”

The Inn’s concierge enjoys helping guests get in touch with the history of downtown specialize in assisting with unique wine country experiences. The front desk will give you a hardcover history book of the area if you ask, and they can also provide advice on planning an adventure, with maps to wineries, olive oil farms, breweries and distilleries that the north county provides. “It’s great to learn about the area and the agriculture and the history,” she said. “It all kind of comes together in this one great, historic place – It’s a one-stop shop.” One interesting page in the book is

VINO Central Coast Edition

an old Paso Robles Inn Thanksgiving menu from 1912, featuring a Roast Domestic Goose along with the Roast Young Paso Robles Turkey, followed by English Plum Pudding for dessert. Carrying on the tradition, the Inn still holds a Thanksgiving feast, but the menu certainly has changed, and now it’s printed on a website.

Paso Robles Inn’s history is something in itself. The local Pioneer Museum just finished the construction of a scale version of the original Paso Robles Hotel (Hotel El Paso de Robles, as it once was called) to honor a building that rivaled some of the finest San Francisco hotels of it’s time. It was planned to be built to replace a modest little hotel, three years after the railroad came to Paso Robles. At the time the main attraction in the area was the natural, therapeutic hot springs. Similar to today’s long list of amenities, it was a one-stop shop for visitors, featuring parlors, separate men’s and women’s billiard rooms, a marble bathhouse, reading rooms, club meeting rooms, a saloon and a barber shop. If the Ritz-Carlton had a cowboy version of itself, it would be the former Hotel El Paso de Robles. It’s popular hot springs hosted the likes of Clark Gable, Judy Garland, and Bob Hope back in the day.

Today’s Paso Robles Inn features appeal to both families and couples: a heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi amongst garden streams, footbridges, an organic garden, flower beds and fountains, grassy areas with hammock swings, and tranquil Koi ponds. Children who go up to the front desk are given fish food to feed the Koi fish and a free library stand, cow (wearing a wine barrel) sculpture and rocking chair are presents at the hotel entrance. The Paso Robles Inn opens into a lush courtyard area of rooms and gardens just beyond the front of the building, and many people cannot believe what beauty lies beyond the facade. Be sure to check out the funny, funky ‘Paso Robles Inn Weather Station,’ a sign that includes the prediction, “If the rock is wet – IT’S RAINING.” In addition to the Traditional Guest Rooms which overlook the Inn’s gardens or City Park, and Garden Fireplace Rooms located in the gardens with pool views and a cozy fireplace in each, the hotel also offers 18 winery-themed Deluxe Mineral Spa rooms, The newly renovated rooms lie on ‘vintners row,’ along the garden paths. Inside, the decor takes a personal look at the local wineries: Robert Hall, Vina Robles, Wild Horse – The Vintage Cowboy Winery room for instance, is decorated with representative furniture, accessories, art and original photographs of the ranching Arnold Family riding around on horses with lassos. Fryburger said, “Winery-themed rooms really give people a sense of the area while you’re staying here. It gives you a good look at what some of these ranches looked like

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Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Come stay with us in Paso Robles Wine Country

OPEN DAILY 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

ARTISAN, COASTAL, SINCE 1994

Visit our Tasting Room & Winery Open Thurs-Sun, 11-5 178 Suburban Rd San Luis Obispo, CA 805.594.1318

www.stephenrosswine.com

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Reasonably Priced • Walking Distance to the Paso Robles Event Center • Family Owned & Operated for over 50 Years

1215 Ysabel Avenue at HWY 101 and 46 East (805) 238-2770 or (800) 549-PASO (7276) adelaideinn.com

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Central Coast Edition VINO

Continued from page 37

when they started as cattle ranches and were converted into wineries.”

For five generations, the Arnold family has lived and worked the original ranch land in Pozo, raising beef cattle and horses. They planted a 32 acre vineyard beneath the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. The room reflects the Arnold family ‘cowboy values’ with a western theme, but is in no way ‘roughing it.’ The room is stocked with plush robes, good coffee, wireless internet and a 37” flat screen cable TV, and an outdoor private patio bath, with soothing water coming from the location’s famous hot spring. The room prices are quite reasonable, ranging from $100 to $300 per night depending on the room or suite, and certain dog-friendly rooms can accommodate up to two dogs for an additional $50.

The Grand Ballroom Rooms are a bit separate from the other rooms and have classic double vanity bathrooms and an enchanting atmosphere, just above the newly-updated grand ballroom.

The hotel is very Earth conscious: some of the green features of the hotel are an electric charging station and the implementation of water conservation practices. The Inn also donates all their leftover Bath & Body Works shampoos and conditioners to a non-profit that cleans and recycles the contents of the bottles, and the products are then sent to third world countries and disaster relief efforts.

The Steakhouse at Paso Robles Inn features fine, premium cut, steaks and hearty prime rib, and an extensive wine list, with complimentary corkage on the first bottle of local wine.

The ambiance is sophisticated and warm, with both patio and fireside dining. The restaurant offers a Surf & Turf Thursday as well as a Sunday Brunch that includes all beverages and bottomless mimosas. The Cattlemen’s Lounge holds Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., with a plate of three tacos for $7 and amazing tequila flights ranging from $15 to $17. Live music is on Saturdays and Sundays.

Fryburger pointed out brick wall, marked with charred marks from a tragic 1940s fire that burned down the hotel, but luckily, did not harm any guests. The wall separates the tranquil garden area and modernized courtyard rooms with the only surviving building after the fire, the wing of the hotel that harbors a beautiful ballroom, a Steinway piano that locally renowned composer Ignace Jan Paderewski used to play on, and a whole hallway of separate guest rooms on the upper story. According to Fryburger, wedding parties book the entire building for their guests and the ballroom, with its romantic history of luxurious parties, becomes the gathering place of everything from Rotary Club Meetings and Corporate Retreats, to fundraising banquets and reception hall site.

Hotel owner Tom Martin, founder of Martin Resorts, insisted the upstairs rooms all have a hanging picture of the Titanic on every wall. The San Luis Obispo Tribune once wrote that the first building was “absolutely fireproof,” so Martin thought the Titanic would serve as a reminder that nothing could be further than the truth. Two years after the fire, the hotel was rebuilt, becoming a motor lodge and VINO Central Coast Edition

fine hotel, and was renamed the Paso Robles Inn. In 1999, Martin’s family purchased the Inn. Since the Martins took the reins, the Paso Robles Inn has survived a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, and has undergone a major renovation. But the staff, some of them who have been working there since the Martins reopened the Inn, keep the place going with its tradition of friendly service and local pride. “The ballroom has been brought back to look just like it did back in it’s heyday, back in the 1800s, with the big, large bathrooms, and subway tile. It looks like you’re stepping back in time when you go into one of those rooms.”

The Hotel El Paso de Robles has seen quite a few changes over the century, but the spirit of the hotel continues, as a town centerpiece, and a place of rich history, comfort and hospitality, and a layered, most elegant pedigree.

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Continued from page 29

smooth the edges.”

“We have so little time here,” Varia said. “If you do it right, you take some risks. That’s why I don’t believe the people who complain and complain. Take risk! Go outside.

Cross the street if you want to go to the other side.”

“My dad always say, have fun when you are young because when you get older, you have to have wisdom, so I really had a lot of fun.”

Part of the fun included meeting his wife, Kasie Varia, 29 years ago, at the suggestion of a friend. He made her ravioli on their first date. It might have been the ravioli, or Varia’s irresistible charm, or both, but he said she gave him the “call me” look. Kasie Varia was a lawyer at the time. Varia’s friend warned him “never to marry a smart lady,” but Varia, who fell deeply in love said, “No, I probably gonna learn a lot.” Kasie Varia has been a big part of the restaurant since it’s opening, in designing the interiors, and in anything ‘lawyerly.’ She keeps me safe, Varia said.

In the background across the tables set for lunch, people want to know this man who makes this wonderful food.

Varia stops to sing a part of Verdi’s La Donna è Mobile from Rigoletto. Varia enjoys opera, “Wakes you up, you know?”

After Varia worked in his new job for about a month, then opened up a new place for the owner and helped run the kitchen, as well as running several other kitchens in this series of Italian restaurants. He and his wife bought a ranch in Creston in 1992, and raised a daughter in North County, starting Buona Tavola SLO in 1992 and Buona Tavola Paso Robles a decade later.

At Buona Tavola, the pasta is imported from Italy or is made fresh with a pasta machine, but when Varia is cooking for a small group of people, he makes it by hand, “You make a little fountain,” he said, talking about the mound of flour you hand-work with some egg. The last time he was in Italy, he couldn’t say enough about one of his favorite little Piemontese restaurants — Villa Pizzini — at an elevation of 10,000 feet (which he calculated back from meters), which only produces the local food or “what the mountain give you,” as Varia puts it — a little 30-seat-max ristorante run by a husband/wife pair, where the pasta is made from an ancient Roman grain called “grano saraceno,” or buckwheat. To hear Varia recall the flavors and excitement of the cooking at Villa Pizzini, a 30-minute drive from Lago Maggiore, puts his passion for food into perspective, and it’s obvious that he finds most of his culinary inspiration from his birth home. He drank a 45-year-old whisky that he’ll never forget, but the food — fresh trout from the local stream — seared Tagliata over arugula with a little cream of balsamic sauce... one could tell — made Varia’s soul soar to the highest level.

“He was making the oil of the hazelnut that they pick on the mountain. Press them. With the bread that she made they dip inside the oil. I never had hazelnut oil! It’s something that was out of this world.” Varia talked of the lovely, light and approachable nebbiolo-based Cantalupo Ghemme vino, and about the amazing anchovies he ate with the bread and butter churned from the cow milk from 40

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the farm down the hill. “I say, oh my God, this is rare! This is so good,” he remembered, sharing such a memorable meal with his cousins and his wife, he could remember every delight, “Oh! I gave her big kiss. I say thank you.

Thank you!” And describing the panna cotta, “When you eat it, it disappears in your mouth. You have this flavor of vanilla, oh! With a little blueberry. Small. Sweet. We went up there three more times and I send the people from San Luis Obispo.”

Another highlight of his last trip to Europe was finding 15 kilos of porcini mushrooms, which he dried and took home to America with him. Varia is a hunter and fisherman who always cooks what he hunts, but the mushroom collecting invigorates him like no other activity. He brought the cook at Villa Pizzini some of his porcini mushrooms that he found hiking with his nephew and she served them in a simple homemade pasta with just a little bit of Italian parsley, garlic, and shaved grana padana. “Oh Mamamia, che buono!” Varia said. “That was fantastic.”

Varia tries to bring as much as he can from his Piemonte roots back to Buona Tavola. One food which may just be worthy of a shrine and a candle in front of it, is his homemade salami. He has his own salami plant in Atascadero, where he makes handcrafted natural pork salami, fresh and vegetarian fed, crate-free, with no hormones or antibiotics added. The Alle-Pia production is named after his late mother, Maria Pia Allesina, where a Jesus cross, and photographs of his Italian ancestors hang on the walls, and a Cal Poly flag waves in local pride. The salami is second to none, and Varia’s booth at the Templeton Farmer’s market, where you can meet his nephew and godson Alex Pellini, who came all the way from Italy to supervise Alle-Pia, is always swamped with kids wanting to taste the fresh salami and it’s many exquisite flavors. It is the Varia family tradition to make salami together each winter. “We are kind of really Italian,” said Varia. “Every day you try to do good things. Like the food. I try to make it good.”

Good? It’s not just good. People from Italy are known to taste the food at Buona Tavola and try to convince to come back to Italy.

The Paso Robles Buona Tavola may differ a little from the San Luis Obispo crowd, which centers around the college.

“Here in Paso it’s more about the full dining experience,” he said. “People actually dine.” In Italy, lunch, or pranzo, is usually regarded as the most important meal of the day.

Most shops and businesses close for the pausa pranzo (lunch break), between 1-3 p.m. The typical pranzo consists of il primo (pasta dish), the first course, il secondo (meat or fish dish), the second course, served with il contorno, the side dish (salad or vegetables). The cena, or dinner in Italy is usually light, such as a soup or lunch leftovers.

However a formal meal in Italy, could be something to try at Buona Tavola, not required, but nonetheless fun, as the menu is separated into the traditional courses, meant for sharing.

“Buon appetito. Mangia signora,” Varia said after saying a little prayer before the meal during Vino’s visit.

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Photos by Luke Phillips

The formal meal usually begins with an Aperitivo such as the aged whisky Varia savored on his last trip or a split of Canella Prosecco, or others might gather and start the social event with an Aranciata or San Pellegrino, snacking on olives, such as Buona Tavola’s Sicilian Castelvetrano olives or Taggiasca olives from Genova. The Antipasto course, next, a more substantial starter, often includes a charcuterie plate or bruschetta. At Buona Tavola, the Affettati misti is a must.

Our plate, which may change due to the whim of the chefs, featured three of Varia’s handcrafted small-batch salami: The Finocchiona, Cacciatorino and Barolo, with pancetta, and a variety of imported artisanal cheeses such as Pecorino and Ubriaco. Growing up in Piemonte, “we always had salami on the table,” Varia said. “Salami was the first thing.”

The antipasto was served with three spreads served with crusty bread: Nduja, a cured, spicy, spreadable Calabrian-style salumi, Bagnetto, a blend of parsley, garlic, capers, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil to accompany the salumi, and Buona Tavola’s very own homemade Olivata, made with black olives, dijon mustard seed, infused organic herbs from Varia’s own garden, imported Italian olive oil and balsamic. Varia simmers his Olivata, which he sells at the restaurant by the jar, all night to deepen the flavor of the herbs. He strains the herbs over the olives with the mustard seed.

Another antipasto plate we tried was melt-in-your-mouth Avvoltini di melanzane alla Parmigiana, a grilled eggplant rolled with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, spiced with oregano. The flavor-packed dish was baked in a light tomato basil sauce.

For the Primo Piatti, or first course, which is typically pasta, risotto, or another form of hot food, heavier than the antipasti, we tried the Linguine ai muscoli di mare e porri, which was a big bowl of linguine pasta, Manila clams, sea scallops, small black mussels and shrimp in a white wine sauce delicately flavored with garlic and leeks.

Moving on to the Secondi Piatti, the course that includes different kinds of meats or fish, Varia brought us a quintessential Piedmonte-style dish, the Teneroni Portobello, or veal scaloppine, with braised Portobello mushroom and roasted garlic in a rich veal reduction and marsala wine sauce. The grass-fed veal was light and tender, and thinly sliced to leave room for the next course. The secondo piatto is normally served with a contorno, or side dish — usually a hot or cold vegetable dish, at this time. We had the Insalata tricolore della Buona Tavola, which was a salad made with arugula, radicchio, mushrooms, Grana Padano cheese, rosemary garlic croutons and caesar dressing. Both the Primi and Secondi Piatti went well with Varia’s wine choice for the meal, a Piemonte Fara (nebbiolo/vespolina/uva rara) red with the lightness of a Pinot Noir.

Many Italians devote an entire course called the Formaggi e frutta to local cheeses and fresh seasonal fruit after the Insalata.

To finish the traditional meal, for the Dolce, or dessert course we had the Crema Di Vaniglia Della Buona Tavola, a vanilla cream custard topped with half caramel and half chocolate sauce. We also made room for the Fior di Seta, a house made flourless chocolate cake served over a bed of VINO Central Coast Edition

The Fior di Seta: a house-made flourless chocolate cake served over a bed of vanilla cream and raspberry puree'

vanilla cream and raspberry puree’, which happens to be dairy, soy, egg, GMO, gluten and corn-free.

Next in the Italian meal structure is the Caffè course and we had the perfect espresso, with crema to satisfy even the most particular. Following the Caffè is the Digestivo, or the Ammazzacaffè if served after the coffee rather than before.

This is the final course when beverages such as limoncello, port or vino per dolci is served. At Buona Tavola, one alluring choice on the wine list is the 2005 Felsina Vin Santo served with homemade almond biscotti.

For Varia, the future looks buona. Going to the salami plant at 7 a.m., and back to one of his restaurants “Everyday I’m here,” he said. But one day he would like his 21-year-old daughter Tessa to take over the family business. When she calls Varia on his cell phone, the name “Principessa” appears on the screen. Tessa spent her third-grade year in an Armeno school, and speaks Italian without an accent. She studied Montessori in San Luis Obispo for most of her elementary years, but went on to the Fine Arts Academy in Atascadero and then Atascadero High School. “I’m looking forward for my daughter to come in my footsteps,” he said, “We’ll see…”

Varia has a great thing going for him in San Luis Obispo.

Buona Tavola just celebrated it’s 25th anniversary, and it continues to be a good table, a buona tavola, for all the epicurious who visit. Bravo.

Buona Tavola is located at 943 Spring Street, Paso Robles.

Call 805-237-0600 for reservations or reserve online. Hours are Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m for Lunch, Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner, and Friday through Saturday 5:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner.

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FEATURED TASTING ROOM

Chateau Lettau

Open late and always a party

If you find yourself wandering around downtown Paso Robles as you wait for your reservation at Buona Tavola to come up, Chateau Lettau is one of the most lively and welcoming tasting rooms in town.

One will find this place to be a favorite among the locals, not just because of its fun loving owners Ron Nodder and wife Tawyna Lettau but also because of the great live music scene and the fact that they are the only tasting room in town open until 8 p.m. on the weekends.

Nodder, who worked for Barclay guitars throughout his youth, has an access to musicians that one would normally expect to see in a cute little bar in Nashville working out riffs, rather than a wine bar in Paso.

“I’m not a musician, really, I mean I sing and play harmonica but I just love music and from working so many years in the industry I just know a lot of people,” said Nodder.

Nodder is not only an owner but he’s the winemaker for the label as well and unlike so many other tasting rooms where the winemakers are always behind the scenes and tasting room attendants fill your glass, on any given weekend night one will find Nodder himself pouring his latest release then jumping up on stage.

With more than ten wines to choose from and “four in the bullpen ready to come out,” according to Nodder, there is a label for every palate. In spite of Nodder’s complete lack of any formal training, other than graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in civil engineering and having taken a wine appreciation course the wines are outstanding. Yet Nodder refuses to take any personal credit for his formidable line up of amazing wines. Nodder shrugged his shoulders and said, “I can only rack it up to getting quality grapes. When you get good grapes it’s just your responsibility not to screw it up.”

And in regards to the tasting room itself, “I just love it. I’ll be chatting with some visitors from out of town and going through the tasting menu and next thing you know I’m on stage belting out a tune. I think people really get a kick out of it. I know I do,” said Nodder.

Chateau Lettau is open from 1 to 5p.m. on weekdays and 1 to 8 p.m. on weekends. Call (805) 238-6800 for more information.

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Kiamie Wine Cellars

No Job Too Big or Small with a Free Consultation for New Clients!

Our Office Specializes in Bookkeeping & Tax Preparation, Payroll Service, Payroll Liabilities, Payroll Tax Returns, Sales Tax Returns, Accounts Payable & Receivables, and Great Customer Service!

Tori Brown, Owner / Bookkeeper / Tax Preparer 7360 El Camino Real Ste #3 ~ Atascadero, CA 93422 Office (805) 464-4457 ~ Fax (805) 233-7499

tori@blbookkeeping.net

Offering group and private classes utilizing the Pilates Reformer, Chair and Trap Table.

We are all highly certified, trained Pilates professionals with years of teaching experience.

Nothing changes your body like PILATES! OVER

Come visit us at the end of Adelaida Road next to Tolo Winery.

25 classes each week!

Established studio (10 years!) with Pilates apparatus & mat classes 5815 Traffic Way, Atascadero | 805.466.9642 | NorthCountyPilates.com

We are located on the beautiful Westside of Paso Robles at 9750 Adelaida Road.

805-226-8333 • kiamiewines.com

Ultimate Comfort DefiHotel! ned Paso’s Newest 90 Room Ultimate Comfort Deened Center Fitness Fitness Center Fitness Center Dog Friendly Friendly Dog Dog Friendly Free High-Speed WiFi Free High-SpeedWiFi WiFi Free High-Speed Heated Outdoor Pool Outdoor Pool&&SpaSpa HeatedHeated Outdoor MeetingPool Room & Spa Meeting Room Meeting Room EV Charging Stations EV Charging Stations EV Charging BusinessStations Center Business Complimentary HotCenter Breakfast Buffet Business Center

Complimentary Hot Breakfast Buffet 3000 Riverside Avenue • Paso Robles, CA 93446 • (805) 237-8700 • www.PasoOaks.com VINO Central Coast Edition

3000 riverside avenue, paso robles ca RESERVATIONS (805) 237-8700

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TRAVEL

A French Tasting Room Not for the faint of heart nor the linquistically challenged

MONTBRUN, FRANCE - On a recent trip to the south of France I was struck with a ridiculous realization. Now that I live in wine country and have learned so much, mostly vicariously, simply by being engulfed in the culture of wine, I should be more than confident stepping into any tasting room in the world. The realization was that I wasn’t. Even with my rudimentary grasp of the French language it didn’t take me long to realize that once you’ve left the tourist laden, coastal towns that so many consider “the south of France” any other language than French is rarely heard and much less understood by the locals.

This became even more evident and panic-inducing when 44

November/December 2017

my editor texted me at two o’clock in the morning my time, inadvertently oblivious to the time difference, asking me if there was any way I could come up with a “wine related story” while I was there. “Sure!” I replied with a big yellow, thumbs up emoji.

“Why not?” I thought. There are rows of grapes in every direction from my bedroom window, even the clock tower in the tiny village rang the 8 a.m. bell twice — yes that’s 16 tolls at 8 a.m. whilst on vacation — every morning just in case the vineyard workers were still sleeping off a little too much wine from the night before, as if to say, “Get up! Get up! Get to work you sleepy winos!”

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I started to make some calls and was immediately confronted with the fact that all of my talent in charades and my propensity for excessive hand gestures wasn’t going to help me at all. My bizarre mix of Spanglish and French was getting me nowhere.

Thank goodness for my hostess who eventually put me in touch with one of the only English speaking wineries in the area. I quickly realized that that fact alone held great value to an American tourist, even one from one of the most popular wine regions in California. What’s the point of going to a tasting room if one can’t enjoy the friendly banter and edifying experience that happens between the winemaker or tasting room attendant that not only plies you with regional viticultural information but tells you where all the locals go for everything from cassoulet to a swim in a local lake.

Which leads me to Chateau de L’Horte. A winery built in 1755 by the Marquis de St. Felix at the edge of the little village Montbrun des Corbières that lies in between the cities Narbonne and Carcassonne.This Marquis partly built the château from the remains of the burnt down castle in the village.

“The Marquis was very well known for his garden with wild orchids. Here in the area there are a lot of wild orchids everywhere and he had put them in garden, for the people from Paris, who came to see the orchids. So he already made wine but he had to have some way of promotion and something special.

And thats’ why I have the wild orchids on the bottles,” said owner Johanna van de Spek.

And here is where the English comes into play. If you’ve ever been to Holland you will quickly agree that not only do an amazing amount of Dutch speak English, quite a few even speak with an American accent. I inquired about this detail while on a trip to Amsterdam and the response was, “We have to learn everyone else’s language because who in the world wants to learn Dutch? And why?” I’m not sure that is the most politically correct answer but I am suspicious it is entirely accurate.

So thank goodness for Johanna van de Spek, who along with her husband and winemaker Jean Pierre Biard, so graciously accepted me into their winery and home to give me a glimpse into the world of one of Languedoc-Roussanne’s top producing wineries and most importantly spoke fluent English, therefore enabling me to write this story in the first place.

Biard and van de Spek bought the front of the Chateau and the vineyards in 1988. The new wine cellar was built in 1989 and the first harvest of 1990 was given as much as 87 points by wine author Robert Parker. This volume was also rewarded with a golden medal at the prestigious Concours Agricole in Paris. There were many medals, awards and Vele medailles. Awards and honourable mentionings would follow. Like the gold medal at the Asia Wine Continued on page 46

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Style contest in Singapore and a gold medal at the Montreal Wine Selections in Canada, which is the largest wine contest of North America.

“My parents brought me to France and I stayed. I like to say I am imported. And I loved the village and I loved working in the wine. I met Jean Pierre, who lived in the village and worked with wine as well. We married and bought the estate in 1988. We built the wine cellar in 1989 and our first harvest in 1989 as well. In 1990 we had 6000 bottles,” said van de Spek. They now produce up to 12,000 cases per year.

The winery boasts 25 hectares of estate grown grapes from which all of their wine is made and being true to the region they only make red Corbiere wines such as grenache, Montvedre, and

syrah. They are “certified biologica” in France which would be equivalent to being certified organic here in the United States.

The winery also has bed and breakfast rooms and an apartment for holiday rentals where “we can receive most of our clients from Holland, Belgium and China,” said van de Speck. According to her the Dutch feel the same way I do in regards to the language barrier and love that they have a place to come where there is none.

As I bid my adieu and thanked everyone in my broken French, Jean Pierre headed for the kitchen to prepare his famous cassoulet for an upcoming dinner party of 20 and Jan pointed in the direction of a swimming lake where I could take a dip to escape the summer heat with the locals.

John Katavich

Lic. #36194

Open Daily by Appointment

Barns • Tractor Sheds • Out Buildings Serving San Luis Ag Community For 50 Years.

805•438•3600 Metal Buildings

FREE ESTIMATES 46

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Located just 2.3 miles from Mission San Miguel

950 Indian Dune Road San Miguel, CA 93451

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A FAMILY OF WINES

94 Points

2015 Mooney Family Pinot Noir Boekenoogen Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands –Wine Enthusiast, June 2017

94 Points & Editor’s Choice 2014 Mooney Family Pinot Noir –Wine Enthusiast November 2016

94 Points

2010 Chateau Margene Beau Mélange –Wine Enthusiast June 2015

93 Points

2012 Chateau Margene CASK 7 –Wine Enthusiast, December 2015

93 Points

2015 Mooney Family Pinot Noir Tondre Grapefield, Santa Lucia Highlands –Wine Enthusiast, June 2017

94 Points & Editor’s Choice 2012 Chateau Margene CASK 4 –Wine Enthusiast, April 2015

94 Points & Editor’s Choice

Gold Medal – Best in Class

2013 El Pistolero Pinot Noir –Wine Enthusiast, December 2015

Roxo Port Cellars 2012 Negrette –2016 Sunset Int’l Wine Competition

93 Points

93 Points

2013 Mooney Family Pinot Noir – Wine Spectator, June 2015

2012 Mooney Family Pinot Noir – Wine Enthusiast, December 2014

Double Gold Medal

El Pistolero 2015 Chardonnay “Cold Steel” –2016 International Chardonnay Symposium

Creston

TWO LOCATIONS

Friday thru Monday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Luxury Flight & Roxo Port Flight 4385 La Panza Road, Creston, CA 93432 805 238-2321 48

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Morro Bay

Daily from Noon to 7:00 pm Standard Flight & Luxury Flight 845 Embarcadero Road, Morro Bay, CA 93442 805-225-1235

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