The Snowlady Chronicles

Paso Robles Getaway Weekend

 Saturday April 7, 2012

Malibu, California

Glorious Passover and Easter Weekend

 

I had a great weekend 2 weeks ago exploring more of California with Sandra.  We decided to explore Paso Robles, home to one of the world’s best Rhone Varietals wine.   What’s great about Paso Robles is that it is the half way point between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. 

I left for Paso around 2pm on Friday and got there by 6pm (speeding of course!).  Again it was a beautiful drive through Central Coast California.   Although our main objective was to do some wine tastings we also decided to go to the Hearst Castle because Sandra’s never been there and its been over 30 years for me. 

Our weekend getaway started with us finishing up some work related matters, followed by a dinner in “downtown” Paso Robles.

We went to Artisan for dinner which was highly recommended according to Yelp. And it did not disappoint.   We both had an appetizer as a main dish and shared a delicious salad to start with.  We brought our own wine but since they had a fab and reasonable selection of wines including sparkly ones, we decided to enjoy a recommended sparkling wine instead.

After a good night’s sleep ( I think we were in bed by 9pm!)we were  off to a hearty breakfast in “town” to start our wine tasting adventure.  But first stop was Albertson’s Super market.  Why?  The “wine steward” at Albertson’s Linda is very well known in the community and is THE EXPERT on wines from Paso Robles.  She was even written up in Wine Spectator Magazine.

We got recommendations from her including some wines that we never heard of because they were created and bottled specially for her.  We wrote down some recommended wines and also got confirmation from her that the list of wineries we wanted to visit are the ones we should see.  After doing our research and getting advice from Linda, we were off to tasting wine.

 

We decided to go to the wineries in the “west side” towards the coast, not only because the recommended wineries are there but also because it is supposed to be beautiful.  And it did not disappoint.  Sandra brought her bike and before breakfast took an hour long bike ride  in the area and confirmed it is gorgeous. 

Our first winery was a small boutique winery called Alta Colina.  Their first vintage was in 2007 and they are a boutique winery.  We Tried 4 wines:

• 2009 Ganache:  A bold good winter wine
• 2009 GSM (53%Syrah, 23%Grenache, 24%Mourvedre): A lighter wine but good
• 2009 Toasted Slope Syrah:  Very Dry but supposedly mellows with age
• 2010 Late Harvest Voigner:  Their first successful dessert wine.  Pretty good!

It was a good way to start our wine tasting.  The co-owner was very nice and served us the wines

The second winery was Adelaida.  It was established in 1981 and is family owned.  The owner is a doctor fro Ohio and Adelaida is the 12^th oldest winery in Paso Robles.  They are also the first to do Pinots in Paso Robles.  We tried 5 wines while at the winery.

• Pinot Noir HMR (named after Dr. Hoffman) Reserve 2003:  Did not like it.  It was too light
• 2003 Rhone Style Red:  Better but not great
• Syrah Glenrose Vineyard Reserve:  The second best wine we tasted at this winery
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2002: Very oaky, very dry , very cabernet sauvignon

Cab. Sauv/Syrah Mt.RES 2005:  The best wine we tasted from this winery.  Big, bold and beautiful

The third winery we went to is Tablas Creek,   a pretty well known winery in California.  They run a pretty big operation and their 1^st vintage was in 1997  Robert Haas is the owner and of the first to recognize Paso Robles as fertile for wine grapes.  We tried the following wines:

• Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2010:  Delish!  Great for summer or Thai food
• Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2010:  Another delish wine.  This one will be good for picnics.  Its modeled after Chateauneuf-du- Pape Blanc (One of the partners is a French wine maker in Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine making region)
• Patelin de Tablas 2010:  made with organic fruit, good table wine
• Cotes de Tablas 2010: richer than Patelin.  A very good table wine
• Esprit de Beaucastel 2009:  LOVED this wine.  Very smooth.  Has more tannin so will age well
• Vermentino 2010:  made from a Mediterranean variety prominent on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica.  It was OK.  Very different but I can see it be good with fish

Tablas Creek vineyards were surrounded by walnut trees

Our fourth winery was the famous Justin Winery.  I luv, luv , luv their wines.  The grounds were gorgeous and they did not disappoint.  We luved ALL of their wines.  We tried the following ending with one of their most famous wines Isosceles

• 2010 Chardonnay:  Not oaky and very good!
• 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon:  This is 50% of their production!  Very, very good table wine
• 2009 Reserve Tempranillo:  Good.  Much better than some of the Spanish brands
• 2009 Justification:  One of my favorite wines.  It was excellent
• 2009 Isosceles:  What can you say.  The BEST!!

Since we were making good time wine tasting, we decided to visit the 2 wineries we had planned on visiting the next day as they were on route 46, the main drag that will take us to the coast. 

The first stop on the new route was Caliza (Spanish word for limestone), a small boutique winery.  They are a new winery and is only 3 years old.  We thought it was OK.  The people at the winery were very nice though.  We tried the following wines:

• 2010 Kissin’ Cousins:  A Voignier.  A true Voignier.  One can guess the variety from the 1^st taste.  
• 2010 Pink:  A sweet dessert wine.  Not quite Beaume de Venise, my favorite dessert wine but pretty good
• 2009 Sympatico: A pretty good tempranillo.  Very chocolatey but not an exceptional wine
• 2010 Cohort:  A bigger wine than Sympatico.  The best we tasted and it won the Gold Medal 2012 at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

The last stop of the day was at Venteux Winery.  They too are a boutique winery.  They practice dry farming which means they don’t use irrigation.  We liked the wines from this winery.  We tried the following 5 wines:

• 2009 Mourvedre:  100% Mourvedre, a Rhone Varietal.  It was very grapey but good
• 2008 Estate Syrah, Paso Robles:  very very good.  They only use wild natural yeast to make this wine
• 2008 Tache le Verre (Stain the Glass), Santa Barbara County:  As one can guess, the grapes are not from Paso Robles but from Santa Barbara.  It was a very sexy and smoky wine
• 2008 PMS, Paso Robles:  very very good wine.   PMS stands for Petite Syrah, Mourvedre and Syrah (not what you were thinking!).  I had to get a bottle though and will save it when Sandra and I celebrate our birthdays (we both have birthdays in July)
• 2008 Petite Syrah, Paso Robles:  An excellent wine.  The only wine aged in American Oak from this winery

Dinner (first was brewery,but there were not serving dinner and the bar was filled with dogs- yes real dogs!) so went to Villa Creek, another highly recommended  place that is in town.   We sat at the bar and had the bar menu.  I had the most amazing Chile Relleno!  I would definitely go back there again.   We found the town to be  cute down but NO diversity.  I was one of the few folks that was not pure white!  Very interesting .

We went back to hotel to watch movie and drink our wine from Albertson’s that was bottled for Linda.  Of course, we got buzzed and ordered another bottle with nachos from room service (big mistake).  We both passed out from the excess wine and did not enjoy the movie. 

 

Next morning, with a slight hangover, we went for a walk to get fresh air and the heartbeat going.  I walked around the neighborhood which was nice and quiet.  We then got ready for our next adventure..  Hearst castle.

The drive to Hearst Castle across the valley toward the coast was one of the most magnificent drives, I’ve ever taken.  I highly recommend it.  We took highway 46 which goes through the valley and drops you down to the ocean. 

We stopped at Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill for lunch and found out they were serving “free champagne”!!  It was definitely cooler on the coast but gorgeous!  After a filling lunch, we walked along the coast a bit and then drove to Hearst Castle.

Since we got there early, we tried to get on an earlier tour which we were able to.  In addition, we timed it so that we would see a movie about the history of the “castle”  before taking the tour.  It turns out it was a very good thing to do, because it gives you a perspective of why Hearst built it.  And we found out that Hearst never called it a castle.  It was a working ranch and a place where he can host Hollywood actors and actresses (and of course his mistress – Marion Davies) to some of the most amazing parties.

We took only one of the tours which really is enough.   The grounds are spectacular and the views are amazing.  We learned during the movie that Hearst loved the California Oak trees that dotted the hills and built the castle where he used to camp with his parents when he was a child.  The majestic oak trees still dot the hills.

It was then time to say our goodbyes.  Sandra drove up Highway 1 to the Bay Area and I drove down Highway 1 to the airport as I had to go to NYC.  If visiting California, I highly recommend a trip to Paso Robles.  You won’t regret it.

The Oregon Coast.....and more Wine

 Saturday August 27, 2011

Malibu, California

90 degrees in Malibu!

So on the last day of our girls wine tasting birthday weekend in Oregon, we got up early and decided to drive to the coast as the wineries do not open until 11am.  And since we went to SEVEN wineries the day before we thought it would be a good break.  The drive was beautiful,  we went by vast farms, patches of colorful wildflowers, through a forest and over a mountain.  About an hour and a half later, we arrived at this:

The beautiful Oregon coast.  It's been over 20 years since I've been to the Oregon Coast and have forgotton how beautiful it is.  We could have not asked for a more perfect day to spend on the Oregon beach.  Sun and clean, brisk air.  

The July Birthday Girls at a beach in Oregon

We drove south down the Pacific Coast Highway and made several stops to take more photos of the coastline.

We then ended up at a.......winery.   The Flying Dutchman Wines.  We loved the sales lady and the fact that they did not charge for wine tasting.  But.. the wines were not that great.  I think it's just too cold to grow grapes by the coastline.  I bought a touristy shopping bag though while there as the sales lady was very nice

Flying Dutchman Wines

We thought about going to a brewery for lunch as the Oregon coast like Washington is known for the local breweries.  But the one that was recommended was so crowded, that we decided to buy a bottle of wine at the supermarket and have a picnic with some food we brought with us.

Our picnic stop:  Close to the famous lighthouse of Oregon - Yaquina Head Lighthouse - that was built in 1873

Our Picnic with Erath Pinot Blanc

We then headed back toward the airport but as we had to go through Willamette Valley again, we decided to stop at two wineries that were recommended to us.

The first winery was Torii Mor which is located deep in the woods and is one of the oldest vineyards in the area.  The name of the vineyard was derived from the Japanese word for gate "torii" and the Swedish word for earth "mor".  The vineyard and winery have a very Zen like atmosphere.  We liked the wines especially the 2010 Pinot Gris.  And of course, the PInot Noir's were pretty good to but my favorite was the 2008 Hawks View Vineyard Pinot Noir.  But for 50$ it was above my budget.

Torii Mor Winery

Our last stop was the famous Erath Winery.  As expected it was quite beautiful and grand.  Erath was started by Dick Erath in 1968.  Dick Erath is one of the "pioneers" of wine making in Oregon.  He is one of the UC Davis graduates that went out to Oregon to prove that high quality wines can be made in Willamette Valley.  Erath is now known as one of the premier PInot Noir makers in the world.

Entrance to Erath's winery

We tried seven wines - 2010 Pinot Gris Rose, 2010 Oregon Pinot Blanc, 2009 Pinot Gris, 2009 Estate Selection Pinot Noir- Willamette Valley, 2008 Battle Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir-Willamette Valley, 2008 Leland Vineyard Pinot Noir-Willamette Valley and 2006 Rocky Hill Vintage Pinot Noir.  The last wine was a "bonus" tasting.   I LOVED the 2008 Leland Vineyard and the 2006 Rocky Hill Vintage.  Both are 50$ each but since I could not fit them in my suitcase I did not purchase the wines.  I definitely will either buy them online or look for them at my local wine store.   And what a great way  to end our trip.

View of Erath Vineyards

We made it to the airport in ample time and then had to say our goodbyes.  We had a fabulous trip from start to finish.  And a special thanks to Sandra who got me the free ticket, drove the whole time and came up with the itinerary.

In Search of the Perfect Pinot Noir @Willamette Valley

Sunday August 18, 2011

Malibu, CA

Perfect Beach Weather

After spending all of Friday and most of the weekend getting my home network upgraded, I finally have time to write more about the fab weekend with BFF Sandra and her friend Marilyn.

After a wonderful night in Portland it was time to take off to Willamette Valley for some wine tasting.  Willamette Valley is about an hours drive from Oregon and is known for its PInots and Pinot Gris because of the cool weather.  The "tourist" industry is not as developed as it is in Napa Valley which makes it very nice to visit because there are not many crowds and the prices are reasonable.  Sandra has a friend who is from the area so gave us recommendations on where to go. 

We left Portland around 10am and by 11am or so we were at our first winery - Dobb's Family Estate.  They mass produce wines called Wines by Joe but have several wines under the brand Dobb's Estate which are produced in small quantities and are only available at the winery.  And guess what I found!  I found a wine called Skipper's Cuvee so I had a get a bottle to honor my beloved dog Skipper and another one for Amy and Michael who took care of him during my travels.  I also bought a bottle of Truffle oil as it is made from wild truffles found in the forests of Oregon.

Dobb's Estate Pinot Noir - Skipper's Cuvee

Dobb's Estate Beautiful Garden

Our next stop was Argyle which is across the street for Dobb's Estate.  Another very pretty winery with a gorgeous garden.  Argyle is of course known for the PInots but also for their sparkling wine.  They also have an Oregon version of an ice wine called Minus Five.  It's not "real" ice wine because the grapes are frozen in a freezer unlike in Canada where they grapes freeze "naturally".  So in addition to the wines, we tried both the Minus Five and their speciality Black Brut. Both tasted OK, but combined as a cocktail, YUM!

Argyle Black Brut

Argyle's Beautiful Garden

It was then time for us to drive into the valley to visit some more boutique wineries.  And was the drive gorgeous.  The hills were covered with grape vines framed by evergreen trees.  Only in Oregon!

The Road to the Heart of Willamette Valley

All the grapes are pruned to be closer the ground.  This method is used in Oregon so that the grapes get the heat from the ground.  Interesting!

 

Our first stop is De Ponte Cellars. The tasting room is located at their vineyard.  Their 17 acres vineyard is comprised of Pinot Noir and Melon de Bourgogne( a very rare grape in the US) vines.  They are dedicated to making Burgundian wines so we were very much looking forward to tasting their wines.  We tried 5 different types of wines.  My favorites were the 2010 DFB Melon de Bourgogne which was a fabulous white wine, the 2008 Eastburn Vineyards Pinot Noir which is made from grapes of a family friend, and the 2009 De Ponte Cellars Dundee Hills Pinot Noir.  The service at this vineyard was fabulous.  We even had a blind taste!  So we ended up buying a case of wines - 4 bottles for me, 4 for Sandra and 4 for Marilyn.  De Ponte is now one of my favorite wine makers. 

The De Ponte vineyards

Marilyn and Sandra tasting their wines

Our next stop was Vista Hills.  This boutique winery uses only what they grow.  It is here where we learned the beginnings of wine in Oregon.  It was actually started by a couple of UC Davis (my alma mater) graduates in the 1960s.  People thought they were crazy but 40 years later, they proved them wrong!  Willamette Valley now produces some of the best Pinots in the world.  I liked all of their wines but my favorite was Chemeketa Pinot Noir 2009.  They only make 45 cases so it is hard to get.  Not only is it a very good wine but proceeds go to a foundation that supports kids to go to college.  In turn the kids need to give back by volunteering their time for society.  Love it!

Our very knowledgable sommelier at Vista Hills

Next stop was Domaine Serene, a very pretty and "serene" vineyard.  It was founded in 1989 by a couple and have consistently produced award winning PInot Noirs.  We tasted 4 wines:  one Chardonnay and 3 Pinots.  The Chardonnay was "very Chardonnay" that is, buttery.  We tasted the 2008 Etoile Vineyard Chardonnay.  But for 45$, I didn't think it was worth it.  Our next wine to taste was the 2008 Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir which was very good and worth the 42 bucks.  Next up was there flagship wine - 2007 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir.  It was a big wine, delicious but pricey - 58$.  And the last wine we tasted was the 2009 Guadalupe Vineyard Pinot Noir.  It was a grand wine and very chocolatey. But at 75$, out of my price range.  We all enjoyed the wines but it was a bit too pricey for me.

The sommelier at Domaine Serene

Our next stop was another boutique winery called the White Rose Estate.  The vineyard got the name from the original owner who was from Yorkshire County, England.  The white rose is the symbol of York.  Today it is owned by a California family.  They only make PInot Noirs.  We tasted 4 wines and all were good.  But what was most interesting of the visit was the story of the winemaker - Jesus Guillen.  His father was a migrant worker from Chihuahua, Mexico.  He helped his father and learned wine making on the job.  His brother is now the wine steward of the winery.  A very tight and family oriented winery. 

The White Rose Winery

Our last winery was the famous Domaine Drouhin.  We made it there in the nick of the time - 355pm.  The winery closes at 4pm.  Our wine steward was so nice that she quickly poured wine so we can make the deadline.  It's a bit intimidating as the place was grand with lots of framed letters from royalty and the White House.  I believe it's the only vineyard owned by a French wine making dynasty.  The Drouhin winery in France is over 100 years old and still owned by the same family.  So I believe they charge "extra" for the name.  Our tasting charge was 10$ but it was for only 3 wines.  We tasted a 2009 Chardonnay 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley and a 2007 Pinot Noir Laurent Cuvee.  All were good but given the prices (30, 40 and 65 dollars respectively) we did not buy any.  The estate is beautiful though as it is set on top on Dundee Hills.  Spectacular views.

View from Domaine Drouhin

After 7 wineries, yes a BIG SEVEN!  It was time to take a break.  So we went to Red Hill Farms which is known for its olive oil.  And it had a beautiful nursery.   I ended up buying some olive oil, especially since they had arbequina olive oil.  I also bought a bottle of the orange vinegar which was delicious!  It was fun tasting olive oil and vinegar after the wines.

Red Hill Farms

The Red Hill Farms Garden:  The pathway is covered in hazelnut shells which is also a specialty of Willamette Valley

Our last stop was a farm stand to look for some hazelnuts.  Although hazelnut season doesn't start until the fall, we found some really good flavored hazelnuts.  In additon, as a bonus, we discoverd marionberries.  I've never had them before but they were in season. They look just like blackberries but taste completely different.  They were so sweet and delicious!  My new favorite fruit.

Marionberries

We then went back to our deluxe hotel (Best Western :)).  We had a "suite", rested for just a bit as we had dinner to go to.  We decided to go to Tina's based on recommendations from Argyle winery.  The restaurant was cute although it was right off the main street.  It was a small restaurant and known for using local ingredients.  Sandra and I started with the fresh corn soup and Marilyn with a salad.  Marilyn had the stuffed zucchini flower vegetarian dish while Sandra and I had the salmon.  Our starters were delicious.  The corn soup was so sweet!  But Marilyn's salad was so fresh and the dressing with hazelnuts was fabulous.  Sandra liked the salmon but I was not impressed.  I found it overcooked and the sauce too rich.  Marilyn's dish though was fantastic!  Of course, we had it with a bottle of Pinot Noir. 

Corn Soup

Salad

Salmon

Fried Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with a Harissa like condiment

We got back to the hotel by 9pm, decided to finish the bottle of Wente PInot Noir from Central Valley California that Sandra brought and called it a night.  Seven wineries in one day - that was a record for all of us!

Wines of the Week

Saturday February 12, 2011

Malibu, California

Perfect Beach Weather

 

A week full of issues, but nothing 2 bottle of wine and acupuncture can't solve.  Not feeling creative to write but luved the labels of the two wines I'm enjoying this weekend.  So am letting the labels speak for itself.  Both are in the 10-15 USD range and very drinkable.  Makes this stressed out girl happy. 

 

Check out their website.  Wine was a good price performer.  But it's all about the label.  Perfectly describes the mood I was in.

 Great follow on to the Velvet Devil.  But very hard to find info on this fab winery.  A hidden gem.  They also have a Malbec.  But the pinot was devine for 9 USD!

 

Dierberg 2007 Pinot Noir

Saturday February 5, 2011

Malibu, California

Gorgeous Sunny Warm Day

 

This weekend's wine comes from Santa Barbara County from a vineyard that practices "natural farming".  Now, I got this bottle at PC Greens (the local organic food and health store in Malibu).  They told me that the wine is "organic" but when I went to Dierberg's website, the word "organic" is not mentioned.  So not sure if it really is "organic".  Anyhow,  this winery was also started by bankers -  a husband and wife team (Mr and Mrs Dierberg) from Missouri.   Mr. Dierberg, according to the website also owns the oldest winery in America.  And guess where it is?  In Missouri!  Who knew?   

So how is it?  For 40 bucks a bottle, its OK.  It definitely is a big Pinot but in my opinion  J Vineyard's Pinot beats it hands down.  However, if it really is organic, it's pretty good as I've never had good organic wine.  I'm enjoying it with some organic walnuts that I bought today at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market while catching up on the last two episodes of Fringe.  Cheers!

2007 Dierberg Pinot Noir

 

 

Wine of the Week: ABSTRACT by Orin Swift Winery

Saturday January 22, 2011

Malibu, California

Another Gorgeous Sunny Beach Day

 

Last year, a friend of mine from the UK, gave me a case of Orin Swift wines as a "welcome back to California"  gift.  It's his favorite California boutique winery and now is one of my favorite's too.  For Christmas, I introduced my sister to the wines and we had their flagship wine "The Prisoner" and "Papillon" which in my opinion is their second best wine after Mercury.  Last night as I was shopping at the local Pavillions supermarket, which has a GREAT wine cellar, I noticed that there was a special on "Abstract" .  I remember it was not as memorable as Mercury or Papillon but since the price was good (20$!)  a bought a bottle for the weekend.  And a glass of Abstract is what I am enjoying while writing this blog.

It's a good dependable wine, but not as rich and full bodied as The Prisoner or Papillon.  It's a red wine that was inspired by the wines of the Pyrenees.  (The founder of Orin Swift winery spent time there).  And as all Orin Swift wines, it comes with a gorgeous label.  Because the winery is a "boutique" winery, finding the wine can be hard but if find a bottle, definitely buy one and enjoy.   Abstract also will make a special gift. 

 

PS:  If I recall, the name Orin Swift is a combination of the names of the wine maker's (David Phinney) parents but I could be wrong.

 

Justification by Justin Winery

Friday January 21, 2010

Malibu, California

Sunny mid 70s perfect SoCal Weather

 

I've decided to add a new category to my blog called " I Love Wine" because I do, I really love wine.  And my Doctor specializing in anti-aging told me that red wine in moderation is good for you.  So every weekend for the past 3 weeks, I've been trying some red wines from wineries across California.  I'll be reporting on my "taste tests" via this blog. 

Last week, I enjoyed a bottle of Justification from Justin Vineyards.  I've had the wine before and LUV it!  Justin Vineyards is located in Paso Robles (Central Coast of California).  It was founded in 1981 by an investment banker and his wife.   They started by planting bordeaux grapes and specializing in blends.  Justification is one of their wildly successful wines and became iconic in a very short time.  It is a mildly robust wine and a beauty.  It's aged in New French Oak and costs about 45$ a bottle but if lucky, can get it for about 30$ on sale.  It is worth every penny.  I've had it a few times and find it very satisfying each time.  Highly recommend this wine for all seasons and goes well with with most foods except for delicate fish dishes. 

Enjoy!