Paso Robles celebrates 34th annual wine festival
Photography by Mira Advani Honeycutt.
Over 70 local wineries poured at Grand Tasting
–From Bordeaux and Burgundy style wines to Rhone varieties, Spanish and other “Wild Wines,” Downtown Paso Robles City Park was filled with local wineries showcasing the region’s diversity at the 34th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival Grand Tasting.
From a handful of 17 wineries participating at the initial festival in the park, the number has grown to over 70 pouring at the wine festival’s Grand Tasting. A total of local 140 wineries participated in various events during the four-day festival from May 19-22.
Lineup of wines at the Thomas Hill Organics winemaker dinner.
The four-day festival kicked off on May 19 with winemaker dinners at Thomas Hill Organics and Cello restaurant at Alegretto Vineyard Resort. The four-course dinner at Thomas Hill Organics started with yellowtail Hamachi with fennel, kumquat and avocado mousse paired with 2014 TH cuvee blanc “The Gap” followed by Windrose Farms yaya carrots and charred black kale with 2014 Adelaida Pinot Noir. The Mt. Lassen steelhead salmon was served with the 2013 Halter Ranch “CDP,” a Rhone blend, and the juicy Niman Ranch lamb highlighted by Cass winery’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Friday afternoon’s Reserve Tasting in the wind-blown park brought together a group of vintners showcasing white/rose, library and reserve wines. Among them, elegant Bordeaux style wines from RN Estate, Domaine Degher and Niner Estate, a complex Cabernet/Syrah/Zinfandel blend at Zenaida, refreshing Vin Gris at Windward, lush Syrah at Ecluse and TED, a bold Rhone and Bordeaux blend. Local chefs and restaurants served their specialties such as seafood enchiladas from Paso Terra, smoked salmon with pickled cucumbers from Trumpet Vine catering and fine cheeses from Vivant.
Several downtown tasting rooms stayed open till 9 p.m. on Friday night for guests who wandered in from the reserve tasting. Among them were Wine O’Clock, Chateau Lettau, A Taste in the Alley and Lusso Della Terra. However on Saturday, Ron Nodder, owner of Lettau, decided to close by 5 p.m. “There are too many wine zombies out there,” he said.
Malani Anderson of Turley Winery where Grand Tasting event-goers tasted young vine zinfandels.
At Saturday’s Grand Tasting in the park, also plagued by unruly winds, the tasting was arranged by regions: there were a large groups of wineries in the Bordeaux, Rhone and Other Wild Wines enclave and a handful such as Vino Vargas, Bodegas Paso Robles and Red Soles in the Spanish section. The pinot noir producers in the Burgundy group ranged from Adelaida Cellars, Windward and Asuncion Ridge wineries.
Winemaker Terry Culton, who is now on board at the Windward, gave a taste of his Culton wine that he happened to have on hand. “I’m a mercenary winemaker,” he said pouring the Mercenary wine. A pinot noir guy, Culton is now going toward Rhone blends.
Treana winery’s nautical crew hamming it on the ‘faux’ boat’ as part of the popular photo-op booth.
A colorful teepee-style tent drew people with picnic baskets and blankets to enjoy the wines and live entertainment performed by Bear Market Riot. Nearby a group of women celebrated a bachelorette party and food trucks did brisk business. Booths such as the Chocolate Stache and Xocai’s offered samples to pair with Paso zins and cabs.
Guests got a taste of Villicana’s “New World” Vodka and Gin flecked with local botanicals. With several distilleries popping up in the region, Villicana commented that there’s definitely a new movement gaining momentum in Paso Robles.
Saturday’s Grand Tasting also included educational seminars in the park. Held under a white tent, the three 45-minute sessions, labeled “Inside the Cellar,” focused on rose wines by Houston Smith, general manager of Le Cuvier, the art of blending by Josh Beckett of Chronic Cellars and a talk on distilling by Alex Villicana of Re:Find Distillery.
Winemaker Terry Culton in charge of the Windward booth in the Burgundian-style section.
From BBQ to barrel samples, winery-hosted events continued through the weekend. There was chocolate and Port at Hunt Cellars, Oso Libre’s estate pasture-raised Black Angus beef, Sarzotti’s famous chili and tri-tip sandwich and Opolo’s traditional BBQ of whole roasted lamb.
Treana served brunch with a twist — refreshing wine cocktails and a hearty omelet bar while Robert Hall offered a “build your own burger bar.” To work off the weekend gluttony, Rotta and Justin wineries offered a hike through the vineyards, followed, naturally, by a sumptuous meal and wine. Well, it was a good idea.
It was pizza time at Eberle winery at the Sunday open house. Marcy Eberle tossed the pizzas as Gary assembled.
This year marked the 34th birthday for Paso Robles’ AVA designation that was established in April 1983 spearheaded by Gary Eberle, Tom Martin, Vic Roberts and Herman Schwartz. “We drew up boundaries and geology,” said Eberle as he assembled a pepperoni pizza by an outdoor pizza oven at Eberle winery’s Sunday open house.
“This is the first year I did not go to the park,” said Eberle of the Grand Tasting. “I’m getting too damn old to pour in the park.” But no worries, there was a life size cut-out of the Paso Robles pioneer at the Eberle winery tasting booth, a popular selfie-spot for fest-goers.
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