Downtown Paso Robles wine stroll gets wild with animals
Pandee Pearson cradles seven-month-old kangaroo at Domaine Degher/Diablo Paso tasting room
Photos by Mira Honeycutt
16 tasting rooms participate in the Zoo to You fundraiser
–Glasses in hand, wine lovers strolled and biked around downtown to savor local wines and get up close to wild animals during the weekend. The Saturday afternoon event was a fundraiser for Conservation Ambassadors, a Paso Robles-based non-profit organization that provides a permanent home to abused, abandoned and permanently injured wild and exotic animals.
In its third year, the highly popular “Wild About Wine Stroll” was a sell out again this year with over 275 tickets sold, says Cecily Parrish Ray, general manager of Parrish Family Vineyard.
Of the 23 downtown tasting rooms, 19 wine labels participated offering wines from 16 tasting rooms. Each tasting room was busy, but there was enough space to host anywhere from one to four critters minded by volunteer animal handlers.
What’s not to love about this event where tasting rooms provide fine wines and Conservation Ambassadors bring in the wild entertainment from screeching owls at Asuncion Ridge to a whistling marmoset at Chateau Lettau.
Volunteer Megan Copher with Priscilla the porcupine at Parrish Family Estate tasting room
Across the street at Wine O’ Clock tasting room shared by Domaine Degher and Diablo Paso, a kookaburra joined with its rendition of a siren call in response to a passing fire truck. The bird was joined by fellow Australians: a seven-month old kangaroo, a blue-tongued skink lizard and a bearded baby dragon.
“It’s a broad cross-section of animals,” said Denis Degher, pouring his luscious cabernet blends. “It kind of matches the crowd.”
At Frolicking Frog tasting room, the animal handler showed me a photo of an enthusiastic young woman kissing one of the two African bull frogs. (No, he did not turn into a prince).
It was that kind of an afternoon — a perfect draw for wine aficionados as well as animal lovers.
In front of Parrish tasting room, Priscilla, a frisky North American porcupine, enjoyed the warm sunshine and attention and petting from kids as well as grown ups. Inside, over a taste of a refreshing 2012 Silken Blanc (a blend of chardonnay and viognier), Parrish Ray noted that each tasting room was asked to pour just one of its wines, since there were 19 wineries to visit on the list. However, I noticed there were a few that offered a selection of three to four per person.
Armadillo plays with tennis ball at Rabbit Hole tasting room
The stroll was as much educational as it was entertaining. The volunteer handlers were ready to give us an insight on the animals’ habitat and answer questions.
For instance, porcupines are loud and messy as they shed needles that can be sharp. Next door at Tudor, while Dan and Bow Tudor offered a selection of Nacina Ice Wine and a Santa Lucia Highlands pinot noir, a four-year-old alligator was a draw for the visitors. We learnt that the turtle and fish-eating reptile can grow to 11 feet. The pretty little opossum featured at Arroyo Robles Winery is immune to rattlesnakes. Meanwhile, those hardy bullfrogs can live in temperatures from 100 degrees to freezing point and can lay 4000 eggs.
At Pianetta, between sips of the 2014 Grenache and 2014 Tuscan Nights, visitors got to pose with the two Australian white cockatoos, Sydney and Peaches; next door at Lusso Della Terra, American grey fox named Disco was indulging in endearing strokes from animal lovers.
Young volunteer Ashley minding the opossum at Arroyo Robles tasting room
The fox, we were told by the handler, was a house pet till he grew up and got into his wild side. Since the home-raised animal would not be safe in the wild, it was offered to conservation organization.
By the train station, Anglim hosted two entertaining lemurs and poured a selection from its award winning Rhone blends while at nearby D’Anbino another porcupine held court.
While the Conservation organization is a sanctuary for abused wild animal, there are some that are confiscated by the US Customs at the airport. For example, the South American three-banded armadillo featured at the Rabbit Hole tasting room that is shared by Hoyt Family and Sea Shell wineries. The critter entertaining visitors with his tennis ball tricks was smuggled in by a family. When the customs inspector noticed a curled up object in security, he thought it was a melon. Upon checking the bag, it turned out to be the youthful armadillo.
The Conservation Ambassadors’ Zoo to You project is also an out-reach program for school children and animal lovers to educate them about conservation and inspire them to protect the planet. A goal certainly worthy of a toast with Paso wine.
