It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Most people would be thrilled to be missing the blizzard in Minnesota. Not me. Not at Christmas time. Yesterday I spoke with my dear friend Mary who reported the snow looked like the scene from Rudolf, the Red-nosed Reindeer where the snow is blowing sideways. As she described the winter scene, we are having the nicest weekend we have had in weeks. I should be happy but I find myself homesick for the white landscape where boots, mittens and ice scrappers are required.

I am not alone. I called my daughter Kelley to lament the fact we are not digging out and interrupted her rollerblading down the Santa Monica boardwalk. Again, most people can't understand why we both would rather be watching the snow piles growing at an inch an hour. We really are the minority around here but nothing says Christmas like snow. And of course watching It's a Wonderful Life which we did last night.

But we do live here and we will be spending our second Christmas here so we are trying to embrace how Paso Robles celebrates. Last night was the Vine Street stroll. This is a long tradition of blocking off the streets and hundreds of Roblans wander for blocks enjoying the elaborate holiday decorations adorning the charming Victorian houses and California bungalows. Cookies, decorated strollers, marching band, carolers. It was a scene out of Bedford Falls. All we need is George Bailey running down the street shouting Merry Christmas.

We are pretty busy in the Bed and Breakfast and tasters who discover Per Cazo are still wowed at our unique style. The tree is decorated and we are working on the pie list. Christmas cards will probably be more like New Years Cards. So as I think more about it, instead of shoveling this morning, I am going to go swimming in an outdoor pool. Maybe it's time to reframe what Christmas looks like in my head and accept the true meaning of Christmas. Thankfulness for family, friends and all the blessings in my life.

Merry Christmas.

It's Neither Petite nor Syrah

The wine gods have blessed us with a bountiful bunch of beautiful Petite Sirah. We harvested this varietal early Saturday morning. We arrived at the vineyard as the bright harvest moon was still high in the sky casting a luminous glow on the vineyard. Within moments, the first light of the day appeared on the eastern horizon. Once the laborers arrived,we climbed up the steep hillsides to the top of the vineyard. Vineyard manager Steve Crouch said a brief but touching prayer and the picking began.

We harvested 2 tons and were exhausted by the end of the day. Dave earned his fatigue. He had been in Vegas Friday night and drove to Paso Robles. He fell into bed at 4:30 a.m. for an hour before it was time to head out. He then spent the day processing the wine while I entertained our tasting visitors.

We aren't getting as much fruit as last year but thanks to the strange weather of the summer and now days of temperatures over the century mark, harvest could be condensed in just a couple of weeks. Wish us luck.

the Sounds of Harvest

Clues that harvest has arrived are everywhere. There is a literal buzz in the air as the bees are out in force. Air cannons are blasting trying in vain to scare away the birds that feast in the vineyards. I have had guests seriously question whether we are under artillery attack. Pick-up trucks pulling trailers toting picking bins rush to get the fruit to the wineries. The clickity sound of the rackety crawler as it climbs the gentle slope between the rows is almost hypnotic.

We are about to begin our third harvest. Growers are anxious. Our below average summer temperatures have been great for people but the grapes are struggling. The big question is can they ripen before the frost and rains of autumn arrive? If so, it should be a great vintage as they have had a lot of hang time. Paso Robles is sitting better than other wine regions in the west. Santa Barbara county and Edna Valley have had such heavy marine layers with cool temps they are worried about both immature fruit and rot. Napa had frost and now they are predicting rain. We are at the mercy of Mother Nature.

We harvest the Petite Sirah on Saturday. This means an early morning in the vineyard where the first sort begins. We then move on to the winery for processing. It's a long day that leaves one with a rush of adrenaline, anticipation and exhaustion. Unless you have been in the winery at harvest, you can not fully appreciate the lovely sound of uncorking a bottle of wine.

Life is short, drink more wine!

I have been composing lots of blog entries in my head, usually around 3:30 a.m when I should be sleeping but when I ultimately do drop off, all the great thoughts evaporate and I am left completely blank. I hate that. This entry will probably be a bunch of mumble-jumble from the stream of weary mind threads that I will try to weave together into the something cohesive.

I have been thinking about life and death a lot lately. Morbid, I know, but when you loose people you care about, it really puts a new spin on what's important. My dear friend Kate lost her son a few weeks ago. I have never been this close to anyone who has buried their child. When I saw her and realized that words failed to say what my heart long to say to try to express some sense of comfort. I have concluded, there are no words, only actions. Kate swallowed her sorrow and eloquently honored Jake's life in the most symbolic and dignified celebration I have ever witnessed.

I just learned my favorite uncle passed away last week. He was on a dream vacation cruising the ancient cities of the Mediterranean Sea. Tragically, he fell very ill, very quickly and the sub-par Turkish hospital was not equipped to save him. My poor aunt is stuck in a backward, nearly third-world situation trying to figure out how to return to the States with her beloved husband.

Wow, whatever problems I have, they are nothing. I still can talk to my girls almost anytime I need/want to. I can hug my husband on the weekends as he still has his crazy travel schedule trying to have a day job on top of caring the torch of a weekend wine warrior. Wine is flying out the door and the beds at the B&B are full more nights than they are empty.

Here's the good news. We bottle two new vintages this week, the 2008 Epi Telos and 2009 Late Harvest Zinfandel. Our 2009 Tres Blanc won Best of Class for the white Rhone blend in the Central Coast and gold medals in the coveted Orange County Wine Society competition. Harvest is imminent and some think the fruit will rival the celebrated 2005 vintage.

I am busy planning for the October Wine Fest in Paso Robles, October 15-17. This is a big weekend traditionally and we will have extra food pairings to showcase the wines. Wine Club shipments will be heading out October 25 so this means we will need to create new materials that will accompany the wines. If anyone has some unique wine-focus recipes, please share! We have pick up parties to plan and then there are the holidays!

Harvest will demand extra attention but it really is a very special time in Paso Robles. Unless you've been out in the vineyards at dawn with the pickers and then to the winery doing the punch-downs and pump overs, you can't fully appreciate the labor of love in that bottle you open tonight at dinner. Hopefully, some Per Cazo Cellars is finding it's way to your table. If not, we got more!

Have you gone Underground?

I am crawling out from under my grapevine and feeling very hip and cool after this past weekend's experience at an "Underground Restaurant." My friend Nanette is a personal chef from New York who moved to the Central Coast about the same time. She has been trying to find the right opportunity to make a living here and may be about to strike gold. She is part of a new trend of chefs who find a space, create a menu, get the word out and see who shows up. Fortunately for us, we did, along with our friends the Tighes who were visiting from Minnesota. Several other winemakers/vintners where there. Some we knew, some we did not but we all had a great evening.

This movement took off as the result of a couple of American chefs who moved to Paris and opened up a speakeasy type of space, avoided the rigors of the French health dept. and were wildly successful. Now you can find underground dining in most of the big cities as well as in San Luis Obispo.

Nanette paired each of the five courses with a local wine. Appetizers were passed as the guests mingled and sipped a lovely Castoro wine called Tango.My favorite were the delicately fried sage leaves in a tempura-like batter. We were called to the elegantly appointed table and had an amazing scallop/grapefruit salad. This was paired with Chardonnay from Tablas Creek. The main event was a beautiful plate of Moroccan Lamb chops, Potato Bliss and veggies from her garden. I think we had a Tablas Creek Grenache but frankly, by this time, I was a bit tipsy and can't quite remember other than it was perfect. Of course we had a delicious dessert and made our way back home feeling so lucky to have had a fun and unique gastricorgasmic experience.

The only part of the evening that was a bit bizarre is the conversation surrounding proper tooth brushing. One of the guests was a LA dentist. A simple question by Victor and Jenny of Vines on the Marycrest asking the best way to teach their 5 year old to brush his teeth - in circles or back and forth or up and down, led to what seemed like a more than should have been acceptable conversation by Dr. Dave. He is passionate about two things - wine and the best way to brush your teeth. It must have had an impact on Dave and me because we each are paying a lot more attention to oral hygiene. BTW, go real slow, focus on the gum line and barely move your hand.


I don't know how often Nanette will be cooking but if you get the chance, be sure to go. It'll be a feast to remember.

The first day of Endless Summer

Today is the first day of the Mid-State Fair. Its theme is Endless Summer which is very appropriate given Paso's beautiful blue skies, warm temperatures and carefree attitudes. That said, I woke up this morning at 5 a.m. to go to my Master's swim class and it was 40 degrees with a major Marine layer that resembled pea soup. It finally lifted and revealed a lovely crisp day. A perfect day to head to the fairgrounds ... but I didn't.

The fair is a big deal around here. It attracts a mass of humanity who come for the unique combination of big name talent (Aerosmith, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Kenny Loggins), food on a stick, carnie rides, 4-H-ers with their farm animals and of course, judging who makes the best jam, pies and wine. We entered a couple wines and were thrilled to have received Best of Class for the 2009 Per Cazo Cellars Tres Blanc. I have been to state fairs before having hailed from the Midwest, but I don't think I know of any that begin the festivities with an honest-to-God Cattle drive. I really wanted to head into town to witness for myself the streets lined with cowboys and cowgirls leading the herd through the streets of town into the fairgrounds.

Maybe next year I will make it but I stayed here for a wine tasting appointment and it had its own magical moments of endless summer. As you can see in the photo, we had our own wine troubadour serenading us as we sat sipping the award winning wines on a beautiful summer day. John, with the Wine Wrangler, provided a rare performance of a couple of songs for his clients, Chris and Dave from the O.C. and Tim and Becky from Austraila.

Oh, I am sure I will get to the fair and one of these years I will see the cows running down Union Road, but if I could clone this day for my personal endless summer, I would. Wish you could have been here.

Be sure to take time to smell the roses!

Yesterday was a great day. I started the day by literally smelling the roses. Summer has finally arrived so the landscape needs a drink first thing in the morning. While watering I was captured by the beauty of the roses that grace our property. These are the old fashion kind that really smell like roses are supposed to! I was worried because just a few weeks ago, they looked awful. Not known for my green thumb, I took some leaves to a local expert who diagnosed them with rust. Who knew...certainly not me, but Larry our gardener sprayed with a fungicide and they are thriving.

I accomplished a lot around the house, made lunch for our winemaker's family who is moving to a new home, and poured Per Cazo Cellars wine at the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce Mixer at Cool Hand Luke's. Here I am with Jason, the General Manager having just set up for the tasting. At the Mixers, everyone is allotted two tickets for wine. Since it was over 100 degrees, there were a LOT of people who wanted a nice cold glass of Tres Blanc. I poured 11 bottles and could have poured more. It was fun to have the exposure, but I was so busy pouring, I could not really chat with anyone. I handed out a lot of cards for private tasting appointments so I hope people make the arrangements. I love getting to know the locals and make new friends.

Once it was time to pack up and go home, I called Dave who is in Chicago this week for a project. Disappointed he did not answer, I called back to leave a message but this time he did answer saying he had to call me back. There had just been an accident. Everyone was OK but he couldn't talk right now. Of course all kinds of thoughts were swimming in my head. Shortly, he phoned to explain that he was a passenger in a car that had been sandwiched on I-94. A large SUV failed to stop in the halted traffic. This of course rammed them into the other large SUV ahead. The small,

Avis rental car was totaled. Shaken, bruised but nothing more than that, he and the driver were waiting for a ride from other colleagues who would take them back to the hotel.

This morning on my way to the barn to feed the cats, I inhaled the sweetest smelling rose of them all. Anything can happen to spoil your day, ruin your plans or take your life. Be sure to take the time to stop and smell the roses.

I'm back....

I dropped off the blog-o-spere for the last two months. Between Kelley's graduation from Miami, relocating her to L.A., very busy times at Creekside B&B and lots of private tastings for Per Cazo Cellars, I have been too exhausted to keep the blog active. So back by popular demand, I am recommitting myself to try to relay the craziness that has become my life in Paso Robles.

I can't believe we have lived in Paso for over a year now. I finally feel like it is home. I miss Minnesota but it's not home any more in spite of the fact we still have a great house for sale in Edina. I don't know why St. Joseph is taking so long to sell it. Saints are recession-proof. I love running the Bed and Breakfast and feel more confident as an Innkeeper. Fortunately, we have been close to 50% occupancy rate for the last few months. We recently had guests who stayed with us who worked with Dave back in the good old Eli Lilly days. Richard and Liz Davies were joining their friends the Bankstons for bike/wine get away. The Bankstons made all the arrangements so imagine everyone's surprise when we all put 2 + 2 together and realized the connection. It is such a small world!

As far as the wine biz goes, Per Cazo is really on a roll. We have received some great accolades - '09 Tres Blanc received "Best of Class" and gold medals at the Central Coast Wine Competition, Gold medal at the Orange County Wine Society. Epi Telos received Silver at the above competitions and still is Dave's favorite wine. The recent vintages of ZinG and Confluent continue to impress our tasters and is flying off the shelf. We are "Winery of the Month" for the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce and receiving great visibility at Wine Festivals. We are grateful for all the support and continue to strive for making the best wine we can. We will bottle the next vintage of Epi Telos and Late Harvest in August.

The girls are doing well. As I mentioned above, Kelley has graduated and moved to L.A. She just started her new job as a NBC Page and loves it. Meg is finishing her job at Dramatic English in Hong Kong and is about to return to academia life pursuing her Certificate of Mandarin Translation. She is planning an exotic vacation with her boyfriend Andy to Bali in August. Dave and I hope to visit her later in the year but until then, rely on Skype to keep in touch.

Dave is busy working on his day jobs - consulting for a few different health care companies and loves being back on the road again. He left out of San Luis Obispo this morning at 5 a.m. I don't know how he does it. Maddy, the cats and I hold down the fort and enjoy the beautiful long summer days in Paso. The typical 90+ degree days haven't arrived yet but I know they will. I hope if you are still reading this, you will find a way to come visit. I have the wine chilled and the cheese plate ready!

Happy Birthday to .....

We get a lot of people celebrating birthdays both at the B&B and at our tastings. Today I had the pleasure of toasting to Sandy who was accompanied by Lisa, her best friend of 15 years. These two gals traveled up Hwy 1 yesterday from L.A. and except for a precarious adventure in a dune bug are having a marvelous time. We shared lunch and a bottle of wine while Lush Limo driver, Nick, catered to all of us.

Tomorrow Jill is treating her boyfriend Ozzie to a weekend get-away in the B&B to celebrate the day he was born. For some reason, I get more excited when our guests are celebrating a special occasion. I often try to do something a bit more special when there is a birthday or anniversary and would love some suggestions of that extra touch.

Last week Marva and 13 of her closest friends where here picnicking and wine tasting. As you can see, she is the one in the pink boa and rhinestone tiara. They were a hoot. I think there are a few pink feathers still floating around.

We also often get bachelorette parties. A lot of wineries dread this but so far, we have only had the best groups. The last group to stop actually bought a wine club membership for the bride and groom as a wedding gift which I thought was a great idea. Stay tuned...maybe I will get some good pix and stories from this group.

The World's Best Neighbor

Try again...technical difficulties.

Friday morning I see 4 turkey vultures preening in the sun on the fence posts surrounding my pool. Upon closer investigation, I realize that there are a lot of vultures perched in the trees along the creek bank. I glance down the ravine and I see her. In the middle of the creek bed is a dead deer.

Great, now what am I supposed to do? I have a full weekend of B&B guests and poolside wine tastings. I can only imagine what it is going to smell like in about 24 hours....not to mention the ugly bird display....and their droppings. Dave is not home until late and so he's not much help. I am a city girl. I don't know what to do about large dead animals. So I call Eldon.

Eldon Bergman is my neighbor and I have never met anyone quite like Eldon. He is well into his 70's and has been a tracker all his life. He has tracked everything from mountain lions to wild pigs to turkeys from Alaska to Mexico. Boy, does this fellow have stories! His Mennonite ancestors have lived here for over 150 years and he knows a lot about a lot of things country.

I called him hoping to learn what county agency one calls in situations like this. I did reach some unnamed county employee who said if I am not in the city it is my responsibility to bury it away from a water source. I am really perplexed how to retrieve a dead deer from a STEEP ravine and figure out how to dig a hole large enough if I am successful at pulling this poor dead doe from Jack Creek.

Just as I was preparing for a wine tasting for two guests from the nicest boutique hotel in town, Eldon drives his beloved pickup truck down the drive. When I point out the problem, Eldon ponders a bit and then asks if I have some rope. He explains his idea. He will change into his rubber boots which he conveniently has stored in the bed of his truck, tie the rope around the deer's neck, pull her by hand up the STEEP bank and then tie her to the bumper of said truck. He then will relocate the carcass up the road a piece somewhere where the vultures can enjoy their feast without disturbing anyone but the maybe the coyotes who might want their piece of the action.

Again keep in mind, dear amiable Eldon is well in his 70's, has been telling me how sore he is from the previous day's turkey guiding and is absolutely insisting on helping this poor naive city girl. I tell him Dave will be home and could do it tomorrow but there was absolutely no stopping him because this is what neighbor's do in these parts.

No sooner did I retrieve the rope than my wine tasters arrive so Eldon was off dragging the deer up the bank. Faster than I could pour through our 5 wines, dear old Eldon tooted his horn and was off dragging the doe down the road. He came back a short while later with his "official" explanation based on examining the body.

He surmises that the doe was attacked by a mountain lion based on the puncture marks on her head and neck. He thinks the injured doe leaped down the ravine, broke her neck and tumbled into the water. There was evidence of the cat near the bank but there was too much water in the creek to claim his prize. I don't really like the idea of mountain lions this close to the house but Eldon claims they are all over the country side.

How does one thank someone who goes above and beyond reason just because it's neighborly? If he drank I would have given him a case of wine, but he doesn't. So instead, I baked a pie and took it over to his place today with an inscription reading "the world's best neighbor." He had the expected "aw shucks, it was nothing" attitude but it really was an act of kindness and generousity that is impossible to repay.

Hans, Harry and Strudel

Ok, I have died and gone to heaven. If ever you are in the San Diego area you must visit Harry at Hans and Harry's in Bonita. (www.hans-harry.com) We first met Harry when he and his wife Maureen where in Paso Robles wine tasting. They came to the house and we introduced Per Cazo Cellars to them. He said if we were ever in the area, he wanted to introduce us to his partner and their bakery. Well, Dave will NEVER turn down an invitation to a bakery so of course we called and made an appointment.

This place reminds one of the consummate European bakery where you walk in and immediately start to drool. The bakery cases are filled with scrumptious treats that you know your cardiologist would scold you for even eating half. It was like a one room, sensory overload, Willy Wonka style pastry experience. Harry ushered us to the back where we witnessed some of his 25 employees fast at work creating their masterpieces. He said the bakery goes through 500 pounds of sugar a week. I don't even want to know how much butter. Harry also explained that this business has proven recession proof. When people feel down, they turn to sugar. They may not be able to afford to go to dinner but a breakfast treat is just the splurge one can swing. Harry treated us to the goodies of our choice and the beautiful large strudel that we took with us to enjoy with our friends we were visiting for lunch.

We met Hans who was busy in the office and promises to visit on his next trip to Paso Robles. Harry related a story about Hans who one would say is one lucky guy. After years of hard work, Hans and his wife planned a big European vacation. On the first week of the trip they were in Ireland golfing. Hans was complaining of a headache so severe he was going to abandon his tee time. That's when his wife new it was serious. They visited the ER where X-rays revealed a large aneurysm. Fortunately for Hans, on staff at this hospital was one of the two specialist equipped to treat a serious neurological problem. They returned to San Diego with a huge sense of relief and the realization that they had it pretty good so maybe they don't need to conquer the entire bakery empire. They scaled back their wedding cake business and now focus on the retail side of the operations and go home feeling both satisfied and successful. Instead of slow down to smell the roses, their philosophy is slow down and enjoy a piece of strudel. I'll have coffee with mine.

Limoncello only 80 days away

My friend Vivian dropped off nearly a bushel of lemons last week as the result of my mentioning my recipe for limoncello. This may be the only thing I like better than wine. I first had limoncello in Telluride at our favorite Italian restaurant, Rustico. Ever since then I have never turned down a chance to have the frozen Italian liqueur.

I couldn't find my recipe so I turned to Google to the rescue. After studying several versions I settled on a recipe by Deborah Horn. Her label is Limoncello di Casa Piazzetta which is somewhere in Italy which lends great credibility in my opinion. Since I had so many lemons, I thought I would have my own experiment. I have three alternate versions and am eager to see which yields the smoothest, sweetest limoncello. I have three gallon Ball jars with varying amounts of Everclear/Vodka. One is 100% Everclear, the 151% proof grain alcohol. #2 is half Everclear and half Vodka and #3 is 3 parts Everclear to 1 part Vodka. I carefully peeled only the yellow skin with no white pith and placed the equivalent of 15 lemons in each jar. I want to try one other version as soon as I can find one more gallon jar. I am going to try straight Vodka as I still have plenty of lemons left.

I have to wait 80 days for the final product so stay tuned....

Here is the basic recipe:

Deborah's Limoncello Recipe


Limoncello is a liqueur made from lemons. In Italy, it is usually served after dinner. You will find locally made Limoncello in Sorrento (near the Amalfi coast) and in Liguria. Both of these areas grow the lemons used to create the Limoncello. If you want to have the taste of Italy at home, try this recipe to make your own.

Please note that this is a very detailed recipe for those who have never tackled liqueur making before. Many Limoncello recipes are much simpler and faster.
Ingredients list

* One Bottle (750 ml) Everclear (95% alcohol 190 Proof)
* One Bottle (750 ml) good but not necessarily premium vodka (40% alcohol 80 Proof)
* 15 large thick skinned bright yellow lemons (without scars or flaws in the skin if possible.)
* 750 ml (about 3 cups) filtered tap water or distilled water (not mineral water)
* 4 cups pure cane white sugar (this will give thin syrup consistency; if you prefer a thicker syrup, experiment with increasing your sugar by 1-2 cups)

Tools list

* A very clean and dry gallon glass jar (the kind you make sun tea in is perfect)
* Large supplies of unbleached cone coffee filters; half of them #2 size and half of them #4 size
* 22 clean, 100 ml. bottles that seal tightly. I found mine at Cost Plus/World Market. They are clear glass with narrow necks. The ceramic looking white hard plastic stoppers have orange rubber gaskets and built in metal hasps to hold the stopper tight. They cost $1.99 each. If you would like to try to get the exact same bottle, the label says World Market "Spain" K1 and the UPC code is 2056 8498.)
* One large gallon sized glass (pyrex style) pitcher
* One cup sized metric measuring cup
* One punch ladle
* Two funnels with inch mouths. One should have a bowl capacity to fit the #4 coffee filter, the other to fit the #2 coffee filter.

Step One
Day 1

* Pour the bottle of Everclear and the bottle of vodka into the gallon jar.
* Try to use organic lemons or make sure that lemons are cleaned to remove all pesticides, dirt, and fertilizer chemicals. Dry the lemons. Use a potato peeler to peel just the yellow part of the skin off the lemons. Make sure you have NO white pith on the back of the peels, because this causes bitterness in the finished liqueur. Try to make the peel pieces as large as possible, because this will make the straining process easier.
* Put the lemon peels in the gallon jar and stir gently.
* Cover tightly and put away in a cool (not cold) dark place for alcohol to extract oils from peels, creating an infusion.

Days 8, 22, & 36

* Gently stir lemon peels to refresh exposure to alcohol. Return to cool, dark place.

Day 43

* Gently stir lemon peels.
* Scoop out one of the larger peels and test flexibility. If peel breaks like a potato chip, you will move on to the next step. If peel is still flexible enough to bend without breaking, return to cool dark place and try again in another week.

Step Two
Day 1

* Dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes.
* Set syrup aside to cool. It must be room temp before adding to infusion.
* Use a slotted spoon to gently scoop lemon peels from the infusion and discard. To avoid creating small pieces that will make straining more difficult, try not to break peels as you remove them.
* Using the larger funnel, the ladle, and #4 coffee filters, slowly strain infusion through filters into large pitcher. This is a messy process. The filters will clog quickly and you will use many of them.
* Rinse and dry gallon jar.
* Repeat straining process, transferring infusion from pitcher to original gallon jar by straining again through #4 coffee filters.
* Return filtered infusion to jar and add COOLED syrup.
* Return to cool dry place for 40 days to begin mellowing process that combines alcohol infusion with syrup to create Limoncello.

Day 40

Note: If you moisten the filters before the straining, you will not waste liqueur by soaking it into the filter.

* Begin filtering Limoncello. Use punch ladle to pour a small amount into a filter-lined funnel held over the small measuring cup.
* Fill measuring cup to an even ml level. (100, 200, 300, etc.)
* Using smaller funnel and #2 sized filters, filter one last time into individual 100-ml bottles. You have now filtered the liqueur a total of 4 times.
* Seal bottles VERY tightly. Remember, if you are using different bottles and are sealing them by corking -- corks breathe. So consider dipping the neck several times in melted wax after corking.
* Label and/or tag bottles.
* Return to cool dark place for storage.

Branding Your Limoncello

Your Limoncello is now ready to enjoy. However, the longer it sits and "ages" the smoother it becomes.

I start my batches in the spring/summer when the lemons are at their best. Then I give it as gifts at Christmas time. Since Limoncello is a favorite warm weather treat it will have aged an entire year by the time most people drink it. VERY smooth and delicious!

The 100ml size bottles make ideal gifts. You should label the bottles with some basic information and a disclaimer (You don't want to be arrested by ATF as a Bootlegger).

I label my bottles and add a decorative tag. The label I created for my bottles is printed on clear Avery shipping labels (#5165) and has a picture of our house in Umbria.
The Label

The label says:
Limoncello di Casa Piazzetta
A homemade Lemon Liqueur Gift To You From Deborah Horn
The Tag

Here is what I put on my tags:
Serving suggestion:
As an after dinner drink, serve one ounce in a small chilled aperitif glass.
As a refreshing dessert, pour an ounce over a large scoop of shaved ice and garnish with a lemon twist.
Limoncello is best when served directly from the freezer.
Ingredients: beverage alcohol; distilled water; pure cane sugar, & lemon oil infused from the peel of fresh lemons.
100 ml -- 45% alcohol by volume
This liqueur is homemade for private use only. Not intended to be sold or served commercially.

Remember the song, "Here's to good friends, tonight is kind of special"

This weekend's guests at Creekside B&B came all the way from Tampa Bay, Florida for their first visit to the Central Coast. Randy and Cathryn are very wine savvy folks who made the most of their trip exploring all the favorites - great wineries, Hearst Castle,the elephant seal rookery and San Luis Obispo. Few visitors have done the research these two had to ensure a well planned trip.

Joining them for the weekend were old friends of Randy's, Ann and Dean. They live in L.A. but have mid-western roots from Minnesota, Iowa and even have a cabin at Gull Lake. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we all sat around the fire pit by the barn for wine tasting and got better acquainted. I probably sound like a broken record, but this is the best part of owning a B&B. We cross paths with the most interesting people who have great stories, interesting jobs and a common love of discovering new wines.

Of course, we also had terrific wine tasting guests. A group of wine lovers who have all worked together over the years found us on the internet and arranged a private tasting. Thankfully, they loved the wines, joined the wine club and promised to return soon. Weekends are our busiest times but we have had a few groups throughout the week. Today a fun foursome came celebrating a "big" birthday. Joni, Sharon, Charlene and Susy have been friends since they were 13. Suffice to say it has been awhile since they were teenagers but how wonderful to have friendships that are measured in decades. It's equally wonderful just getting the chance to make new friends and I look forward to the next time we can share a glass of wine together.

A ZINfully Wonderful Weekend

Dave and I hosted Per Cazo Cellars' first Zin Fest weekend. Mother Nature could not have provide a more perfect weekend. Sunny blue skies, balmy breezes and comfortable temperatures set the stage as we readied the pool deck for wine tasting. We really didn't know what to expect. Based on our experience at last October's Harvest Fest wine weekend, we anticipated being fairly busy. We enlisted the help of dear friends Cel and Vivian, had Jamie on hand tidying up once the B&B guests left for their adventures and we were prepared for whoever would wander down the driveway.

We didn't have the crowds we presumed but the folks who did visit were absolutely wonderful. It was a real mix of young and old, locals and visitors from other locals but unanimously, they loved the wine and they loved the Zin Balls. Audrilee, a Creekside Wine Club member, shared her recipe for a meatball in a spicy,wine sauce with me. Since I had several requests for the recipe, I thought I would share it as well.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 cloves fresh garlic
1 jalapeno pepper (I used 1/3 bag frozen peppers and chopped them in a mini-processor)
1 bell pepper
1 cup catsup
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup barbeque sauce (I used my favorite, Sweet Baby Ray)
pinch of cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup Per Cazo Cellars' ZinG wine
2 lbs. frozen meatballs (or your own if you prefer)

In a large sauce pan, sauté onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients, except meatballs and simmer for about an hour stirring occasionally. Can be made in advance up to 3 days.

Place frozen meatballs in a large deep baking dish, cover with sauce and bake at 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes. (This too can be made in advance)

I reheated them in a crock pot where they stayed at a safe temperature for hours.

We also served polenta crostini that were simple polenta rounds, grilled and half were topped with carmelized onions and a small dollop of Cambrozola cheese and the other half with red pepper/artichoke tapenade. The other favorite were the walnut halves topped with goat cheese and a sliver of spiced dried mangos. Those paired with the white Tres Blanc especially well.

Next Wine Fest is over the weekend of May 21. Not sure what the menu will be but please mark your calendars now and plan to stop by. We promise a great time!

"To grin like a Cheshire Cat" Moon

The night sky featured a magnificent sliver of moon perfectly positioned like a wily smile. Having just seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I could not help compare it to the grin of the Cheshire Cat. This made me gaze up to the heavens in awe as the stars displayed their own glory. Beholding the nightly celestial display is one of my favorite things about living in Paso Robles.

It's been a very busy week and I love it when moments like this cause me to stop in my tracks and give thanks that I am lucky enough to live here. I was in L.A. with my daughter Kelley as she interviewed for a position as a NBC Page. We had a quick two day adventure then she reluctantly returned to college for the final stretch of Senior year and I rushed back to Paso to begin preparations for this weekend's Zin Fest.

Zin Fest is one of three big wine weekends held in the area. We are expecting a busy wine tasting weekend and are expanding the food pairings to include Zin balls, meatballs with a great wine sauce, polenta crostini with carmelized onions, walnuts with goat cheese and spiced mango along with a great assortment of cheese. If you are in the area, please stop by. We anticipate great weather and will be set up around the pool.

The Creekside B&B guests are all arriving on Friday. I already met the Creekside Room guests who are bringing their dog and the upstairs guests sound delightful. We will try to make it a memorable experience for all. I always insist they take some time for stargazing!

β&β Sorority

When my friend Debbie called to ask if I would be available for a wine tasting at her home for a group of fellow Bed and Breakfast owners I jumped at the chance. I relish any time I can introduce Per Cazo Cellars wines but this was a group of women whose combined years of knowledge at running a B&B probably exceeds my years on earth. What I wouldn't give to know all the tips and tricks of operating a thriving inn. Don't get me wrong, I must be doing something right as we are booked a lot and so far have received rave reviews but there are times when I wonder if there aren't more secrets to success.

Some members of the Getaway group weren't there but I thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with Ann (Ann & George's Bed and Breakfast), Jessica (Zenaida Cellars), Corrine (The Winemaker's Porch), Carolyn (Chanticleer), and of course Debbie (Orchard Hill Farms) who is the consummate hostess. We tasted through the wines and I passed out our tasting cards for their guests. Most guests at Bed and Breakfast appreciate the insiders knowledge and I can guarantee an outstanding experience for their clients.

Debbie was late for an appointment so we quickly gathered our belongings to move on with our day but not before I naively inquired how to join the group. We'll see if they are interested in expanding and Kelley suggested that maybe this introduction was equivalent to sorority rush. I would make a great pledge, keep the secret handshake and be proud to be a part of the sisterhood of innkeepers.

For the First Time

I remember the first time I went wine tasting. We were with our favorite oenophiles, the Pipers. I don't remember where we stayed, but it was a funky comfortable place in Rutherford and it had a fabulous restaurant whose name also escapes me. But what I do recall was the excitement of walking into the first winery, Grgich Hills, not knowing what to expect. We dashed up to the tasting bar, paid our $5 and an attractive, knowledgeable woman told us everything we thought we needed to know about wine.

Bill had planned out our first wine vacation thoroughly and methodically. That's the way he lives his life and it is great to go on vacation with someone with a plan. The itinerary included private wine tastings Caymus, a most entertaining wine education from Claude at Joseph Phelps and appointments at other well known wineries along Route 29 and the Silverado trail. Dave had to beg the folks at Whitehall Lane to let us come in 5 minutes before closing time. We explored a lot of ground, stocked our wine cellar and began what would become a life long affair with wine.

This weekend, first time wine tasters, Tom, Cathy and Jillian from Calabas crossed our threshold. They had the same wide-eyed eagerness that we possessed on our first wine adventure. I tried hard to educate them about the process and they were enthusiastic learners from the first sip. We discovered we shared the common history of having daughters study at Miami University in Ohio. Between the wine, the Miami connection and our wine dog, Maddy's affection, they won't forget Per Cazo Cellars. Nick from Lush Limo was responsible for introducing the Fenchels to Paso Robles' wineries and I am confident they had a great initiation to the fundamentals of fun from the vineyards.

We also had the opportunity to introduce the Paso Robles wine region to our dear friend Norrie and her daughter Evy who is relocating from France to San Francisco. Evy has a very discerning palate and relished the opportunity to hear the wide ranging stories from the likes of Cindy and Tim Newkirk at Steinbeck, meet Tom and Kathleen at Pear Valley, and witness the crazy side of wine tasting as the bachlorette parties were in full swing at EOS.

Like us, they were partial to the oak covered hills of the west side. Oso Libre offered a pleasurable experience where Jeff and Chris entertained us with tales about the cows and sheep that graze their land while offering generous pours of their fine wines. We visited Pasolivo for olive oil tasting to give our wined-out palates a rest. Saving the best for last, we ambled up the crooked road leading to Starr Ranch in hopes of seeing Judy. She was out so we settled on barrel tasting some of our wine which is aging in her barn. One of Evy's favorites is Cabernet Franc so we dipped the wine thief into the barrel to see how it is coming along. We also barrel sampled the Merlot and visited with fellow winemaker, Kevin Jussila who was putting some final touches on his wines that are barrel aging along side ours. A visit to Starr Ranch is not complete until you drive through the vineyard and marvel at the beauty resulting from the labors of Judy's vision and hard work.

After heading over to the coast to feast on a fantastic dinner in Cambria at the Sea Chest, we returned home and retired early having been well-quaffed and dazed by the resulting food coma. Norrie and Evy left early this morning promising to return soon with Evy's handsome French husband Nico. Darn...we will have to do it all again!

Critical work for the owners of Per Cazo Cellars

Last night we had serious homework. Dave and I were sampling the next vintage of Per Cazo Cellars red wines. From the beginning when we decided to make wine, we made the conscience decision to focus on offering wines that are blends of various grape varietals. We are partial to this style and based on the comments of folks who enjoy our wines, it is what they prefer too. It really allows the winemaker to use his or her creativity and make an interesting wine. Fortunately for us, it is what Steve Glossner, our winemaker is famous for and he does it very well.

We have three red blends in our portfolio of wine. A Rhone style (Epi Telos), a Bordeaux style (Confluent) and a very unique blend (ZinG) that really features the best characteristics of two varietals to merge together to deliver a very approachable wine. Our task yesterday was to evaluate the 2008 ZinG and Confluent. Steve purposefully did not divulge the blended proportion so we would not have any preconceived notions.

We set up our glasses and poured the test wine and the control wine, last year's bottle. Even though we were both starving, we agreed it was best to taste without food to sway our palates. Since the ZinG is a medium body wine we started with that first. We both agreed it was good but seemed more fruit forward than the test wine. We swirled and sipped and let the wine linger to judge the finish. It had similar flavor profiles but we both felt it needs more play time with Steve.

Next we set up the glasses for the Confluent. The 2007 Confluent is a very popular wine, we literally are down to our last 6 bottles. It also happens to be my favorite so I was taking this very seriously. We first examined the color. The 2008 definitely was deeper and darker. Next the swirl...aah, the rich fruitiness had more complexity compared to the '07. There was hints of blackberry and a sweet leather fragrance. Then we sipped. Actually we chewed. This wine had a wonderful mouth-feel and an unmistakable essence of violets. There is much more going on than its predecessor. Last was the swallow. Big finish but with some finesse. Steve hit a home run with this blend and now we can't wait to bottle and show it off!

We showed no restrain once the homework was complete. We devoured the pizza and kept sampling the wines... and then we slept like babies.

Not a Secret Any More

People ask me all the time, "Why Paso?" Until you come to see for yourself, it is tough to exactly articulate the appeal. Once one hears that we left Minneapolis they assume it's because of the harsh winters. That's not it. Before we lived in Minnesota, we spent four years in Scottsdale so snow and cold are not the issue. We came here to be in the wine business.

A recent L.A. Times article entitled "Paso Robles Transforms From Sleepy Cow Town to the World's Most Vibrant Wine Region" [http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-farm-scene-new-napa,0,286754.story] presents an enlightening viewpoint of why Paso Robles is the place to make wine. Wine expert Robert Parker is quoted in the article saying,
"the region of rolling, oak-studded hills holds California's greatest potential." It is very exciting to be a part of an emerging marketplace for wine.

Whether it is the curious tasters who have discovered Per Cazo Cellars wines or the delightful Creekside Bed and Breakfast guest, I feel privileged to introduce visitors to my newly adopted community. Ag tourism is alive and thriving in the central California coast. And while there are still beautiful herds of cattle grazing on the grassy hillside, it is the wine that is generating the buzz. Pssst....pass it on.

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition & Wine Tasting Recap

Last weekend was the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting. This is the culmination of the world's largest wine competition that this year judged 4,913 different wines, a world record. While there are lots of wine contests, we had been advised that this is definitely one of the events to compete in. We are proud to announce that we secured silver medals for the two wines we entered, the '08 Tres Blanc and '07 Epi Telos.

The Fort Mason Center hosted over 500 different wineries who poured their medal winners for over 6,000 tasters. Unfortunately, my camera decided not to cooperate so to get a sense of the mass of humanity, check out http://www.winejudging.com/event_tickets.htm. Dave and I poured wine for four hours to a very diverse group of imbibers. Some were definitely on a mission to taste as many different wines as possible. Others were much more selective seeking only a particular varietal. Many came prepared with their notes and actually had a strategy to try only the wineries they had never heard of or only from a certain region or only those with the highest score.

Most rewarding for Dave and me where the comments like, "this is the best wine we've tasted all day," and "I can't believe this only won a silver." Many tasters were in small groups who returned to the table with their friends encouraging them to try the wines. There were lots of folks asking how to buy the wine so we gave out hundreds of cards with instructions to order online. Everyone took brochures of the B&B promising to call for reservations. We'll see how much this enthusiasm on a wine-induced Saturday translates to actual sales and visits. We are definitely the "wine glass more than half full" types and are convinced people will come.

Regardless of the net wine results, we had a fun get-away in a beautiful city. Dave and I had fantastic meals, caught up with some old friends, met new ones, walked from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Wharf in the rain and behaved like total tourists. I finally got to ride a cable car!

I think it is literally raining cats!

So lots of you have been asking for an update on the cats. The two cats that replaced Sunny are alive and thriving in the barn. No evidence of mice anywhere!

The sweet but mangy feral cat that we have dubbed Cat King Coal can be found leisurely lounging on the balcony of the Room with a View enjoying the warm sunny days. She has manage to bewitch all the guests into buying her food in spite of my daily feedings. She is just so skinny, one can't help but take pity on her. I don't even really know if it's a female feline. The local cat befriender society says they will come next week to try to find a good home for her.

For a day we thought she might be the long lost cat of the woman I bought the property from. Three years ago, Nanci's cat disappeared. We've all heard stories about cats who reappear years after they were last seen. This is not her cat, but it was fun to see Nanci!

Imagine my surprise this morning when I let Maddy dog out for her morning constitutional that I see another new cat in the backyard. We've had a lot of rain this winter, I think it really must be raining cats!

Back under the Paso Sun

What a difference a week makes....last Saturday, Dave and I were freezing while pouring wine in wintery Minnesota. This weekend we offered our first poolside tasting for 2010. It was a beautiful spring weekend in Paso Robles and there was a lot of activity for both Per Cazo and Creekside.

The house was full of fun guests. Thatcher Winery was hosting their big winemaker dinner and Michelle was kind to refer their guests to stay with us. We also had the pleasure of housing the west coast Ridell USA representative, her 9 year old daughter and their good friend. No sooner did they check-out that two more couples checked in to spend Valentine's Day discovering the wonders of the west-side wineries. All our guests reinforced the belief that we have the best job in the world as innkeepers in the Central California Coast.

We also had a terrific time introducing the Per Cazo wines to wine visitors. Some were local, some were from across the country, all were impressed with the wines. We sincerely appreciate all the support and confidence as we tell our story of chance encounters and blind ambition to make fine wines. We also are really thankful of the return visitors and wine club members who stopped by to see us. It means a great deal to us.

Next weekend we will be pouring in San Francisco at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting at the Fort Mason Center. If you are in the area, stop by our table.

Go hug your kids!

I'll get to the point of the title by the end, but I thought I would recap our action-packed weekend in Minnesota.

• We got our snow fix for the year. It snowed nearly everyday we were back but definitely not like the dump that the East was receiving. It wasn't even enough to reek havoc on the highways. Just enough to make me wish I had planned a ski trip someplace this year.
• The wines were a hit at the WAMSO Vintage of Note! We were the new kids on the block and the only vintners from Paso Robles. Some of the guests were familiar with area but most were not. The best part was hearing comments like, "Your wine is the best one here." The group included some sophisticated wine enthusiasts and their praise was most appreciated. It was interesting that the Tres Blanc was well received in this undeniably "red wine only" crowd. It continues to live up to its billing as "the white wine for red wine drinkers." We definitely will get some business as well as visitors. Everyone loved the photos of Creekside B&B. We offered a weekend in the silent auction and there were lots of folks bidding.
• As always, the best part is seeing friends. While we love our new lives in California, there is no doubt that our hearts are still yearning for the friends we left behind. We didn't get to see everyone we would like to - there never is enough time - we did share a few laughs and a few glasses of wine with as many as we could.
• We interviewed a few realtors about selling our home. Any one now of someone who wants a great house in Edina? I think we found someone we would enjoy working with. After the last time we tried this, I am going to be very selective. The market still stinks but the optimist in me says it's time. The other great news, is that our tenant agreed to let them show the house while they are still there so we can get the process started.

Now I'll explain the title of this post. Saturday morning, my friend Mary received a phone call that the son of her high school friend Brian Burke had died in an automobile accident. He was the student manager of the Miami University hockey team where our daughter Kelley attends college. She did not know him but by all accounts he was a fabulous young man. When you hear news like this, one's heart skips a beat for a moment and you try to imagine how devastating this would be. Only you can't really imagine so you reach out to your kids, tell them how precious they are and if lucky enough to be in the same room, give them a hug.

Today is Brenden's funeral. His dad is supposed to be heading to Vancouver as the general manager of the US Olympic hockey team. Instead, he is in Connecticut burying his son. Go say a prayer for the family and then go hug your kid again.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

So today I am not under the Paso sun. I think it's raining there any way. I am "basking" in the delight of fresh snow in chilly Minneapolis.

We are in town for a wine tasting for WAMSO's Vintage of Note where we will be one of four featured Minnesotan vintners for the Symphony Orchestra. We are looking forward to introducing Per Cazo Cellars to an audience of Minnesotans who have yet to discover Paso wines. It's at the Graves Hotel Saturday if you are in the area and want to support a great cause.

One of the other reasons we came to town is to try to decide what to do about our Edina house. Our lovely tenants are moving on to Seattle. Jedd is going to be the QB coach for the Seahawks so we are faced with the daunting decision to try to sell or lease the house. Please feel free to comment your opinions about our dilemma. We met with some real estate agents who paint a very dismal picture of the state of home values in the Twin Cities.

The best part of coming back to Minneapolis is the chance to reconnect with friends. Last night I met up with my "new" girlfriends who had visited the Creekside B&B last November. We toasted with Judy Starr's Crooked Road Odysseus blend and laughed about 101 uses for dried persimmons. Today is lunch with Mary and some other girlfriends and tonight we catch up with Cathleen and Ward Godsalls at one of our favorite restaurants, Campiellos. Tomorrow we hope to see the Chandlers before pour the wines at the event. We never have enough time to see everyone but chances are we will be back again soon to deal with the house.

Jack Creek is really flowing at Creekside Bed and Breakfast

I wish I had audio right now at the Inn. Birds chirping, wild turkeys gobbling and the creek is the actually babbling. It is so serene and I wish I had some guests here to appreciate the peacefulness.

I tried to capture the gentle natural water fall and nearly broke my neck climbing down the creek bank. The accumulation of leaves and dead tree limbs give a false illusion. Fortunately, there is a rope secured to a tree at the top of the bank that made climbing back up much easier.

Wish you were here.

Is there such a thing as "too much fun?"

...Not when your friends with Don and Robin.

This weekend the B&B was filled to the rafters (literally) as eight guests stayed in the barn. When one rents the entire barn, they have access to the loft which sleeps 2. So all the beds were full including the Murphy bed when friends of the Kramers came to celebrate Don's birthday. Brian, who is the common denominator of the group is married to Jeanine who use to work for Diane who is married to Max who is friends with Brenda and Mia and they know Don and Robin through Brian who was an Elvis impersonator on a cruise (I think.) It's all very 6 degrees of separation.

They were ready to have a good time bringing so much food and libations they could probably stay a week. They kindly invited me to join them on Friday so to be more comfortable, we all ate around the dining table. Soon we were laughing and singing and of course drinking Per Cazo Cellars wines. The next day their favorite, James from Bay Limo, escorted them around the wineries Paso Robles. They made friends wherever they stopped. We saw the photos to prove it!

Sadly, Sunday morning arrived and after eating their fill of Baked French Toast and Caramelized Bacon, the cars and trucks where loaded up with luggage, coolers and wine boxes. As they pulled away, Dave and I smiled and gave thanks that we get to meet the most interesting people since becoming innkeepers of the Creekside Bed and Breakfast.

It's raining cats....

I'll blog more later about the fun B&B guests but here is a photo of Cat King Coal they took last night. It tried to join the party. This uninvited guest was quickly shown the door!

Pussy Galore

So many of you have been asking for an update on the cat. (If you need a review of the saga, go read past blogs from August, That Darn Cat and November, A Near CATastrophe.) Well, poor Sunny is no longer living here. After trying lots of TLC and kitty snacks, I contacted the experts at "Befriended Felines" who offered to exchange Sunny for two cats she had been working with the last few months. I never thought Dave would go for it but since we were seeing evidence of mice in the barn, we said we'd try yet again on finding the perfect mousers.

No sooner did we get Gabby, a sweet gray tabby and Cinder, a beautiful but shy black cat with amazing green eyes, than two other cats appeared out of nowhere. One is the reincarnation of Sunny. He just wanders around without calling too much attention to himself. We have dubbed the other one Cat King Coal because he is black and showed up at a Christmas party we had. CKC is a very friendly cat who visits the B&B guests. Over the last few weeks, the guests have all been big cat lovers who have bestowed a great deal of affection. Not so sure what will happen when our not-so-nuts about cats friends check in. So now there is no shortage of cats. There has been no signs of mice either.

p.s. The cat lady who took Sunny reported that he still sulks and hisses and remains in his cage. Carol Pexa called it, he never forgave us.

Life is back to normal...whatever that means?

I am back ....the holidays really through me for a loop. A good loop - full of family, friends and wine events but kept me away from the computer. Fortunately, it provided lots of material for future posts.

It was a good thing we had a Bed and Breakfast as we had family in for Christmas. Meg and her boyfriend Andy came from Hong Kong. Dave's parents, Joan and Charles drove cross country from Ohio and of course Kelley was home from college.

I know Christmas isn't supposed to be about the trappings. The Grinch taught us that, but I find it challenging none the less every time we move. Where to hang the stockings? Best place for the tree? What about the collection of Santa photos when the girls were younger (or not so young)? This was our first Christmas in long time without snow! Old customs gave way to new traditions. Instead of snowshoeing , we strolled the beach. Maddy was in heaven chasing her new tennis ball into the surf. We replaced our night at the Gutherie Theater with a night at Hearst Castle which was tastefully decorated for the holidays and included volunteers in vintage attire adding to the experience. We didn't have to fry the turkey in sub-zero temps. It was 60 degrees and blue skies. What is life but a set of trade offs.

All too quickly, it was time to ring in the new year and a new decade. One that holds lots of promise. Of course it means resolutions so here are a couple of mine:

• weekly posts to the blog (notice it's already week 3 of the new year - oops!)
  
• more effort to get in shape (no excuses with my Christmas gift of membership to the Kennedy Health Club)
• drink only good wine (There's plenty of Per Cazo open all the time)
• work harder at filling the B&B (who can help me with SEO)
• And the perennial favorite, make new friends!

Cheers! Here's to a happy and healthy 2010!!!