Toot-toot-a-loo

My daughter Kelley does this cute little thing of tooting an imaginary horn while trilling a series of notes that sounds like, "Toot-toot-a-loo" any time she's proud of her own accomplishment. Well we have some horn-tooting of our own to do.
The wine business is really hopping. Our Creekside Wine Club has grown to over 300 members and we truly appreciate many of you sending your friends our way. The consensus seems to be the latest wine releases are even better than the previous vintages. The new Zinfandel is a big hit, ZinG is more popular than ever and all the wines we entered in Central Coast Wine Competition and the Orange County Wine Society contest medaled. We are especially thrilled our 2010 Tres Blanc won the honors of Best of Class for the second year in a row at the CCWC and the 2009 Confluent received a coveted Gold Medal from the OCWS competition. Yay!

We are equally happy that business at the inn has really picked up recently. There has been a noticeable increase in the mid-week bookings. That may be due to the professional video our very talented friend Whit produced for the inn. Here's another toot on the horn for the talents of William Whitney I think it illustrates the wonderful features of the Creekside Bed and Breakfast as compared to still photos. There is a great segue of the sky from vivid blue to starry night that is amazing!

One interesting statistic I have read is that 79% of travelers are strongly considering opting for a bed and breakfast experience. This is up sharply from past surveys and I think it is because the average American is seeking a more meaningful vacation in these troubled times. The poll implied that there is a real need to replenish the soul of people who are working harder than ever and feeling more disillusion with their future. The opinion was that innkeepers of B and B's work hard to establish a sincere connection with their guests and while disposable income is tighter than ever, the concept of value is more respected than in the past. I know Dave and I strive to deliver an experience that is exceeds the expectations. We have wonderful guests who seem to really appreciate the services we offer but we concerned by the rising costs we face for food, utilities and labor. Yikes! (Don't worry, we aren't raising prices.)

Fortunately, the wonderful guests who visit make it all worthwhile. Rebecca and Steven checked into the Creekside B and B today and I may never want them to leave. They are a fun couple from someplace called Monarch Beach who are big oenophiles celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary. After offering a Per Cazo Cellars' wine tasting and sharing stories, they went up to their room and brought down a great bottle of wine to share with me. If you get a chance to sample the 2008 Tablas Creek Panoplie, a gorgeous GSM from Paso Robles, you should. Our new Epi Telos stacked up well comparably (and it's about $60 less expensive.)

Our other B and B guests are also celebrating an anniversary. They come back every 5 years. They honeymooned here 10 years ago, revisited with the previous owner 5 years ago and returned this week to rekindle their romance. They were a bit of concerned that the place might have changed when they learned of the new ownership. They were pleased to find everything very similar to what they remembered and were happy with some of the new improvements. Andy and Stephanie were especially happy to see the IPOD dock in the room so they could listen to their favorite music. I can't wait for their next visit in 5 years from now.

Dave and I are really excited about the addition of our latest pets. Many of you may have heard we traded a case of wine for two adorable French Alpine goats from one of our frequent wine tour operator. Meet Heidi and Templeton. They are a big hit with our visitors and will gladly perform on their balance beam for a handful of Cherrios. They arrived on Mother's Day and are thriving on the pastureland at Creekside.

On a sad note, many of our guests took a particular interest in Dice, the black and white tuxedo cat who wandered here a couple of years ago. She was a favorite to many (myself included) and she passed away a few weeks ago. RIP Dicey, you will be missed.

Sunny with a chance of Meatballs

All wineries rely on their wine club for long term success but it is vital for small boutiques wineries like Per Cazo Cellars. It is how we budget, estimate production and we would not be in business without the Creekside Club. We have been very lucky to have grown to over 250 members. Tasters really enjoy the wines but I think the secret to our success has been the option to customize the wine selection. Thanks to Safehaven our fulfillment center and a flexible software program, it works. Because we only have two shipments a year, I do not have the process streamlined yet but I am getting better.

Most of our members receive their wines via UPS or GSO. We have about 40 members who live close enough to pick up their wine and offer a Pick Up Party to celebrate the latest selections. Last weekend we hosted over 60 people. We were hesitant because it was Easter but maybe that worked in our favor. LA second homeowners escaped the city and brought friends and family. Local members also had their weekend guests so I would say it was a good idea afterall.

We are still new at this Pick-Up party stuff and learned a few new lessons. Because there is the chance to taste all the wines, the idea of the standard wine selection really does not work. This means we don't have the wines all packed up ready to go. Next time, we will take up the offer of members to volunteer to help with the pulling of wines. We also learned we need more food. We offer a food pairing that compliments each wine and not surprisingly, everyone arrives at the same time. We are so lucky that fellow wine club member/executive Chef Nanette Smalley expertly pairs her menu to our wine. She certainly outdid herself.

MENU:

Tres Blanc and Corn Cakes with Smoked Black cCod and Creme Fraiche
ZinG and Angel Hair Souffle
Zinfandel and Zin Meatballs
Barrel samples of '09 Epi Telos &'09 Confluent with Late Harvest Zin Ice Cream & homemade Chocolate Cookie.

Nanette has shared the recipe for the Zin Balls so I promised to include it on this blog. Try them, they are easy to make and perfect for upcoming graduation parties and family reunions.

Nanette’s Classic Meatballs

1 clove of garlic
1 medium Onion
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley
4 ounces of Parmesan in chunks
1 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of tomato paste1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
Flour

In a food processor process the Parmesan and parsley until finely grated and remove to a large bowl.. In a food processor chop the onion and garlic until finely minced add to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. blend well.shape into 2 inch meatballs and dredge lightly with flour.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and brown the meatballs.

Add to sauce and cook 20 minutes until done.


SPICY ZINFANDEL MEATBALLS


1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, minced
8cloves of Fresh Garlic, minced
I Green Bell pepper
1 Jalapeno
1 Cup B.B.Q. Sauce, (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
! cup Catsup
1 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon New Mexican Chile Powder
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Cup Per Cazo Zinfandel Wine
Meatballs, see recipe

In a Cuisinart, add the bell pepper, jalapeno and mince until fine. Set aside, Add Onion and garlic into the Cusinart, mince until fine. Set aside.
In a large saucepan heat olive oil till smoking, add onion and pepper mixture. Saute until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes, add the Zinfandel Wine and cook 30 minutes until thickened and delicious. Gently fold in the meatballs and bake in oven about 30 minutes.
Enjoy with Per Cazo Zinfandel Wine

The Pool Deck is Open

This weekend was the first pourings of Per Cazo Cellars al fresco! We cleaned up the deck, dug out the umbrellas, set the tables in our Target blue linens and popped some corks. It the first weekend that I was glad to be out under the Paso sun with a chilled glass of Tres Blanc.

We had bridal parties, birthday "boys" and wine club members sampling the latest wines. The verdict on the new ZinG is out and proclaimed a definite winner. Same is true for the new Zinfandel. It's impressing some tough Zin critics (including yours truly.)

Wine Club pick up is next Saturday. Give us a call if you want to come enjoy a lovely late afternoon poolside sipping the wines, feasting on Nanette's delicious food and toasting to a beautiful vintage. Cheers!

Under the Mammoth sun

Kelley and I ran away from home this week for a quick ski trip to Mammoth. We haven't skied for almost two years. In my old life, I would get nearly 50 days on the slopes so needless to say, I missed it. We got lucky in finding a condo that was interested in trading 3 nights of lodging for 3 nights here in the B&B. It was well appointed with an open great room/kitchen complete with wood burning stove. It was great - and Maddy got to come as well.

Back in the day when we lived in Minnesota, Maddy would frolic in the snow for hours. We took a walk in the national forest and she loved it. It was like she was a puppy again. She loves to try to catch snowballs. It was challenging since the snow was at least 4 feet deep. We found a trail that had snowmobile tracks so we could wander into the beautiful pine forest without sinking into the snow.

We had never skied in California before and were very impressed with Mammoth. The mountain reminded me of a combination of Park City/Mount Hood/Steamboat. Since we only had two ski days, we divided the mountain into half and attempted to cover as much as possible. We had heard horror stories about how crowded it could be but no one was there. It was spring-like conditions so we would try to get to the slopes early, ski hard all morning and call it quits early afternoon when the snow started to resemble mash potatoes. Neither one of us could afford to risk injury. We got a lot of mileage in but never quite felt like we got our $92/day lift ticket worth.

The town of Mammoth is very quiet mid-week. It is a small community compared to the mountain. While we took our own wine and dined in the condo 2 of the 3 evenings, we did manage to visit a few local landmarks that tasters had recommended. The best was a wine bar called Petra's which had a lot of Paso Robles wines on its list. Mitch is responsible for the wine procurement and is visiting the area in May when most of Mammoth is in mud season. He promises to stop by and taste some of our Per Cazo Cellars wines.

Kelley and I had to come back to get ready for what should be a busy weekend. We bottle our 100% Zinfandel tomorrow. Based on the barrel sampling we have offered, it should fly off the shelf. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and try it.

This week's Creekside B&B guests escaped the brutal winter of Chicago for blue skies of California. Fortunately they just missed our freaky snow storm and enjoyed a mild winter's day. Perfect for exploring the wine country.

Ron, a wine buyer for Trader Joe's in Chicago along with lovely wife Pam visited the Santa Ynez and Paso Robles wine regions. As experienced tasters, they were enamored with the Central Coast wines but a bit disappointed in the tasting experiences. They found that most of the wineries they visited had young, poorly trained girls working behind the counters. Like us, they believe the best winery personnel to be middle-aged people who work there because they are passionate about the wine and know how to romance it. They get it! It is exactly the philosophy of Trader Joe's. Be passionate about what you do and if you ever visited a Trader Joe's it is self-evident.

They did compliment us on our passion for both the wine and the Bed and Breakfast. It got to be a joked at all the Trader Joe products he recognized - the tulips on the table, the bacon, the half and half in the refrigerator. This morning's breakfast was nearly 100% Trader Joe's. Here's a recipe that I have modified from epicurious.com. It's easy and looks like more work than it is. Give it a try!

Maple Blueberry Parfait
Yield: 6 servings
Active time: 20 minutes

3 1/2 cup blueberries (18 ounces) divided
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. lemon juice
16 ounce Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt
16-20 Trader Joe's Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins, coursely crumbled

Preparation:
Cook 2 1/4 cups blueberries with 1/2 cup maple syrup in a 2 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the blueberries have burst (3-8 minutes). Cool in an ice bath.

Add remaining blueberries and lemon juice to mixture. Stir well. I usually make the night before. Will hold for 3 days.

In a parfait glass, layer a tablespoon of blueberry sauce, a sprinkle of cookie, 2-3 Tablespoons Greek yogurt; repeat ending with a sprinkle a bit more crumble cookie on top. Garnish with a sprig of mint and whole lemon cookie.

Can substitute their Ginger thins for lemon if you prefer.

Under the Paso snow????

We thought we would not need our snow shovels when we left Minnesota. Snow was "predicted" but we had sunshine until about 4 when hail preceded about 30 minutes of hard snowfall. We had a fun group of tasters here thanks to James and Bay Limo and we all dashed outside to capture the snowstorm on our phones and cameras.

The group was sitting around the fire sipping some barrel tastes of our future Zinfandel when there was a bolt of thunder, then a hailstorm followed by fat furious snowflakes piling up on the pool deck. We were like little kids enjoying Mother Nature's winter display. Even the dogs enjoyed the winter wonderland.
Judging from photos on facebook, lots of friends were capturing the rare California snow. Of course, it did not last long but we did wake to a snow-covered backyard. Dave and I enjoyed our coffee in the hot tub watching the sun burn away the icy patches. Only remote spots that hide in the shadows still linger.


Next week, Kelley and I are supposed to head to Mammouth for our first California ski trip. She is on hiatus so we swapped Creekside B&B nights for 3 nights in a wonderful condo slope side. Look for more photos of snow but shots that are a bit more predictable for the snowy background.

As the Girl Scouts say, Make new Friends and keep the Old, One is Silver, One is Gold!

We have been blessed to have made lovely friends in the short time we have lived in Paso Robles. Last night we were the guests of two of our favorites who included us in their private dinner party in the barrel room at Lone Madrone Winery. This intimate evening featured scrumptious wines by Neil Collins paired with delicious food prepared by Chef Jeff Scott.

Imagine sitting in a cozy, quaint room , surrounded by wine barrels, flickering candlelight and soft music while Neil shares his story of how he arrived from England in the mid-eighties. He learned his wine making skills from the local legends Kenny Volk and John Munch and has become one himself. He is the winemaker for Tablas Creek and his own label, Lone Madrone and is passionate about his craft.

Chef Jeff served four courses of masterfully prepared cuisine - Asparagus Soup with scallops, a beautiful salad, short ribs on polenta and the grand finale of homemade ricotta cheese cake. We enjoyed getting better acquainted with our other dinner companions and left feeling slightly tipsy, very full and happy to have shared a memorable evening with really enjoyable people.

It was the perfect ending to a weekend full of fun and interesting friends - some old ones and some new! We had a great family stay with us for the weekend. Thanks to a referral from fellow b&b owner who was booked, the Wylies arrived ready for a fun weekend of wine tasting. Their son and daughter-in-law joined them just in time for Bay Limo to pick up for a full day of wine tasting. They went to all the small wineries with owners who have great stories - Hidden Oaks, Vines on the Marycrest, Hanson as well a few other gems that James frequents. They enjoyed our wines too and even joined the wine club! They took advantage of the spa special we are running and booked four hot stone massages. I was so jealous! They are from the central valley and came bearing gifts - bags of pistachios that they grew and processed. Trust me, these are much better than the economical Costco nuts I serve. We will be doling these out only on special occasions.

Per Cazo Cellars met a lot of new friends this weekend. In spite of a cold rainy weekend, we had lots of tasting appointments. Since we are so low on wine, we offered some barrel samples of some upcoming wines we will be bottling soon. We received some great feedback and know they'll be back when the wines are finally in bottle.

Old friends from Minnesota visited as well as they were in San Luis Obispo checking out Cal Poly with their son Trevor. It had been awhile since we last saw the Janns and we had a great time catching up over dinner. I hope Trevor selects Cal Poly for college so we can see more of Mark and Michelle.

I even had a chance to visit with my good friend Nanette over a glass of wine as we talked food for some upcoming Per Cazo events. Someone once said friendship is the sunshine of life and on this cold rainy weekend, I certainly had a lot of sunny moments.

I wish this commercial had played during the super bowl!

As mentioned in the previous blog post, Dave and I were in Hong Kong visiting our daughter and watched the Super Bowl at the Scottish Pub in the Excelsior Hotel. The live feed started at 7:30am on Monday, February 7. It was fun with an interesting collection of characters. Some were business men in coats and ties who planned to arrive late for work, others were young Chinese men who probably had studied in the states and then there were the tourists like us. One of the disappointments was that none of the commercials aired. Instead we saw the same five ads sponsored by Asian Sports Network. We all grew tired of watching Joe Montana try to hawk Sketcher Shape-Ups as a great workout shoe.

I would have loved to have seen this commercial air:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVaNxB5TN2M&feature=related
Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance created this to promote the upcoming Zin Fest. It's great. The "wife" at the end of the video is Katie with Uncorked Wine Tours. She stopped by today with a great group of tasters from Bakersfield. We get a lot of visitors from Bakersfield.

Plan to visit Paso for the first festival of the year on March 18-20. We will be offering three new releases including our first 100% Zinfandel. It's delicious. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will be pouring on the pool deck paired up with everyone's favorite - Zin Balls (thanks again to Audrilee for the recipe) along with other tasty bites.

Hey Rabbit, Happy New Year

Dave and I are on our way to Hong Kong to celebrate Chinese New Years with our daughter Meg and her boyfriend Andy. We are so excited as it`s been over a year since we were together. We will arrive too late to see them tonight. They live on Lama Island and we can`t make the late ferry. They will be picking us up in the morning where we will be hiking to some famous Buddha. Meg has a lot planned for our visit including dining on the harbor to watch the fireworks ringing in the new year, a visit to the new wine bar featuring some Paso Robles wines and watching the Super Bowl in a HK sports bar at 7 am on Monday morning.

I promise to take lots of photos and keep you posted. Happy New Year!

You can go home again!

Driving down Interstate 494 at dawn this morning I am filled with bittersweet emotions of the weekend. Large, lacy snowflakes are gently falling. The roads are slightly slippery as Dave and I approach the Minneapolis airport. We pass all the familiar landmarks that once were so common that you didn’t really pay any attention to them. REI’s rock wall, Best Buy headquarters and the Hyland’s ski jump. We notice they have finally replaced the Humphrey and Lindberg Terminal signs with signs that are actually helpful to non-Minnesotans indicating which terminals the airlines are based. This is progress.

I rendezvoused with Dave this weekend for a quick trip back to the old stomping grounds. Our dear friend Norrie (the christener of Epi Telos) recently moved into a charming new home affectionately named Stonehouse for its beautiful cobbled exterior and was hosting her first party. No one would ever guess that she just moved in a month ago, as everything is in place in her cozy cottage. If you did not know better, you would guess you were in some lovely English countryside waiting to host Miss Marple for tea with one of the many teapots Norrie has collected over a lifetime.

Norrie is famous for her dinner parties. There is always a mix of interesting people sitting around a beautiful dining room table feasting on endless bounty. As bad luck would have it, she developed a nasty cold just days before and probably would have rescheduled the evening if we had not flown in for the occasion. I volunteered to do most of the cooking and prepared a meal similar to one we offered at our Per Cazo Cellars’ New Release party – Roast Pork Loin with Plum sauce, Couscous with pine nuts and scallions and a colorful green bean stir-fry side dish. We reconnected with the Chandlers who recently survived a very scary accident and Jack and Barb Strothman who usually would be in Sanibel by now. We got better acquainted with Norrie’s friend and fellow pharmacist Lowell and his fascinating wife Cathy who is involved with the national bone marrow registry. Dave’s colleague from the old PCS days, Suzanne (also a pharmacist) and her husband Paul brought a decadent Red Velvet dessert that literally was the icing on the cake. Delicious! It was a delightful evening that will linger in my memory when I am feeling nostalgic for the snowy Minnesota winters.

Saturday was a busy day catching up with friends. We started at Starbucks where we met up with our realtor to strategize how to finally sell the house. It was decided that a new St. Joseph statue might be necessary and spent the next few hours trying to remember where Catholic bookstores where located. No luck, ok, let’s try Christian bookstores. No Joe, but the clerk offered the suggestion that he thought one could be found at Ace Hardware. After a few phone calls we tracked down the last one at the Ace in Uptown Minneapolis. Amazing what you can find in a hardware store.
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We headed back to the old neighborhood to bury St. Joseph in the snow bank by the “For Sale” sign. First, we checked in for a quick visit with our dear neighbors Bart and Norma Muldowney. We shared a glass of wine toasting to their good fortune of the arrival of the soon-to-be born first grandchild, Christina’s upcoming marriage and their last daughter heading off to Notre Dame next fall. We also drank to the Lattan family cookbook fresh off the press. Norma comes from a large Italian family full of great cooks. We have had the privilege of sharing many meals together with her sisters and brother including a week together in Italy when Dave and I crashed the family reunion. My autographed copy identifies me as an honorary Italian sister. I am very honored.

We went next door and I finally met the great family who is renting our house. Knowing they are red wine drinkers, we introduced them to our Rhone wine, Epi Telos. We got acquainted with their daughter, son and two adorable dogs as we shared a glass of vino together. They love the house and if they weren’t pouring a lot of money and love into renovating their Country Club home, they would seriously consider staying put. So, the next best thing is having Cathy and Tim eagerly raving about the house to any perspective buyer.

We ended our evening reminiscing about the glory days at our close friends Ward and Cathleen Godsall. Joining us was Kris Newcomer who is one of the original fab four. Let me explain. When we first moved to Edina, we joined a nearby church where Cathleen immediately took us under her wing. We quickly integrated our family into their circle of closest friends. Once upon a time, there were four families who entertained, traveled, prayed and raised our children together. Life got in the way but Cathleen and Ward were always there as the anchor of the group. Still are. I don’t know how many wonderful dinners Dave and I have enjoyed there but tonight’s was just as special, maybe more, since distance prohibits more evenings like this one.

It was a very quick trip and time did not allow us to reconnect with everyone we would have wanted to visit. I am sure there will be many more trips back to the Twin Cities but until the next one, I will be content to remember this one.

We barely have time to recover as we head out again on Tuesday. This time we are traveling to Hong Kong where we will spend Chinese New Year with our oldest daughter, Meg and her boyfriend Andy. We will blog more from there but for now I am ready to head back to California and enjoy the new lives we are building under the Paso sun.

Pinch me

Sometime I can't believe that I live here. Tonight I was driving west to Cambria for dinner with my friends Cheryl and Whit. Highway 46 offers the most magnificent coastal views. Imagine rugged mountain vistas, ranch lands that go on for miles and then the vast horizon of the Pacific Ocean. At 5:23 p.m. the sun melts in to the sea. Magical!

I was meeting with the Whitney's to deliver wine for the Cambria Wine Fest. They are going to pour for us at the Festival because we are going to Minnesota to remember how cold January can be. They also are going to inn sitting for us while we are in Hong Kong visiting Meg and Andy. They are great ambassadors for both Creekside B&B and Per Cazo Cellars.

On the way home, the skies were equally magnificent. Shooting stars...Orion's belt...Milky way.

Like I said, pinch me.

So I have received a lot of comments on where you enjoy drinking your Per Cazo. Thanks for the all the responses. The common theme among all the replies is the best place to enjoy Per Cazo Cellars wine is with close friends. We introduced a lot of "new" friends this weekend to our wine. Some were celebrating birthdays, some where just celebrating friendship. Everyone is excited about the barrel samples we offered.
Since we are so low on wine,every weekend we will be pouring barrel samples of wine that will be bottled soon. So far the overwhelming opinion is hurry up and get them in the bottle. Our winemaker Steve won't let us until he thinks they are ready so we will be patient. We anticipate three new wines by March.

January is a slower time for the B&B and we only had one room booked this weekend. A beautiful family from southern California came up. I don't know who enjoyed each other more the girls or the cats. Our cats love all our guests but the kids who visit must be the favorites. They sat by the fire pit under a blanket of stars with a cat in each lap while their parents sipped Epi Telos by the fire.

One of my favorite things about being in Paso are the beautiful night skies. The other morning I was heading into swim a little before 6am and the full moon lived up to Clement Moore's phase "gave the luster of midday to objects below." It was a chilly 35 degrees and a light frost coated the vineyards. It was eerie yet magical when you which you could take a snapshot only to know it would never really capture the moment. Perhaps I have painted enough of a mental image for your mind's eye.

Do you have a favorite place to drink Per Cazo Cellars wine?

Don't you love it when you get an email that makes you happy? I am not talking about the ones with photos of cute babies or puppies, but one from a friend who you haven't heard from for awhile sharing news about their lives that just makes you smile. Today I received such an email from a past Creekside B&B guest / Per Cazo Cellars wine club member who took this beautiful photo.

Laurie and Damon are vacationing in St. Lucia. This pic features our 2009 Tres Blanc from a balcony overlooking Marigot Bay. Any time that view would be beautiful, but it is especially welcomed on a chilly day in Paso Robles, not to mention the deep freeze affecting most of the country today.

This got me thinking that it would great fun to capture photos of Per Cazo fans sipping the wine at their favorite haunts. I know when we travel we always take wine so we will share our photos but please share yours. Maybe we will start a contest or something of the most interesting place to drink Per Cazo. Let me know your ideas and we will get it launched.

Thanks Laurie for making me smile. Cheers - here's to a fun vacation!