Under the Paso Sun - Life at Per Cazo Cellars and Creekside Bed and Breakfast

Toot-toot-a-loo

2011-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-10T23:18:00.001-08:00

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.

2011-03-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

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????

2011-02-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-02-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-02T00:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

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.
.
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

2011-01-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-01-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

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?

2011-01-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

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!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-12-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

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

2010-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-07-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

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....

2010-07-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

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 .....

2010-04-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

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"

2010-03-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

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?"

2010-01-26T11:32:00.001-08:00

...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....

2010-01-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

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!!!

Tastes like Christmas

2009-12-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had tastings with really nice people. The first couple was from LA celebrating a birthday. They clearly were experienced wine drinkers with impressive palates. They enjoyed the wines, became wine club members (thank you!) and interacted with the other family who were tasting with us.

Retired General Charlie Holland, his gracious wife Nancy, brilliant son Justin and good friend Ike arrived shortly after the Packs. Conversations covered military academies, China and the coincidence that Justin and our daughter Meg were in both 2006 grads from Boston colleges. I don't know if their paths ever crossed, but Justin studied at MIT and Meg was at Wellesley so maybe!

While tasting our unique Grenache-Zinfandel blend, ZinG, Justin commented that it tasted like Christmas. Ever sense he came to that conclusion, I confess, I taste the spice of Christmas too! It's not cinnamon or nutmeg, but there is something in the wine that creates a memory of a Christmas cookie. Please go taste your ZinG and help me define what that flavor is. Don't have any ZinG, we can handle that.......visit www.percazocellars.com.

Roll out the unwelcome mat!

2009-12-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

Today we had our hearing with the county about approving our minor use permit for establishing a winery on the property. It was a very frustrating process like most government bureaucracy where people who have nothing better to do than butt into your business weild too much control. There is a group of NIMBY's who have been been trying to sabotage every winery project. If it wasn't so personal I actually would feel sorry for these folks whose lives are obviously so small and narrow that they waste precious time scheming against their neighbors.

They did not prevail today. We did receive permission to build a 2500 case winery.

When you think that this country is built on the backs of small family operated business, anyone opposing the entrepreneurial spirit is un-American - especially in challenging times like now.

We need a little a little Christmas now.....

2009-12-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight we entertained Cantus, the all male a cappella choir based in Minnesota who are in the area to perform their original show called All is Calm. The powerful performance is based on the true story recalling the remarkable Christmas Truce of WW I – a day when both sides laid down their arms to embrace peace with a cease-fire . Dave and I have seen the staging when we were in Minnesota and it promises to be an amazing experience if you can sneek away to see it tomorrow. It will be performed in acoustically-stunning sanctuary of the Grace Church in San Luis Obispo. They also will be performing at UC Davis, Phoenix, Kansas City and Tulsa between now and Dec. 15.

Dave has been on their board and we have always been big supporters so when we learned they were in the area, we insisted they come for dinner. It was a lovely evening and everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the Per Cazo Cellars wines. Their gift to us was a moving performance of Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas that one of the singers had arranged. Dave and I both were moved to tears by the pure magic of the moment. Nine men singing in perfect pitch in our dining room is something I never will forget. Oh to be that talented.

a near CATastrophe

2009-11-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

We are trying again to get the perfect barn cat. We want a cat that is a good mouser, content to be outdoors and friendly but not too friendly with our bed and breakfast guests. Our first attempt is well documented in a previous post titled "That Darn Cat."
While Kelley was home for Thanksgiving, we took a trip to the county animal services and adopted another adult cat named Sunshine. (We have nicknamed the cat Sunny.) This cat seemed approachable but was not vocal and came with a good recommendation of the staff. It is about a 30 minute trip back and throughout the journey, the cat was very affectionate. We could hold and nuzzle him and he seemed very comfortable with us.

When we arrived home we made a BIG mistake. Kelley was carrying him from the car when all of a sudden, a noise spooked the cat and Sunny leaped from her arms. He dashed at top speed across the yard. Simultaneously, an enormous owl swept down seeking dinner. We were all screaming which scared both the owl and the cat. The owl fled to the fields and the cat sought refuge in a giant oak tree on our property. This cat climbed up nearly 50'. When we placed the extension ladder against the tree, the clanking scared the cat up even higher, well beyond our reach.

It was getting dark and we had dinner plans, so we resorted to setting the "Have-a-Heart" trap purchased during our last cat encounter. When we returned from dinner, we were successful in capturing Sunny, our now really pissed off and frightened cat. We released her in the garage with food and water and watched her disappear amid the clutter. It's been a week now, and she will not let us hold her. We aren't quite sure what our next steps should be. Any advise???

John Lennon said it best -"I get by with a little help from my friends."

2009-11-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

For the past two weekends, I was lucky to have two of my dearest friends from Minnesota visit and I did not realize what I missed most about leaving Minnesota. Don't get me wrong, I am really happy to be in Paso Robles and challenging ourselves with the wine and B&B business. What is missing is girlfriends.

Two weeks ago, Mary came as a belated birthday gift. We had a ball. The highlight was spending the day on the coast visiting Hearst Castle, watching the elephant seals (hundreds of them) wallow on the beach and sharing a beer at Taco Temple in Morro Bay. We both agreed it was just what we needed in our busy lives full of other distractions. She got to see a glimpse of my life here and I think better understands why we are here.

Last weekend, Kris came with some of her girlfriends and we crammed in all there is to do in Paso. This was my first time to host 8 people at the B&B. I think all agreed it went very well. Celebrating Fondue Friday, wine tasting with the handsome Frenchman, barrel tasting at Cass, cooking class in my kitchen with Nanette, a full day at the coast and a memorable dinner in Cayucos, exploring Judy's vineyard, winemaking 101 with Bob - I really don't think we could have added one more activity into the weekend. The best part, I now have 7 new friends! Granted, they are in Minnesota, but I did get invited to the girls ski trip this winter!

I know it takes time to make friends and for now, most of my "new" friends are just passing through while wine tasting and staying for the weekend at Creekside B&B. I will start my strategy of joining and volunteering in local groups that has worked well in past moves. So for all of you reading this, treasure your time with girlfriends.

They came, they drank, they walked away impressed!

2009-10-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Paso Robles offers three large wine weekends in a year. Zin Fest, 3rd weekend in March, Wine Fest, 3rd weekend in May and Harvest Fest, 3rd weekend in October. This was our first time to participate in an event and it went quite well.

Creekside B&B was full to the beams with great guests. Upstairs was a couple serious about taking advantage of all the special events the various wineries offered. I think they covered more ground than the average wine taster and judging from the boxes loaded in their car, their wine cellar just received an infusion of fresh fluids. The Creekside room housed a family from San Clemente who checked in on Friday having barely escaped flying surf boards on I-5. Damage resulted in a cracked windshield and dented roof and a raise in blood pressure for the Woodley family. They were more than ready for a glass of wine when they arrived.

Despite inaccurate information in the official Festival brochure and open only by appointment, we were busy for three days. The idea of sitting poolside with food pairings on a beautiful day sipping delicious Per Cazo Cellars' wines was just the respite weary wine lovers craved. We could tell our story and share our wines and everyone walked away appreciating what we are trying to accomplish.

Video progress

2009-10-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Skype and my daughter, I think I am going to finally be successful at embedding the video. Here goes.....

technical difficulties

2009-10-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

So if you read my last post you will see I was not successful at adding the video to the post. I was successful uploading it to You Tube.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gy9a74xn2Y

Harvest - live and in color

2009-10-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have received many comments about my harvest post. It really is an intense period of time for winemakers and our recent heat wave has not helped. Once the fruit is harvested at the vineyard, it is trucked to the processing facility where it is hand sorted, crushed, pressed and stored for its fermentation. All this is under the careful eye of the winemaker who applies years of experience in determining how best to handle the fruit. We are talking about TONS of fruit, literally... and we are just a small boutique winery. It changes dramatically for the big wineries but this process is crucial to the end product. If you could witness how intense this is, you would have a new appreciation for what is poured in your wine glass every night.

The first critical step takes place in the vineyard. We are blessed to have access to outstanding fruit from some of the top growers on the west side of Paso Robles. To give a sense of what it feels like to be up at the crack of dawn, riding the rails of the crawler through the vines and removing anything that is not a grape please view the video that hopefully is attached to this blog post. If I am not successful at attaching it, I will try the You Tube method and send the link from the blog sight.

Once the fruit reaches the winery, it goes through a second hand sorting where the berries are examined. Any unripe or overly raisined grapes are discarded. This is a messy job where one stands along side a vibrating conveyor belt, with hands caressing the cold fruit and earwigs (bugs) climbing up your arms, back and neck. I did not capture this to video, I was way too sticky!

We are about half way through harvest with the rest of the fruit coming in over the next week or so. Wish us luck!

Harvest begins....

2009-09-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Startled deer stare as I drive through the morning fog on my way to Starr Ranch to help harvest our first Syrah. The workers start at sun-up so I quickly gulp the last of my coffee and get to the vineyard by 6:40. Neil and Luis have the crew load the picking bins onto the trailer that is pulled through the rows. "Jump on" they shout and off we go down the gentle hills to the block where our 6 rows of Syrah are ready to be harvested.

This is a small block of Syrah 2A with brix over 26 that hang plump, juicy and ripe. The workers quickly grab small bins and attack the vines while I ride the rails of the trailer. They dump the smaller bins into the main bin and I madly grope the grapes ridding them of twigs, leaves and any other "Material Other than Grapes" hence, MOG. Throughout the process, you can catch a glimpse of each of us sampling a grape every so often. Boy are they sweet! Judy, the owner of Starr Ranch shares the story of one of young tenents who lives in her rental property. His name is Felix and is from Sweden (long story for another blog post.) She suggested he taste some of the fruit and we both laugh when she relayed his comments, "Taste just like grapes!" I don't know why folks think wine grapes are all that different from the table grapes they buy at Albertsons, but I have seen similar reactions.

It takes about 45 minutes to strip the vines of their bounty. The crew is off to harvest someone else Cabernet so I head back. On the way out of her beautiful vineyard, seven quail scurry across the drive and as I head down her windy drive lined with persimmon trees, I gaze at yet another startled deer grazing in the golden fields. With the sun high in the sky by this time and the crisp morning air enters my car, I nearly pinch myself. This is why I live here.

W.E.T.S.

2009-09-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

We just offered a wine tasting for a great group of folks who call themselves WETS. This acronym stands for Wine Enthusiasts Tasting Society. They are down to six couples now, but these folks have been drinking wine together for the last few decades and always include some extra $$ in their annual dues to cover a wine tasting trip. This year it is Paso Robles turn.

Coy with the Wine Wrangler was their guide and he called to arrange a private tasting with Per Cazo. Dave and I were thrilled to pour for such knowledgeable wine lovers. They ate their box lunches on the patio pool side while sampling all of our wines. It was lots of fun. I was quizzed on every one's names and of course could only recall 4 of the 12 but we blamed it on the wine. Coy was on the ball however and nailed every one!

Following the tasting they toured the B&B. Like everyone who visits, they were impressed. I hope they come back soon and plan to stay at Creekside. I know they have some great stories to share.

Great guests!

2009-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great week for guests at the Bed and Breakfast! It continues to exceed any expectations I might have had. Last Sunday, Mark and Diane from Redmond Washington checked in for a four night stay. After a two day drive they were ready to be out of the car.

Having guests for four mornings, allowed me to branch out of my typical weekend breakfast fare. Baked eggs with pesto, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese was a big hit! Of course, I offered the stuffed croissants, huevos rancheros and even made steel cut oatmeal one morning. Delish! Since they had time to actually explore, it was fun to hear about their daily excursions. The typical wine tasting and day at the coasts were supplement by a trip to California Valley. I had just learned of this region of California, thanks to the paper, but this is a scorched section of land that might hold promise for the solar industry. Over 30 years ago, Mark's family bought a small plot of land. He went to see it expecting some signs of progress over the years but dismayed to see it exactly the same. Who said time doesn't stand still.

Next we had two cute millennials arrive from Orange County. Randi's father had stayed here when the previous owner offered gift certificates so we honored it. They arrived late on Friday just after we completed a wine tasting so we insisted they sample the wine so they could choose their complimentary bottle. They picked ZinG, a favorite of the youthful crowd. Randi and Chris left this morning with good memories except they lost their camera while winetasting. The worst part was they hadn't even taken any photos!

We had an available room so when the phone rang early Friday evening, Stan and Mary were seeking a room following the rehersal dinner for their daughter, we quickly readied the room. Their daughter had a perfect day for a wedding - blue skies and good temps. Their other daughter and fiance spent the next night in the murphy bed. She gets married in 2 weeks. Stan and Mary are going to need a vacation after all this. Perhaps they'll come back here to retreat.

Speaking of return guests, we have our first returning couple. Bill and Valerie spent the last week up north at the beach with their family. They stayed with us on the way up and called to say they would be coming through on their return so they might as well stay again. They also are coming in October for their anniversary for a few days. Needless to say, they are our best customers to date!

While the guests are the best part of innkeeping, laundry is a necessary evil. Time to go do another load!

It's the little old lady from Morro Bay...

2009-09-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is Lynda. She just bought our Porsche today. I had posted the car for sale on Craigslist in hopes of selling it versus trading it in at a dealership. I have never seen anyone more excited about a car.

Lynda is 70 years old and this will be her 10th Porsche. It's been over 20 years since she owned her last one and chances are this really will be her last one. She is a dynamo who has had some health issues lately. She shared her philosophy that at this point all she wants is to have fun. We are so pleased to have found a buyer who truly can appreciate this great car.

Many folks think we are crazy but we need a pickup truck not a sports car. We had a lot of fun with this car but Dave has the attitude that you can always get another car and maybe one day we will, but for now, we are on the hunt for a used 4x4, long bed, extended cab. Maybe it will have a Duraliner too!

new toys

2009-09-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

We bought a refractometer today. Boy do we feel like official vintners. The temperatures have climbed and so have the brix in the grapes. Dave and I went out to our main grape grower to check on levels and tested several clusters.

A winemaker judges when to pick the grapes based on a couple of things but brix are the sugar levels in the grapes and that is what the refractometer measures. The brix levels were rising but we hope that the grapes can hang a little longer so they can mature more. The seeds are green and they should be brown. We are hoping for a cool spell to let them settle down a little more.

We are trying to pin down our grapes for the harvest and it is a bit like a moving target. We had a handshake deal on the Choo-Choo zin, but that fell apart. We had found someone who thought they would have some extra Viognier but the crop came in light so we didn't. Never fear, it's a small town and word gets out and the phone rings and low and behold we have Viognier being picked tomorrow. We just contracted with Fess Parker for the other grapes for our Tres Blanc so that is good. Everyone cross fingers that the reds get the hang time they need and harvest goes smoothly. I wonder who the patron saint of the vineyards is?

Baby, it's hot inside!

2009-09-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Guests at the B&B this past weekend were great. Sandy and Tim were already fans of Per Cazo Tres Blanc and were in town from Huntington Beach for just one night with their daughter. Cel Tustin is our interim innkeeper so she checked them in as we were returning from our whirlwind trip to Minnesota (more on that later.)

By the time we arrived at Creekside, Sandy had a glass in hand and Tim was out getting steaks and fresh corn for a barbecue. They are our first guests to take us up on the offer to cook-out. We supplied them with the necessary BBQ tools and left for the Art in Adelaida benefit at Halter Ranch. We stayed for dinner and excused ourselves early as we were beat from the days travels. The Grennans were still up so they came over to taste the reds and we all turned in early.

This weekend in Paso was as hot as it has been all summer. It was one of the first nights all year when you want the AC on. Unfortunately for our guests, they were using the thermostat for the heater, not the AC unit. Note to Self: Get a manual in those rooms ASAP!

2009-08-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

The past week has been action packed and with a lot of progress for our fledgling businesses. The Bed and Breakfast continues to get more and more bookings. More importantly, we are meeting the loveliest people.

We had three different guests this past weekend. On Friday Ernesto and Sommer arrived from the Fresno area. They were here to celebrate Sommer's birthday and take some well deserved time away from their hectic lives. Both are young physicians and during their stay learned that Ernesto passed his Boards. It was fun to be able to toast his accomplishments.

We also had the chance to get better acquainted with some folks we met from the wine tasting party we had in Orange County at the home of our friend Pame. Tim and Mary Cromwell were wandering around the central coast for a few days and called. They joined us for a fun feast patio side before retiring to the Creekside room. They were having a hard time sleeping so took advantage of the problem and sat out under the stars in the wee hours marveling at the amazing night sky. We are blessed to have no ambient light and are treated to a celestial canvas not commonly found anymore.

They left early Saturday to continue their way back south and I did not anticipate turning the room around but Lori called mid-afternoon looking for lodging for the night so I did a quick clean up. They were in town for the horse show taking place at the fairgrounds. They are charming folks from Carmel who were so easy going and friendly. I hope they come back again soon.

We tried to entice all our guests to stop by the open house we were hosting on Saturday but they opted to pass. The party was a blast and nearly forty friends and acquaintances spent the evening pool side sipping Per Cazo. Dave and I had been hoping to do this ever since we moved in. Thank God for our friend Kris who was in town visiting. She volunteered to be unofficial caterer and we pulled off a really nice party.

Wine news ....we are getting ever closer to the new tasting room. ABC justs needs two more documents and all should be a go. Signs are ready, and so are we. Per Cazo was well received at two local wine bars and should be flowing there soon. All in all a good couple of days.

Off to Minnesota for a wine tasting benefit. We will be taking some video so watch for that next week!

You Tube or Bust

2009-08-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

We are getting closer to actually being in a full-fledge tasting room. The last drawings are submitted and hopefully the powers-that-be will be satisfied. If you haven't seen our YouTube video yet, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLFEMhvuc_g.

I am getting more comfortable with our new Flip Camera. Watch out You Tube......

2009-08-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Finalmente! We are counting on getting a good night sleep tonight as we have FINALLY captured our phantom cat, Tux. Kelley and I went to the local farm supply store and purchased a "Havaheart" animal trap. We baited the trap with tuna and waited. To all of our surprise, it did not take long.

We were eating dinner and heard her in the distance. We checked, the cage was empty. As we escorted our dinner guest Laurel to her car, we heard her again. Kelley ran to the barn and jumped up and down when she saw the captured cat. Success! It only took a couple hours. I quickly ran to retrieve the camera to document the episode.

So say hello and good riddance to Tux. Tomorrow she goes back to the Cat Man in Templeton. The mice are probably jumping up and down too!

That Darn Cat

2009-08-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Remember the old Disney classic with Dean Jones and Hayley Mills about a cat that prowled at night. Well, if they ever make a remake, I nominate our cat for the starring role.

The battle to capture the elusive feline is not an easy war to wage. Tux is the ultimate nocturnal warrior. Every night this week, she has been out crying, meowing, screeching to the point that it is disrupting our sleep and more importantly, the B & B guests. Our latest plan was to stay in the downstairs Creekside room and try to entice her in with tuna. Once confined to a small space we would put her in the crate and return her to the Cat Man before our trial period expired. We almost succeeded.

Friday night Dave lured her in to the room, picked her up and was actually petting her. The flaw in the plan was not having the crate in the room. By the time he walked the 50 yards to the house, she had clawed and bit him to the extent that he was bleeding in several places. Needless to say, he dropped the cat and she wandered off again into the darkness.
Bandaged and tired he returned to our bed while I took the 3am watch in the Creekside room. Not long, the cat began her guttural growl but I could not convince her to come anywhere near me.

The next morning Dave spent a couple of hours at the local Urgent Care facility where he got the obligatory Tetanus shot, prescription for antibiotics as infection had already set in and the sage advice to wear gloves the next time he goes cat hunting.

We tried again last night, better prepared with gloves, cage and tuna in place without success. We are tired, cranky, wounded and going to go pick up a "Have a Heart" trap. She may be winning for now but her days are definitely numbered at the Teckman B&B.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

2009-08-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago we adopted a really cute cat from the Cat Man at the Templeton Farmer's Market. We were looking for a mouser for the Bed and Breakfast. Our B&B is a converted barn with a red tin roof and is very charming. It also is in the country, along side a creek so mice are often unpaying and unwelcome guests.

The Cat Man suggested a mature cat named Patience. We immediately changed her name to Tux because she is Black and White and looks like she is donned in formal wear. He recommended we confine her for the first 4-5 days and feed her so she knows this is now home. We kept her in the barn as instructed and only could catch a glimpse of her as she would hide. In fact, if it wasn't for the litter box and empty food bowl, you would not have any clue a cat had moved in. We started leaving the door ajar so she could roam and again the only evidence was left in the litter box. One night, Dave found her on the balcony of the upstairs room. She startled, jumped on the tin roof, slide down and vanished in the night. That was the last we saw her.

Then the phantom cat started haunting us. Late one night we heard the unmistakened guttural growl. Ever since, the only time Tux shows up is at night. She'll meow and cry but remains too illusive to capture. Our good friend Peter is staying in the Creekside room and has offered to open the door and entice her in since she was meowing outside his window. He almost convinced her last night but she just could not cross the threshold. Maybe tonight we will have a can of tuna at the ready.

As soon as we catch her, we are going to trade her in on kittens that hopefully will be more approachable.

Legitimacy...or something close

2009-08-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

Sometime last night our Per Cazo Cellars web site was launched into the cyber universe. What a sense of progress this is for our fledgling wine operation. I hope you go visit it and give us feedback. Sometimes when you work on something for so long, you get so close to it that it is difficult to maintain objectivity. www.percazocellars.com.

What amazes me about building a web site is how powerful technology can be even for little guys like us. The ability to reach almost anyone in the world about our passion puts us on the same playing field as the big boys. While it's true we don't have our shopping cart up yet and there is room for growth as we become a better financed operation, there is little holding us back from sharing our wine with people we don't know. We have been very fortunate to have had support from our friends and family as we have launched Per Cazo, but now we can cast our net out to a much larger network. Before, I was almost embarrassed by our little holding page on the web.

I think our site portrays the elegance and sophistication that are present in our wines. When you start a new wine label in these challenging times, you better have the goods in the bottle. So far we have delivered a great value wine and it isn't just proud wine parents making that claim. We are starting to have a following which is the best affirmation a winery could ask for. Soon we will be in our tasting room which really will validate what we are trying to accomplish. More on that later.....

Charlotte's Web in real life!

2009-08-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the California Mid-state fair. Dave and I are going for one last corn dog and a glimpse of the animals who were not auctioned off. You can imagine how disheartening it is for the young 4-H'ers to not have a bid for the animal they painstakingly raised just for just this moment.

Jamie Perry is one of the young woman helping me at the B&B who explained to me how all this works. Her son Clayton raised his piglet and was one of the fortunate ones to successfully auction off his for $1,100. That's a lot of $$$ for a 12 year old. She did not say how much money went to getting it to market, only to say he did well. She couldn't bring herself to attend the auction. She considered that pig a member of the family.

If the B&B and wine biz don't work out, I guess there is always livestock.

2009-07-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here we are around the fire-pit with the Cartys and Aunt Jo and Cousin Heidi. The Port and brownies were the bonus to the beautiful evening!

work in progress

2009-07-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

Arrgh! my last post did not turn out like I had hoped. Gotta figure out how to add a photo without changing the entire page layout. Kelley, where are you when I need you.

2009-07-31T05:07:00.000-07:00

I find it fascinating when friends drift in and out of your life over the years and this week an old friend resurfaced. About 15 years ago, we went rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon for the adventure of a lifetime. Our friends the Parkers were scheduled to raft with us when Cathy injured her knee and had to bale out of the trip. Scott replaced his maimed wife with an old childhood friend of his, Dave Carty.
Dave was and still is a fun guy to be with. He proved that on the river and again this week when he and his beautiful wife Diane stayed with us at the Bed and Breakfast. His family has been coming to Paso for years and stay at the nearby lake. This week was the Carty family reunion on Lake Naciemento so based on recommendations of the Parkers, they took a day out of the schedule to stay here. Dave and Diane are Per Cazo fans, so he asked if the family could come over for wine tasting. Sure, bring the fam, we would love to meet the family and introduce our wine.
Well, they arrived at 2 and stayed all afternoon when the wine tasting morphed into a great afternoon party by the pool. Dave comes from a large Irish Catholic family so Dave's mom and all 6 kids and spouses came, drank and heard the Per Cazo story. We poured all 5 of our wines plus the port of our winemaker and sold a bunch of wine. But more importantly, we found ten new friends who I know will stay in contact with us.
It was a day of family connections when Dave's aunt and cousin arrived just in time to meet the Cartys. We all had a great meal together followed by our first bonfire at the fire-pit in the common area of the B&B. It was a perfect Paso evening.

What's in that dish?

2009-07-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

On most Monday nights, I can be found at Movie Night at the Dubost Winery. Kate and Curt Dubost began this tradition months ago with the idea of finishing the open bottles of wine from the weekend tastings. Curt mans the grill and everyone brings a side dish and a their open bottles of wine. Following dinner, we sit in their barrel room where a movie is projected up on the wall.

It's always interesting to see who will show up. The regulars include the mennonite Weibe family who bring milk from their farm since they do not imbibe. Nan Dubost is the chain smoking matriarch of the clan who has a sharp wit and always a wise perspective toward the issues of the day. Farm Bureau buddies Rachel and Debbie always arrive together with some delicious dish but some of the other regulars bring very unique offerings. The worst was rattlesnake and once there was a dish identified as rabbit but we all suspected that it was squirrel. Very chewy. Fortunately, most of the food is not strange but very tasty with a tendency of nostalgic dishes ones grandmother prepared.

This weeks movie was an oldie but goodie, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. Its selection was to honor the anniversary of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. I am sure I saw it long ago but did not remember much about it. I don't know if I would rush out and add it to your Netflix list, but it was entertaining. When was the last time you saw a movie with Red Skelton in the credits.

E-Harmony Success Story

2009-07-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest joys of being an innkeeper is meeting the guests who are staying at the Creekside B&B. This weekend was no exception. Paul and Leslie checked in on Thursday for a 3 night stay. They were coming for the Journey/Heart concert at the Mid-state Fair in town. They visited the coast on Friday and Wine tasting on Saturday. As is our usual custom, we invited them for wine tasting poolside on Saturday evening.

They arrived with Maddy offering a wet greeting, as she had just been swimming in the pool, all dressed to go into town following our impromptu pouring. Conversations were typical-what one does for work and fun, kids, wines, shared interest - golf, skiing, and wine of course when the topic turned to how they met. Paul and Leslie are the poster children for E-Harmony. Two perfectly matched, attractive people who just happened to GET ENGAGED AT OUR INN! Without sharing too much detail, Paul proceeded to say how he had been planning the romantic weekend since May. Leslie showed off her beautiful ring and mentioned how she was totally surprised by the proposal. They had danced in the room and were swept away by the magic of the moment. Needless to say, Dave and I were overjoyed and after they left for dinner, snuck a bottle of Champagne in their room.

The other guests of the weekend were equally delightful. A mother/daughter arrived to celebrate a recent graduation from UCSB and a birthday. Although they could only spend one night, they made the most of it. Terry flew in from Philadelphia earlier in the day and met Lauren in Santa Barbara. They arrived and sampled the Per Cazo Epi Telos on their patio and went into town for an early dinner. Scheduled for Sunday morning was an in-room Spa experience. Since the previous guests had already departed and they had the inn to themselves, we arranged for their treatments to take place in the privacy of the common area of the Inn. Imagine getting a relaxing massage creekside with the birds singing and gentle breeze blowing. I can't conceive a better way to start the day. They departed shortly thereafter for the rest of their journey up to Sequoia National park.

I will live vicariously through our guests and invite you to live vicariously through our experience "under the Paso sun."

I have joined the blogosphere!

2009-07-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

After many months of threatening to begin blogging about my new adventures in California, I finally have taken the time to launch "Under the Paso Sun." Thanks to the patience and tutoring of my daughter Kelley, I am up and running on Blogspot, Twitter and Facebook. Please indulge me while I share the life and times of a new innkeeper, wine owner and Californian.