Pinch me

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

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

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

Like I said, pinch me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas.

It's Neither Petite nor Syrah

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

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

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

the Sounds of Harvest

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

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

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

Life is short, drink more wine!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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