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Concerts in the Park

Dina Mande — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:21:28 +0000

One of our favorite spots in Paso is, of course, the downtown park. It’s like the soul of the town. I love how it attracts young, old, families, couples, anyone in the mood to kick back, have fun and enjoy life. You can spend the afternoon, or just long enough to find a bench to soak in the trees, sun and view.
There is always something going on in the Park: Farmer’s Market Tuesdays and Saturdays, The Lavender Festival, The Olive Festival, Taste of Downtown, Art Shows, Car Shows…you name it. But for us, in the summer, we’re all about Concerts in the Park. Jazz, blues, rock, we love it all.
A special shout out of many thanks and appreciative hugs to the REC Foundation, the non-profit support group who make the concerts possible.
And to all the sponsors, including The REC Foundation, J.Lohr Vineyards, Paso Robles Downtown Mainstreet Association, The City of Paso Robles
Paso Robles Magazine.
Please check out the poster for the complete list of sponsors.

Pack up your blanket, your loved ones, your cheese and wine and come down tonight for the last Concert of this summer’s series. Tonight is the Monte Mills Band, playing western favorites. I’m feeling a little sad because it feels like the end of summer. But now we can look forward to Halloween!

Stephan Asseo – L’Aventure

Dina Mande — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:35:14 +0000

If you haven’t had L’Aventure lately, today’s a good day. Stephan Asseo’s L’Aventure wines are being poured for Winemaker Wednesday tonight at Vinoteca. Venture into town 5:30-9:30 to enjoy a vertical tasting of the ’06, ’07, ’08 Optimus, Makes me thirsty just thinking about it. Gen mgr. Jeffry Weisenberg is also planning food pairings, including braised rabbit, lamb riblets and bleu cheese paté.

Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure to meet many winemakers and a visit to Stephan Asseo’s L’Aventure winery was indeed a beautiful treat. Tucked away in the rolling hills of Paso’s west side, the views are incredible. As the story goes, after making wine for many years in France, Stephan wanted to try something new. But the French AOC laws were too restrictive, so he searched for over a year to find just the right terroir for the wines he wanted to create. After checking out the usual spots, Argentina, Napa, South Africa…he found westside Paso Robles and immediately fell in love. The rocky soils, the microclimates and the Templeton Gap fog come together to make the perfect spot. If you’ve had the wines, then you know.

His vineyards are meticulously planted and maintained, the rootstock were carefully chosen and densely planted and there’s more. Check out his site to learn how his viticulture techniques result in one bottle of wine per vine.

He’s infused his high end viticulture and winemaking process with a bit of fun. Last fall, he had the front of his winery painted by French artist, Erwin Dazelle. It’s a bold, splashy graphic depiction of wine headed to a glass. His excitement about making wine in this emerging region is contagious. More than once he described “feeling like a kid” when talking about making wine and the process.

Visit L’Aventure’s site to find out more about the wines or to join their club.
Be their fan on Facebook.
Twitter wine fans click here

Westside Red – Troublemaker – “The Office” Parody

Dina Mande — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:40 +0000

It’s a bold move shooting a comedy short film to launch a wine brand. (Who does that?)
We feel extremely lucky to collaborate with clients who are into taking a risk, trying new things and thinking out of the, er, wine barrel.
Like blending 53% Syrah, 37% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache…oh, and multiple vintages. Then calling it “Troublemaker.” (Who does that?)

We worked with Joel Peterson and Whitney Hrdlicka from Hope Family Wines on the script and our actors are the fearless staff who actually spend their time making and selling wine. Special thanks to Joel and Whitney for great ideas, Austin Hope for saying yes, Ron Arredondo and Mike Jarzabek who brought light and sound magic up from LA, and our local amazing shooter, Robin Chilton of Peregrine Media Group. And of course, our own Steve and Drew. Thank you all for an amazing shoot.

Here is a peek at the “behind the scenes” from that day.

Go visit the new website, Westsidered.com
and Like Hope Family Wines on Facebook
We sure like them a lot.
Oh, and as for the wine, “Troublemaker,” it’s good. Go look for some.

Ashley Fischer

Dina Mande — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:52:10 +0000

Another birthday post! Happy belated, Ashley. Sorry to have missed you on your day. Our computers (and lives) were in boxes with the move.
Everyone knows this little cutie pie. Ashley might be the hardest working tasting room / guest services girl in the wine business. You can find her pouring and chatting up happy winetasters at Silverhorse Winery, Meritage Lounge and also helping out her mom, Becky with First Crush Winemaking.

Ashley is apparently also the go-to girl when you want to know anything about music. I’ve overheard that she knows oldies, the latest, the best, you name it. The girl is a walking rock encyclopedia.

Go visit Ashley at Silverhorse
Or pouring for Hammersky at Meritage Lounge

The Annual Paso Robles Rotary Winemaker’s Cookoff at River Oaks

Dina Mande — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:19:23 +0000

What could be better than walking out your front door, down the street and onto a gorgeous lawn overlooking a beautiful pond, surrounded by at least 40 (?) local wineries pouring their best wines and offering luscious food pairings? Ummm…nothing!
Steve and I have felt very spoiled by the Paso Robles’ Winemaker’s Cookoff for a couple years in a row, since we live 5 doors down from the party epicenter. I was happy to pitch in and help pour wine for WCP Cellars, one of our Juice clients. It’s nice to have a short walk home.

This is such a cool event because the winemakers are not only pouring their beautiful wines, but there is a friendly spirit of competition about the food pairings. They go all out. We tasted everything from dry rub ribs to seafood risotto to steak crostinis with bleu cheese to an amazing spicy chicken chili. That was just a tiny sampling.

If you haven’t been to the Winemaker’s Cookoff, put it on your calendar for next year. It’s put on by the Paso Robles’ Rotary, and they each year they raise money for local youth scholarships. From their website: “As in years’ past, the exceptional winemakers of the Paso Robles region have very generously donated their time, wine, food, staff and culinary expertise to make this event truly memorable. Part of the fun and excitement has Cookoff wineries vying for coveted the ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Judges’ Choice’ awards. The competition is expected to be more intense than ever to influence voting by attendees and celebrity judges.”

We snapped a few pics this year and last year, created one of our stop motion videos which you can see below. Enjoy.

Visit their website at winemakerscookoff.com

Go Like them on Facebook

Kris O’Connor – Central Coast Vineyard Team

Dina Mande — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:48:39 +0000

Another birthday post! Happy birthday to Kris, executive director of the Central Coast Vineyard Team. Kris was also recently honored as the 2010 SLO County Wine Industry Person of the Year. One of her passions is to promote healthy, sustainable vineyards. Another passion, I hear, is West Coast Swing. How cute is that?

Kris also recently posed for portraits by Juice. Thank you, Kris!

From their website: The mission of the Central Coast Vineyard Team is to promote environmentally safe, viticulturally and economically sustainable farming methods, while maintaining or improving quality and flavor of wine grapes. The Team is a model for wine grape growers and will promote the public trust of stewardship for natural resources.

For more on The Central Coast Vineyard Team, visit their website.
Sip the Good Life on Facebook
Also sipthegoodlife.org/

Augie & Raquel Hug – Hug Cellars

Dina Mande — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:29:20 +0000

You want to instantly fall in love with people whose last name is Hug. Augie and Raquel are another winemaking couple I had the pleasure to meet last year when we shot the Paso Harvest Films web series. They were gracious enough to let me hang out and get in the way as they were bringing in (and stomping!) their grapes. They were one of the few people I observed last year who do “pillage” (piage?) of the grapes, a gentle crushing. “Like Lucy and Ethel,” said their friend who was helping out.

They have been making wine for more than 16 years and are passionate about the process. Augie and Raquel make small lots of ultra premium wine from highly regarded vineyards.

Hug Cellars has a cozy, very cool tasting room right off the highway.
Visit them at 2323 Tuley Road, Ste 120, Paso Robles, Ca.
805-226-8022
Go join their other 5,000 fans on Facebook
Buy their wine at hugcellars.com

Jayne at River Oaks Hot Springs Spa

Dina Mande — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:30:41 +0000

Raise your hand if you’re a fan of deep tissue. I just had one of my top five best massages ever. Jayne is new at River Oaks Hot Springs Spa, having started only a month and a half ago, but she’s been doing massage professionally for years. I’m a picky massage client and can absolutely say that she’s a pro. Those hands are magic. Plus, she was very cool letting me take pictures with my iPhone.
“Ummm, what are you going to do with the photo?” she asked.
“I’m a photographer,” I assured her, “and a blogger. Really, I am.”

I have decided a long time ago that someday if I’m ever really rolling in dough, I will have a massage once a week. Or maybe every day. Thank you, Jayne. I will be back.

River Oaks is a fun place to hang out, have spa treatments, soak in the sulphur springs and drink local wine overlooking the oak trees and beautiful Paso hills. It’s only 5 minutes from town but you feel worlds away. This one’s for the tired and weary Paso people and of course, those tired out by visiting and winetasting. Get away from the computer and go treat yourself.

Here’s all the info: riveroakshotsprings.com
Be sure to ask for Jayne. Tell her Dina sent you.

Becky Zelinksi – First Crush

Dina Mande — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:59:04 +0000

Becky Zelinski wants you to get your hands dirty. If you are a wine lover who’s not content with standing by and watching things happen and want to know more intimately how wine is made, this is for you. With First Crush, she and her husband, Lowell (he gets his own post soon) they have created a unique experience for the Paso Robles visitor who wants to venture out from the tasting room. First Crush is a full on luxurious, Wine Country Safari. Becky and her team take you to the most beautiful vineyards in the area, feed you a gourmet breakfast, then let you loose to really get into Harvest.

You get to feel (and smell) what it’s like to pick the grapes, experience the crush, feel the stomp and taste some of the finest wines in the region. You not only get a pampered vacation, you get to make your own wine. During the rest of the year, they have blending seminars and tastings so you can keep tabs on the progress of the grapes you’ve picked.

More Becky and First Crush:
Go Like them on Facebook
Read their blog here
Sign up for their news and visit their website at firstcrushwinemaking.com

The California Mid-State Fair

Dina Mande — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:04:57 +0000

Talk about favorite places in Paso! Living near the Mid-State Fair is a definite highlight. Last year, we were entranced listening to Kiss and Journey doing their audio sound checks in the afternoon, which wafted over to our own backyard.

The sights, sounds, colors just make me happy. Wandering around with cotton candy in hand, taking it all in: the pig races, the quilts, the shiny horses, the smelly cows, jars of jam, girls in short skirts, free music. It’s a feast for the senses.

This year, we’re going to spring for the multi-day pass and check out all the music on the free stage. America, Coco Montoya, The Family Stone, Morris Day & the Time, Blue Oyster Cult, Smashmouth. Yeah, baby.

We shot a cute stop-motion movie of our first visit to the Fair last year. Check it out:

Complete schedules and more about the Fair: http://midstatefair.com/