WINE! TASTING! COLLECTING! ENJOYING! EVENTS!
"A guide to DELICIOUS splendor!"

 

Sylvester Winery Festival Dinner.
"An evening and a party to remember!" 
  Written by Gabrielle Sunheart


This past Friday May 18th kicked off the 2007 Paso Robles Wine Festival.  I had the pleasure of attending the Sylvester Winery festival dinner!  Located in highly celebrated Paso Robles, this past week has been one of the hottest I can remember.  Thankfully this event began early on in the evening while the sun was still in the sky and the soft warm winds were just winding down the day.  The sounds of the grape vines rustling in the gentle wind reminded me of fond memories as a child in the Azorean Islands. I knew that I was in for quite a splendor as I walked underneath the beautiful arbor lattices and towards the entrance of this spectacular event.

The spacious interior of the tasting room had the utmost appearance of being an upper scale deli, brimming with cheeses, goodies and gifties, empty wine barrels filled with an abundance of reasonably priced wines.  There was much merriment in the air as foodies and wine lovers gathered together in this room.  The bottles of wine kept pouring, and with each tasting I became more and more shocked as to how delicious the wine was and how the prices were so ridiculously affordable! 

After perusing the tasting room/gift shop, I gladly took my crisp, sweet and refreshing glass of Chardonnay into the main event.  With festive live music, long tables filled with delicious food offerings, and barrels of wine reaching from the ground all the way up to what must have been at least a 30 foot ceiling, I felt like I had entered heaven. 

Sylvester winery currently produces, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel dessert wines and ports.  All of which I was more than happy to pair with the luxurious dinner and dessert!  The staff was incredible friendly and more than happy to accommodate!  The music was so festive that the crowd and I could not resist some good dancing.  In addition it was great to rub elbows with the ever sweet Mr. Sylvester Feichtinger.  He went above and beyond to make me feel right at home.  He made sure I tried the sparkling wine, some of the finest I have ever had.  I met so many nice people, had an amazing dinner paired with delicious wines and I would highly recommend that you attend this event!  Go to www.sylvesterwinery.com for more information regarding their tasting room and up and coming events!

 

Cal Poly Wine Festival
Was held Friday and Saturday April 28th-29th, 2007

What a blast!  There were so many wonderful wines flowing freely as well as an abundance of beautiful people!  This festival should be a must on any wine connoisseurs list.

The bus took us up to the event!  (Above Middle) Some fellow bus riders! As well as just three of the many (Above right) Cal Poly volunteers!

(Above) A local band JUICE!  Played music during the event!  They have the best sound! 

All who went had a chance to taste wines that aren't normally available at wine festivals yet were in fact there to support their love and appreciation for the many diverse Cal Poly Wine Clubs and growers associations.Here are some of the food samplings that were offered.

The event was held at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch. It featured wineries from all over California as well as local restaurants and caterers. The afternoon was well spent tasting fine wines and hors d’oeuvres.

(Below) some pictures of the huge attendance this year.  Here is a peak at what I felt were the best wines in the Festival. 

Ken Volk Vineyards won and warmed heart with their entire collection and at only $14 a bottle it just goes to show that you can never judge a bottle by its price tag alone!

I would elaborate on just how deliciously crisp and smooth their wines are but I recommend just trying it for yourself!  Hearthstone was another to remember!  And let me tell you they are very limited in what they produce each year so if you think you want a taste of heaven don't wait! 

Mirassou, although this wine is from the Central Coast it reminds me of a hearty Azorean Portuguese wine.  Cass from Paso Robles had a great selection!  And finally how can you resist a little Purple Haze from the Château of Delighton.  I hope if you get the chance to go on a wine tour on the Central Coast that you make it to one if not all of these superb wineries for a taste!

(Below) Some close ups of some pretty bottle labels.

locals, visitors, students and Cal Poly alumni gather and share stories. Share in the fun next year!  The proceeds go towards the Wine and Viticulture Program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $50 per person or $30 for Cal Poly students, staff, and faculty. Visit event website at www.calpolywinefestival.com

 

San Luis Obispo Vintner's Barrels in the Plaza
Wine tasting, great music and fun food pairings.

This was truly a fun event.  Filled with great people.  Amazing food samplings.  And really helpful volunteer staff. The wines kept pouring making all of the wine lovers very happy.  And the variety was surprisingly vast.

Sister wineries Tangent and Baileyana had a multitude of delicious wines.  These happened to be amongst my favorites of the event.  (I attended the Baileyana diner held at Pelican Point, be sure to read the article!)

This event's local offerings also included coffees, olive oils, and various varieties of grape cuttings. Cal Poly had a booth promoting there organic farm.  They informed me that they have a share where you can get a box of fresh organic veggies at a low price.  You can pick up the veggies at various locations in the county. More info.

Crowds gathered in the Plaza to enjoy wine and good company.  There was a great energy in the air!

I stopped and had some samples of Carmen's dips and dressings.  They were delicious and I can see myself getting hooked!  You can pick Carmen's up at any local, higher end deli, winery etc.

Amongst the many booths was a local fellow Tom Neuhaus who sells Sweet Earth organic chocolate that is grown in Africa. This guy has a heart of gold.  And the chocolates are superb and he even has vegan peanut butter cups.  Available at Splash cafe.  They are divine. 

Above is a local gal who reminded me of my favorite movie of all time - Chocolate.  She not only had delicious bon bon shaped truffles, but she packages them in unique little boxes.  She can customize them for weddings and anniversaries.  I imagine that the sky is the limit! Trufflegarden.com

There was even a great Mariachi band playing (Mariachi Imperial Guadalajara 805-934-9584), making for a lively and fun filled event, in the Historic Mission.  You should mark your calendar for next year.  Barrels in the Plaza is a truly fun event you will surely enjoy experiencing!

 

Baileyana Diner Held at Pelican Point
May 4th 2007

Breathtaking ambiance and panoramic views all came together with great wine at this five course event. Here are some of the pictures from the event.  

Wine maker and family (Below Left). Third generation Todd and Michael shared with me some of their family history.  I was very impressed as it is not every day that you meet a third generation wine maker.

Newcomer Chef (Above Right) Laura Rigby holding one of her sweat creations with Sue Chef Arna Ginn.  If you have not been yet, you must enjoy a dinner at the Pelican Point restaurant.  The view is amazing and the dishes are phenomenal as well.   Entertainment was provided by the California Cabaret Theater.  Hilarious!

The dishes were a culinary masterpiece,  artfully presented and utterly delicious.  The starter a sweet and savory Humbolt Fog specialty cheese on a slice of apple with pancetta lardoons and micro greens. Paired with Tangent 2005 Pinot Gris and Tangent 2006 Pinot Blanc.

Next was the fried herbed goat cheese medallion served on a bed of spinach and arugula with baby beats.  Paired with Tangent 2006 Viognier.  Next was a Green risotto stuffed mushroom cut into triangles, a beautiful presentation.  Paired with Baileyana 2005 Grand Firepeak Cuvee Chardonnay.  Followed by a roast of beef upon a bed of mashed potatoes infused with a generous portion of black truffles.  Paired with Baileyana 2004 Grand Firepeak Cuvee Syrah. 

For Dessert a chocolate truffle, a chocolate dipped strawberry served with white Chocolate mousse.  Paired with Baileyana 2003 Vintage Port. Guests truly enjoyed the VIP experience.  Everyone was so down to earth and just happy to be a part of this booming wine country.

Be sure to attend next year's wine reception at Pelican Point,  and be sure to get your tickets in advance as this event was completely sold out. 

 

Wild Horse Winery
Celebrated the 15th annual Zinfandel Festival

As I drove through the gentle green pastures with the most beautiful horses - some grazing while others playfully trotted along - I knew that this would be a beautiful day for sipping wine and enjoying an amazing meal at Wild Horse Winery.  The rolling hills and vast acreage of wine grapes made for a graceful event held during the 15th Zinfandel Festival. 

The Irish band (above left) played music fit for Saint Patrick's day and even played an Irish wedding song.  Chef Andre (above right) offered dishes reminiscent of Roman times, from a delicious arugula salad, to a smoky gazpacho and award winning saffron-infused Piae (above right).   Topping this decadence was a crème Brule infused with citrus peel and marbled with cocoa.  Andre is currently teaching a series of  cooking classes.  For details visit the Dining with Andre website.

It is a gift to be able to do what you love in life as your profession.  As for wine maker Mark (above in the tie die shirt) who labels himself part rock star and part computer nerd I think he has definitely found his calling in life!   He moved to the area in 1995 and has years of experience under his belt which includes time spent throughout Spain and Morocco.  His experience is prevalent in the wines I tasted.  My personal favorite of the day was the refreshing 2005 Chardonnay.  Mark explained that they prepare the wines using old and new world techniques. 

The friendly staff and inviting atmosphere made me feel like a celebrity. And it was very nice to go for a tour of the wine making show room which was a nice retreat from the warm sun. 

I met some fellow wine lovers and had a wonderful experience. You have to come and experience this for yourself.  Whether your an experienced wine connoisseur or just curious about wine the staff at Wild Horse will be able to assist you..   For more information visit the Wild Horse Winery website. 

 

A Wine Event in pictures

Crossing the bridge you will notice the river mouth boasting swans and geese Avila Beach golf course takes extra pride in its ultra magnificent location and that is why it was the perfect setting for such a decadent event.

"This in no way is a pretentious event.  We do wine a little different on the Central Coast.  Basically the overall attitude is come as you are we love our guests and want to show them a great time."  Says Todd Ventura.  Who hosted the auction that raised a lot of money for a local nonprofit. Todd Ventura made for a comical auction MC.

 

Under the big yellow striped tent there were multitudes of local and visiting smiling faces!

There were dozens of booths bursting with so many wines and delectable dish pairings ranging from crisp salads to mini breads with mushroom spreads, Old Edna's booth had the most delicious cheeses one was a delightfully creamy blue cheese topped with roasted pine nuts and The Sea Venture's booth had mini corn pancakes topped with smoked salmon crème fresh and caviar oh yes it was to die for.  I must confess I had more than one!

 

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