Wine & Food Tasting Events
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Paso Robles Harvest Festival: Wine Artistry Class at Chateau Margene

Sorry, due to a technical glitch, photos from this event must be viewed temporarily in my album on Webshots.com for now at:

http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/568115033jzTipq

The annual Paso Robles harvest festival offers more tastings, dinners, and seminars than there are grapes in the vineyard.  Choosing can be difficult.

This year I thought I’d take a stab at blending my own wine at the Wine Artistry class offered by Chateau Margene, located near Creston a few miles southeast of Paso.

For $65 each, our class of some 20 amateur winemakers was treated to a catered al fresco lunch, expert instruction in how to create our own Bordeaux blend, and a tour of the facilities, which use machinery and methods very similar to those from 100 years ago, according to winemaker Mike Mooney.                    .

“We use gravity flow instead of pumping, and our wine press is an older rebuilt model,” he explained, inviting us to take a whiff of the berries fermenting in open vats inside their barrel and tasting room.

One sniff and you could see why his sons dash in and out quickly in the mornings, opening up the room to draw out the fumes, which include enough carbon dioxide to suffocate a person in short order.

Chateau Margene produces some of its own fruit, buying the rest from other vineyards.  “Wine is really made in the vineyard,” he said.  “You have to start with superior fruit to make great wine.  All the winemaker really does is try not to screw it up.”

During our two-hour class, we learned that he was only half joking, as we each sipped, blended, poured out, sipped again, made tasting notes, and shook our heads or smiled.  Then started all over again – four times. 

We were provided with four base wines to choose from, in whatever proportions we determined were best. All were of the same 2006 vintage, from three different vineyards:

1. Chateau Margene Cabernet Sauvignon in new French oak
2. Casagrande Cab in neutral French oak (barrels 3 years of age or older)
3. Still Waters Merlo in neutral French oak
4. Chateau Margene Cab in new American oak

I was drawn to the rose petal nose of American oak Cab, as well as its finish.  To three parts of that, which I sucked up through a long glass straw called a “pippette,” I added one part of  the new French oak cab, which also had a nice nose.

The result defnitely had an inviting bouquet but not much after that, a rather mild flavor with not much of a finish.

On my second attempt, I decided to try equal amounts of each wine, which  wasn’t bad, with less on the nose but a longer finish and more taste.

Mike then explained that most people are drawn to the heavily oaked wines at first, because of their obvious qualities, but these same characteristics quickly dull the palate.  He suggseted starting with the oak-neutral wines, to get the tannins and fruit right, before enhancing with the oaky taste and smell.

Taking his advice, on the third try, I blended 40% each of the neutral-oak Cab and the new-American-oak Cab with 20% neutral-oak Merlot.  This produced a good nose, flavor and finish.

For the last blend, I increased the neutral-oak Cab to a full half, adding about a third neutral-oak Merlot, and for the rest, the new-American-oak Cab.  Voila!  I decided this was right recipe for the bottle I then filled, labeled, corked, and sealed: 2006 Wine Country Gourmet Red Blend.

Sorry but my creation is all sold out. However, you can still sample Chateau Margene’s wonderful wines at 4385 La Panza Road in Creston. Or go to www.chateaumargene.com.

Bison chili stew, squid cerviche, biodynamic coffee, raw goats milk cheese, and green wine.

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Slow Food Nation 2008: Preserving the Legacy of the Dinner Table

Sorry, due to a technical glitch, photos from Slow Food Nation must be temporarily viewed in my album on Webshots.com for now.  Please go to:

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Bison chili stew, squid cerviche, biodynamic coffee, raw goats milk cheese, and green wine.

While it may sound like a menu from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, these bold foods were actually featured at the Slow Food Nation Grand Tasting event in San Francisco on Sunday, Sept. 30.

The antidote to fast food, Slow Food Nation is part of an international movement to preserve the authentic artisan ways of preparing food.  The entire conference spanned the Labor Day weekend at venues all over the city, but I chose to focus on the tasting event at Ft. George Mason, the former military water-front facility that has been reborn as a cultural and arts center –with a grand view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

For $65 each, my friend Sue and I nibbled and sipped our way across a whole country of adventurous delights.  We started at the Native American area, sacrificing two punches on our lunch ticket for the savory bison stew – made with organically-raised buffalo, pinto and kidney beans – and an authentic pre-Columbian corn posole, flavored with red chili honey sauce.

Next came a seafood trio that included the squid cerviche and slow-cooked albacore tuna with preserved lemon and local agretti – a small succulent shrub native to the Mediterranean Basin. A “halophyte,” or salt-tolerant plant, agretti is typically found in coastal regions and can even be irrigated with salt water. The third dish was cured local sardines with tiny dumplings of Panko bread crumbs, made from bread without crusts, which makes the crumbs lighter and crisper than those made from most Western breads.

With some protein under our belts, we headed for the wine section, starting with a flight of “green” wines from California’s Mendocino County at the Sustainable Wine Bar. Although I frequently sample a variety of California wines, and have even served as a wine competition judge, I couldn’t tell any difference between these wines and those made “unorganically.”  But that’s a good thing, I think, since you feel good knowing that these wines can have a high impact on your taste buds with a low impact on the environment.

After the buffalo and squid, I was ready for a something sweet. A Greenwood Ridge 06 estate Riesling did the trick. With a nice acidic kick and a tropical, pineapple flavor, it made a great dessert wine.

The wine section was filling up by this point.  Even with over 500 wines from 40 states available, lines were getting long. By the time I made it to the counter, they were out of the Stags Leap 03 Cabernet Saugivnon.  The pourer suggested I try their 04 Petite Syrah instead, a great idea!  It was bold,  fruity and complex, with a finish that went on and on.

Sue and I sipped our wine as we waited in line at the cheese tasting area. Along the way, we sampled a terrific raw milk cheese made by Italy-native Alessandra Trompeo of La Casa dei Formaggi in Durham, N.C. A geologist turned cheesemaker, she crafts her cheese in small batches from nonpasteurized Jersey-cow milk and ages them for at least 60 days.  More common in Europe, the raw-milk cheese are beginning to take up more shelf space in the U.S. Unlike the wine, I could taste the difference this time and it’s an improvement!

Ah, the chocolate.  We excercised great restaint, opting to sample a “deconstructed chocolate bar” first.  First, we nibbled the nibs, which are the broken-up roasted bean pieces.  Expecting a big burst of bitterness, we were amazed instead by a pleasant, soft, chocolate taste. No wonder some chocolatieres are putting the crunchy nibs into their bars.

The next stage is creating the molten liqueur by melting the nibs.  The resulting unfinished product is a bit granular but tastes sweeter because of the larger size of the sugar crystal.  If you don’t mind the slightly gritty texture, you can save some calories by eating unrefined chocolate.

“It all begins with the quality of the ingredients,” explained chocolatier Clark Goble, who crafts the silky Amano chocolates in Orem, Utah. Amano, a gourmet brand I was already familiar with because it had topped competitors in previous tastings I’d participated in, buys beans from the best plantations in Venezuela.

The desert air is another secret to Amano’s successful chocolate-making.  The dry climate helps remove water, and the high altitude helps evaporate the volatiles, he said, taking the bitterness out of the nibs.

There was more – olive oils, coffees and tea, bread, charcuterie, honey and preserves, ice cream, and even pickles and chutneys.  And there was much more to the conference: lectures, workshops, plantings.  As Anya Fernald, executive director of Slow Food Nation, phrased it, the legacy of a few days in San Francisco is that “conversations will bloom into projects, changes, new passions, and careers.  The seeds of Slow Food Nation will grow into new communities and new partnerships built around the kitchen table.”

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Shamelessly Soused Shrimp Tacos Take
Top Honors at 2008 Paso Rotary Wine Cookoff

August 9, 2008

Gourmet tour de force Mitchella Vineyard and Winery has done it again, repeating their first-place win in the official food and wine judging!

Held outdoors by a lovely lake in the cool of the Paso Robles evening, this event eschews the Dreaded White Tents, which typically are dark, hot and crowded.  A live band adds to the festive air.

Mitchella’s Shamelessly Soused Shrimp Tacos, marinated in a Viognier redolent of honeysuckle and served with the same, caught the judges’ eyes, as did their entry last year – petite sirloin and wild mushroom burgers on garlic sourdough baguettes.

In a close second-place win, according to judge Mike Stepanovich, was Midnight Cellars with their Beefapalooza, individual Beef Wellingtons served with a mushroom and port-wine reduction sauce on a made-from-scratch puff pastry.  Amazing with their big Zinfandel.

Not to be missed was Eberle Winery’s Love Muffin, ground sirloin on a buttered muffin smothered in grilled peppers and onions.  I forked over one of my three People’s Choice vouchers for a sample of Gary Eberle’s ’90 Reserve Cabernet, still a big wine in 2008.  When else am I going to be offered a taste of this private reserve wine from the Robert Mondavi of Paso Robles?

I wasn’t alone in my appreciation of Eberle’s epicurean magic.  My fellow gourmands voted Eberle into third place in the People’s Choice Awards.  The judges liked their offering, too, awarding them an honorable mention.

Another crowd pleasure was Cass Winery’s Crab Cake Sliders, served Maryland style on a sesame bun, with special homemade tartar sauce.  I chose their chilled Grenache, perfect for a summer evening repast. The good news is that you can sample this fare year round at the winery, which boasts its own charming little cafe.

Edward Sellers Vineyard & Winery was hawking Pepper Jack Sliders – mini burgers topped with grilled apple, pepper jack cheese, arugula and a secret smoky sauce – with their Cognito red blend, a perfect complement with its own peppery finish.

The line was long at the EOS Estate Winery booth, as folks waited patiently to nosh on  Nathan’s Gnarly Nuggets, bacon-wrapped scallops with a late-harvest Muscat reduction sauce, and their Reserve French Connection, a great Bordeaux blend with a spicy finish.

My new discovery for the night was Silver Horse Winery’s Albarino, a light, nicely acidic Spanish white with a tantalizing tingle.  l rank it alongside the lovely Vina Robles Roseum as a favorite summer wine.

To all of this terrific food and fun, you can add the good feeling that comes with knowing all profits are donated by the Paso Rotary Club to benefit high school students, and your $75 will help the kids reach their education goals.

List of All  Winners of the 10th Annual Winemakers Cook-off & Wine Tasting

 Judges rankings
    • First  – Mitchella Vineyard & Winery, “Shamelessly Soused Shrimp Tacos” wrapped in jicama tortillas.
    • Second  – Midnight Cellars, “Midnight Beefapalooza,” mini Beef Wellingtons
    • Third  – Calcareous Vineyard, “Tacos al Pastor Gordo,” pork, avocado, cilantro, lime
    
Honorable mentions
    • Eberle Winery, “Love Muffin,” buttered toast with sliced beef topped with sautéed onions and peppers
    • Sylvester Vineyards & Winery, “Spicy Korean Hot Meat Lettuce Wraps”
    • Stacked Stone Cellars, “Don Juan’s Pollo Love Loco Jalapeno Sausage”

    People’s choice awards
    • First place, Midnight Cellars
    • Second place, Tobin James Cellars
    • Third Place, Eberle Winery

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SLO Vintners Harvest Celebration
Grand Tasting
November 3, 2007

    

      (L) Avila Beach Golf Resort      (R) Ortman Winery breaking French law because they can

A few minutes after we sat back in our beach chairs to enjoy the release of a local Beaujolais-type wine beneath the palm trees and sunny skies of Avila Beach Golf Resort, the fog came creeping in on its little haunches.

Donning fleecy jackets over shorts and sundresses, most of the folks gathered for this annual food and wine-tasting event seemed prepared for and undisturbed by the change in weather.

Maybe the lines got a little longer for the piquant chowder being served by Cracked Crab and the caramel cappuccinos offered by Cafe Andreini. 

But for the most part, the hundreds of tasters happily enjoyed their wine and choice morsels, such as falling-off-the-bone maple-smoked ribs from Apple Farm, The Park’s “local market” Spanish stew, and an intriguing lamb paella from Epic Catering.

Overall, however, there were a few too many “nacho” type samples, making for a sameness and lack of creativity in the foods offered, but the wine made up for it.

Our Chutzpah Award goes to . . .

Our Chutzpah Award goes to the Ortman Family Winery, which brazenly broke French law by serving their bright and spritzy Beaujolais Nouveau before November 15^th.  And they had the t-shirts to prove it. “Breaking French Law, Because We Can,” the bold red-orange tees proudly proclaimed. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Ortman’s 06 Cuvee Eddy, a Syrah blend, was another fun wine, its spicy vanilla tones pairing well with the House of Bread’s cinnamon walnut slices. So it didn’t surprise me a bit that everybody from the Dallas Cowboys to Rachael Ray and the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience has been praising Ortman wines.

Food offerings included no desserts that we could find,  but Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards was serving a yummy Port made from Paso Robles Zinfandel grapes. This jewel goes through three fortifications, slowing down the fermentation so it doesn’t lose its fruit profile – a hard-to-control, risky process. But they pulled it off by luck, magic, skill – or a combination of all three.

Kelsey also served some fun novelty wines – a Sparkling Syrah with spicy molasses and vanilla flavors. Gingerbread lovers, take note.

And being located in See Canyon, which is known for its great apples, the Kelseys do a funky Apple Merlot, made with their own fruits -- probably, like the Ortman fmaily, because they can. Finally, there is their SLO Gin Fizz, a sparkling white Zinfandel.

And Lest I Neglect the Whites

Claiborne and Churchill were offering their hallmark Alsace-modeled Dry Riesling, which provides full fruit-ness without sweetness. Sometimes the stone dry Rieslings can be too acidic, but this one was just nice and crisp. They also make a Dry Gewurztraminer.

Wolffe Vineyards, Baileyana Winery and Tantara Winery were each serving some terrific Chardonnays.  The Wolffe bouquet was delightful.  Tantara’s chard derives its balanced not-too-oaky quality from an 80:20 oak/stainless steel combination. And Baileyana’s rich, lemony chard is an amazing value. You can sometimes find it on sale around town at prices barely in the double digits!  I’ve had wines that cost twice that much but were only half as good. 

Apologies for the scant coverage of whites here, but the marine layer that seeped in from the ocean had a chilling effect on my taste buds.  Fortunately, the South County grapes love it (Click on the “Q&A” button on the left side of this page to read about my weather-induced palate idiosyncrasies.) .

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Studies In Place (SIP)
September 2007

What do an outlaw and a concert pianist have to do with wine? 

The notorious outlaw Jesse James and the world-renowned concert pianist and composer Paderewski actually had something in common – Paso Robles, California’s fastest-growing wine region.

Jesse’s uncle Drury was one of Paso Robles’ founding fathers in the 1800s, according to local winemaker and historian Dennis Collins of Treana winery.

And the famous Polish classical pianist Ignace Paderewski helped put Paso on the map in the early 20^th century when he came to cure his arthritis in the local hot springs. He remained in the area till the 40s, planting one of the earlier vineyards in the area.

Petite Syrah and Zinfandel were grown at the old world composer’s vineyard in the Adelaide area. Later his wine was made at York Mountain Winery, which had also been established in the 1800s. The legend that he brought the first Zinfandel to the area doesn’t appear to be true, but his award-winning wines did establish Paso Robles’ reputation as a premier wine region. 

These and other fascinating facts about Paso Robles wine were provided by expert guides on the buses transporting a group of wine writers and trade reps during the Studies in Place (SIP) – sponsored annually by the Paso Robles  Winemakers Alliance.

Tasting Notes: Barnyard French to Fruit Forward

SIP attendees were not only treated to taste sensations created by local restaurants and caterers, but we were privileged to sip alongside none other than THE legendary Gary Eberle and other expert Paso winemakers.

A structured tasting that featured Paso Robles wine alongside wines from Napa and Bordeaux was an amazing experience.  We were able to compare our tasting notes with these experts, who were tasting blind, too, evaluating their own wines and others without knowing which was which.

Rhone Blends

When Gary Eberle and I both selected an 05 Four Vines Peasant ($38) Rhone blend as our favorite in that flight, I couldn’t have felt more validated.  It beat out an 03 Chateau La Nerthe  Chateauneuf du Pape with a “fennel nose” and a high level of tannins that sells for $40.  "Old World" and "barnyard" were terms other tasters used to describe the French  Rhone.

I thought a second Chateauneuf du Pape, an 04 Domaine des Senechaux ($30), topped its fellow French wine with smoother tannins and a nicer, vanilla aroma.

The surprise of the day for me was a wine that could have been a Starbucks label, so strongly did it express a coffee aroma— o5 Denner Ditch Digger ($35)

The creatively named 05 Eberle Cote du Robles is a bargain at only $20.

The less-creatively-named but equally pleasant Adelaida 04 Version is a blend of five grapes --Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Counoise and Cinsault!  $26

Cabernet Sauvignon

I was astonished when it was revealed that a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon – rated last in the cab flight by almost all of us, novice and pros alike – sells for $80 a bottle! The taster next to me referred to it as "cigar wine" but thought it "might be good in 10 years."

Gary Eberle explained the advantage of Paso wines in general, which he characterized in general as being fruit forward and very soft -- easy on the pallate.  " You can take wines from Paso Robles and drink them tonight, or put them away for 20 years," he said.

And the 04 Bordeaux Chateaux Pichon-Longuevile Baron, with its smoky bouquet and $70 price tag, was simply not up to the Paso Robles Cabs, many of us felt, including the 05 Wild Horse ($20), 04 Treana ($52), 04 Halter Ranch ($28), and 04 Adelaida ($75).

So Many Grapes, So Few Hours

At no other time have I felt the truth of the “so much wine”  adage more deeply.  Imagine, only a little over a day to sample the fares of over 40 top-notch produers!

Although we were offered tastings at our lovely lakeside breakfast at Merdian Vineyard, I passed, knowing from previous experience that even using the spit bucket wouldn’t save me if I drank before my brain cells had been fed first.

After breakfast we had a fun ride through Meridian’s vineyards on tractor-pulled flatbeds – the same ones the field workers use.  We saw several deer, as well as the barn owl boxes Meridian has placed around the vineyards to help control gophers.  

Grapes Rush in Where Carrots Fear to Tread

Calcareous rock & Eagle Castle Winery

En route to Eagle Castle Winery, we de-bused  for a first-hand look at the calcareous soil on the western side. The clay soil west of Highway 46 combines with porous bits of chalk-like rocks from an ancient uplifted seabed, providing a moist bed for the vines.  In fact, the roots actually grow around the rocks, which wickd water to the plants.

This phenomenon, coupled with the 15-30 inches of rain the west side receives per year, cooler temperatures, and the fog that occasionally rolls in through the Templeton gap, enables many growers on the west to dry farm, using no irrigation.  And they can coax the finicky Pinot Noirs to grow.

Their fellow growers on the east make use of one of the largest aquifers in California to supplement that area’s scant 6-10 inches of annual rainfall.  The eastern soil is primarily alleuvial, formed over the millennia by rivers such as the northward-flowing Salinas.

The climate, geology, and other growing conditions seem to favor Bordeaux-type wine on the east, where Cab is king, and Rhones and Zins on the west.  However, the diversity of conditions creates anomalous pockets on each side, which is why western Justin Winery, with its warmer micro-climate, produces good Bordeaux, such as its well-known Isosceles.

One of  the greatest daytme-nightime temperature differentials in the world also helps make Paso Robles the Amazon Basin of viticulture diversity. The high temperatures create sugars, while the low ones boost acidity.

 

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9^th Annual Taste of Downtown Paso Robles
September 2007

    

(L-R)  Paso Robles' landmark clock tower,  Arroyo Robles Tasting Room, Arroyo Robles grapes

The Annual Taste of Downtown Paso Robles is an opportunity to explore the many tasting rooms, wineries and nooks on and around the old town square. 

New places are popping up all the time, such as Dining With Andre’, a little French bakery and caterer next to the movie theater, which serves light breakfasts featuring croissants (the real thing – Andre’ is from France), quiche, omlettes, and more. 

Andre also offers a raft of highly specialized cooking classes, from “Modern Sauces for Fish Cookery” to  fruit carving for buffets.

And you never know who you might meet at one of Andre’s classes.  Sign up for the special Harvest Festival class on Oct. 20 and you’ll meet Andrew Firestone!  Call 805-591-8050 now to reserve your spot and enjoy an autumn meal paired with Paso Robles reds. Or email katy@firestonewine.com.

Vivant Fine Cheese will be open soon across from Andre’s!  Not only will it feature premium artisan cheeses paired with the finest Central Coast wines and beer, but you can enjoy these goodies in a charming courtyard nestled between the cheese shop and the new boutique hotel next door. http://www.vivantfinecheese.com/tasting-room.php.

Selections range from imported artisan French, Spanish, and Italian to domestic farmstead specialty cheeses including a small- scale aged sheep’s milk cheese, one that is handcrafted at Cal Poly, and Crème Fraîche, made locally in SLO County.

The best food sample of the day was at SLO Bar-B-Que, which is located on 630-B First Street.  Their pulled pork, beef tips, and sausage were accompanied by some great homemade and very creative sauces – including “Dr. Pepper and Jalapeno” and “Tequila Lime.”  Their side potato salad was tasty too, with just the right texture and amount of dressing.  So many potato salads are mushy or drowning in mayonnaise.

Since the mercury was rising to a predicted high of 88 degrees, I followed my hot-weather wine-tasting protocol and focused on a white – this time Viognier, which has been aptly labeled as “peaches and cream.”  What it lacks in acidic kick, it makes up for in flavor.

Although Santa Barbara is better known than Paso for its Viogniers, Paso makes some terrific ones.

Since I’d really enjoyed the Arroyo Robles Viognier at a previous tasting, I wanted to try it again.  Sometimes, if you’re tasting at an event that goes on for several hours or longer, your palate (or maybe it’s your brain) can lie to you.

Just as  a six pack can turn a dog into a fox, a couple of hours of tasting can turn a vin ordinaire into a Grand Cru!  But the Arroyo Robles 06 Viognier was just as lovely as I’d remembered, a real honey of a wine with a nectarine flavor and delightful floral nose.  $25 (Although many grapes will grow where a carrot won't, this grape is a challenge for vintners -- hence it’s relatively high price.)

My fellow taster Wanda decided to try a novelty wine, the sparkling Almond, which she bought as a dessert wine for Thanksgiving. ($12)

Arroyo Robles' new, spacious tasting room is right across from the square, with a boisterous pub-like atmosphere and a rather large gift shop filled with wine-related items.  They also have plenty of Cab, Syrah, and Zins for red lovers to try.

Around the corner on Park Street is Edward Sellers' new tasting room.  These folks make some good wine. Their 05 Viognier is fantasic. ($28)  They also offer an 05 Blanc du Rhone white blend that is 15% Viognier ($32) I'd previously tasted their red blend 04 Cognitio which isn’t to be missed. ($26)

Head north on Park Street to 13^th Street, where you’ll find Pianetta Wines. They had an interesting 03 Shiraz-Cabernet blend ($24) that has won multiple medals, as well as an 06 Nonna’s Vino Rosafo, a dry rose’.  ($18)

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Paso Robles Olive Festival August 25, 2007

 
(L) Oils that almost glow                        (R) Olive Dish Cook-Off

Not only is Paso Robles the third largest wine-producing region of California, but it also boasts a number of olive tree farms and oil producers.

There are even a few tasting rooms, where you can try the varietal fruits, which vary in character just like grapes. While you’re at it, decide whether you like the bitter, green flavor of early-harvest oil or the mellower tones of the late-harvest olives.

For four years now, the city of Paso Robles has been hosting an olive bash, featuring oils, produce and products from around the state. In addition to the sampling of oils, olives, and tapenades, there’s even free olive oil ice cream!

You can sip purchased beer or wine while you nibble on  food from the culinary row.  Arrive in time for the noon olive dish cook-off, which always draws a crowd.  If you miss it, check out o-recipes at http://www.pasoolivefestival.com/recipes.html.

If you’d like to do some tasting and are up for beautiful drive, head west on Highway 46, turn right on Vineyard Drive, and go 7 miles to the Willow Creek Olive Ranch, which is open Friday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Not only can you taste their award-winning Pasolivo oils -- such as their organic orange and Meyer lemon-infused varieties -- but they will educate you with an olive-oil-making show and tell.  You can purchase gift packs, specialty olives, olive dishes, posters, etc., as well as one of the few 100-percent kalamata olive oils made in the U.S. and a loaf of Ciro Pasciuto's fabulous bread -- on Fridays and Saturdays only (read below about how Ciro's bread brings him not only cash but marriage proposals).

Located in lovely terrain near a number of vineyards, a stop at Willow Creek Ranch makes for a pleasant break when you’re wine tasting. For more info go to http://www.pasolivo.com/index.asp.

One note of caution: When shopping for olive oil, to make sure you get the real honest-to-god extra virgin olive oil you pay a premium price for, buy a brand made in California, which produces 98% of the U.S. market.

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Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers
Invitational Cook-Off & Tasting
August 11, 2007

             (1) Enjoying the lake                          (2) Eberle's chef and judge Mike Stepanovich              (3) Sunset tasting               (4) Margaritaville?