Tasting Paso Robles Friday: Le Vigne and Pear Valley

This is Le Vigne Winery's temporary tasting room. I took one look at these towering barrels and said If we have an earthquake, RUN! People tend to think Well the heavy stuff is heavy and it won't fall.

What every person in the world should know is during a strong earthquake (you never know how strong it will be until it's too late), weighted things that are not tied down sufficiently can and generally will become airborne. This includes heavy machines like bulldozers. That's right. A giant bulldozer can fly weightless in a strong earthquake.

So see these barrels. If there is a rumble, there may be a tumble. Move your bottom out the door just in case.

That said - I liked the ambiance.

Here is the new and unfinished tasting island. Looks nice. They replaced the tall bar with lower belly-ups. I like that. It was always weird to taste wine feeling like a child standing at grownups furniture. I'm five-two. That isn't that small -geez.

And on the way home, another winery had actual people climbing on the high tension towers. So we had to go tasting at Pear Valley Winery too.

All I could think was if I were doing that job, what would I do if I had to go pee.

Picnic at Pear Valley Vineyard

We decided to have a picnic at Pear Valley Vineyard yesterday. I loaded up my large cat box with a super salad for each of us, and we bought a bottle Cab Franc in the tasting room, and headed for the hills. There is a ridge between two vineyards with a picnic table, and except for an occasional gush of wind that threatened to blow the wine glasses over, the afternoon was picture perfect.

The place was really crowded down on the patio, but we had the hill to ourselves. A little elevation really is a deterrent to most people, or maybe they didn't wear the right shoes.

B & E Vineyard

This is B & E Vineyard wine tasting room. As you can see it is fashioned after an old Western saloon. It has a single room with a hardy air conditioner and a wood bar. There are benches both inside and out. 

It's located on Creston Road, east of Paso Robles. Grouped with the Back Road Wineries, this tasting room has a small personal feel. In fact, there is no way to be anonymous here, but that was okay because the pourer was a really nice people person.

 Like so many tasting rooms, we go right down the list starting with the chilled rose, then the lighter reds, and finally the stronger reds. Usually we just go along seeing how it is scripted and if interrupted, well now, spontaneity is not always a good thing. When we got to the stronger reds, we were very happy.

B & E makes some damn nice red wine.

I joined their club and look forward to visiting them again on Harvest weekend coming up soon.

Cheers!

All Hail Bacchus!

We were sitting around Sunday morning trying to decide how to spend the day. I said to him Let's go wine tasting! There's a new winery open a few miles down the road. It'll be fun, oh come on. 

He was reluctant. So I knew I had to work on him. 

I said Dude, I need something to blog about, plus it will be super quick, just sip and click, and back again. 

He dug in his heels. 

I said Okay but whether we go or not, I'm blogging this. 

And that was the ticket. He does not want to look unfavorable on my blog. Isn't that a gas!

So we jump in the truck with my camera in hand and rolled down the road.

The winery is brand new. The tasting room has only been open for one week. They are still putting in landscaping even. The outdoor deck was nice. I definitely could envision a catered event in the grand hall.

After we tasted about 20 different wines, I joined the wine club and bought six bottles to take home with me. Outside we decided to climb the hill and take in the view. We also discovered redmaids. 

The first of this year!