D'Anbino Winery & Old Vienna Restuarant

Show airing Saturday, July 26, 2008

Show could be subtitled, Cool Jazz & Hot Accordions.

A musical show this week. First we talk to Carmine Rubino and his son Mike of D'Anbino Winery & Vineyards. A fascinating professional musical family with a tasting room in Paso Robles that features a full blown nightclub stage!



Then Chef Mike (and heavy metal guitarist) Mosier from the Old Vienna Restaurant, Bar & Beer Garden tells us what's new on the menu and events calendar (including their "Squeezebox Square Off") at this third generation owned restaurant in Shell Beach.

Sudden Rise of "Sliders" and "Mini Burgers," Explained!

I'm sure I can't be the only one whose observed the addition of so called gourmet "sliders" to tony restaurants throughout the land.
Followed shortly by the addition of "mini burgers" and sandwiches to chain operations.

We sent our Grapevine Radio investigative reporter out in the field to discern the reason behind this latest "small is beautiful" trend.

The story is shocking! The forces behind this phenomenon is a cult like association dedicated to the breeding of "mini cattle."

I swear on my limited edition DVD of, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" that I'm not making this up.

This could also explain those little cartons of "mini moo."

Domaine Alfred Sells! (You Can Call Me Al)

Erle Martin, President & CEO, Crimson Wine Group, just announced that The Crimson Wine Group has finalized details for the purchase of Domaine Alfred and the historic Chamisal Vineyard in the Edna Valley.

For those who may not know Central Coast wine history, Domaine Alfred's Pinot Noirs (under the guidance of winemaker extraordinaire Mike Sinor), put Domaine Al on the world's wine map. Decanter Magazine rated it as one of the only Pinot's of California worth sipping, among the numerous accolades they collected.

Domaine Alfred's visionary founder, Terry Speizer, was also headed up the effort to bring the case to the U.S. Supreme that resulted in a major victory for all wineries who ship wine within the U.S.

The purchase is scheduled to close Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Winemaker's Cookoff Winners!

Paso Robles, California, August 18, 2008
Mitchella, Midnight Cellars and Local High-School Seniors Are Big Winners of 10th Annual Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cookoff

Cookoff winners:(L to R) Paso Robles Rotary President, Dan Blake; 2008 Cookoff Chair, Sally Davis; People’s Choice winner, Rich Hartenberger, Midnight Cellars; Judges’ Choice winners, Angela and Darren Mitchell, Mitchella Winery.


Mitchella Earns Top Judges’ Honor, Midnight Cellars Takes First-Place People’s Choice Award

In what organizers said was this "fundraiser’s largest attendance in its 10 year history," Mitchella Vineyard and Winery’s marinated shrimp taco garnered the first-place Judges’ Award and Midnight Cellars’ beef Wellington in a mushroom-port reduction sauce got the top honors People’s Choice Award at the 10th-Annual Paso Robles Rotary Club Winemakers’ Cookoff.

The event took place on Saturday, August 9 held at the Paso Robles Hot Springs. Preliminary figures indicate a record attendance of over 1,000 and proceeds from the Cookoff are also expected to exceed previous editions of the event.

100% of net proceeds from this event each year are deposited in the Club’s Harlow Ford Scholarship Foundation. In 2007 and again this year, the Foundation provided $30,000 in college and vocational scholarships to local high-school seniors. From the results of this year’s Cookoff, the Club hopes to be able to increase that amount in 2009.

Judges for this year’s event were: Kathy Marcks Hardesty, chef and freelance wine and food columnist; Mike Steponavich, a wine writer and educator; Larry Shupnick, a nationally known leader in the hotel and hospitality industry; Janis Switzer, a Central Coast freelance wine writer; and Robert Whitley, nationally syndicated wine writer and wine talk show host.

Outside's Go Magazine Goes For Paso Wines!

A beautifully photographed, well written story on the wines of San Luis Obispo County hits newsstands and mailboxes August 19th.

Lucky Grapevine Radio fans can link to advance copy right here!
Outside's Go Magazine article on Paso Robles Wines

Wine Wrangler Opens in the Paso Robles Train Station

Here's a couple of photos of their new offices.

The exterior and the interior, where we see Paso Robles Pinot Noir purveyor (and spaghetti western stunt double) Mark Goldberg (foreground), owner-winemaker of Windward Vineyards giving Wrangler, Coy Barnes a chuckle.






When it comes to wine tours they have it all: Trains and Buses and Planes. Coy and Sarah Barnes keep expanding the scope of the Wine Wrangler's services.

Now they are becoming the "concierge service to all of Paso Robles." Whether it's a custom group tour, a wine tasting package or a helicopter tour of Central Coast Wine Country, the Wine Wrangler is doing it all.

Probably the most informative, fun tour guides you'll ever have the pleasure to meet. www.thewinewrangler.com

Space Beer Invades Japan!

Spaced Out Beer Lands in Japan

Your intrepid reporter has come across a plan by Sapporo Breweries Ltd. to test brew “space beer” made with barley descended from grains that travelled in outer space.

The pilot edition will be 100 bottles which will be released in November of ’08. The barley utilized in this astrodraught was propagated from seeds that spent five months aboard the International Space Station.

I know there will be people worrying that something will leap out of a stomach after drinking “space beer” or that a dog will drink some and wind up flattening Tokyo.

Any name suggestions for these space suds?

The Wines and Wineries of the Central Coast

It was a pleasure to meet author William Ausmus on our show today. A great guy with a great new book on our favorite wine region.

Here's the official blurb: "In comparative tastings, wines from California's Central Coast rival those from such renowned regions as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa, yet they also offer superb value.

This is the first comprehensive guide to one of the world's most dynamic and beautiful wine regions-and the setting for the award-winning movie Sideways.

An excellent, one-stop resource for touring and tasting at convenient wineries located from Monterey to Santa Barbara, the guide is organized into county-by-county alphabetical listings for this up-and-coming region."

The book profiles nearly 300 wineries personally visited by the author and includes 5 maps, visitors' and contact information for each winery and discussions of regional wine history and terroir, just for starters.

William A. Ausmus is a research scholar in the Communication Studies Department at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.

Mr. Chardonnay and the Mistress of Fine Cheese

Show airing Saturday, July 19, 2008

On this episode we talk to wine legend and Wine Master of Ortman Family Winery, Chuck Ortman is recognized as one of California's most accomplished winemakers. His winemaking career spans nearly 40 years in California and along the way he earned the moniker, "Mr. Chardonnay," as he pioneered barrel fermentation of Chardonnay.

Next it's Danika Reed, owner of Vivant Fine Cheeses in Paso Robles ... the exotic treats she brings really makes us smile for the microphone.

WARNING: listening to Cliff, Jan and Danika tasting and talking about these exotically wonderful cheeses will make you VERY hungry.

The Electric Tongue is Not a Sixties Band!

Nor is it a Rolling Stones stage prop. Yes, wine lovers we no longer need to rely on the burned out palates of a small cadre of "wine reviewers." It's the electric tongue to the rescue. Read on if you dare.
------------------------------------
By Steve Connor, Science Editor - The Independent (UK)
Even highly trained wine experts cannot agree on whether a variety or vintage is genuine Can't tell the difference between paint stripper and a 1982 Château Pétrus?

Well, scientists have developed a remedy: an "electronic tongue" that can distinguish between grape varieties and vintages. The device is still in the early stages of development but researchers hope they will one day be able to make an automatic wine taster that is more reliable than the human palette.

The electronic tongue – or e-tongue – is based on an array of tiny synthetic membranes built on to a single silicon chip called a multisensor. Each membrane has a different sensitivity to the various chemical components that distinguish one grape variety from another and one wine vintage from the next.

It can already distinguish between four grape varieties – Airén, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Macabeu – and samples of the same wine belonging to the vintage years 2004 and 2005.

READ MORE...

Mid-State Fair and Balanced

Ladies and gentlemen, we have this year's winning wines from the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles.

Super Awards went to:
* Best White Wine, Eberle 2007 Viognier, Paso Robles Mill Road
* Best Red Wine Halter Ranch 2005 Syrah, Paso Robles Estate
* Best Dessert Wine 2005 Robert Hall Vintage Port, Paso Robles

while the Best of Class was handed out to:

* 2007 Huber Chardonnay, unoaked, Santa Rita Hills
* 2007 Vina Robles Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles
* 2006 Castoro Cellars Pinot Grigio, Paso Robles
* 2006 Claiborne & Churchill Dry Gewurztraminer, Central Coast
* 2007 Harmony Cellars White Riesling, Monterey County
* 2007 Ventana Vineyards Dry Rosato, Arroyo Seco
* 2005 Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
* 2005 Niner Wine Estates Merlot, Paso Robles
* 2005 Per Bacco Cellars Pinot Noir, Dronysus, Arroyo Grande Valley
* 2005 Penman Springs Petite Sirah, Paso Robles
* 2006 Sculpterra Winery Statuesque, Paso Robles
* 2006 Eberle Barbera, Paso Robles
* 2006 Kenneth Volk Vineyards Mourvedre, Lime Kiln Valley
* 2006 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel, Paso Robles
* 2006 Alapay Late Harvest Moscato, Paso Robles


Next year we're proposing to pair wine styles with the entertainment and other events.

For example: What to drink while listening to Raul Malo, what to sip along with Steely Dan, what's good in a brown bag rockin' with Rob Piazza, something nice and cool with Paula Cole and a glass of something elegant to cruise along with Boz.

Eagle Castle and Sushiya Japanese Restaurant

Show airing Saturday, July 12, 2008

Lynn Diehl joins us as guest co-host and we meet Kim Matthes of Eagle Castle Winery in Paso Robles. Kim tells us thrilling tales of knights on horseback jousting and other upcoming adventures at the Castle.

Then Toshi (Thoshio) Maruta from Sushiya Japanese Restaurant and his sushi chef, Sing Ko talk about their educational approach at the restaurant and Toshi plays a tune on his Shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute.

New York .... Mountain!

Our friends over at www.RedWineBuzz, broke this story in mid-July.

York Mountain Winery for sale.

Historic York Mountain Winery is up for sale, Avenue Vine reports. The Owners of Martin & Weyrich Winery purchased York Mountain Winery in 2001, but are selling it to concentrate on their namesake brand, without implementing their plans for improving the vineyard.

Founded in 1882 by Andrew York, the winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in California. It is the only winery, but not the only vineyard in the AVA of the same name (awarded in 1983).

The 9,3000 acres surrounding the winery in the Templeton Gap are tucked against the eastern slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains and straddle Highway 46. This is on the western border of the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County. The AVA is at elevations of 1,500 feet, just 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

Days of Wine and Orchids and Lavender

Show airing Saturday, July 5, 2008

On this show we meet Mike Schenkhuizen, the owner of Orchid Hill Winery in Paso Robles. We discover where the name came from and about their wonderful wines.



Then Janice Silva of Green Acres Lavender Farm joins us to share her knowledge about lavender and details of the upcoming Lavender Festival. Very interesting!