Neil Collins of Tablas Creek, Paso Robles

Neil Collins, the winemaker for Tablas Creek, embarked on his journey in Bristol, England, where he cultivated his culinary skills as a chef before venturing into winemaking. His professional path led him through significant experiences, including positions with John Munch at Adelaida Cellars and Ken Volk at Wild Horse. It was at Adelaida where Neil crossed paths with luminaries like Robert Haas and the Perrins of Château de Beaucastel during their quest for Tables Creek. Captivated by the project, Neil offered his services, spending a transformative year at Château de Beaucastel.

By year’s end, Neil’s dedication earned him the winemaker position at Tablas Creek, where he has since stewarded both the organic vineyard and the winery with unwavering commitment since 1998. His winemaking philosophy is simple yet profound: great wines stem from exceptional grapes, nurtured through fermentation as naturally as possible.

Beyond Tablas Creek, Neil’s vision extends to Lone Madrone winery, a venture he shares with his sister Jackie and wife Marci. Outside the vineyards, he pays homage to his roots through Bristol’s Cider and Bristol’s Cider House, preserving the cider tradition of his southwest English upbringing.

In recognition of his contributions, Neil was honored as San Luis Obispo County Winemaker of the Year in 2013 and named Paso Robles Wine Country Wine Industry Person of the Year in 2019.

#breakawaywinetours #pasowine #visitpaso #winemaker #rhonewines #fortheloveofwine #cawine #visitslocal #winemakerwednesday

Justin Smith of Saxum, Paso Robles

Today, we toast one of our favorite Paso Winemakers, Justin Smith of @saxumvineyards

Saxum Vineyard’s founder, Justin Smith, is Paso Robles’ first vintner to be raised in the vines and has developed a deep respect for each of his seven vineyard sites and the Rhone style wines he produces. The high quality, low yielding winery is credited for revolutionizing Paso Robles winemaking.

Their Templeton Gap/Willow Creek location is characterized by rocky calcareous soils, steep hillsides, perfectly sunny days, and cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. This Central Coast rock star focuses on producing Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre blends; crafting some of the most sought after and expensive wines in Paso Robles history.

The production is up to 4,000 cases with 38 of his wines scoring over 95 points by the Wine Advocate and Saxum’s 2007 James Berry Vineyard earning Wine Spectator’s 2010 Wine of the Year. Smith eagerly shares his experiences and knowledge with his neighbor winemakers and utilizes the help from his childhood friends in the cellar. Uniqueness and creativity is found on the bottle as their labels are crafted by a local artist, making it as highly expressive as their wines.

#winemakerwednesday #breakawaywinetours #pasorobles #sharepaso #fortheloveofwine #travelpaso #cheers #wine

Finding Bubbles in Paso Robles

Did you know you can find sparkling wines in Paso Robles? Many think of the wine region as a place for big reds only but if you know where to look, there’s lot’s of hidden treasures in the region. One of those treasures is bubbles! There’s actually quite a few wineries in north county offering sparkling wine these days and doing a fantastic job of it. If you want a list of all of them you might want to check out Cali Coast Wine Country Websitewhich has bubble maps for all the central coast regions.

Need help choosing which ones to visit? These wineries boast some of the best bubbles north of the grade in our humble opinion:

WEST SIDE OF 101

Jack Creek – Blanc de blancs is a made from chardonnay grapes. It is wonderfully crisp with nice acidity and a clean fruit undertone. With that being said, it isn’t always available so make sure you give them a call and get it when you can!

Hammersky – Detained is more than just a cool label. Featuring soft notes of pear and apple, hints of tangerine, coconut and pineapple, This light sparkling wine pairs perfectly with a hot summer’s day and is also perfect for sipping while overlooking their beautiful estate!

Niner – Brut Rose is classically made from Pinot Noir grapes. It has great salinity, wonderful floral taste and a bold vibrant bubble. Niner also handled every step of the sparkling wine making process in house and if you want to hear about it you can read it all on their blog!

EAST SIDE OF 101

Bianchi – California Brut has lively bubbles and a fruity taste. This wine is easy to drink or would make a great gift. It’s also perfect for sitting on their lovely patio on a warm day to enjoy.

Clavo – Sparkling Grenache Blanc is made in the traditional fashion. It is very dry and would be a good special occasion popper. It also has won several medals in California wine competitions throughout the state.

Rava – Sparkling Brut features aromas of white nectarine, Meyer lemon, and toast. The flavors are that of stone fruit and minerality with a bright natural acidity. Delicious!

We know some of you think of sparkling wine as a special occasion sipper only. Luckily, there are so many reasons to celebrate the month of May and if you don’t have one yet, make one with some of these amazing May specials. We can help you find sparkling wines, interesting varietals, vineyard tours, and other hidden gems. We have something for everyone and we’re ready and waiting for you!

JUNE CENTRAL COAST WINE COUNTRY EVENTS

You know you want to spend the day in wine country!

Summer is upon us ~ Check out some of the fun in the sun!

Looking for Wine Country Events happening in June in one of
California’s Central Coast Wine Regions?
Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara County
Well, drink up!

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DEEP THOUGHTS…WITH DAVE MCGEE: MONOCHROME WINES

Monochrome Wines, California White Wine

There are hundreds of great wineries in California focused primarily on red wines. Monochrome Wines devote all of their attention, effort and passion exclusively to white wines.  To paraphrase Coco Chanel, “To be memorable, you must first be different.”

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DEEP THOUGHTS…WITH DAVID PARRISH: PARRISH FAMILY VINEYARD

David Parrish, owner and winemaker at Parrish Family Vineyard has a long family history of wine making which is rooted deep in Atascadero and Paso Robles wine country. Inspired by the legacy of his grandfather Earl Henderson, David followed his passion for wine and began producing boutique wines from the vineyard in 2004.

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TRYING TO CONCEIVE? DRINK RED WINE!

TRYING TO CONCEIVE? DRINK RED WINE!

According to a brand new study from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, there’s a positive correlation between ovarian counts in women and moderate red wine consumption*. Trying to conceive? Pour yourself up a glass and turn down the lights, honey! Here are 5 well-loved varietals from across the Central Coast.

*Disclaimer: Before you go uncorking every bottle you come across, remember this. This study only supports the growing theory that moderate red wine consumption (that’s one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men) does not impede a healthy lifestyle. It does not imply that drinking more will increase fertility. Five to ten glasses a month should do it if you’re trying to get pregnant. No amount of alcohol is considered safe during pregnancy.

• Casa Dumetz Wines Solid Ground GSM – 2013 $35

From the winemaker

“Heady, aromatic and smooth, I broke my own rules when creating this Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre blend. (My rule was to never make a blend.) Full of blackberry, fragrant garden roses and an earthy richness, this is now a standard in our lineup. 380 cases produced.”

• Kynsi Winery Nocturnum – 2014 $39

“Floral aromatics of black cherry, purple freesia, molasses and toasted almond with prominent baking spice notes.  The palate is rich and round with notes of strawberry, allspice, green peppercorn and vine ripened olallieberries.”

• Municipal Winemakers Syrah- 2014 $28

“The 2014 Syrah is dark, bold and gamy, with tons of intensity and cool-climate spice. Firm tannins support a core of pungent fruit, giving the wine much of its energy and drive. There is plenty to like here. The 2014 was done with 15% whole clusters and aged in neutral oak. And the vineyard sources? Bien Nacido and John Sebastiano. Municipal’s 2014 Syrah is a superb value, especially for a wine made from such pedigreed sites.”

• Cambria Estate Vineyard & Winery Benchbreak Pinot Noir- 2014 $25

“Deep, dark purple in color with abundant red fruit and dark berry aromas and flavors.”

• JUSTIN Merlot- 2015 $30

“Full-bodied with ripe fruit, and classic Bordeaux savory character and firm tannins, this wine is a complex and serious version of Merlot that announces to the world that this is a grape variety with serious intentions.”

DEEP THOUGHTS…WITH NICOLE BERTOTTI POPE: STOLO FAMILY VINEYARDS

Stolo Family Vineyards is the only Estate winery and vineyard in Cambria and the surrounding area. Located just 3 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, Stolo is one of the closest vineyards to the California coast and uses the ideal cool climate growing conditions to produce award-winning wines like their 2014 Estate Syrah, voted #27 on the 2017 Wine Enthusiasts 100 list. 

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Holiday Cocktail Recipes

There’s nothing better than cozying up next to the fire with a loved one on a cold winter’s day. And while there’s nothing wrong with cocoa, it’s nice to warm up with something a little harder on occasion. If you’re looking to up your holiday cocktail game with hot or cold cocktails or seasonal punches, follow along for some sip-worthy recipes that are sure to make this season merry and bright!

Fall Harvest Sangria from EatYourselfSkinny.com
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 Bartlett pear
2 Honeycrisp apples
1 Orange
¼ cup pomegranate
2 cinnamon sticks
2 ½ cups apple cider, fresh
1 cup club soda
1 (750ml) bottle favorite white wine
½ cup vodka

Instructions:

1. Place chopped apples, pears, orange slices, pomegranate seeds and cinnamon sticks in a large pitcher. Pour in wine, apple cider, and vodka and mix well.
2. Allow flavors to marinate in the fridge a few hours before serving then add club soda. The longer it sits the better!

Bourbon Pecan Pie Cocktail from BasilandBubbles.com
Makes 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:
1 ounce Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 ½ ounce Evangieline Pecan Praline liqueur
½ ounce vodka of your choice

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients over ice and stir

Holiday Spiced Mulled Wine from JoyfulHealthyEats.com 

Makes 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:
1 orange
1 Pink Lady apple
¼ cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves, whole
2 star anise
1/3 cup brandy
1 bottle red wine

Instructions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a medium sauce pan or Dutch oven. Cover.
2. Turn burners to medium heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Serve!

Cranberry Margaritas from GimmeSomeOven.com
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups 100% cranberry juice
¾ cup fresh lime juice
¾ cup tequila
½ cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau or Triple Sec
ice cubs

Instructions:

1. Stir all ingredients together until blended. Serve