SLO County Golf, Wine & Real EstateGolf, Wine & Real Estate News and Events Blog
Get a Rain Check at Avila Beach or Blacklake Golf ResortSunday, December 31, 2006What is a RAIN CHECK you ask? If it is raining at the Avila Beach or Blacklake Golf Resorts give us a call to purchase one round of weekend golf for $67 and get THREE MORE ROUNDS FREE! That's right (4) rounds that you can use anyday for a total of $67! That breaks down to only $16.75 a round and they can be used anytime!!!These rounds are nontransferable, are not valid on Holidays or Holiday weekends (New Year's Weekend or New Year's Day - Monday, January 1st, 2007) and the FREE rounds must be used within 90 days. WHAT A DEAL! DON'T DELAY CALL RIGHT NOW! THIS OFFER IS AVAILABLE TO ALL GOLFERS!!! Call the Avila Beach Golf Resort at (805) 595-4000 ext. 1 or the Blacklake Golf Resort at (805) 343-1214 x 4 to buy yours today! Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Labels: Avila Beach, Blacklake, Golf Discounts Monarch Dunes Selected in Top 10 New Courses by Golf MagazineSunday, December 24, 2006Congratulations to Monarch Dunes Golf Club in Nipomo for their nomination as Golf Magazine's "Top 10 New Courses You Can Play".What comes to mind for golfers when you think of California's central coast? If you said "nothing," you're not alone. But the future looks brighter for this region 100 miles north of Santa Barbara with Monarch Dunes' opening. Architect Damian Pascuzzo and consultant Steve Pate (a former Ryder Cupper) combined to create a natural-looking layout that keeps your interest level high throughout. However, your money�s worth comes at two holes: Nos. 6 and 13. The 560-yard sixth plays uphill, and a lake, a dune ridge and tall trees will menace your progress. The 423-yard 13th scoots downhill, but plays into the prevailing wind. In these days of juiced equipment, it takes real design skill to test the best at barely 6,800 yards. Monarch Dunes does that. Slideshow: Top 10 New Courses You Can Play, Golf Magazine Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Golf Magazine, Monarch Dunes California Player Tour Results from Hunter RanchSaturday, December 23, 2006The California Players Tour traveled to Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles on December 18th and 19th. The field of 64 competed for a purse of over $16,000.Congratulations to the top finishers: Player, Score, Prize Justin Ohye, 134, $3,500 Warren Pineo, 135, $1,650 Jeff Hood, 136, $1,200 Joshua Warthen, 136, $1,200 Keith Huber, 137, $1,075 Results: www.calplayerstour.com Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: California Players Tour, Golf Tournament, Hunter Ranch Paso Robles Wines Make Wine Enthusiast Top 100Friday, December 22, 2006Three Paso Robles wines made the "Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2006" list.EOS' 2004 "Tears of Dew Late Harvest Moscato," a dessert wine that sells for about $22 per bottle, earned a 95-point rating from the magazine. The review stated: "This dessert wine has pushed itself to the front of the line of California sweeties, and the '04 is a great bottling. It's enormously sweet in late-harvest character, with apricot liqueur, pineapple tart and vanilla cream flavors that are brightened and boosted with cleansing acidity." The magazine's staff selected the wines from a pool of 8,000 selections. Linne Calodo's 2005 Contrarian was also named to the list. The white wine sells for around $36 a bottle. The Enthusiast review: "What a complex and interesting blend of Roussanne and Viognier. Opens with a honeyed, marzipan and almond cookie bouquet, but turns surprisingly dry and acidically crisp in the mouth, with Meyer lemon, vanilla, gingerbread and Asian spice flavors." The Contrarian earned a 94-point rating. Treana's 2003 Mer Soleil Vineyard Viognier-Marsanne, made with grapes from Monterey County, also made the list. The white wine sells for around $25 per bottle. According to the Enthusiast, the 94-point wine is one of the best Rhone whites in California. The review goes on to state: "The '03 is an amazing wine. It displays the fresh, keen acidity of the vineyard, which grows no reds, and detonates on the palate with tremendous apricot, papaya, mango, pineapple, tangerine, peach and mineral flavors. It's basically dry, although there's a touch of botrytis honey." Article: Wine Enthusiast fetes three Paso wines The Tribune, Leah Etling Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine Labels: Central Coast Wine, EOS Estate Winery, Linne Calodo, Paso Robles Wineries, Treana, Wine Enthusiast Avila Beach Golf PackagesWednesday, December 20, 2006When you reserve a room at either the Inn at Avila Beach or at the new Avila La Fonda Hotel, you will receive a free round of golf. Enjoy your free round of golf at either the Avila Beach Golf Resort or the Blacklake Golf Resort, both known for being challenging and scenic 18 hole courses. Better yet, when booking two nights, you can play one free round of golf at each of the two courses!Simply book at the regular rate (sorry no Costco or AAA discounts) and receive a free round of golf for every night booked. This offer is valid for any day of the week, but is strictly limited to the first 50 respondents so don't delay. The rooms can be used for up to a year, but must be booked by 12/31/06. To take advantage of this limited-time offer, you must call the hotels directly - online reservations are not eligible for this special golf package. Additional rounds are available at both hotels at discounted greens fees. Avila La Fonda (805) 595-1700 Inn at Avila Beach (805) 595-2300 Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Avila Beach, Avila La Fonda, Blacklake, Golf Packages, Inn at Avila Beach The Story of Paso Robles EOS Estate WineryMonday, December 18, 2006At the age of 14 and 10 respectively, Frank and Phil Arciero arrived in America from Italy in the late 1930s. America was in the throes of the Depression and work was scarce, but their father had finally scraped together enough money to bring them over from Rome, where much of the family would remain until more money was raised. Frank immediately went to work digging ditches while his younger brother went to school, and gradually the Arciero family was reassembled in America, member by member, year by year.By the time everyone had finally made it to Detroit, Frank and Phil were ready to leave and seek their fortunes as young men, and at the time, there was no better place to do it than California. The two inseparable brothers arrived in central California in 1948 and quickly launched their own construction company. In a combination of hard work, business savvy, and being in the right place at the right time, the Arciero Brothers, as they and their company came to be known, prospered well beyond their immigrant parents' dreams. Over the course of nearly forty years the two brothers build a concrete company empire that would eventually include residential and commercial construction, farming, and one of the country's most successful Indy Car racing teams. The process of building this empire no doubt consumed all the time and energy that the brothers could muster. Those who start out with very little don't find it easy to rest on their laurels. Yet at a certain point, Frank had the time and the luxury to slow down a bit, and to begin to feel the call of some deeper family traditions that the family had left behind in the old country. Instead of fighting his way through the Emigrant Wilderness on a wagon train like the Italian immigrants to California that preceded him by 100 years, Frank fought his way through the struggles of surviving in the Depression, but like those immigrants before him, there came a time where Frank felt the need to start planting grapes. The first parcels went into the ground in the 1980s amidst the rolling hills of Paso Robles, which reminded Frank of his childhood memories of Italy. Over the next fifteen years, Frank literally built himself a winery, from the vines in the ground to the cement of the walls. And like all the other Arciero projects through the years, it took off with a bang. The Arciero family continued to purchase and plant vineyard land throughout the Nineties, and by 1996 they were producing enough wine under the family label that they needed to do some "brand diversification" which is a fancy name for creating different wine labels to sell different types and quality levels of wines. As part of this move, the winery brought on liquor industry veteran Kerry Vix as general manager, and distributor Vernon Underwood, and EOS Estate Winery (along with several other brands) was born. Named after the Greek goddess of the dawn, EOS has been producing varietal wines in the Paso Robles area since 1996. Its sister brands Novella (Italian varietals) and Cupa Grandis (reserve wines) join the original Arciero Family Winery label to complete the portfolio. The wines are made by winemaker Leslie Melendez who worked her way up through the ranks to head winemaker from her beginnings in 1993 as a lab technician. Apropos of its name, the winery harvests all its fruit before dawn, from vines that have an average age of over 20 years, planted from cuttings taken from some of the first vines planted in the area. The fruit is hand harvested and the whites are pressed in small lots with a traditional Champagne basket press. Website: EOS Estate Winery Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine Labels: Central Coast Wine, EOS Estate Winery, Paso Robles Wineries SLO Golf Gift CertificatesFriday, December 15, 2006 You can purchase gift certificates for Christmas securely online from several local golf courses for the golfer in your family! They have gift certificates for green fees, golf cart rentals, pro shop merchandise, lessons, food and much more! Just click on the links below to make your purchase today from your favorite course. Avila Beach Golf Resort Blacklake Golf Resort Cypress Ridge Golf Course Hunter Ranch Golf Course Monarch Dunes Golf Club Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Avila Beach, Blacklake, Cypress Ridge, Golf Certificates, Hunter Ranch, Monarch Dunes Number of California Grapegrowers DeclinesThursday, December 14, 2006The "Economic Impact of California Wine" report, compiled by MKF Research and released December 7, 2006, by Wine Institute (WI) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), revealed that the number of grapegrowers in the state is declining. Reasons for the decline include demographics, low grape prices and consolidation.Between 2002 and 2005, the number of growers decreased from 4,805 to 4,600. By contrast, the number of bonded wineries in the state increased by more than 33% during the same period. The positive side is that more and more people are choosing to become grapegrowers and vintners later in life. In certain areas, like Paso Robles, there are a lot of people getting into the business who were not in farming before. They did something else, then they moved out of the city and are trying their hand at growing winegrapes and starting a small winery. There's a real desire for people to go back and connect with the land. Although a number of new wineries are virtual wineries, a lot of them are smaller-acreage growers who want to do estate bottling, have a wine tasting room and be part of a wine community, like what's happening in the Central Coast. As the number of California wineries continues its explosive growth, and the demand for premium California wines increases, the state's growers will be faced with the challenge of providing enough fruit to fill the need. California had 477,000 bearing vineyard acres in 2005, according to the 2006 "Economic Impact of California Wine" report, up from 437,532 acres in 2003. Article: Number of California Grapegrowers Declining Wines & Vines, Tina Caputo Report: Economic Impact of California Wine (PDF) Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine Labels: Central Coast Wine, Paso Robles Wineries Golf SLO at The Cliffs ResortWednesday, December 13, 2006California's Central Coast is becoming a golf destination, and the oceanfront Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach is offering its San Luis Obispo package at 20 percent savings.The package includes three nights' lodging with full breakfast, two rounds of golf from a choice of the Avila, Blacklake, or Monarch Dunes golf courses, cocktails for two each night, a bottle of the region's finest wine on the last evening, and a sleeve of golf balls. The rate is $729 Sunday-Thursday, and $909 Friday-Saturday, excluding tax and resort fee. The Cliffs also offers a one-night, two-round option for $239 Sunday-Thursday, $329 on weekend nights. Reservations: Golf SLO! at the Cliffs Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Wine Labels: Avila Beach, Blacklake, Golf Packages, Monarch Dunes Dec 19 - Kris Kringle Junior Golf KlassicTuesday, December 12, 2006The Kris Kringle Junior Golf Klassic will be held at the Rancho Maria Golf Club in Santa Maria at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 19, 2006 for those under 17 years old. Entry fees are $15 or $25 after Friday. For more information, call 937-2019.Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Golf Tournament, Rancho Maria Cypress Ridge Golf Course Superintendent Mike ScottSunday, December 10, 2006We found an old article by Craig Zelles at California Fairways featuring Cypress Ridge Golf Course Superintendent, Mike Scott. The article also shares information about the golf course itself, it's construction and design, and its focus on being an environmentally friendly course, which helped it become the country's 14th Audubon Signature golf course.Everyone needs a spot from which they can "smell the roses." Mike Scott, CGCS at Cypress Ridge GC in Arroyo Grande has found his spot, and it encompasses 100 acres of lush turf near the sparsely inhabited rolling hills situated along the central coast of California. If you've never been near the central coast or have no idea what it looks like, then you're going to experience a real taste of a mellower life away from the suburbs. The land where Mike calls home is invigorating and a welcome relief from the harsh traffic and congestion most of us are used to in the bigger cities. Cypress Ridge is located in Arroyo Grande, a small city located near Nipomo, Pismo Beach, Guadalupe and Oceano. If you've never heard of these cities, then its time you saw this tree-lined enclave located on Highway 1, near the white sand dunes of the Pacific Ocean. Mike caught the turf bug while in high school when he 'went to work at the Village CC in Lompoc, CA. Mike basically grew up on the central coast and now calls it home. After a brief stint in business school at San Diego State University, Mike realized very quickly that it was not what he wanted to pursue. He went backup north and attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he graduated with an Ornamental Horticulture degree in 1974. After graduation Mike traveled north to work for a contractor for four years in the Bay Area. Then in 1977 Mike went back toward home ground to Lompoc, where he earned his contractor's license and ran his own business until 1985. At that point, Mike took a position as service department manager for Sprinkler Unlimited. The desire to grow grass full-time had not yet hit him until 1989 when Mike got the opportunity to become the assistant superintendent at the Alisal Ranch GC in Solvang, CA. While at the Alisal, the owner decided to build another 18 holes on the same property, so Mike took the opportunity to become construction superintendent at the new "River Course" at the Alisal resort. This is Mike's second time hosting the golf tournament for a state meeting. It was at the River Course in Solvang that the state meeting was hosted back in 1993. From the River Course, Mike accepted the position at Santa Maria CC, prior to coming to Cypress Ridge. Article: Smelling the Roses at Cypress Ridge GC Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Cypress Ridge SLO County Vineyard PricesSaturday, December 09, 2006Cyril Penn at Wine Business Monthly reports that grape prices continue to decrease while vineyard values continue to increase. He ponders how long will it take to regain balance?During the last 12 to 18 months wine industry lenders have noticed a firming of vineyard values throughout most of California, despite a record crush in 2005. Moreover, in mid-October, with the harvest about half over, expectations were that up to 125,000 tons of winegrapes could go unpicked in California during 2006. Vineyard prices are mostly up, despite a dip in grape prices. "Eighteen months ago grape prices looked better than they do today, and there was more optimism," said Mark Clarke, executive director of Rabo AgriFinance in Fresno, California, a division of RoboBank Group, regarded as the world's largest agricultural lender. "In many cases, prices being paid for vineyards today indicate that buyers are expecting that grape prices will rise sharply in order to deliver expected returns," he said. "Or buyers are willing to accept returns that are low by historical standards,or a combination of these two." How long the market value of vineyard land can remain out of step with its economic value is anyone's guess. During 2005, vineyard sales activity increased sharply along California's Central Coast, with corporate and financial buyers most active. With the exception of Pinot Noir, fundamentals continued to weaken for most varieties, though. The "Sideways effect" from the 2004 movie has been particularly pronounced on the Central Coast. "What we're seeing in 2006," said Clarke, "is that prices for bare land in places suitable for planting Pinot Noir are equal to prices paid for Pinot Noir vineyards in 2005." While the Central Coast is still considered the area where growth can occur in new premium vineyards, values for raw land have escalated, partly because of competition for the land from produce growers in Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. Paso Robles has seen significant plantings, though water is an issue for vineyard expansion and even a potential issue with existing vineyards. In Monterey County, an increase in vineyard pricing began in 2004. The price of open-irrigated farmland has increased to the point where "some smart people say there isn't an acre of irrigated land in Monterey County that's worth less than $30,000 today. It's hard to say you can create any value by putting a vineyard on top of that," Clarke said. A comparison of the change in vineyard values and prices for Chardonnay and Cabernet in Monterey indicates investors are willing to accept a lower return, or they expect things to turn around and improve, Clarke said. In San Luis and Santa Barbara counties, the range is tighter, with some volatility at the lower end of the price range in recent years. "There were some exceptional values found by buyers at the bottom of the market in 2003," Clarke said. Article: Vineyard Land Prices: Boom or Bust? Wine Business Monthly, Cyril Penn Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine Labels: Central Coast Wine Golf C.A.R.E. MembershipThursday, December 07, 2006The Golf C.A.R.E. Membership is available at Avila Beach and Blacklake Golf Resorts and consists of (C)linics, (A)ssessments, (R)ange, and (E)quipment, the best all around package to help keep your golf game in shape!Why buy the Golf C.A.R.E. membership? Because the PGA Professionals of the Avila Beach & Blacklake Golf Resorts C.A.R.E. about you and your golf game! Your Golf C.A.R.E. Membership includes the following for one monthly fee: * (1) Large Bucket of Range Balls Per Day! * The Practice Zone - Golf for FREE 2 hours before dusk every day of the week! * (10+) Golf Clinics per week! - That's over 40 per month! * Complimentary Golf Game & Equipment Assessment Game and Equipment Assessment based on the following 5-points: 1. Issues Assessment - what is limiting the growth of your golf game. 2. Your Vitals - Handicap, Average Score, Low & High Score, Injuries etc. 3. "20" Category Assessment - thorough evaluation of 20 golf categories holding back your golf game. 4. Equipment & Evaluation Assessment - fitting and quality control checks of all your golf clubs. 5. Fat Reducer Determiner Assessment - identify the culprit of your high golf scores, take the FAT out! "Golf C.A.R.E. because we CARE about your game!" Calendar & Registration: Golf C.A.R.E. Contact: Jim DeLaby, PGA Director of Golf C.A.R.E. Memberships, (805) 478-5723 Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Avila Beach, Blacklake, Golf Clinics, Golf Discounts, Jim DeLaby Gary Setting Interview at The TribuneWednesday, December 06, 2006Gary Setting of Sea Pines Golf Resort is featured in The Tribune today regarding the role golf has played in his life.Gary Setting not only plays golf, he lives it. Setting's family originally purchased Sea Pines Golf Resort, a nine-hole golf course with a driving range, in Los Osos when he was 12 years old. From that moment on, he was sold on everything about the sport. 'I believe strongly in the values golf holds - honor, trust, commitment - I have a passion for it,' he said. After playing golf for Cuesta College in 1987 and 1989, he springboarded into the largest working sports organization in the world - the PGA of America. At 28, he became a lifelong member of the organization. He now serves as a coordinator for the San Luis Obispo Junior Golf Association, overseeing youth activities, and on Southern California's Northern Chapter PGA board of directors, among other community involvements. Most recently, he was named 2006 SCPGA Golf Professional of the Year, the non-profit's highest honor. This award distinguishes outstanding leaders in the industry. Through the years, Setting has worked a number of positions at Sea Pines and has watched it mature. Besides a 44-room lodge and spa, the site has a bar and grill, two banquet rooms and two pro shops. Ten acres were also added to the course in 1998. Interview: My First Job: Gary Setting of Sea Pines Golf Resort Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Golf Labels: Gary Setting, Sea Pines SLO County rated safest place to live in CaliforniaTuesday, December 05, 2006If you reside in San Luis Obispo County, you're living in one of the most secure areas of the country, according to the just-released results of an insurance industry survey.The San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles metropolitan area has been ranked as the most secure place to live in California and ninth-most secure place to live in the U.S. among mid-sized cities in an study conducted by the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. The study considered factors such as crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, environmental hazards, terrorist threats and job loss figures. The rankings were compiled by database experts at www.bestplaces.net for 127 U.S. metro areas with populations between 150,000 and 500,000, according to a news release from Farmers Insurance. Farmers Insurance's Top 10 Most Secure Places to Live 1. Las Cruces, N.M. 2. Rockingham County-Strafford County, N.H. 3. Huntington, W.Va.-Ashland, Ky. 4. Bellingham, Wash. 5. Burlington-South Burlington, Vt. 6. Lynchburg, Va. 7. Medford, Ore. 8. Prescott, Ariz. 9. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif. 10. Binghamton, N.Y. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Nipomo's Woodlands Development on TrackMonday, December 04, 2006Despite the recent slump in the Central Coast housing market, developers of The Woodlands, a huge housing development on the Nipomo Mesa, say they are making substantial progress on the project, with many amenities planned for construction in coming months.The developer indicates that they're basically on schedule as to the number of homes they originally projected to sell in this project and dismissed rumors of financial trouble and faltering home sales, which have been circulating in Nipomo. Homes at The Woodlands are selling at a steady rate - about 10 per month - and land improvements are moving forward for the second stage of lots. While the 1,320-home Woodlands development - the biggest in San Luis Obispo County history - already has been approved for construction, the developers are returning to the county Planning Commission this month for approval of plans for a community center that is to be built within the project. Jim LaLoggia of Woodlands Ventures and two architects described their plans for the village center to the South County Advisory Council last week. The proposal includes 140,000 square feet of commercial space to potentially support a grocery store, professional offices, retail spaces and a sheriff's substation. Also, there will be 20 affordable living units in the downtown area. In addition to the village center, The Woodlands' master plan calls for 1,320 homes, three golf courses, a business park, a 500-room hotel, riding and walking trails and a 12-acre park. The project is being built south of Willow Road, and stretches east from Highway 1 about 1.5 miles. To date, 150 homes are under construction or complete, with about 85 of them already sold. There will be 447 single-family homes in the first phase. The first 18-hole golf course, the Monarch Dunes, was also opened in January. The second phase of the project will include 368 homes and a 12-hole, executive-style golf course, and developers are now grading the site for that construction. The project is moving forward as scheduled and the entire project should be finished by 2015. Article: Woodlands overcoming downturn in housing, developers say Santa Maria Times, Randi Block More Information: The Woodlands in Nipomo Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Real Estate Paso Robles Wine Country Rated Most Up and Coming RegionSunday, December 03, 2006In a recent survey conducted by the California Wine Club, Paso Robles was selected as the "next up and coming California wine region."The survey, a first of its kind for the Wine Club, asked its 15,000 members to vote for which of the 10 leading American Viticultural Areas in California is now the most "up and coming." Paso Robles won with 28 percent of the votes, and "none of the above, no region compares with Napa" came in second with 21 percent of the votes. The Paso Robles region is home to 170 wineries, producing more than 40 varieties of wine on more than 26,000 vineyard acres. "It's exciting to see wine enthusiasts recognizing Paso Robles as the next up and coming wine region," said Stacie Jacob, executive director for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. "The region has more than tripled in size over the past decade and continues to gain national acclaim for the quality wines produced from the distinct characteristics of Paso Robles wine country." Paso Robles has been recently recognized by other wine enthusiasts. Famed wine critic Robert Parker Jr. wrote in the October 2004 issue of Food and Wine magazine that the Central Coast wine region "will rule America." He later wrote in the Wine Advocate that "the limestone hillsides west of Paso Robles will be as well-known as the glamorous vineyards of Napa Valley." And California Wine Club founder Bruce Boring called Paso Robles "one of the rising stars in California winemaking." Other viticultural areas included in the survey were Sonoma Coast, Monterey, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Lake County, Amador County and Santa Rita Hills. The survey received more than 750 responses from Wine Club members across the country. Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine SLO County Photos by AirSaturday, December 02, 2006Joe Johnson from The Tribune and a reporter hitched a ride with CHP helicopter pilot Dianne Clark for a "Work Spaces" story and came back with some great photos of San Luis Obispo County.Clark flew her patrol from the Paso Robles Airport, west over the fall-colored vineyards, past the glassy calm lakes of Nacimiento and San Antonio to the rugged scenic North Coast. From there they followed Hwy. 1 up to Salmon Creek, then back down to Cambria, where they veered right and followed the remote and pristine coastline that lies between Cambria and Cayucos. North of Cayucos, they found Hwy. 1 and headed for Morro Bay. The Rock, the wisps of fog, the streaks of clouds, and the late afternoon sun had all came together for an image that sums up in an instant what a beautiful place it is in which we live. It was hard to top the drama of the coast, but following Hwy. 41 from Morro Bay back inland gave them plenty to focus my lens on, from the rolling hills to the patterned crops of the farms and vineyards. Slideshow: SLO County by Air Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Redline Wine in Paso RoblesFriday, December 01, 2006With the release of his first vintage of Redline Wines five months ago, one might think that Larry Roberts is new to the Central Coast winemaking scene. On the contrary, Roberts has been writing about wine and making wine for more than a quarter-century.Roberts vividly remembers the first wine he made in 1980. With 200 pounds of zinfandel grapes, a hand-crank crusher and a pressing system jury-rigged with a drilled-out plastic bucket, cheesecloth and a Frisbee, Roberts made 20 gallons of wine. And he found his calling. 'That first fermentation - when you see it, when you smell it, you're transforming this agricultural product into something amazing,' he recalls, 'and you realize, I'll be doing this for a long time.' But Roberts' didn't start out in the winemaking business. A San Luis Obispo native and Cal Poly graduate with a degree in graphic communication, his first love was auto racing. As the art director and press photographer for magazine about racing from 1977 to 1979, Roberts covered Formula One, Indy Car and NASCAR racing events. Redline Wines, is a tribute to his auto-racing days. Redline is the peak RPM of a racing engine. Roberts returned to the Central Coast in 1979, and while working in the graphics industry here, got a part-time job at a local wine store. He became friends with several of the early pioneers in the San Luis Obispo County wine industry, and joined them in the newly formed Central Coast Wine Society. Roberts eventually started organizing the Wine Society's events and became the writer/editor of the group's newsletter - a skill he would later apply to his 'Dr. Fermento' wine column in New Times. Following his first homemade wine in 1980, Roberts continued to make wines from grapes from vineyards throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Entering amateur competitions around the state, he won awards for his wines at the California State Fair, the California Mid-State Fair, and Santa Barbara County and Orange County fairs. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Roberts honed his winemaking skills with several extension courses at UC Davis, and he established friendships with several of the area's up-and-coming winemakers, including Steve Rasmussen of Talley Vineyards and Ken Volk and Jon Priest of Wild Horse Winery. Roberts finally made the leap from home winemaking to commercial production in 1996 when he helped launch the Rio Seco Vineyard and Winery in Paso Robles. He was winemaker there for three years and also worked with their neighbor, Penman Springs Vineyard. He has been the winemaker for Penman Springs ever since. In 2004, he decided 'on a new direction, a new label and new name.' The direction he chose was to focus on syrah as a varietal, and fruit from different vineyards in different California appellations. His first vintages, made at Paso Robles Wine Services, came from Paso Robles, Arroyo Seco (Monterey County) and Mendocino. 'Syrah - from location to location - can taste so differently,' Roberts explains. 'If a person didn't know syrah that well, they would think they are three completely different varieties.' The first 300 cases of the 2004 vintage were released in July, and he will release 450 cases next year. His wine is only available at the Wine Outlet in Atascadero and via his Web site. Website: www.redlinewine.com Article: New starting line for veteran winemaker San Luis Obispo Tribune Tags: San Luis Obispo Central Coast Wine |
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