It is a picture perfect day, blue sky, 75 degrees, and I am in the heart of the Paso Robles Wine Trail. It was a short ride up the 5 freeway and across highway 46 to the town of Paso Robles where 280 different wineries and vineyards dot the map of this quaint destination celebrating 125 years of cityhood.
It had been several years since the last time I had been here; I don’t think I was even old enough to drink wine. However, what has happened in the past 20 years here is an explosion of wineries that once were cattle farms that have turned into miles and miles of vineyards. This region is conducive to red wines because of the heat and the extended growing season, which I was unaware until my conversation at one of the tasting rooms, but fear not, white wine drinkers, most of these wineries offer a great selection of Chardonnay’s in their tastings. I also learned that
Estate Wines could only be called “Estate” if 100 percent of the vines were grown on the winemaker’s property. The winemaker could determine; this was an exceptional block of wine and can garner the title of “Estate Wine.” I also learned their wineries on 46 east and wineries on 46 west that produce much different tasting wines. I will be testing this theory out, as I am only one day into my three-day mission of bringing some of these amazing wines and winemakers to the 13th Annual Vine 2 Wine Classic on August 16 at California Institute of the Arts.
The great thing about wine tasting is you don’t need to know a thing about wine, other than it tastes good to you. We all have different palates and what may taste good to my wife might not be on my top 10. However, it is a lot of fun trying and exploring what taste good to you. I have found everyone to be very friendly and willing to take time and explain the world of wine.
There is quite the art that goes into wine making. Many of these wines you won’t find on the shelves of your local wine stores or markets. Many of the wonderful wines can only be obtained at the winery or better yet at the Vine 2 Wine Classic. It is a great opportunity for you to taste these wines and speak with the winemakers about their wines. We are working heard to provide you with a great experience at our event. In addition to our great wine selection, I will be writing about the great local restaurants and what they will be whipping up at our event.
Tickets are only $75, a small price to pay to help Circle of Hope Inc. continue our work within our community. If you are unable to join us you can still purchase a virtual ticket from our website at www.circleofhopeinc.org . Don’t wait until the day of the event to buy your ticket, as the price will increase to $95.
Come out and spend a great evening with us for a great cause and purchase your tickets today! To learn more about Circle of Hope Inc. visit our website at www.circleofhopeinc.org or like us on Facebook.
For more information or additional questions, you can reach us at 661-254-5218. We can always use additional sponsors and volunteers for our event.