The Paso Robles Harvest FestivalThe Alcohol Bomb Conspiracy

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Rick Henderson fashions editorial commentary for the Rocky Mountain News and is a self-described ink-stained wretch; alumnus of UNC-Chapel Hill; aficionado of American roots music (Blues, man, Blues); eclectic pop culture; and a cheap wine snob. That last bit is a stretch, Rick is on a very short list of actual wine connoisseurs.

And now, here's Rick, Guest Blogger de jour (insert sound of applause here).

When I go wine tasting these days, I feel more like I'm in a fantasy baseball league -- increasingly obsessed with numbers, mainly alcohol levels.

Sad to say, too many domestic wineries are pumping up the alcohol content to either a) attract novice drinkers who used to buy wine coolers or b) (allegedly) get the attention of writers like Robert Parker, who prefer big fruit (and who attract lots of customers to the wines they praise).

Rick (at right) with Arthur & Judy in the caverns at Robert Hall Winery

Me, I prefer fruit and structure. If I want to get hammered, Jack Daniels does fine, and is easier to nurse than a cab. If I want to drink something sweet, Dr. Pepper is $3 a 12-pack at Safeway. I also like wine that doesn't overpower whatever I'm eating. And I like wine. Several glasses. I don't want to be bombed after drinking a couple.

So, much to my chagrin, many Paso Robles vintners (even the better ones) have chased the trend. Or maybe they started it. Whatever. I'm a lot more selective about what I try there. Since there are more than 100 wineries in the Paso Growers' Association, you can be choosy.

Paso growers raise a boatload of cab and chardonnay. They're probably best known for zins (see BIIIG below), but I also enjoy the Rhone varietals, especially syrah and grenache.

I've seen primo winemakers there (OK, Adelaida and Norman) offer reds that have 16+% alcohol. That's almost jam. Or port. Or Ripple, depending on what 'hood you hang in with your peeps. Too hot for me. Justin's even pushing the envelope, and they ain't cheap. In my wine closet I have a petite sirah from Tobin James that is 15.6%. Yikes. That's about three percentage points too many.

The defining feature of Paso reds: They're BIIIG. The technical reason is, in the words of the owner of the late, lamented Las Vegas Wine & Spirits Co., It's so damn hot there. It's not unusual for temps to hit 105 in the summer. But because the ocean is 20 miles away, it can drop to the 40s at night. Last Saturday (October 21), the high was 87 and the low was 39. Temecula doesn't get that chilly as a matter of course, which is why I think Paso is far above Temecula in relative quality. Other than a Hart cab or two, I've never had a Temecula red that can match the balance of a decent Paso wine. It's too damn hot in the Southland.

The good cabs have hints of blackberry and chocolate; the zins and syrahs a touch of pepper or cinammon and berry (raspberry, blueberry). When the Paso people get it right, the combination of fruit plus structure plus price (often $15-20) is hard to beat.

With care, you can hit the sweet spot, if you will, with higher alcohol than I normally prefer. One place that does is Dover Canyon. I've been a wine club member since the first time I visited in 1998. Mary Baker and Dan Panico are good people who make terrific wines. Dover's zins and syrahs reach the mid-15s on occasion; but you can put them away for a few years and they get better. Or open them now. The grenache with grilled salmon ... wow. I've enjoyed everything I've had there -- even (Mike, cover your eyes) the viognier and rousanne. Dover has almost no retail presence, so you've gotta order online or visit the winery. If you go, tell Mary hi; she's a fascinating blogger, has written a cookbook, and grills some terrific lamb on the festival weekends, on the Weber kettle of course.

A few of the producers continue to hold the line on the alcohol and make tasty stuff. My next-favorite Paso place is Fratelli Perata. They sell no wine before its time (literally) and encourage you to set their latest vintage aside until it's ready. While many places are offering 2004/05 vintages, Fratelli Perata's current releases include '00s, '01s and '02s. These are exquisite wines that will not break the bank -- most in the $20 range or less. Last weekend we fortunate club members got to sample bottles from the library -- cabs from '88, '93 (mmm), '95 etc., an amazing '96 zin and several lovely blends from a decade or so ago. Even the '88 still had plenty of life. Check 'em out.

My latest discovery is Caparone. You may have seen their wines in Trader Joe's. Not anymore, apparently, so they're trying to get more people to the tasting room. These folks specialize in Italian varietals -- nebbiolo, sangiovese and aglianico (one of the handful of U.S. producers of this one). Great prices -- under $15 per. Alcohol levels in the 13s. Lovely, food-friendly wines. Their zin's a bit reserved for Paso, and I'm not as impressed with their cab and merlot. But the Italian reds are terrific -- and should hold up for awhile.

Among the large, theme park-like tasting rooms, Castoro Cellars continues to make dam fine wine and keep the alcohol in the 13s and 14s. It's one of the few places that produces tempranillo, and does a nice job, too. The 2004 syrah is begging for a serving of tri tip or grilled pork. Excellent zins as well.

Another big producer that's kept the quality high and booze levels low is Robert Hall. If you want a Rhone/GSM blend, their Rhone de Robles is outstanding. A wonderful marriage of fruit and spice. The 2004 merlot might even meet TWC's exacting standards.

Then there's J. Lohr. They produce the most affordable ready-to-drink cabs from Paso -- the Seven Oaks Cab, often for $10-12 at places like Cost Plus World Market or Costco. Spend a few buck more for the Hilltop Cab and savor. For a massive operation, they do good work. EOS and Meridian, not so much.

Editors Note: Seven Oaks was once the House Wine at Casa de las Rocas Grande but, alas, like all wine, the price went up.

If you're a numbers geek like me, it's possible to research the wineries before you visit an see what they make and how blasted you'll get after a few pours. As Homer Simpson said, the Internet is on computers now, so check these places out.

And remember, drink responsibly. Stay in school. Don't do drugs.

Comments

[Deni Cates]

Rick is WAY too white to use the words "hood" or "peeps." He does know his wine, though, and has great stories about people he's met at various wineries.

[TWC]

My only comment about Temecula is that Paso is actually hotter than Temecula. Temecula almost never cracks 100 degrees in the summer. Temecula is cooled in the afternoon by sea breezes coming across Camp Pendleton and is also less than 25 miles from the ocean (as the crow flies).

I do agree that it's hard to find a good cab in Temecula although we had one together last year at South Coast Winery.

A new wine area in it's infancy is just over the coastal range from Temecula on the avocado growing side (la Cresta general area) where the climate is more temperate.

[Dave Fourputt]

Thank you for the wine tips. Always looking for one more new wine to try. :-)

[Mary Baker]

Thank you for the nice mention!! We do try to keep the alcohol in balance with other components of the wine . . . Dan shoots for terroir, varietal and vintage accuracy rather than a 'big' style, so we offer about a dozen vineyard-specific releases each year. Rick and Lola have been tracking our progress for a long time, and we've had some good chats about wine, and food! Be sure to mention Rick's name if you visit the winery--you might be in for a nice surprise . . .

[TWC]

Be sure to mention Rick's name....

Mary, that's a generous offer. Thanks.

I spent a little time at your blog today and I added a link to Dover Canyon.

We have friends in Paso, one who is a vineyard manager and a partner with a couple of other friends in a new vineyard that will eventually be known as Sunset Ridge Winery. They sold their first harvest this year. 5 acres of Syrah (pretty sure it was Syrah).

[Jeff]

I don't want to be bombed after drinking a couple.

I do.

[ink-stained scribe]

I'm delighted Mary checked in! And yes, Dover Canyon does a fine job of producing balanced wines that are great with food or dandy for sipping.

For the sort of publicity you can't buy, be sure to read the testimonial from Chris Cognac, Food Network's Hungry Detective, on Mary's wine blog at dovercanyon.com. (FWIW, the news story is from WSOC-TV in Charlotte ...)

--guest blogger Henderson

[Glen Litsinger]

Paso in the 100s? I've been there a couple of times (once in mid-September) and found the weather to be typical Coast Range -- foggy and cool in the morning and evening, gottdang beautiful in the afternoon. That was in the late 90's; I guess Global Warming has set in since then. The setting is beautiful as well. Most of the better wineries were way up in the hills, and negotiating those breathtaking switchback roads in an Alamo rent-a-pig was no fun. If I ever get back there I want to borrow my uncle's Qvale Mangusta.

Anyway, nice post by the Rickster -- didn't know he's a fellow commonsewer. I envy both of you for being within driving distance of wine country. You can have those wildfires and mudslides, though. Lots of pricey real estate going up in smoke or sliding down the mountain every year -- sheesh.

[TWC]

Glen, it is shocking how hot it gets in Paso. Bret was doing temp analysis for his soon-to-be-a-vineyard (Sunset Ridge) in Paso and he told me that it was very common to have 60 degree variations in temps. I may have gotten fuzzy on the memory but I believe that he said the widest he recorded was something like 108 in the day and 42 that night. If he comes by, maybe he'll let us know.

The greatest thing about SLO county is that the entire county has less population than Anaheim. It's pricey like Anaheim though.