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Jason Haas

Proprietor at Tablas Creek Vineyard

One from the Vaults: a September 1988 Wine Spectator article on Robert Haas

I was back in Vermont last week visiting my sister and my new nephew, and spent the night in my old room in the house I grew up in. I was browsing through old papers late one night when I uncovered a 1988 issue of the Wine Spectator in which

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Picpoul Blanc

Picpoul Blanc (also spelled Piquepoul Blanc) is one of the lesser-known Rhône varietals, but one that we think has a tremendous future in California. It is one of the thirteen permitted varietals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it is used primarily as a blending component to take advantage of

A skeptic's move toward biodynamics

by Robert Haas Tablas Creek Vineyard, following the practices of our partners at Château de Beaucastel, had always intended to farm our Paso Robles property organically. That is to say, farming our vineyard without the use of systemic chemicals and relying on compost, cover crops and mineral amendments to improve

Tablas Creek on "A Long Pour: Fifty-Two Weeks with California Wine"

I have noticed a backlash recently among writers passionate about wine against what might be termed the tyranny of the tasting note. In the view of these writers, the stilted language and the inherent subjectivity of the wine review is a distraction from the real business of telling a story

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Counoise

Perhaps the grape question we hear most frequently at wine events and in our tasting room is “Counoise? What’s Counoise?” Even the Wall Street Journal joked a few years ago about Counoise’s obscurity in an article about blends. Yet the grape is a component of many Châteauneuf-du-

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Grenache Blanc

This article is the first in what will be an ongoing exploration of the principal varietals of the Rhone Valley. A version of this article first appeared in the Tablas Creek newsletter. Overview Grenache Blanc is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France. It produces rich, full wines

Found Food Photos: Miner's Lettuce

As those of you who have been following the blog regularly know, we've had a wet winter this year. These last two weeks have been a beautiful interlude in the rainy weather, but we're excited to see the return of the el nino-influenced pattern next

A Dewy Morning on Adelaida Road

I had to head out to the vineyard early Sunday morning to get my wine for the Paso Robles Rhone Rangers Experience. It was, as is not unusual at this time of year, foggy downtown (Salinas Valley fog, come up from the cold waters of the Monterey Bay) but clear

Tasting the wines in the spring 2010 wine club shipment

Each spring and fall, we send out six wines to the members of our VINsider Wine Club. With each shipment we include a little update from our wine club director, an order form, and, of course, production and tasting notes for the six wines in the club shipment. As these

Vineyard pruning 2010, and a chance to fill in missing vines

With a letup in the rain that is supposed to last about a week, we're taking the opportunity to get out into the vineyard to prune where we can. In addition to allowing us to shape the vine and control the next year's yields, pruning stimulates