Changes at the 2010 Paso Robles Wine Festival

We just finished the Paso Robles Wine Festival for 2010.  As usual, it was a whirlwind of activity, with a delicious dinner Friday night at the Cass House Inn in Cayucos, pourings with the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance on Friday and Saturday evenings downtown in Paso Robles, and our

Why Limestone Matters for Wine Grape Growing

[Editor's Note June 2020: I've written a new version of this blog, taking into account new research and correcting a few areas that I've come to believe were inaccurate or incomplete. Please see Why Calcareous Soils Matter for Vineyards and Wine Grapes.] Winemaker and

Tablas Creek is a 2010 "Best Winery Blog" finalist!

I'm proud to announce that Tablas Creek has again been named a finalist for "Best Winery Blog" at the 2010 Wine Blog Awards.  These awards were created four years ago by the tireless Tom Wark (whose blog Fermentationis a daily must-read for anyone in the wine

Vine Relocation Project

We've gotten approval for our expansion plans, and should start construction sometime in the next week or two.  This third and final phase of our building will include more fermentation space, a new room for our foudres, more offices, more and better parking proximate to the tasting room

Vineyard weed control... and introducing the spader, our newest toy

At this time of year, it's essential that we get into the vineyard and complete the long process of knocking down the vineyard weeds so that they don't steal water and other scarce resources from the vines.  This is a multi-stage process that takes us months

Notes from the Cellar: Biodynamics and crystallization? Yeah, it's new to me too.

by Chelsea Magnusson When I was a student at Cal Poly, my Advanced Viticulture class spent a few lecture sessions on alternative farming methods.  In less than five minutes, we were finished with our lesson on biodynamics - it was clear that the professor was not trying to sell the

An exchange with Representative Kevin McCarthy on HR 5034 and direct shipping

On April 15th, H.R. 5034 was introduced into the US House of Representatives. This bill, written by the Beer Wholesalers of America and titled the "Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act of 2010" [Get it? The "CARE Act"] would write into law the primacy of the

Provencal Fish with Fennel and White Wine Recipe

As the summer warms, we start to look for summer dishes that are lighter and quicker to prepare than many of the stews and roasts of winter.  Provencal cuisine is full of dishes like these, often combining the bounty of the Mediterranean Sea with local herbs and vegetables.  This Provencal

Antoine's 1940 Wine List, 70 Years and 40,000% Inflation Later

By Robert Haas While researching another subject on the web recently I came across this article by Jean-Luc Le Dû in the May 8th 2008 New York Times in which he writes about discovering Antoine’s (New Orleans) Restaurant’s remarkable hundredth anniversary 1940 wine list.  You can also access

21 Beaucastel and Tablas Creek wines from 1985-2007 at one amazing dinner

Last week I had the pleasure of participating in a dinner in Los Angeles with a group of wine collectors who call themselves the "X-Pensive Winos".  They are a group of friends who met largely online and who share a love of wine and a love of challenging