Vacation Time

Left mid morning on 11/5/10 for a week in Avila Beach. This puts me in close proximity to several different wine areas. The last few trips up to the central coast area I have been avoiding the 405 freeway and taking the coastal route up through Santa Monica and Malibu and then at Oxnard cut back over to the freeway. Takes about 30 minutes longer to get to Buellton but its worth not being stressed when I get there. Today the ocean all the way up the coast was blue. Usually its a murky green .

Stopped at a new tasting room in Buellton on Industrial Way. Called Avant. It is a custom crush and barrel facility for many small winemakers. You enter the building, take the elevator to the second floor and enter a very large tasting room. They have those dispensing machines for the wine. A taste, pour or glass . 32 wines are available for tasting right now and after the first of the year there will be 64 available. The wines available are all from winemakers that use their facility to ferment and barrel age their wines. Ken Brown, Longoria, Summerland, Shoestring, Falcone, Huber, all use this facility along with many more small producers. They also have small plates available for eating. A very large variety of food items to choose from. Well worth the stop.

Saturday I had a ticket for the SLO Wine Fest which was held at the golf course just adjacent to the resort I was staying at. Food was good and tasted a lot of wine from new wineries that I was not familiar with. Talked to several wine makers that I knew. Even the rain the came didn't dampen the spirit of the day.

Sunday I took by glass from the wine fest and went to the Edna Valley. All the wineries were having open house with free tasting if you had your glass from Saturday, food and entertainment. One of the winemakers I talked with on Saturday gave me a pass to attend a "shindig" at the old Corbett Canyon building which now houses may very small wineries. The name of this new one was Central Effort. They had 2 Chardonnays and 2 Pinot Noirs that they produced. Nice wines and I did sign up to get on their mailing list.

During the week I visited a few places that I had not gone to before Ranchita Canyon, Derby, Ancient Peaks, Niner, Calerous. New tasting room in downtown Paso Robles called Meritage and a new tasting room in Pismo Beach called Taste of the Valley. I really liked Taste of The Valley.

Calcerous Winery is on Peachy Canyon Rd. Windy road to begin with. The view from the winery is outstanding. You can see the whole Paso Robles area from their facility. You have to see it at least once. But I would never drive up there again. After you turn off of Peachy Canyon onto their driveway you make a curve and there is a shear drop off into the canyon with no guard rail. Only reflective markers. This is not my type of road.

Among other labels I tasted were Arada-Katin, Brochelle (which I think I may have had a Zin from them years ago), Line Shack, TKL, Michaud, Belle Glos, Margerum, Barrick, Thorne and Reeves Ranch (owner owed the Rams many eons ago).

Had a very relaxing trip and did not push it like I usually do. My acid reflux was in full swing so I really watched what I ate and kept everything low key. So no great new places to eat to report on. Had breakfast at Ellen's in Buellton on my way back. The only time I get biscuits and gravy. Ellen's is always worth the stop.