AND WE AVOIDED THE GUILLOTINE

 MADAME DEFARGE WOULD NOT BE PLEASED

   Oh how the queen of revenge would spin if she knew how so many of us choose to celebrate Bastille Day.

    The celebrants above, Larry, Mary Margret, Tom and Lana, cases in point, have reveled in the delights of France and by some force of nature have been drawn to the American Provence'. But there are limits and so in form from which Madame DeFarge and the Jacques' would recoil as decadent, we civilized the process.  After all who wants to toast the Great Terror which followed the storming of the Bastille?  If you are lost I refer you to either Dicken's Tale of Two Cities, or a precursory read of the French Revolution.  

     Being an artful and adventurous crowd we worked our way into the Paso Robles appellation to take up residence at an Olive Farm with true French management.  Loyal they are to their history, Bastille Day was celebrated with a light feast beneath the spreading Oleander blooms and gracious shade of Olive and Mulberry trees. Wine? Yes. And a never ending supply of Pommes Frites, done in olive oil of course.

      Sun kissed, blessed by breeze, beauty and American oenology, Bastille day was recorded as probably Thomas Jefferson would have appreciated.

     And just to show good form, the merry party meandered to a nearby vintner of Cal-Italia wines.  Salute! A votre sante! Cheers.

       After such international merriment a bit of the breeze along the Cambria coast was a sweet tonic. 

       Liberte', égalité, fraternité!  Noble still, though easier in notion than nation. 

       To history, then….

    

      See you down the trail.

OLIVE COUNTRY TOO & HINTS OF GREEN

WHERE OLIVES GROW

    Last year's designation, by a leading wine magazine, as the best wine region in the world has assured the Paso Robles appellation of continued attention. But it is also a burgeoning olive growing district. This view is from Kiler Ridge where some great olive oil is grown and processed. 

DROUGHT BLUES

    The dry heat, when it should be damp or rainy cool, has confused nature. The drought continues. These hills should be green.  

    Coastal California has three seasons, golden, brown and green, but the drought has taken us from brown to concrete gray.

THIS IS NORMAL WINTER

    These are scenes from 2 years ago, the last season we had adequate rain.

Now, only a tinge of green

    The rolling hills have taken on a gray cast, instead of the normal winter/spring "Green as Ireland" look. Believe it or not we are pleased by the tinge that you may be able to spot on the western slopes.

     This is normally a lagoon, used by birds and water fowl.

     For the time being central and southern Californians are hoping and praying for more rain, so we'll see more of this-a product of the only 3-4 inches we've had this season.

   This narrow strip near the road and mailbox is the most green we've seen.  Wish those who have had an abundance of rain or snow could pipe it west.  

    See you down the trail.

      

CALIFORNIA PRETTY

RANDOM PRETTY

    For your amusement, a collection of scenes gathered in the last few days from the Paso Robles wines district to Carmel and back to Cambria.

 This was a spectacular melon, citrus and fennel salad.

 Inviting

 Just waiting

 Poached eggs, quinoa, corn relish and creme fraiche, with beet leaves.

 more, just waiting for you

 high end logo 1

high end and quicker

   See you down the trail.

OSCAR HERESIES & TOO MANY GRAPES?

EMPTY ENVELOPES

     Did you hear that loud sigh?  Caterers, hair stylists, make up people, limo drivers, clothing designers, traffic cops, security people, hospitality employees and who knows how many more can take a deep breath now.  The show is over.  I suspect talent agency offices, production companies, managers, publicists, journalists, craft and guild people and actors all have a lot of open space on their calendars for these first few days after the big show. Except for those who maybe hustling new deals.  And executives who study the ratings and the performance of the show.

     Seth McFarlane is one of those multi talented people and he found moments to shine last night.  Some of the writers however did not.  I felt sorry for a few of the presenters, who in the early portions of the long show, had to deliver lines that simply were bad or did not work.  The production numbers and the award presenters without gags, those with class and even dignity, were, to my taste, the best.

     AN BAD OMISSION

     Count me as one who thinks Andy Griffith should have been in the memorial tribute.  True most people know him from television but his performance in A Face in the Crowd is one for the hall of fame and at least he deserved a memory.

BIG CONTROVERSY IN WINE COUNTRY

      Many acres of the far west side region of the Paso Robles  appellation are striped by new plantings.

    In some areas the crops extend as far you can see. 

   Not everyone is pleased and a big name player is involved.

  Justin Wines, whose Isosceles is considered one of the world's premier wines, is under new ownership.  Justin Baldwin who mentored the winery to an august reputation that drew an estimated 50 thousand visitors a year, sold the operation to Lynda and Stewart Resnick.  
   The Resnicks are marketing wizards.  Their FIJI Water, Pom Wonderful and Paramount Farms are international brands and the Resnicks appear on a track to take Justin to a "new level."
  Justin has a new winemaker, Scott Shirley who comes from Napa Valley where large operations are the norm. The Paso region, which for decades has provided grapes to large Napa wineries, has emerged as California's darling wine region because of the artistry, science, passion and skill of owner operators, small boutique and mom&pop wineries and the kind of personal touch and contact missing in Napa Valley.  
   The Resnicks appear to be planning an increase in volume of production.  Most of Paso's high volume wine makers are on the east side or east of Paso Robles and the 101. It is a delicate thing to maintain the quality while increasing quantity. While that is true for any business, it is especially so in wine making. So lovers of Paso wines and its reputation for being accessible, friendly and less corporate are keeping an eye on Justin.  
    The mass plantings have annoyed some who worry about a loss of Oak trees and the increased demand on water, at least in the early life of the vines.
    Something you hear repeatedly from Bay Area or northern  California visitors to the Paso Robles region is how amazed they are you can often speak with the wine maker, or that wine tasting room people are experts, friendly and add to the social value of the visit.  Even though Justin was considered a "high end" winery, the same was true there.  We trust that while increasing plantings and vastly remodeling the Justin environs, they will maintain the Paso attitude and ethos. 
    Stay tuned.
    See you down the trail.

    

ON THE VINE & A MYSTERY SHOT

NEAR HARVEST
A few frames on the run, before the
harvest began in the Paso Robles Appelation.

This year's harvest is very promising.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS?

Offer your ideas in comments.

See you down the trail.

IN THE EAST OF THE APPELLATION

AN AFTERNOON EAST

     We made a rare visit to the far east side of the Paso Robles Appellation and collected a few scenes to share.

     Our destination was the Pear Valley Winery, where a local group held a luncheon meeting.  We left fog at the
coast and drove into 80 degree sunshine and mild breezes.

    Lana was asked to decorate tables with her Pear cards and ceramic pieces.

 It's a beautiful setting and a micro climate apart from Cambria.

See you down the trail.

FOLLOWING LUXURY & WHO NEEDS A MAP

THE LUXURY MARKET

     Louis Vuitton has drawn attention for their embrace of viral and whimsical marketing tools.  Clearly an upscale product that goes beyond the needs of simple utility, Vuitton is out with a new sales piece that may set a trend.

        It's a creative play, and as we used to say in the days of 

American Bandstand, it's got a nice beat.

DAY BOOK

WANDERING BACK ROADS

     Driving around in the Paso Robles appellation is a 

pleasure unto itself. Evidence here why this is called
the "American Provence."

See you down the trail.