A NEW KID IN THE APPELLATION
The great looking design by San Luis Obispo
architect Heidi Gibson is the tasting room of
the new Shale Oak winery.
It's on a turn on Oakdale Road that just a
couple of years ago was acreage for sale.
When ever I passed it I would tell Lana
"There's a great spot for a new winery."
New indeed! And forward thinking.
As the Shale Oak philosophy states
"Sustainability in every facet." They talk of
"holistic stewardship" of the vineyards.
Those are concepts and practices that
are dear to Paso Robles wine growers and
drinkers.
Visible are the rain harvesting and water run-off
reclamation systems.
Their LEED certification is pending. Shale Oak
employs solar photovoltaic panels.
Regional natives are being used in landscaping.
Their beautiful tasting room looks out at vineyards
and Red Soles, a great "mom & pop" winery of distinction and elegant charm.
The winemaker, Kevin Riley, is known in the area
for a quality product. We left with a couple of bottles
and look forward to future visits and purchases.
Products from re-cycled, local and "green"
sources are sold. We like the "ethos" of Shale Oak
and the commitment to doing it properly.
Even at that, I probably would not have posted
like this, had it not been for that "dream" that
always occurred as I drove by, usually on the
way to Pipestone, another sustainable, organic
and top quality Paso wine.
Shale Oak promises to be a great addition to
California's best appellation.
UPDATE FROM BOB
Frequent readers of LightBreezes have followed Bob Foster's
progress in living with leukemia. As he undergoes pre-treatment
for a bone marrow transplant he is keeping busy. He and
I have begun preliminary work on a film treatment and
he's "tested" his brain cells.
I passed the "Amateur Extra Class" license exam today with a grade of 100%. By upgrading my license to the highest level of Ham radio, I fulfilled a promise I once made to my father. In 1964, Dad purchased a "BC-348-Q" WW 2 shortwave radio receiver for me. It cost $45, a lot of money for us at the time. The fact the radio came from a B-17 aircraft made it seem magical. Dad bought the radio only after I sincerely - as sincerely as a 14-year old boy can be - promised to one day earn the highest grade of Ham license. The old "348" opened the world to me. Many a night I sat, headphones clamped to my ears, listening to voices from Europe, Africa and South America. Interest in becoming a Ham would come and go. Slowly, I learned the Morse code. By age 20, I earned a "Novice" Ham license. By age 30, I was a "General Class" operator. Today, 47 1/2 years later, I fulfilled my promise to my father. I am now an "Extra Class" operator. Thank you, Jesus. Oh, Dad died last summer. I sure wish I could have called him today with the news. --Foster
See you down the trail.
