Harvest Wine Weekend in Paso Robles Wine Country, October 17 - 19

More than 150 individual events at over 130 wineries throughout the weekend

The region comes alive with the birth of the next vintage and an abundance of opportunities to soak in the experience await you.

2008 Harvest Wine Weekend: October 17 – 19 and bring your wine country experience to life when wineries open their doors to offer a cornucopia of activities unique to wine country.

Harvest is the season when wineries bring to the forefront those rarely seen vineyard and crush activities for wine enthusiasts to appreciate. See and learn vineyard practices in motion, take part in a blending seminar, or jump feet first into a two ton grape stomp at the 2008 Harvest Wine Weekend. More than 150 individual events at over 130 wineries throughout the weekend.

Individual events include:

Cass Winery
7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles
805.227.2888
casswines.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday: We are kicking off the weekend with a pig roast and bonfire in the vineyard! Gourmet treats will be provided by our own Chef Brandon McPartlan. $50/pp; $40/Wine Club.
Friday - Sunday: Camping and tours of the vineyard. We will be loading up the flatbed every hour for complimentry vineyard tours and for those brave enough, we'll be camping out all weekend! $600/pp; $480/Wine Club.
Saturday & Sunday: We will be premiering our new label, Flying Nypmh! Available for sale two days only. Live music both days. Sunday: Fourth Annual Grape Stomp and Barbecue for the Boys and Girls Club, $20/pp.

Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles
805.237.3789
clautiere.com
Weekend Hours: 12 - 5 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Clautiere has gotten a facelift! We have revamped the outdoors with hundreds of new plantings, more metal sculptures and a mosaic garden!
Saturday: This weekend we will be pouring our newly released Bordeaux style blend, Estate BDX! Come and join us for our famous grilled chipotle hamburgers paired with our 2004 Syrah, complimentary, 1 - 4 p.m. Mmmmm Scrumpdeli-o-cious!!

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles
805.239.8900
jlohr.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday: We'll kick off harvest with a fabulous five course dinner prepared by Guest Chef Claude Chazalon. Seating at 6:30 p.m. Reservations required. $120/pp; $100/Wine Club.
Saturday: Stop by for a sneak preview of our 2006 Cuvées. VIP tour and tasting for wine club members at 10 a.m., 12 and 2 p.m. will feature a vertical of Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. No reservations required.
Sunday: Experience the best of our wine and cheese with a seminar featuring Vivant Fine Cheese, followed by barrel tasting and lunch prepared by Cahoots Catering. Reservations required. $65/pp; $55/Club.

L'Aventure
2815 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles
805.227.1588
aventurewine.com
Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday - Sunday: Please visit the winery and experience our innovative, signature Paso blends. A vigneron first, Stephan Asseo creates hand-crafted, artisan wines from our unique, high density, westside estate vineyards. Yields of as little as one bottle per vine result in the rich, complex and seamless Estate Cuvée and Optimus. Please join us also for dinner with Chef Jeff Scott at Joeli and Josh Yaguda's Willow Creek Farm on Saturday night. Chef Jeff will present a harvest season menu to complement a vertical presentation of six vintages of L'Aventure Optimus! Please call the winery for reservations. $150/pp.

Opolo Vineyards
7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
805.238.9593
opolo.com
Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: Roll up your pants and be prepared to get stomped at the best party in Paso. Enjoy grape stomping, dancing, gypsy serenades, fantastic food and much more. $85/pp; $70/Club member. Call for reservations.
Saturday & Sunday: Join us on the patio as we prepare our authentic, south-of-the border carne asada tacos and whole roasted lamb. Lunch $10/pp; tasting $5/pp. Both are complimentary for Wine Club members.
Saturday: Join the 16 Far Out Wineries for the seventh annual Best of the West Seminar held at Opolo. This event includes a morning of education, wine tasting and fun! $55/pp. Reservations required. 805.237.0138.

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To read a nice article on the 2008 grape harvest along the Central Coast, click here. (By Mike Hodgson of The Lompoc Record)

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Community Day Highlights "California Wine Month," September 20

From The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance:

To celebrate the passion that San Luis Obispo County residents demonstrate for the local wine industry, and in recognition of California Wine Month, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Vintners and Central Coast Vineyard Team is hosting a new program - Community Day 2008 - on Saturday, September 20.

Held each September, California Wine Month was created to raise awareness of California wines and to celebrate the state’s diversity.

“With Community Day, we are bringing the promotion home to the Greater San Luis Obispo wine country to foster local pride, help educate neighbors about our sustainable farming practices, and to invite the community to join the industry in toasting the 2008 vintage,” said Stacie Jacob, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

Among the offerings on Saturday, September 20, will be free wine tasting for SLO County residents; special vineyard and winery tours that celebrate the harvest and bring the crush experience to life; eco-friendly tours to showcase sustainable farming practices in the vineyard and in the winery; and a variety of wine specials for locals.

“The local wine community is proud of its contributions to the SLO County economy, which over the past decade has produced significant growth in employment and incomes, while preserving agriculture in a beautiful rural environment,” said Jacob citing the following statistics.

Wine, vineyards and related industries, products and services generated nearly $1.8 billion in 2007 in economic value in SLO County, including wages of $241 million and more than $86 million in state and local taxes.

In SLO County, wineries are tourist magnets, attracting over 1.2 million visits by tourists spending more than $113 million and creating more than 1,800 jobs.

In a very conservative estimate, charitable contributions by the industry exceed $1.1 million, not including many of the individual winery cash and in-kind contributions or many of the events in which wine becomes a vehicle for raising funds for community organizations.

Ninety percent of wineries and vineyards in SLO County are family-run businesses, many of them handed down from generation to generation, explained Jacob.

An example of the wine community’s interest in sustainable viticulture is the Central Coast Vineyard Team (CCVT -- web site). Created in 1995, the non-profit CCVT grower group has invested over a decade of research and demonstration into sustainable viticulture. It has evolved from a small grassroots organization aiming to protect water quality, conserve habitat, promote biodiversity and reduce pesticides, to a significant industry force impacting 30,000 acres that is recognized nationally by governmental and environmental bodies as an agricultural innovator.

“We are eager to celebrate the 2008 vintage, our neighbors, and our industry’s future with this new program,” said Jacob.

Individual Wine Month and Community Day Events include:

Cass Winery
7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles - 805.239.1730
casswines.com
Hours: Monday - Friday 12 - 5 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
During the month of September receive:
• 20% discount on all purchases
• Free tasting
• Complimentary vineyard and winery tours led by Steve Cass at 11:00 a.m. every Saturday. (Contact our hospitality manager Erin DuFrense, erin@casswines.com or 805.227.2888 to make your tour reservations.)

Clautiere Vineyard
1340 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles - 805.237.3789
clautiere.com
Hours: Daily 12 - 5 p.m.
In celebration of Community Day we will be offering 10% off on 6 pack and 20% off on case puchases.

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles - 805.239.8900
jlohr.com
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Description: Complimentary tasting of our Limited Release wines and a 15% discount on purchases (wine and merchandise) for the entire month of September 2008.

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