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Upcoming Events:
West Fest 2006
September 16th is West Fest 2006, the third annual Wines and Blues
Festival sponsored by the wineries along highway 46 West. This year is
headlined by Sleepy Guitar Johnson Trio. The event always sells out,
so advance tickets are recommended. Location, Jan Kris Winery.
Enchanted
Evening
Imagine yourself having a cocktail
with Gary Grant as Charlie Chaplin joked.
Or maybe you're talking politics with Winston Churchill. That's what
it would have been like to visit the Enchanted Castle of William Randolph
Hearst in the 1930s and 40s. Well, maybe the same guests won't be
there, but the grandeur and excitement will be the same September 23
when friends of Hearst Castle sponsor an
 Enchanted Evening at The Castle.
No where is there a more overwhelming location for a sun setting evening overlooking
the Pacific Ocean,
eating a fine dinner, drinking fine wine surrounding the Neptune Pool of
Hearst Castle.
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Wine Corner:
(A Brief
review of local Paso Wines)
Hice Cellars
There is a
new winery in town and it deserves mention for two reasons. This is
the first winery and tasting room actually in the City of Paso Robles,
Second, it is owned and operated by my good friends Eric and Bettina Hice.
This Winery opening is important because it's a second attempt for Eric and
Bettina. They had initially tried to open a facility on River Road, but it
was
damaged by the 2003 Earthquake. Their new venture is located on Pine
Street near the Train Station in downtown Paso. It's somewhat the
ideal location and set up for a small winery operation (up to 5000 cases).
Tasting room and winery are all located in a very nice business park.
Now to the wines. I hadn't tasted Eric's wines in a while, and was
pleasantly surprised with his current vintages. I tasted his Tre
Blanc which is an excellent white blend. Few people are blending
whites in the Paso area today, but this wine was great. The 2002
Cab was very good also. I always look at a good balance in a Cab and this
wine was one of the better balanced wines I've had in a while. Lastly,
I have to mention the 2003 Syrah. This was one of the best Syrah's
I've had in a while. Eric has done a great job. |
Cooking Corner:
(Personal recipes and views on Cooking Paso Style)
Sweet Tomato Relish:
This is a simple recipe,
easy to make and tastes fantastic.
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned
or fresh)
1 cup sugar
1 cup distilled vinegar
1 cup chopped onions
Combine all ingredients in
in a large sauce pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
Suggested use is a
relish/garnish on beans or any food where a sweet tangy topping can be used.
Wine
Trivia: (A little local or wine trivia)
What AVA (American Viticultual Area)
is York Mountain Winery located in?
- Paso Robles
- San Luis Obispo
- York Mountain
- Central Coast
(Please visit
www.pasostyleliving.com for the
answer)
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Paso
Style Living Real Estate:
(Real
Estate market conditions in Paso Wine Country)
I'm sure everyone
has read the press on the housing market. Much of it, I feel, is
fear mongering. We've had a run up of home prices over the past
couple of years which was unrealistic to maintain. In my opinion, this
is the time to buy. Interest rates have dropped over the past
couple of weeks. Sellers are getting more realistic in their
home's value (many are motivated), and their is a wide selection
of homes to choose from. Sellers must choose someone who is
capable of properly marketing your home,
(Single Family Homes)
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Area (8/1/2006-8/31/2006) |
Avg Price |
Homes Available |
Sold/Pending |
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Atascadero |
$557,932 |
270 |
79 |
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Paso Robles |
$556,874 |
544 |
95 |
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Templeton |
$690,279 |
97 |
17 |
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All Paso Wine
Country |
$577,601 |
1053 |
215 |
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Paso Wine Country
contains the following real estate areas (Paso Robles, Atascadero,
Templeton, San Miguel, Creston, Shandon, Santa Margarita, Bradley,
and Chalome) |
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