Breakaway Blog

A Look into the “Home” of Still Waters Vineyards

We often have clients contact Breakaway to find the “boutique”, “mom & pop” and “off the beaten path” wineries. With over thirteen years of experience in the region providing private and custom wine experiences, I love being able to give them exactly what they ask for. There are over 230 wineries in the Paso Robles AVA alone, so as you can imagine, it takes time to find the diamonds. So, without further ado, let me praise yet another winery that has captured my heart and my palate, Still Waters Vineyards.

Imagine being invited to your friend’s house, set in the rolling green vineyards of Paso Robles, for a wonderful home cooked meal and beautiful wines. This is the feel you get at Sill Waters Vineyards. The intimate yet casual style of presenting their estate wines captures your heart and makes you want to stay awhile. Paul Hoover, the wine grower at Still Waters, spills over with passion for his work as he shows you the basics of quality grape growing, their onsite fermentation facility and even the olive grove. As you can image, with this much care and love, the wines are wonderful. And with several award winners including the double gold 2004 Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon, it shows.

So, next time you are in our neighborhood and want to go treasure hunting for boutique wineries with incredible wine, I’ll most likely take you to Still Waters Vineyards. Thank you Kasey and Paul for showing us such incredible hospitality, I can’t wait to return.

The Budometer

While reading Wine Enthusiasts Magazine’s wine blog, Unreserved, I stumbled upon quite the taste bud quiz. The Budometer asks questions about your food preferences and places your buds in one of three categories: Tolerant, Sensitive and Hyper Sanative. After determining your category, there is a comparison chart of wines that correlate with your preferences. So, if you are overwhelmed with wine choices, this may be one tool to help narrow your search. Cheers!

Tis' the Season for Pruning

It is that time of year when vineyards are pruned in anticipation of spring. Starting with the latest budding varietal and working backwards, we will start to see our vineyard landscapes change. Here is a picture of a pruned vine at Wolff Vineyards & Winery.

 

February 2008 Recipe & Wine Pairing: Jambalaya & Rose

In an effort to continue the celebrations, here is a New Orleans style dish in honor of Mardi Gras. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille, sliced into rounds
1 large red pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation
Sauté the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add the red pepper to the Dutch oven; sauté 2 minutes. Add the celery, scallions, parsley, garlic, and thyme, stirring well. Cook another 3 minutes, then add the rice, still stirring. Add the chicken, combining well. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done. Stir in the shrimp and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are just done, another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm. Yields eight servings.

Wine Pairing
Garretson Wine Company’s 2005 "The Celeidh" Dry Rosé, Paso Robles

Yes, You Can Reuse Wine Corks!

All these years we’ve been told that we can’t reuse wine corks. Well, that is not entirely true. Sure, we can’t reuse them for their original purpose, as a wine closure, but with a little creativity and the inspiration of a great glass of wine, all things are possible. I was recently inspired while reading an article in Wine Enthusiast Magazine about how microbreweries were using neutral wine barrels for the aging of beer. For example, Vinne Cilurzo in California’s Russian River Valley is using old Chardonnay barrels to age their blonde ale and Pinot Noir barrels for their ambers. Genius!

Taking matters into my own hands, I’ve been creating art (art being a subjective term) and other items with some of my used wine corks. The result, a guitar mural made out of wine corks, several business card holders and the not so creative corkboard. I also use my favorite empty wine bottles as vases to hold single roses from my garden. I’ve heard that sustainability needs to happen as a grass routes movement. Any other ideas of how we can reuse our wine bottles or corks at home?