Breakaway Blog

Let the Festivals Begin!

The months of April and May can easily be defined as the prime festival time here on the Central Coast. From Paso Robles to Santa Ynez, our wineries are busy showcasing their wines and as wine fans, we are busy supporting them. If you are looking for the right time to make a trip to the area, or if you are a local, I strongly suggest that you seize one of these wonderful opportunities and attend one of our wine festivals. The best part about the festivals is that they bring the wineries to you! It also provides a wonderful opportunity to define your palate, as you can try the same varietal from several different wineries at one time. The cost is usually very reasonable, from $30 to the hundreds, depending upon how VIP you like to taste. Most of these events also provide safe shuttles home and designated driver tickets. Oh, and I can’t forget the culinary eats that are available, yum! By now you might be thinking the all important “What’s, When, and Where’s.” Here is a list, starting with this week, to tickle your fancy…

Saturday, April 26, 2008
The 6th Annual Cal Poly Wine Festival
This student run and organized event features over 80 wineries and 20 restaurants. The diverse group of wineries ranges from France to our very own Paso Robles. Tickets run from $30 to $50 and are selling out fast. For more information, click here.

May 1-3, 2008
Hospice du Rhone
This truly unique three-day event is regarded as the single most important and fun gathering of international Rhône wine producers and enthusiasts in the world. Celebrating the passion and spirit of winemakers world wide, participants will expand their knowledge of the twenty-two varieties while satisfying their thirst for knowledge. For more information visit http://www.hospicedurhone.org.

May 1-4
Roll Out the Barrels
This four day event highlights wine growers and culinary artists in the Edna Valley Wine Region. Starting with the main event on Thursday at the San Luis Obispo mission plaza and ending on Sunday with the Passport Event, you won't want to miss out. For more information, click here.

May 16-18
Paso Robles Wine Festival
The Paso Robles Wine Festival is one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in California with a unique character that makes this Paso Robles wine country's marquee event of the year.  The event, held annually at the Paso Robles City Park on the third Saturday of May, offers guests the opportunity to taste wines from more than 90 Paso Robles wineries in a beautiful downtown setting.

Saturday, May 24th, 11-3PM
California Festival of Beers
The California Festival of Beers in Avila Beach celebrates more than 125 microbrew beers from 50+ breweries in San Luis Obispo County and the state. Enjoy live music from two local bands along with your brew.

If you would like a full list of the years wine related events, visit our events page.

California’s Land of Wine & Food Campaign

The California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC) has launched an unprecedented food and wine campaign to encourage travelers and our beloved “foodies” to the state. California is already the most popular travel destination in the United States, and it is no wonder with nearly 3,000 wineries (more than any other state). California’s foodie culture is also considered one of its most appealing attributes to travelers. The national campaign includes cable television commercials, display ads, adversarial placement, public relations and online strategies. A special print advertising section will also run in Gourmet, Bon Appetite and Wine Enthusiasts magazines in the spring. The CTTC has also invited Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) to buy in, including our very own San Luis Obispo County Visitors and Conference Bureau.

If you are not from the area, the Land of Wine and Food website has some noteworthy features including a breakdown of wineries, restaurants, hotels and attractions by region. There is also a drawing for a California culinary vacation that is worth entering, but sorry locals, it is only for the out-of-staters.

A New Tasting Room for Ortman Family Vineyards in Paso Robles

For some time now, we have been very fortunate to have the wines of Ortman Family Vineyards in the Edna Valley Wine Region, as they shared a tasting room with Saucelito Canyon Vineyards on Biddle Ranch Road. But this May, the winery will open its very own tasting room in the heart of downtown Paso Robles. This will be a warm change for the family, not only because they will have their own tasting facility, but it will also mean a return to Paso Robles where Chuck Ortman was the founding winemaker at Meridian Vineyards for over 20 years.

Congratulations Ortman Family Vineyards! We look forward to visiting your new tasting room in Paso Robles.

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.

 

Good News!

A recent TIA survey on culinary tourism shows that the future is bright for our foodie friends and wine enthusiasts. The survey showed that 17% of American leisure travelers participated in some sort of culinary or wine-related travel in the past three years. The survey also showed that the number of people interested in culinary based travel has increased to 60%, which is much higher than the current number of culinary travelers. Why is this great news? With growing interest in the area of culinary travel, the quality and diversity of our nationally and internationally recognized wine regions will grow and prosper. This will in turn bring more opportunities to the table for our fellow wine enthusiasts.

Here is some more great news. According to the study, wine and culinary experiences are a big driver in a traveler’s consideration of destination choice. Types of culinary tourism with the greatest focus include winery tours, tasting local wines and touring popular wine trails. Can you see where I’m going with this? It seems as though Breakaway’s private and custom wine tours in the Santa Ynez, Edna Valley and Paso Robles wine regions are in line with what our fellow wine lovers are looking for. Wine is our passion and we look forward to sharing this with more culinary travels in the future.

Bye Bye Firestone, Hello Foley!

Firestone Winery, the first to create estate wines in the Santa Ynez Wine Region has sold not only its estate winery in Santa Ynez and Paso Robles, but its name as well. Foley Wine Group, which owns Foley, Santa Ynez and LinCourt Wineries in Santa Ynez, has taken over rightful ownership and is now the biggest wine conglomerate in that wine region. Both of the Firestone Wineries will keep their name and their excellent staff, so much will seem unchanged. All except the absence of our delightful celebrity Andrew Firestone whose fame was made on the ABC show The Bachelor. Now, your best chance at finding the family that has made its mark on the region since 1972 is at their boutique Curtis Winery and at the Firestone Breweries.