We have long loved Halter Ranch with its 250 acres of winegrapes nestled into a 900 acre ranch teeming with wildlife, a giant coastal oak deemed Ancestor, and, of course, the lovely pond. With the new winery up and running this harvest, we decided to make a trip out to the ranch for a little tour. Halter’s own winegrower Mitch Wyss never disappoints.

Halter Ranch Winery

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I always love food so here is a great share from Kendall-Jackson!

At Kendall-Jackson, not only are we known for our amazing wines, we are also known for our heirloom tomatoes.  We have been saving heirloom tomato seeds for the past 15 years and now have over 400 varieties of seeds saved.  Each year, we plant approximately 175 heirloom varieties in our culinary gardens and invite chefs from all over to come and cook tomato-inspired dishes to pair with our wines at the annual Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival.

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I never shy away from the chance to learn something new and Saturday was no different. Sporting my new SIP hat**, I cruised down to Riverbench Vineyard & Winery in Santa Maria for a vineyard tour compliments of Central Coast Winegrowers Association (CCWGA).

Made it to Riverbench Vineyard & Winery!

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Snow in Paso? NBD. It is not like we were all standing outside in the freezing weather gawking at the little snowflakes as they touched down…and immediately melted.

Stormy Aftermath

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Here at the Vineyard Team we spend most of our time on the farming side of wine making so we thought that we would get into the cellar and learn a little about tasting the fruits of our farmers’ labors. The Team loaded up for a trip to Firestone Vineyard in Los Olivos where the fabulous Amy Freeman offered to be our wine tasting teacher for the day.

Our tasting training center

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Fall Veggies

September seems like an interesting time in the world of agriculture, especially on the Central Coast where the lines between seasons are often blurred. On this late September day it feels like summer but there are signs of fall in the air. (The weather on this day can fluctuate easily between the two seasons. Record high for September 21st: 106 degrees, record low: 38 degrees.) So, I decided to head to the Paso Robles Farmers’ Market, held each Tuesday in the City Park downtown from 3-6pm to see what is being grown locally this time of year.

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Falcons are used in a number of places as an Integrated Pest Management tool to address non-native avian problems.

Did you know?

• Falcons dive at 250 mph (that is FAST!)
• Falcons are used to protect municipal water sources
• You might see Jim and the falcons at Pebble Beach Resorts before the big tournament

I was thrilled to be invited by Hahn Family Wines to their demo of the avian abatement program in their Monterey County Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard. Jim and Kathleen from Tactical Avian Predators are amazing and taught us tons about the raptors,  their training, and diet (quail – yum).

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What better way to start your morning than in the garden? Beth and I headed out of the office for a morning of vegetable harvesting at Steinbeck Vineyards’ Vineyards Growing Veggies project site. We met with Cindy Steinbeck Newkirk of Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery and, after a quick tutorial, we were off to work!

Straight off the vine - Beth's got a zucchini and a squash

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The Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans proved true to their moniker at a recent tasting in San Francisco. Over two dozen labels were represented from this distinct appellation in southern Monterey County – including SIP members Hahn Family Wines, McIntyre Vineyards, and Paraiso Vineyards.

Hahn Family Wines gives out seed packets with the same mixture as the wildflower/cover crop they use in the vineyard.

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