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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A little rain didn’t stop anyone from having a Rockin’ time at the 20th SLO Vintners Harvest Celebration. Yours truly was stoked to be pouring SIP wines in between Rays Own Brand sausage and Sextant Wines. The SIP booth got to taste each sausage variety (Bratwurst, Hot Italian, Linguica, Pork Apple Honey) hot off the grill and I have a new favorite Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Featuring Central Coast Wine & Cuisine!

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It was like Fashion Week came to Paso Robles: perfect lighting, stage settings, cameras flashing…OK, not quite. But it was a very glamorous affair for a few SIP Certified wines featuring the SIP seal on the label. With the expertise of Juice we created a fabulous photo portfolio of great wines made from healthy vineyards.

Photographer Steven Gould in action

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It was fun to visit the SIP-certified wineries pouring at the Atascadero Wine Festival – a relaxing, lakeside event that’s now held from 4-8 p.m. to avoid the heat and take advantage of lovely North County summer nights. Local artists and restaurants also participate (we enjoyed paella from 10th Street Basque Café in San Miguel), and it’s always fun to listen to the Mighty Croon Dogs!

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A good time was had by all for a great cause at the 3rd Annual SLO Wine & Grill Affair on June 5. Held at the historic Filipponi Ranch in San Luis Obispo, the event featured nine wineries pairing their wines with tasty treats right off the grill, and proceeds benefited the non-profit Transitions Mental Health Association.

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Had some wine-centric family visit the Central Coast for the first time in June, so of course, a whirlwind wine tasting tour was in order – especially to some wineries in the SIP program.

Our first stop was Robert Hall Winery, which boldly stated its SIP commitment front and center with a big poster that greeted us as we walked in the door. There was also a SIP placard strategically placed amidst all the fun stuff to browse and buy around the wine tasting room, and they are about to launch a refreshed website ”heavily focused on SIP and all of our SIP wines.”

The next day, we found ourselves at Halter Ranch, where they’ve proudly placed the SIP seal right on their bottle labels. As the tasting room attendant explained, they’ve been longtime supporters of sustainability and the SIP program, so they wanted to get it on their label asap.

As it turned out, though these and other Paso wineries are known for their bold red wines, I found great Sauvignon Blancs – one of my favorite varietals – at both Robert Hall and Halter Ranch. Both wineries let the grape be itself by fermenting it in stainless, instead of trying to make it act like a Chardonnay and putting it in oak … thank you!

Winemaker Don Brady puts a nicely balanced touch on the 2007 Robert Hall Sauvignon Blanc, with a touch of Semillon (7%) that gives it just enough floral fruit to make it stand on its own as an aperitif and enough light acid to make it a great food wine. Think Asian food or a summertime salad of heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. (The 2008 Sauv Blanc was just released in the tasting room, and not only features the SIP info in its tasting notes, but has already garnered three gold medals in three different competitions.)

The Halter Ranch Sauvignon Blanc from Winemaker Bill Sheffer is another refreshing find. A hint of Viognier (4%) helps pop up the citrus profiles on the nose, while the palate delivers notes of stone fruit and spice on its way to a nice finish. This would be a great match with lighter summertime grilled fare such as fish or marinated chicken breasts, or even on its own as you’re tending the grill. As the saying goes: “I often cook with wine … sometimes I even put it in the food.”

The business model of Pizza Fusion (a nationwide franchised chain) is green to the core – green right down to the recycled blue jeans used for wall insulation, green right down to the organic red tomato sauce used in the pizzas, green right down to the hybrid delivery vehicles, green right down to the bamboo pizza peels (those paddle shaped things used to slip the pies in and out of the oven).

So, what about the wine list at such a place, in particular, the newly opened location in San Luis Obispo? Owner Brandon Borene admits that “to get the doors open,” he took the path of least resistance, offering organic labels that he could easily source, but “I knew I was going to get questions about carrying local wines.”

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