Picture of the Day - Four Degrees of Tobin James

This afternoon into this evening I worked parking at Calcareous Vineyard on Peachy Canyon Road west of Paso Robles, CA. While sitting in a garden chair resting in the shade near the end of my shift near the front of the operation where I commanded a view of any incoming or outgoing autos, I was met by Tobin James as he left the event. We struck up a charming conversation for a few minutes where we discussed how perfect things were in that time and place with the only thing lacking being some nice-looking ladies sitting at the table next to me (and he was sooo right). As a parting comment I jokingly yelled to him as he walked away that I would buy a bottle of TB on the way home. (Degree of Tobin James #1)

 A short time later at Smart & Final in Paso Robles, I actually purchased a bottle of his "Dream Weaver" sparkling wine as well as of his "Chateau Le Cacheflo" (a red wine "Mediterranean Blend") pictured above. (Degree of Tobin James #2)

While in the checkout line loading my groceries onto the checkout conveyor, the bottle of the red wine (pictured above) accidentally slipped out one of the gaps in the child seat of the shopping cart as I had neglected to flip up the plastic guard. The bottle shot to the floor and exploded leaving a gory mess that quickly ran across the floor towards the lowest point (under the Cosmopolitan Magazines), filling the immediate environment with a strong aroma that was "On the nose, fruit forward casis, blackberry, jammy, spices like nutmeg, vanilla, tobacco box and cedar." (Degree of Tobin James #3)

Of course, not willing to accept defeat, I grabbed a replacement bottle of the aforementioned red blend and headed home where I am currently imbibing the blend as I write this. (Degree of Tobin James #4)

Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Visiting Sculpterra

This afternoon after church, I headed over to Sculpterra Winery (over on the east side) with my sister by another mother, Chris, to attend the performance of our mutual buddy, Nick Brittan, who was in the lineup to perform there today. He did not disappoint as he did his usual fine job, most notably performing a song he wrote about spiders taking over his house and he having to hunt then down. While I was here, I made a point of joining the very affordable wine club to share with Chris. Each of us will get one bottle per quarter of the year.

This is one of my two favorite sculptures and is situated out in front of the tasting room.

This is my other favorite sculpture here which I captured here and below from opposite angles.

This visit I did not make it out into the rest of the surrounding gardens to view the other sculptures so I might end up having more favorites.

The primary reason I came here today was to attend the performance of this guy, my friend and local musician and songwriter and singer, Nick Brittan.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Yuge Wine

Today Donald Trump was inaugurated as 45th President of the United States. Tonight I arrived home to find this on my kitchen counter. My buddy/slumlord/neighbor/brother-by-another-mother Mark had ironically and sarcastically purchased some bottles of this in recent weeks in order to have fun with it with various friends which he certainly did. The 2014 Trump Meritage Monticello Red Wine blend possesses a loudly bombastic nose immediately followed by audaciously cyrillic notes of populist pandering and obdurate self-promotion, midtones of banal narcissism with pussy-grabbing musky elements, and an insufferably long-winded and overstated finish. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved). 

Picture of the Day - Juice Of The Fruit Of The Vine

The past two nights (including tonight), I worked at the Eberle Winery Haunted Caves event doing security down in the wine cave. This was the third year out of the past four years I have been thus privileged to work this event in that capacity. It is my favorite event to work of all the events I do on an annual basis. While waiting for the event to start last night in the production warehouse from which primary access to the wine cave complex is derived, I took the above image of activities occurring as large stainless steel vats were cleaned or drained. I repeated taking such images earlier this evening and below is another such image. It seems apropos that such a bloody-looking sight should be seen outside a "haunted cave."  

Both images by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Troublemaker

I drink what I am.... or is it the other way around? "Troublemaker" by Hope Family Wines is one of the best values for the price to be found of local blends which can be purchased in local retail stores. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)

Picture of the Day - Viva Villa San-Juliette

Tonight I worked a wedding at Villa San-Juliette northeast of Paso Robles and east of San Miguel in the Estrella area. I love the appearance of the main structure after dark when it is all it up such as for weddings.
Of anecdotal interest: the 168-acre vineyards, winery, and tasting room facility were built by and are still owned by Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick of American Idol TV show (and other TV shows produced or directed) fame.
Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Blood Wine

Last night I attended the 2015 California Mid-State Fair's Artist Reception. This annual event reveals the voting results of the fair's art contest across a variety of art media, competency levels, and age groups. It is an invitation-only event wherein submitters and their entourages are welcome. For the third consecutive year I was in attendance by way of my friendship with local artist and photographer Susie Christian of Morro Bay. This year I was less excited by the entries than last year's crop or that of the year before.

This painting by Jim Alberter was the only one that really got my attention. Perhaps I am misinterpreting what it means but I see it as containing a negative impression of the local wine industry. The center bottom shows a newer vineyard which is a rather ubiquitous sight in these parts nowadays. Adjacent to it on both flanking sides is the old landscape the vineyards are replacing. As such the vineyard which is the insurgent landscape is stabbing into and penetrating and violating the old landscape that preceded it. The vineyard appears to go on forever into the distant horizon as if the vineyard never ends.

The wine glass is inverted which brings to mind an inverted cross and/or an inverted flag. The former is symbolic in the modern popular culture of blasphemy which around here would be any sort of criticism of the wine industry. An inverted flag represents a distress signal whcih suggests distress regarding the invasion and occupation of the Paso Robles region by the insurgent wine industry.

The red fluid roiling and rolling down the inner surface of the wine glass appear both ominous-looking and is highly symbolic in one or two ways. Since ancient times wine has often symbolized blood which it potentially does here while also representing itself. Representing wine the painting suggests the wine is descending and covering everything as if to suggest the wine industry and its interests are becoming ever more dominant in the area. Representing blood the painting suggests there is a heavy price to be paid locally for the wine industry here and the idea of blood as a cost for something (ex: blood, sweet, and tears) is a common metaphor.

My personal views on the local wine industry are highly complex and nuanced and internally contradictory. I see it as both good and bad depending upon the context. Water-wise and land zoning-wise it is bad. Revenue-wise and employment-wise it is good. In any case I really like this painting!

My Favorite Force of Nature

I first encountered Force of Nature's wine at Hotel Cheval earlier this year in a Zinfandel. Later, my buddy Mark shared with me their Tempranillo. Both wines were memorably great... so much so that at Hotel Cheval I asked to see the bottle and it was when I saw the label artwork the love affair was then complete.

I proceeded to forget all about this wine after my first quarter at Cal Poly began in late September. That quarter having just ended last week and now being on vacation I strode into the Albertson's in Atascadero yesterday. There I found that same Zinfandel again and purchased a bottle for dinner with mom last night. If anything it seemed even better that time around... or it paired better with Thai food than as a stand-alone glass of wine.

What I love about the labels themselves are they have relief as opposed to being flat like most labels, utilize higher-quality paper, and stylistically imitate the medieval European woodcut and even the quote in the caption below is very much in the medieval European chronicle style. 

This is my current favorite wine with the Zinfandel being my favorite varietal although the Tempranillo is great. There are three others under this label: Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay, all of which I intend to experience. Fortunately for me, owner Rob Murray has opened up shop at the castle winery on Highway 46 West so I don't have to drive far to experience all the Forces of Nature.

Inscribed vertically at left out of view is "This FORCE OF NATURE appeared in the tenth month of the year 2012."

Photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Overheard ~ Pour Out The Whitey

Same close friend who gave me THIS last December also came up with this gem tonight:

"Paso Robles area residents protest Ferguson verdict by pouring out 'white' wine." ‪

‪#‎Ferguson‬ ‪#‎neverforget‬ ‪#‎firstworldproblems‬

Picture of the Day - Autumn At Pomar Junction

This was the autumn scene today in the vineyards at Pomar Junction during their Fall Pickup Party which I worked at today for Vino Vice, Inc. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Cal Poly Seismo-Vino

This morning upon first arriving at Cal Poly I walked through the big G-1 parking lot from my carpool car into campus. There, I was quasi-startled to notice an empty wine bottle. It was standing on the pavement next to a couple of unrelated cars on this a "dry campus"... as if they meant it is actually a dry campus. Anywho, this had been a bottle of Petite Syrah with the "Earthquake" label of Michael David Winery. As you may recall from "My 'Earthquake' Wine" post last year I have a bottle of that wine in my meager collection. As if that wasn't slightly odd enough later in the day my Spanish professor brought up the subject of earthquakes and seaquakes as labeled in Spanish. He then segued into a brief mention of tomorrow being the Great California ShakeOut. What are the odds of all of this happening on the same day at Cal Poly within my range of perception? I'm almost tempted to wonder if this means something.
Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

The North County Has 11 New Viticultural Areas

Today the federal government will officially begin recognizing the above 11 new viticultural subdivisions of the pre-existing Paso Robles AVA. Technically, I'm in the Paso Robles Estrella District.

Silver Horse Friday Fete At Sunset

This evening I worked parking and security at Silver Horse Winery's monthly Friday Fete. I had worked this event before as well as one wedding here last year. However, this might have been my first time this year or at least in a long while this year. As charming and lovely as previous visits here had been tonight took the cake. The "magic hour" when the Central Coast light is nothing short of "magical" was especially impressive tonight. I felt especially inspired this time so I took more images here than I ever have before and what follows are my 13 best in the order in which I captured them.

This evening's featured singer was the most impressive Danielle Taylor who was stunningly awesometacular. My buddy Mike (who worked with me) and I were blown away by how good she was and she was the best female vocalist we have heard since we began working for Vino Vice. I have no doubt she will be signed by a major label at some point and become more well-known. She opens for Wilson Phillips quite soon and has opened for other such acts in the past.

This is the best moon image I have shot yet which is pretty pathetic but I'm getting better.

The satellite uplink dishes at Camp Roberts are visible in this image looking west.

That is Calandra Peak in the distance... which is in southern Monterey County.

The Santa Lucia Mountains of northern San Luis Obispo County and southern Monterey County are in the distance.

The "magic hour" in full bloom.

Silver Horse Winery is beautiful anyway, but especially during the "magic hour".

The twilight tonight was the best I have witnessed in quite some time around here.

I really like what this place has done for their outdoor lighting.

The wine bar/pizza oven kiosk.

The twilight peaked in its beauty at this point.

Danielle Taylor on stage at left with one of her typically four accompanying musicians.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Broken Earth

Ironically enough in light of this morning's Napa Earthquake I worked a wedding at Broken Earth on Paso Robles' East Side off Highway 46. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - My 2nd Winemakers' Cookoff

Tonight I attended the 2014 Paso Robles Rotary Club's 16th Annual Winemakers' Cookoff due to the generosity and love of my dear friends and adopted family Karen & Marty Self. I went with my sister in Christ and wingman, Christina Castle, all of whom are my 17th Street Gang family. I had a ball as did Christina Castle for whom it was her first year while it was my second consecutive year again due to the generosity of the Self's. The above image was the best I could muster given my rather buzzed state of lucidity by the end.I could have chosen an earlier image but the after-dark images capture the spirit of the event much more effectively.
Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Sampling Of Selections Of Central Coast Wine Classic

As mentioned in the previous post HERE, a couple of weekends ago I worked two consecutive 12-hour overnight security shifts at the 30th Annual Central Coast Wine Classic held at Avila Beach Golf Resort at Avila Beach, CA. In addition to the photographs I shot of the facilities which can be viewed in the previous post, I also took photographs of some of the wine and art that was up for auction at this charity fundraiser.

Note: I obtained official permission to post these images. 

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).