Aug 30, 2012

THE 2012 WHAR WOLF RESCUE AND BBQ

Kiwi and Koala had such a great time at Wolf Cellars with the amazing Whar Wolves that we could not help trying to help.

Kiwi & Koala


THE 2012 WHAR WOLF RESCUE AND BBQ WILL BE SAT SEPT 29 FROM  10 AM TO 4PM
AT 2445 ADOBE RD PASO ROBLES CA, ACROSS FROM " ZOO TO YOU" COMPOUND

FEATURES:  THE EVENT WILL ALSO BE THE KICK OFF OF THE 2013 WHAR WOLF PHOTO CONTEST (DETAIL AT FACEBOOK: WHAR WOLF RESCUE) BBQ BEGINS AT 11A, FOLLOWED BY LIVE AND SILENT AUCTION ALL DAY. DOOR PRIZE TO BE GIVEN AWAY. INTERACTION WITH THE WOLVES ALL DAY. ALL AGES WELCOME, BRING THE FAMILY, SORRY NO DOGS.  YUMMY FRESH BAKED GOODS WILL ALSO BE ON SALE THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. SURE TO BE AN EXCITING DAY OF FUR AND FUN, AND FUNDRAISING. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU. GREY WOLF WINE TO BE AUCTIONED AT EVENT ALONG WITH OTHER QUALTIY ITEMS SUCH AS A NUMBERED WOLF PLATE COLLECTION MATCHING CASE AND FULL SET, VARIOUS WOLF AND OUT DOOR ART, WOLF FOUNTAIN, AND MORE.

MORE INFO BY CALLING 805.610.6109 OR GENERAL INFO ON THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AT WWW.WHAR .ORG

MANY HOWLS,  HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON!

KRISTI KRUTSIGER
AND JOHN SHAW

Kiwi and Koalas WW


This week’s WW is a slightly fizzy little drop from Italy by Il Conte D'Alba and sold here in the USA by San Antonio Winery. It’s a Moscato D’Asti made in Piemonte.
Moscato d' Asti is made from the Moscato di Canelli grape from the Piedmont region of Italy. Fresh and delicate and a little bit sweet. It has good acidity and a light fizz that gives balance to that slight sweetness. Great as an aperitif or with light meals and has a nice refreshing taste with a clean finish. Now Koala is not much of a sweet wine kind of guy but this was very enjoyable and scores 6+ and ****. (under $10 bottle, brilliant, getting more) With summer in full swing this is a great drop to have on hand. Go on give it a go!

Happy Tasting Adventures,
Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Aug 27, 2012

Paso Robles Inn


The Paso Robles Inn has been a landmark and an icon of Paso Robles for well over a century. Located in probably the most ideal spot to stay in Paso Robles, it provides easy walking (5 min) access to wine tasting rooms and wine bars, eateries and ice-cream shops as well as some fantastic restaurants, boutique shops, and much more. Surrounded by over 220 wineries in the Paso Robles wine region, the Paso Robles Inn is the perfect place for launching a wine tasting Adventure, which just so happens to be why we were there. Oh and eating.

Koala even got the all the healing powers of the thermal waters with a private hot springs tub in a Deluxe Spa Room. Something much needed with the daily abuse poor Koala’s body (liver) takes.  These are the famous sulfur springs that put Paso on the map in the late 1800’s and one of the things the Inn is known for. You fill the hot tub with hot sulfur spring water and fill the air with the aroma of, yes that’s it, sulfur (rotten eggs). Thank goodness the Inn has some more pleasing aroma liquid to put in the water so not only your body but also your nose can relax and enjoy.
Check in was easy and the staff were friendly and efficient and came through later with some minor personal items that were left at home! The rooms have some variety from simple old style (but relatively new) decor in small comfortable rooms to the more palatial (OK maybe not “palatial” but large well appointed suites) and they even have some dog friendly rooms for those that can’t leave their four legged child Fifi at home.  The rooms are equipped with hair driers, irons, a small fridge, microwave and coffee maker.  All the comforts of home.  Well, at least your first apartment.


To quote the Inn “A full-service destination, the Inn features an outdoor heated pool and spa, spa services, complimentary Wi-Fi, a premier Steakhouse, our historic Cattlemen’s Lounge, and a 1940s diner-style Coffee Shop”. They also have facilities for weddings and events, with a beautifully restored Grand Ballroom as well as several other meeting rooms and an executive boardroom (whatever that is).
Koala wandered the grounds on the first morning and really enjoyed the beautiful setting with Koi ponds and grass areas with big beautiful oak trees and various assorted other trees and gardens while sipping on his tea. A very very nice place to wander.  Kiwi’s room was adjacent to the pool(s) and made a nice spot to sit with a cup of coffee in the mornings.
 
As is usual for a Kiwi and Koala Adventure things never go as planned and some rooms needed to be vacated and extra rooms need to be accounted for on the second day.  The staff at the Inn were very accommodating and  helped our fuzzy heads to solve our dilemma in a matter of minutes.  Well done!
Historical Photo
The group ate breakfast both mornings at the Inn’s 1940s diner-style Coffee Shop” in preparation for our adventures and all meals were well priced and enjoyed by all.
Not many places can give you the location, the comforts, the conveniences and such an incredible sense of history and place as the Paso Robles Inn.

All in all a great place to stay in Paso Robles but make sure to book early as there are many events in the area and the Inn books out. Kiwi and Koala give it a Recommend!


Tell em Kiwi and Koala sent you!
 

Happy staying,

Cheers,

Kiwi & Koala
 
 

Aug 25, 2012

Creekside B&B in Paso Robles



There are a number of reasons the Creekside B&B of Lynne and Dave Teckman was a wonderful first class experience. Fantastic room service, like breakfast delivered to our room, personalized tasting of their wines, complimentary bottle of wine (choice of red or white Rhone blend). Their well appointed and comfortable rooms with a gas log fireplace, well equipped kitchenette, full-sized coffee maker, quality coffee beans, coffee grinder, bottled water, plenty of wine-oriented reading material in room.
The room was super cozy, had everything we needed and very comfortable. The place is secluded, yet centralized to a significant number of Paso Robles wine country locations. The delivered to the room breakfast was very generous and we were well fed for a day of wine tasting. Lynne and Dave Teckman were gracious, welcoming, and non-intrusive. We look forward to returning for a longer stay so as to truly relax in this great getaway spot. A definite recommend! With only two rooms you will need to book early.


Tell em Kiwi and Koala sent you!


Happy staying and tasting Adventures,
Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Aug 21, 2012

Pithy Little Wine Company Paso Robles


Not your average tasting room and not you’re average tasting. The Pithy Little Wine Company. This cute little storefront just off the main square in downtown Paso was just the ticket for entertaining our ‘a little tired of wine tasting’ company and, us! Who would ever get tired of wine tasting you ask. We know, and we didn’t want them pithed off! So as we wandered around the park in Paso Robles on a non wine tasting jaunt and were making our way around the block, the sign for The Pithy Little Wine Company came into view. We could not just walk by this inviting establishment. The girls were excited for some tasting and quickly selected the popcorn pairing. Popcorn pairing with wine you ask? No remember they were “a little tired of wine tasting”. No, popcorn and soda.  Yes you read that correctly, soda. The significant others really enjoyed the experience and Kiwi and Koala banked good brownie points. While the girls were enjoying their soda and popcorn tasting experience Kiwi and Koala managed to sneak in some more wine tasting. Koala loved this label and name “Elephant in the Room” a blend of 15% Grenache, 65% Syrah and 20% Viognier a solid 6 and *** on the official scale and also purchased a bottle for himself. Good stuff.

The Pithy Little Wine Co. Is also a good place to source custom labels for weddings and other events as well as eating and drinking accessories and accoutrements . Quite impressive stuff here so check it out and tell em Kiwi and Koala sent you!

Happy Travel Adventures,
Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala


Aug 20, 2012

Kiwi and Koalas WW


The wine that came to the top this last week for the WW is a Chianti from Frescobaldi. Their 2007 Riserva Nipozzano Chianti Rufina is a nicely balanced easy drinking wine. Deep purple red color with a bit of a floral nose but with nice dark berry and fruit and a little rasberry. Nice soft finish with a hint of spice and a touch of vanilla coming through. Koala recons a 7 and ****. A great wine for a variety of meat dishes and red sauce pastas. Selected as this last week’s WW because it was just so enjoyable to drink but at around $25 still a reasonable price.



Happy Tasting Adventures,
Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Aug 17, 2012

Shale Oak Winery Paso Robles


Let’s talk green. No, not the flavor or the color, but the practice. Shale Oak Winery is making a massive effort to be as green as possible, not only in their vineyard and winemaking practice but also with their tasting room facility. Actually sustainable is really the appropriate description. Using recycled materials and tons of natural light with gravity ventilation and huge water capture capacity they have been very successful. With modern, 60’s modern (think “The Jetsons”) and Euro chic style blended together this place is immediately interesting and engaging. With a number of outside areas for relaxing or picnicking while enjoying some Shale Oak wine this is a very nice facility. Oh yeah about the wine. Go get some! Seriously some lovely wines made here.
We were distracted on our way into the tasting room by the amazingly comfortable wine barrel furniture just outside the entrance and kind of got stuck there for a bit just enjoying the setting and the comfort.
One of the tasting room staff came out and offered to pour for us right there! We were tempted, but so as not to put them out we went in (and as a side note so they did not have deal with us out front scaring off potential customers). The friendly knowledgeable staff took great care of us and were very accommodating as we sometimes can be a bit like herding a pack of cats just wandering around from one thing to another checking it all out. They did a great job keeping us on track. The most impressive method Jennifer employed was to smash a glass on the floor to get our attention. It worked! Everyone back to your stations! The tasting consisted of a couple of nice crisp whites and a handful of reds with a great PH balanced beverage to cleanse the palate between tastes.
Kiwi and Koala broke the one bottle rule (again is the chorus from the other room)! Koala’s pick was the 2009 KŪ. A sumptuous blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Verdot with a head spinning 15.9% alcohol. The other purchase was a limited release 2008 Cabernet which just so happened is what Kiwi purchased two of (Kiwi also purchased an eco-friendly cork purse, but that’s another story).
Both wines were approachable with nice fruit with a medium to full bodied mouth feel and a nice balance and warm long finish. The labeling on the bottles is clean and stylish with a classy look. Blah blah blah. Look don’t just take our opinion, round up a couple of friends and go have a visit and check out this unique and interesting tasting room and try some of their great wine. Maybe plan to take a picnic lunch to enjoy while taking in the facility and enjoying your new favorite Shale Oak Wine.  Join their club, Kiwi did!  Shh, don’t tell the Shelia.  But that’s where the purse comes in.

Tell em Kiwi and Koala sent you!

Happy tasting,

Cheers,
WineWalkabout
Kiwi & Koala

Aug 15, 2012

Red Soles in Paso Robles

This is the story of a couple that farmed vineyards and who were bitten by the wonder of what they could do with their own fruit. Working for other was great, but they wanted to try it on their own.  The first vintage was such a small beginning that they had no crush equipment and used the romantically traditional method of their own four feet. No they don’t each have four feet, two each. That process lead to the name of their label as they observed their red stained feet. 
It was an epiphany to call it Red Soles Winery. That first small crush of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel grapes was later to become their premier vintage, their 2004 Kick-Off.

As Kiwi, Koala and guest taster Frog (and their significant others) all wandered into the tasting room they all commented on how comfortable it felt. The size is small by some standards but could easily handle twelve tasting with two serving. The tasting room has a nice layout with a fire place and a couple of sitting chairs for the designated drivers to kick their heels back and compare notes on their drinkers. They also have a nice selection of souvenirs should one feel the need.With a good selection of wine’s the tasting started. It was unanimous that there was not a poor one in the lineup. All the wine was well received and purchases were made. Kiwi purchased a 2009 Syrah and a 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Koala purchased the 2010 Kick-Off. This is a representation of the first release, hence the name Kick-Off. A story too good to ignore. Koala loves a good story.
A Blend of 50% Estate Zinfandel, 25% Estate Petite Sirah and 25% Old Vine Petite Sirah, a solid 6 and ***. Frog also purchased. All wines were great now out of the bottle, but could also be cellared for several years (if you can stand the wait!).  All in all a great tasting experience with a knowledgeable and friendly attendant and a selection of good wines that would make any tasting group happy.
They are conveniently located on the beautiful Westside of Paso Robles, just 3 miles from Hwy 101, on Oakdale Road, and just several hundred yards from Hwy 46 West. Open Daily from 11-5pm.
Red Soles is closed on all major holidays and Super Bowl Sunday.

So stop on by and tell em Kiwi and Koala sent you. Oh and Frog to!



Happy Travel Adventures,
Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Aug 10, 2012

Dining Nirvana Magill Estate


Everyone should visit Penfolds Magill Estate if for nothing else it’s amazing sense of wine history. Ok, they have some really good wine to taste as well.
We had a great premium tasting experience there with some exceptional wines. We took a tour of the historic Grange Cottage and the production facilities. Learned that the Magill Estate Vineyard was established in 1844 by Dr Christopher Rawson and Mary Penfold, just eight years after the foundation of the city of Adelaide itself. It was originally known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead. After such a great experience we could not resist the temptation to go all the way in and booked our dinner for that evening at the Magill Estate Restaurant.


From the moment we were warmly welcomed at the door, to the friendly farewell, it was a wonderful night. The degustation menu had three choices. There was a five, seven and nine course dinner selection, with or without wine pairings of good wine or great wines. We went with the seven course choice with the super premium wine pairings. Each dish was unique; some with textures/flavors/appearances that did not match our normal perception of the titled ingredients but, made us believers once tasted. One of the great pleasures of drinking wine is matching it with equally mouth-watering food, and the wine pairings were simply perfect.


What a wonderful experience with fantastic food made even more amazing by fantastically paired wines. The 2002 Grange was spectacular. Visit’s to the table from the chefs, knowledgeable sommelier, and service that equally matched the food & wine. Oh, and the view at night of the Adelaide area is just gorgeous. A great special night out that is sure to be remembered for all the right reasons. Looking forward to going back after the remodel to enjoy again, just to be sure it was not a magical dream.

For tasting at the cellar door they are open 7 days a week from 10.00am – 5.00pm, Closed Christmas Day and New Years Day.

This is not an inexpensive meal, but the quality of the experience, the food and the wine made it worth the price.

We call this a MUST GO (at least once) experience.

Tell em we sent you and settle in and embrace the magic!

Happy Adventures,
Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Just heard the remodel is nearing completion. They are scheduled to open Wednesday the 28th of August. Reservations will be accepted as of Monday the 29th of July. 

Aug 6, 2012

Napa’s Bistro Don Giovanni

Due to a combination of events Koala found himself on the road to Napa on a Sunday evening. Since he was there it was an opportunity for an Adventure. First thing on the agenda was some food. Koala does not miss many meals! There are a ton of choices in Napa but those choices start to dwindle with an eating time of around 9pm. As luck would have it Bistro Don Giovanni was a choice. So its 9pm on a Sunday evening and the place is still jumping. If Koala had to guess they were probably at about 80% full. The place has a lively atmosphere without being too loud. A couple minute wait while the table was prepped and we were seated in a comfortable booth. The waiter was on the spot taking drink requests and giving us the nightly specials. Orders ranged from artisan pizza’s to Koala’s choice of the Pork Chop nicely paired with a local Napa Merlot. All the food was good and very much enjoyed and the experience was very good. Koala would give a recommend and not hesitate to return.


To happy tasting and eating!
Cheers,
WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala


Aug 3, 2012

Napa’s 1313Main

What is that a street address? Well, yes and no. So imagine you are in the town of Napa, and it’s nearly 11pm on a Sunday night and you have a hankerin for a good glass of wine or two. Not just any old swill, but some good wine. Where are you going to go? So yes it is a street address but it is also the name of a great wine bar in Napa at 1313 Main St, called 1313Main.
Open till midnight most nights this upscale contemporary Euro feeling sophisticated and friendly wine bar and lounge, feature’s over 1,300 rotating labels of fine wines offered by the taste, glass, flight or bottle, and can be complemented by a selection of artisanal small plates, for those that are a little peckish. They also have an impressive range of craft beers for the one in the group, and there always is, who doesn't drink wine. Koala snuck in and enjoyed a recommended flight of local Napa Cabernet Sauvignons and took a look around. This is a classy yet friendly place with a variety of comfortable seating options and areas to suit anyone. They have a number of different events that occur during any given week to entertain and present new offerings. Looking forward to visiting again at a more reasonable hour and enjoying a little more of what this impressive place has to offer and taking Kiwi along if he promises to behave. Not bloody likely (behaving that is)!


To happy tasting!


Cheers,
WineWalkabout
Kiwi & Koala