pick your favorite albariño
Tickets are still available for the June 16-17 Festival of Albariño in Paso Robles!
Albariño is here to stay! The success of last year’s festival made that very clear. If you already know this varietal, you’ll revel in tasting 25 different wines – for one tasting price – at the Grand Tasting. If you’re new to this wine or just want to know more, the seminar will expand your knowledge and taste buds. And there’s food of course!
If you use code bpr2017 at EventBrite under http://festival-of-albarino.eventbrite.com/ you will get a discount, so don’t pass up this opportunity.
Most tasting events have grown so large that it’s almost impossible to meet a winemaker anymore. The organizers are working hard to make sure that you will get to interact with as many winemakers as possible from these low-production wineries on the Central Coast. This year you can still meet the winemakers and growers with three events at three different venues:
Sign up for the seminar at Derby Winery in historic downtown Paso Robles, moderated by Doug Wilder of Purely Domestic Wine Report. Or savor the different winery styles at the Grand Tasting of over 25 different Albarinos at Broken Earth Winery. Food will be available at the Grand Tasting as well. And you can purchase a discounted ticket for attendance at both events.
The dinner Friday night at Brecon is limited to only 46 people, with a few places still available. We will pair different Albariños with a gourmet menu.
The winemakers and growers are passionate about Albariño, and looking forward to sharing their passion with you. See you there.
Jun 5, 2017 at 5:34 PM
Permalinkalbariño summit in paso robles
Don't miss the Festival of Albariño, California Central Coast 2017!
With an Albariño dinner Friday night June 16, seminar and tasting on Saturday June 17, this promises to be a great weekend. The expert tasting panel includes top Viticulturists and Winemakers discussing everything from grape to glass while you sample select wines that truly show the breadth of styles the varietal has to offer.
For more information visit pasowine.com/member-event/festival-of-albarino-seminar/
May 8, 2017 at 6:45 AMtwisted oak announces 2017 summer concert series
TAPAS member Twisted Oak Winery, in Vallecito, California, announces the 2017 edition of the award-winning Twisted Folk Summer Concert Series.
The 2017 Twisted Folk Summer Concert Series features a fantastic array of range of musical styles: We've got Bluegrass, Cajun, Jazz, two world-class slide guitarists – and quite a few things in between – all for your entertainment! All of this is happening at our scenic hilltop venue for your listening and wine-loving pleasure!
Tickets are now available for all shows. Visit www.twistedoak.com/concerts for information and prices. We encourage everyone to purchase tickets in advance and not be disappointed by a sold out show.
The complete schedule:
Saturday, May 13 – The Dustbowl Revival – A crowd favorite, returning to kick off the concert series for the second year in a row! Swing. Hot Jazz. Pre-war Blues. A genre-hopping, time bending dance party! Dubbed the “Best live band in LA!” by the LA Weekly.
Saturday, May 27 – Jerry Douglas presents the Earls of Leicester – Jerry Douglas is generally considered to be the best dobro player in the whole world and recipient of fourteen Grammy Awards, most recently with the Earls nabbing the Best Bluegrass Album award. And they are the International Bluegrass Music Association “Entertainer of the Year” for 2016. What more can we say?
Saturday, June 24 – Front Country – What can you say about a band whose influences include “Bill Monroe, Paul Simon, Prince, and King Crimson”? Progressive bluegrass straight out of Nashville by way of San Francisco!
Saturday, July 8 – Pine Leaf Boys - Rockin' old-school Cajun music from deep south Louisiana! Four-time Grammy Nominees!
Saturday, July 22 – John Jorgenson Quintet – Another crowd favorite, returning to the Oak! Smooth Gypsy Jazz in the style of Django Reinhart, and beyond!
Saturday, August 12 – Sonny Landreth – Slide guitar and blues legend known as "The King of Slydeco." Guitarist Eric Clapton has said that “Sonny Landreth is probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also is probably one of the most advanced.” And you get to see him play at Twisted Oak!
All concerts begin at sundown. Concert-goers will be admitted approximately one hour before show time. Tasty dinners and Twisted Oak wines will be available for purchase. Attendees are advised to bring a blanket and/or low-back chair for seating. All shows will be held rain or shine. No outside alcoholic beverages permitted.
In 2013, the Twisted Folk Summer Concert Series was awarded the prestigious Innovations in Tourism award for hosting the best events in Calaveras County. Come see why!
Apr 5, 2017 at 7:00 PMcongratulations bodegas paso robles
Congratulations to TAPAS member Bodegas Paso Robles - featured in Forbes Magazine's Best Wines of February 2017!
Read the article here!
Feb 28, 2017 at 8:36 PMtasting tempranillo in kansas city
Check out the article "Taking the time to try out some Tempranillo wines," from KC Chow Town's Dave Eckert. Wines from Six Sigma Ranch, Abacela, Verdad, Vara, Matchbook, Berryessa Gap, Enriquez Estate, Becker, and Bodegas Paso Robles are featured!
Be the first to comment on this postwho's ready for international tempranillo day?
Thanks to Michelle Williams at Rockin Red Blog for her great article, helping celebrate Tempranillo!
https://rockinredblog.com/2016/11/09/whos-ready-for-international-tempranillo-day/
Nov 9, 2016 at 6:55 PMsix sigma flight night, october 15
Six Sigma Ranch, Lower Lake, CA, announces their 5th Annual Flight Night!
Oct 6, 2016 at 7:12 PMcroma vera opens tasting room
Congratulations to TAPAS member Croma Vera Wines, in San Luis Obispo, CA, who announced the opening of their tasting room as of September 8, 2016!
The address is 445 1st St., Avila Beach, CA 93424. Hours are
- Friday and Saturday, noon until 6pm, and
- Sunday, Monday and Thursday, noon until 5pm
And of course they'll have a party - scheduled for Friday, September 30. Visit their website for details, or subscribe to their email newsletter to receive an invitation!
Sep 9, 2016 at 5:14 PMmusic august 27 at twisted oak
Twisted Oak Winery is pleased to announce the final concert of their 2016 Twisted Folk Concert Series – with The Claire Lynch Band.
Where: Twisted Oak Winery, 4280 Red Hill Rd at Hwy 4, Vallecito, CA
When: Saturday, August 27th, 2016 – 7:30pm. Concertgoers admitted 6:30pm
Ticket Information:
Tickets $25 advance ($20 Twisted Few wine club members), or $30 at the door, if available.
Children 12 and under: $10. 100% of children’s ticket sales will be directed to supporting music education in local schools.
For more info, or to purchase tickets: 209-736-9080, twistedoak.com/concerts
Claire Lynch is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre. Her career has been decorated with many accolades including two GRAMMY nominations and three International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year awards in 2013, 2010, and 1997 – an honor for which she has again been nominated in 2016!
"One of the sweetest, purest and best lead voices in the music business today." - Dolly Parton.
A yummy dinner will be available for purchase – please visit twistedoak.com for details - along with yummy Twisted Oak wine, brownies, popcorn, and soft drinks. Concertgoers are welcome to bring their own picnics and non-alcoholic drinks, but the winery asks that no outside alcoholic beverages be brought in.
Seating at Twisted Folk concerts is outdoor festival style, first-come, first-served – try to bring a low beach-type chair or a blanket. They're on top of a hill and there is always an evening breeze – it can get a little chilly after dark so please plan ahead.
Twisted Oak Winery is located in the foothills of Calaveras County, and specializes in wines made from Mediterranean varieties like Tempranillo, Viognier, and Petite Sirah. They are also known for being the home of the world-famous “Rubber Chicken National Forest.” Our concert venue, located at the winery in Vallecito, sits on a hilltop that commands a sweeping view of the Sierra Nevada and the surrounding foothills, presided over by a 350-year old California Blue Oak that graces the label of every wine they bottle.
Claire Lynch’s Bio:
Blazing her own trail in the mid 70's when there were few role models for a young woman in the genre, Claire Lynch made history when she led the Front Porch String Band, which evolved in the 80’s and 90’s into “one of the sharpest and most exciting post-modern bluegrass bands on the circuit.” She formed her own Claire Lynch Band in 2005 and has since consistently been a top pick of prestigious publications, critics and audiences across the U.S. and beyond.
Claire grew up in Kingston, N.Y. until the age of 12, when the family moved to Huntsville, Alabama. There she began her education in country music and got caught up in the bluegrass revival of the 1970's, joining a band called Hickory Wind. Later, the band changed its name to the Front Porch String Band with Claire’s vocals as its centerpiece.
In 1981, after their first nationally-released recording, the group retired from the road, and Claire pursued dual careers in addition to raising a family. As a songwriter, her tunes have been recorded by such luminaries as Patty Loveless, The Seldom Scene, Cherryholmes, Kathy Mattea, The Whites and Stephanie Davis. At the same time, she became a much sought-after session vocalist.
In 1991, the Front Porch String Band was resurrected with the album Lines and Traces, a move that ultimately led to the launching of Claire’s solo career in earnest. Friends for a Lifetime was released in 1993 followed by Moonlighter in 1995 (Claire’s first GRAMMY nomination) and Silver and Gold in 1997 (also nominated for GRAMMY glory). She was named the IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 1997 and enjoyed many chart successes. The band wrapped up the 20th century with the album Love Light in 2000. At that time Claire took what she thought would be a full-fledged break from music, stepping away from the grind of daily touring. She wasn't sure when–or if–she would return. “I hadn’t planned to come back. Then one day I opened my catalog of songs and realized that I'd written my life,” she said.
Little by little, the lure of music worked its way back. She sang harmony on The Grass is Blue and Little Sparrow which led to promotional touring as backup vocalist for Dolly Parton. She graced albums by other artists with her background vocals including Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Pam Tillis, Alison Brown, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea and Ralph Stanley. Today, the impressive list of other guest appearances continues including spots on albums by Donna the Buffalo, Sara Watkins, the Gibson Brothers, Jonathan Edwards and Jesse Winchester.
In 2005, Lynch struck out on her own, forming the Claire Lynch Band and releasing the aptly named New Day CD. It was a hit on the bluegrass charts and earned her IBMA nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Female Vocalist of the Year.” In 2007, Rounder Records featured a brilliant catalog of music from her previous five albums on their label and titled the anthology collection, Crowd Favorites. More IBMA nominations followed as well as an induction into the Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Whatcha Gonna Do, Claire’s next release (2009), was called “a stripped-down production with sumptuous acoustic atmospheres” showcasing…the instrumental brilliance of her four-piece band.“ After a busy touring schedule in 2010, she received three IBMA nominations including “Song of the Year” and “Recorded Event of the Year,” winning the 2010 trophy for Female Vocalist of the Year.
Ms. Lynch’s USA Walker Fellowship Award ($50,000.) was one of 50 salutes given from United States Artists (USA) for 2012. The USA Fellows represent the most innovative and influential artists in their fields - including cutting-edge thinkers and traditional practitioners from the fields of architecture and design, crafts and traditional arts, dance, literature, media, music, theater arts, and visual arts.
In January 2013, after a long, successful stint with Rounder Records, Claire signed a recording deal with esteemed Nashville roots label Compass Records, called by Billboard Magazine, “...one of the greatest independent labels of the last decade.” With their co-founder Garry West producing, she released the ninth solo recording of her career titled Dear Sister. By Summer, the album had reached the #1 position on the Roots Music Reports Top 50 Bluegrass Chart seven times and was nominated for “Album of the Year” at the 2013 IBMA Awards.
The current Claire Lynch Band is a powerful juggernaut, a quartet that has the innate ability to perfectly interpret the beauty, subtlety, and genre-defying sophistication of Claire’s music. The Claire Lynch Band features like-minded musicians blending tradition and innovation - two-time IBMA-winning bassist-clawhammer banjo player-dancer-percussionist Mark Schatz, soulful mandolinist-guitarist Jarrod Walker, and young string wizard Bryan McDowell, who at 18, won an unprecedented triple win at the Winfield, Kansas National Flatpicking Championship.
Touring behind Dear Sister (2014 IBMA “Song of the Year”) has provided the band the opportunity to present fresh, timeless material, including the title track – a tear-inducing masterpiece co-written by Claire with Southerner Louisa Branscomb. It’s an intimate farewell letter shared between a brother and sister, their lives ravaged by the destruction of the Civil War and delivered with all the tenderness Lynch is known for.
The band's newest release (Sept. 2014) was a seasonal project titled Holiday! on Claire's own label Thrill Hill Records. It was recorded during the interim of her last and next Compass recordings and includes seasonal favorites, a couple originals (Claire Lynch/Steven Sheehan's Heaven's Light and Henry Hipkens' Snow Day) and even a rendition of In the Window, a traditional Chanukah song.
As one observer writes, “Listening to Claire Lynch sing is not something to be undertaken casually. Her songs and stage presence demand the listener’s rapt attention. She’s an intensely soulful singer, whose distinctive voice resonates with power and strength, yet retains an engaging innocence and crystalline purity. She’s also a songwriter of extraordinary ability who can bring listeners to their feet with her buoyant rhythms or to their knees with her sometimes almost unbearably poignant and insightful lyrics.” (Dave Higgs-WPLN Nashville, -WAMU Washington DC)
In 2014, Digital Journal.com listed Claire as “One of the 10 Best Angelic Voices of Our Time”. She shared that honor with such luminaries as Judy Collins, Alison Krauss, Sarah McLachlan, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.
Aug 14, 2016 at 5:40 PMhappy international albariño days!
Happy International Albariño Days from TAPAS! We're celebrating now through Monday, August 8.
There's a nice article on Albariño from Eric Asimov in the New York Times. Enjoy it while you taste!
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