Earth Day Food and Wine Fest!

March 28, 2014

April is right around the corner and that means it’s almost time for the Earth Day Food and Wine Festival! As you may have heard, we are hosting the festival this year in the Beaverstock Meadow and we couldn’t be more excited! This is one of the premier food and wine events on the Central Coast and the entire event is based on promoting local, sustainable businesses while raising money for farmworker education and sustainable Ag research conducted by the Vineyard Team . Luckily, there are many wineries and restaurants that fall into that category on the Central Coast, making this festival an absolute must.

If you weren’t able to make Beaverstock last year and experience the meadow, it is truly an amazing spot. Tucked away in our Whale Rock Vineyard, the venue is only a couple hundred yards from our Tasting Room and is just off Highway 46 West. With views of rolling hills and shade provided by giant oaks, you really couldn’t ask for a better spot.

(Photo of the Meadow from Beaverstock)

This year there will be over 200 food producers, an abundance of award-winning wineries, and local area chefs will be cultivating an array of tempting tastes made with seasonal produce, grass-fed meats, artisanal cheeses, local olive oils, and even some Central Coast Chocolate. There will be a food pairing to go with every winery and we are very honored to be paired with Paso favorite Thomas Hill Organics! I can’t wait to see what they have in store this year. (Last year their food was unbelievable and at the top of my favorites list.)

(Castoro’s own Max Udsen – Male Model)

There will also be live music performed by local favorites (and former Beaverstock performers) the Damon Castillo Band. I know I’m a bit biased but I really can’t think of a better way to spend a spring day on the Central Coast. Maybe if you don’t like great food, delicious wine and wonderful music but something tells me you do!

Tickets are still available but they WILL sell out so you’ll want to get them quick if you’re planning on attending. We will be featuring a wide array of our SIP and CCOF Certified wines along side Thomas Hill Organics wonderful food so please stop by and say hi.

See you on April 12th! For more info visit http://earthdayfoodandwine.com/

Cheers,

Luke

Family, History, Quality

March 19, 2014

In the March issue of Wine Country This Month magazine, Castoro Cellars is featured on the cover and inside is an article I wrote about our story. Since many of you won’t have the opportunity to pick up a copy I thought I’d post it here and share the video we made to go along with it! The video outlines our story from the beginning to the present and truly captures what we are all about. Enjoy!

FAMILY. The cornerstone of Castoro Cellars and the thing that holds it all together is family. Not only has Castoro Cellars been a family owned and operated winery since its inception, it is a winery where everyone who steps through the door is embraced with warm family hospitality. Our employees, wine club members and customers are all part of the Castoro family and because of that we are the luckiest people around! The experience in our tasting room is warm, accepting and always fun. Our staff is highly trained and very passionate about the wines, making the experience very comfortable and refreshing.

HISTORY. Founded in 1983, the same year Paso Robles officially became an AVA, Castoro Cellars is one of the oldest wineries in the region. Owners Niels and Bimmer Udsen started the winery from scratch and over the course of 30 years have built what has become one of the premier wineries on the Central Coast. Our Winemaker Tom Myers, has been with Castoro for over 20 years and, in one way or another, has participated in every single vintage. Seeing Paso Robles grow and mature over the years has been an amazing experience and being a major contributor to that growth has been a blessing.

QUALITY. At Castoro Cellars we believe that all great wines start in the vineyard. Since day one Castoro wines have been focused on showcasing the qualities that make the Paso Robles AVA unique. With 10 Estate Vineyard locations, we are able to pull from a wide variety of climates and soil types giving our wines great balance and consistency. All of our vineyards are SIP Certified (Sustainability in Practice) and 350 acres are certified CCOF Organic. Our wines are 100% Estate Grown and this balance of control and sustainable farming give our wines the ability to showcase everything Paso Robles has to offer.

The original article also contained a blurb about Zinfest, but since that has passed I have taken it out. I would like to add that we had an amazing Vintage Paso (Zinfest) weekend and we thank all of you who came out and celebrated with us!

Cheers,

Luke

Zinfest/Vintage Paso is Almost Here!

March 5, 2014

It’s that time of year again and Zin Fest, or Vintage Paso as they now call it, is right around the corner! As many of you know, Zinfandel is a big part of our heritage and this annual celebration is something we have taken part in since the beginning. Even though the name has been changed (to be more inclusive) to “Vintage Paso: Zinfandel and other Wild Wines” we will be holding true to the traditions you have all grown to enjoy and love.

The fun will kick off at Castoro on Friday March 14th with a concert by Nataly Lola and Friends, who will be accompanied by Grammy nominated songwriter Randy Rigby! Doors will open at 6:15 and tickets are only $15/$10 for wine club members. Admission includes both the show and a glass of wine from our famous keg barrel. Chef Phil Lang of Bon Temps Creole Café will be preparing a delectable selection of culinary treats for $12-15 a plate! For tickets click HERE.

On Saturday and Sunday we will be hosting our traditional open house, which is something that always brings back childhood memories for me. I grew up with these festivals and I will never get tired of them because there is so much fun to be had! Sweetwater the Trio will be in the house both days, providing live music from 12-4pm and as always there will be barrel samples, local vendors, and food provided by Splash Café! In my opinion, the barrel samples alone are reason enough to come out because you get an insight into future vintages and get the opportunity to chat with our winemakers about the wines and where they are heading.

Tickets are only $5/day and free for wine club members (we love our members dearly) so you really can’t lose on this one! The Udsen family along with our wonderful staff will be in attendance so please come on out and hang with us, we love getting to know you!

For more info on Vintage Paso Weekend click HERE!

Cheers,

Luke