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Whale Rock Disc Golf Course Update!

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The Whale Rock Disc Golf Course at Castoro Cellars has now been open for roughly three months and watching it come alive has been quite amazing. When we decided to put in the course we had no idea how it would be received but we knew it would be something special. My brother Max was the brainchild of the course and also the builder/designer of the course, making it something we feel very connected to. Recently we made a short promo video for the course (see link above) to give you all a feel for the sport the course and what to expect on a visit to the Whale Rock Disc Golf Course. If you have a moment, check out the video, share it with friends and start planning your visit!

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One of the things that make the course a lot of fun is the variety of basket locations. Many of the holes on the course have 2 and in some cases 3 alternate locations for the baskets. Not only does this impact the difficulty of the shots but adds variety and keeps the course interesting for those who play on a regular basis. As with all things Castoro, community plays a big role and we have partnered with a local Disc Golf club called the SLO Throwers to help with maintenance on the course and basket rotation. The SLO Throwers will be rotating the baskets twice a month starting in December, which is pretty cool if you ask me!

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To date we have had hundreds of people enjoy the course and there is hardly a day that passes without a group or two or three or more on the course. Seeing the community come out and enjoy the beauty of the Whale Rock Vineyard has been a very fulfilling experience and I can proudly say everyone has been extremely respectful during their visits. We don’t have a lot of rules but the rules we do have are in place for good reason and we really appreciate everyone’s understanding and respectful play so far!

If you haven’t already, plan a trip out to Castoro and make sure to try out a round on the Whale Rock Disc Golf Course. The sport is great for all ages and if nothing else is a great way to hike amongst the vines and soak in the true beauty of Paso Robles wine country.

Cheers,

Luke


That’s a wrap!

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It’s official, the 2014 harvest is over and it’s not even Thanksgiving! In fact, we were technically done with harvest before November, which hasn’t happened in a very long time. The last of our grapes, being Late Harvest Zinfandel from the Cobble Creek Vineyard, were picked on Halloween only hours before it started to rain. According to Niels the last grapes were off the vine only 30 minutes before the rain started coming down.

I probably sound like a broken record, but we are looking at 2014 as being a very good year in regards to quality. All of the fruit that came in was ripe and in some cases very ripe, which in tougher years isn’t always the case and can often be the biggest challenge. The Growing Degree Days, or GDD, for 2014 were very similar to 1997, which was a great year so we are hoping to see this vintage go down as one to remember and hold on to!

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The last grapes to come in on ol’ Hallows Eve were none other than our Cobble Creek Late Harvest Zinfandel. In order to get the grapes to the sugar lever we need for this wine we have to harvest it later, hence the name “Late Harvest.” The extended hang time on the vine allows the sugar levels to climb and condense as the berries begin to resemble raisins (see photo). The 2014 Late Harvest Zin is now in fermentation out at the winery and currently at around 12% alcohol. Soon that will change, as we will fortify the wine with our in house Brandy that has been distilled on our still. I will get more into the distillation situation soon so stay tuned, it is pretty exciting stuff!

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As we bid farewell to the 2014 harvest season we hope you all had a wonderful Fall, Halloween, Indian Summer and beyond. Now we welcome winter and the Holiday season with open arms and continue to stay optimistic for rain, rain and more rain. We got just shy of an inch of rain on Halloween so fingers are crossed to keep it coming!

Cheers,

Luke