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WINE COUNTRY NEWS | WINE COUNTRY THIS MONTHTolosa WineryGrowing Sustainable ExpectationsBy Melissa ChavezIt’s one thing to lend support to soundenvironmental ideas, but quite another to livethem out. Tolosa Winery manages to do justthat and more. But first, let’s put their operationinto perspective:Situated within the 22,400-acre EdnaValley AVA, the winery is nestled betweensouthern San Luis Obispo and ArroyoGrande. Tolosa’s vineyards overlook a gapbetween the San Luis and Santa Lucia mountains,which rise 450 feet above sea level andacross several miles of the Pacific Ocean. Thispositioning provides for a unique mixture ofsoil profiles, terrain and microclimates.Though Tolosa’s five vineyards enjoy eastwestexposures under full sunshine, they’realso cooled by morning fog and forgivingafternoon ocean breezes. This createsleisurely (and flavorful) growing seasons forChardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes forwhich Edna Valley is known.So, how to step up the winery that seeminglyhas it all? Solar sustainability.In summer 2009, Tolosa Winery coownerJim Efird removed 2,600 vines sothat SunPower Corporation technicianscould install 2,508 solar panels. Capable ofdelivering 539kw of power, this system cansupply a whopping 100-percent of theelectricity required to operate both wineryTolosa Winery tour and tasting experiencesTolosa Winery includes their guests into each step oftheir winemaking methods. The entire operation isviewable firsthand by self-guided tours that follow agrape’s metamorphosis from vineyard-to-bottle.Accessible daily, the complimentary tour starts at thevineyard patio, and then leads to Tolosa’s crush pad,followed by the tasting room. Inside, a viewingwindow offers direct visual access into the tank roomwhere the fermentation process takes place.A natural benefit of wine tasting in Edna Valley is thepastoral surrounds. What could be any better than tosip smooth Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs whilenibbling on fine cheeses? On Saturdays and Sundays,Tolosa pairs four Artisan and/or Farmstead productswith their wines in the Heritage Room, replete withvineyard views, for just $20.House Flights ($8) and Limited Release Flights($15) include five tastes. Tolosa’s fees are waived witheach bottle purchase and e-mail address. For 12-plusguests, group reservations can be made at 805-782-0500 and a $10 tasting fee is applied per person.and tasting room.“It makes sense to run our business with aclean, renewable source of power,” says Efird.“It’s efficient and helps us produce wine moresustainably.” Co-owner Bob Schiebelhutagrees, “Tolosa produces more than 100percent of its needs. This solar field is soproductive, it provides all of its winery’spower needs and generates extra power thatgoes back to the community power grid. Bythe 2016 harvest, we’ll have recovered ourinvestment,” says Efird. “After that, the electricityis free.”“Tolosa is the only solar winery within theEdna Valley and we have one of the largestwinery solar operations in the state, so that isa big focus,” says Katie Noonan, Event andMarketing Administrator. “We are SIP certifiedand practice sustainability in all aspectsof the business. A few of our new wines beingreleased will even have the SIP logo on theback of the wine bottle label so thatconsumers know that the product they arepurchasing has been certified as sustainableby a third party.”The Central Coast Vineyard Team (CCVT)certified Tolosa as part of its Sustainable inPractice (SIP) vineyard certification programsin 2009, a designation of which is no easy featto accomplish. Along with energy conservation,CCVT commended Tolosa’s vineyardmanagement for “protecting natural habitats,preserving soil, reducing synthetic pesticides,conserving water, improving air quality andenhancing biodiversity.”Tolosa Winery is open Monday thruSunday from 11 a.m. 4:45 p.m. at 4910 EdnaRoad in San Luis Obispo. On April 10 from1-4 p.m., enjoy a Library Wine Tasting ofPinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and vintagesdating back to 2001. Call (805) 782-0500 formore details or visit www.tolosawinery.com.30Sign up for our email newsletter at www.WineCountryThisMonth.com
LOS OSOS VALLEY RDSEE CANYON RDONTARIO RDAVILA BEACHCALLE JOAQUINTo Paso Robles(26 miles )VACHELLS. HIGUERASUBURBANMONTEREY STOSOS STCHORROMARSH STFind out more at www.WineCountryThisMonth.comBROAD STSANTA ROSATANK FARMBUCKLEY RDJOHNSON AVEORCUTTHINDS AVEJOHNSON AVEPRICECANYON RDOAK PARKWINE COUNTRY THIS MONTH | SAN LUIS OBISPOSo You Think You Can Rhône? – Annual Rhône CelebrationHospice du Rhône, the world’s largest gatheringof Rhône varietal wines and Rhône producersinvites all wine lovers to get their Rhône on at the19th annual Hospice du Rhône celebration April28-30 in the acclaimed wine region of Paso Robles.This year, the 2011 theme, So You Think YouCan Rhône, will encompass the interactiveelement, How Do You Rhône? An online program,hosted on the Hospice du Rhône website(www.hospicedurhone.org), will encourage thegreater wine loving community to share a picture,a short story, a haiku, a quote, tasting notes, afood and wine pairing or something else thatreflects how they Rhône or want to Rhône.Together, the community will create the thickest“passport” for all things Rhône on the web.Enthusiasts and producers alike can add to theSan Luis ObispoPERBACCOCELLARSKelseySee CanyonVineyardsSAN LUIS BAYSAN LUIS BAY RDMorovinoALAPAYWOOD WINERYAvila BeachSALISBURYVINEYARDS101Shell Beach101P a c i f i c O c e a nPithy LittleWine Co.Stephen RossWineryPismo BeachMonterey StreetWine CompanyCerro Caliente Cellars1Grover BeachMAMA’SMEATBALLOceanoTANK FARMTOLOSAWINERYBIDDLE RANCHEDNA RDOAK PARKCAMINOBRISCOGRAND AVE.RIGHETTI RDBaileyana andTangent VineyardsSaucelito CanyonEDNA VALLEY VINEYARDSWolff VineyardsPiedra CreekBY APPOINTMENTCHAMISALSextantVINEYARDSTaste ofthe ValleysPismo BeachWinerystory collection by clicking on the well-traveledpassport located on the organization’s websitehomepage, www.hospicedurhone.org. There is nolimit to how many times someone may post to theHow Do You Rhône campaign. The sharing ofminds does not stop on the web.Hospice du Rhône will once again roll out thered carpet by hosting more than 130 Rhôneproducers and importers from France, Australia,South Africa, Spain, Washington State, Oregon,Arizona. California and beyond. Attendees willtaste Rhône wines from each of these regionsthroughout the event weekend by strolling thehalls at the Friday Rhône Rendezvous andSaturday Grand Tasting. Guests will also have theopportunity to truly interact with like-mindedRhône lovers at the ever-popular Rhône ’n’ BowlClaiborne& Churchill101227CARPENTER CANYONNOYESKynsiVineyardsTRAFFICORCUTTTIFFANY RANCHCORBETTCenter ofEffort WineRDBRIDGECANYON RDPhantomRiversBRANCH RDBISHOP’S PEAK/TALLEYVINEYARDSHUASNA RDLOPEZ DRHUASNA RDLAETITIA VINEYARDBarnwood WinesNadiaRanchoArroyoGrandeArroyo Grandeand at each of the Rhôneinspiredmeals including thebrand-new Soirée. The fullschedule, with event descriptions,along with attendingproducers and importers can befound on the organizationswebsite,www.hospicedurhone.org.To add to the serious fun atthe 19th annual event, guestscan partake in the 2011 SeminarSeries with either a WeekendPass or individual SeminarPasses. To date, the organizationhas announced Drew Noon ofNoon Winery from Australiawho will chronicle the 2011growing season for his wine,Eclipse. Morgan Twain-Petersonof Bedrock Wine Co. hailingfrom Sonoma and Joey Tensleyof Tensley from Santa Ynez willtake the stage together to sharethe word of Syrah. Taking attendeeson a journey throughFrance’s Roussillon will be anensemble of Roussillonproducers including HervéBizeul from Clos des Fées, PierreGaillard from Domaine Madeloc,and Marjorie Gallett from LeDomaine Rocs des Anges. Visitwww.hospicedurhone.org formore details.Passes are currently on salefor the 19th annual Hospice duRhône celebration taking placeApril 28 – 30, 2011 at the PasoRobles Event Center in PasoRobles, California. Event passesbegin at $100. For more informationand to purchase passes,visit www.hospicedurhone.org.Sponsors of the 2011Hospice du Rhône celebrationinclude Riedel, Silicon ValleyBank, Wine & Spirits, Pape,Vintage Logistics, J&L Wines,Wine Country Pack & Ship,Clever Concepts, Graphics byErick and Sinsheimer JuhnkeLebens & McIvor, LLP31
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