Our Wine Memberships: Sculpterra

I don't know a lot about wine. I may know more than some, but I am no expert. We started going tasting to get to know our local area and we have found that we really have only touched the surface. It did not take long however for our palate to develop and for us to fine tune what we liked.  That is really what we have found, one must go for what they like.  The price tag really means nothing unless it's something worth buying for YOU.  My husband likes wine almost more than I do so it's also something that we enjoy together and allows us places to get away from the daily routine. 

I have had people ask me though, who do know less than me, how we can afford to have memberships (we are not rich people ah, hem...we are not even close) and how they work.  I've been asked often what they cost.  I don't know about everywhere but I'll say what we have found and how we look at the wine membership. 

First we have requirements:

• We try to limit our memberships to three for now.  Though memberships don't cost, they have buying commitments that have to be considered.
• They have to be filled with perks.  They have to have a good discount.  I will tell more in the next few days what each one of ours does.  What I really mean by perks though are events. Release parties are the biggest way to really get a deal out of your membership.  We dropped one winery recently because there were NO events.  Release parties are usually free or at minimal cost to the member.  They have amazing food, usually music, and great ambiance.  When you choose your winery, make sure you like it's location and atmosphere because those events in that setting will be your future get away. 
• They have to have friendly staff.  Every one of our memberships are a delight to visit.  Sculpterra is our favorite for many reasons, I'll tell soon, but each one has friendly people behind the counter.  Wine tasting, and wine in general is a social experience.  Rick likes to hear the history of the places, as well as the details about the wines.  You have to have people who seem interested to talk to you.  I've been to some places that make you feel like you are bothering them and that is NOT cool with me!  Or, they are snobs and seem to have you socially labeled the minute you come through the tasting room door.  You should be able to come in your jeans or your fine attire and be treated the same. If you enjoy this winery, you are going to be seeing these people a lot, so make sure they are people you want to revisit and who seem to want to see you again too. 
• The wine must be amazing!  For our three membership's, we went down the tasting list and loved each wine more and more.  That is not what we find at all places.  Make sure you like it all because you will be getting all kinds of their wines at different times. 
• For us it needs to be local. I know many people, including my boss, like memberships far away.  We want to take full advantage of our memberships and be able to visit our wineries often.  We have a home we are content with but we don't have a nice view, or a great yard etc so getting away has to be a usable benefit.  I have to say though that at every pick up we meet people from hours away who drive to make the party and enjoy doing that.

So, let me just skip to telling you about our memberships and why we like each of them.  I think you will see in the end that choosing a membership can be a great idea over all. 

Sculpterra:

   I first heard of Sculpterra from my boss.  We do the taxes for the sculpture artist out there.  He was telling me that I should head out there with Rick and check the place out.  We loved it right away.  The ambiance was nice for us getting away and still lovely for when we want to bring the kids.  In fact, we tested them out right away and asked if we could have our Easter egg hunt there for our kids amidst the garden and they let us!  That was so fun. 

The wine was amazing as we went down the list. Very fruit forward, which is what we like.  The owner is a local Dr. who use to partner with our MD growing up.  I even saw him once as a kid when I had strep throat and my regular Dr. was out.  He helped start a great ministry called His Healing Hands. You can find a book about the ministry there in the tasting room.  His son, Paul is the wine maker.  A graduate of Cal Poly, he is an amazing hard worker and it's paying off!  

 One of the other things we love about Sculpterra is that every Sunday from 1-4 they host Song Writer's At Play, the product of a local radio station THE CRUSH 92.5.  We have enjoyed many Sunday afternoons there either with the kids or on our own.  There are tables and we bring our food and buy a glass of wine. Through this venue I was introduced to one of my new favorite artist Sara Petite. It was really fun that she came again a few days after my birthday and played in the barrel room.  Our all time favorite afternoon however was the Celtic themed line up.  It was fantastic!

 Our first event there was the Greek Festival dinner.  It was their event for the Zin Festival which celebrates Paso Robles signature wine, the Red Zinfandel.  We both love Greek food and the event was free for members.  It was pouring rain but they put up some tents and it was complete with authentic singing and dancing.  It was a great way to start off our membership!

 We love that our membership obligation is just 2 bottles four times a year (they have other larger quantity options as well).  At member cost that averages $40-60 for each pick up of two bottles.  Each pick up has a party free to members with amazing food done by local cooks.  The food always blows us away.  The events have pourings the whole time, and always music. 

 This is a picture from the LOVELY summer evening party that had perfect weather!  Each party has been great and a family friendly atmosphere if you want to bring the kids.  We figure, with wine and food, the event is well worth the money plus, we take home two bottles of wine!  Of course on top of that we can do free tastings anytime on our own or with a few friends. We get discounts on all wines and member specials that change monthly and can be up to 30% off. 

 Other events, like the Labor Day Fiesta are amazing perks as well.  I believe this cost us $10 as members and included our food and a full glass of wine.  The events always last for hours so you can pace yourself and sit for a good long while.  The Dr. was there giving tours of the vineyard just before the end of picking season.  It was beautiful!  The band was a real Mariachi band in costume.  It was fabulous. Did I say yet that it was wonderful?? LOL

 On other, more daily basis, it's a great place to meet a girlfriend for a chat, a taste and a glass.  Both my girlfriends have memberships here so we love meeting up when we can.  We caught this great pic of my friend Michelle's baby Wyatt putting up with our girl time in the tasting room.

So, you're looking at four to six dates a year to get out and have somewhere beautiful to go and eat and enjoy great people having a great time.  It's well worth it. We have met some of the nicest people out there who are always a joy to go see and to run into on a regular basis as well.  They make Sculpterra even more of a special place than it all ready is on it's own.

Over the next few days, I'll come back and tell you about our other two memberships. 

Our Date Day Tasting and "Helping" With the Local Harvest (Video Included:)

Every now and then, one must take a break from the rush of life and surround ones self with pretty, tastiness. One must take the one one loves, whatever state that love is in, and get away. Like a good nap, it's rejuvenating. We had a huge issue on the morning of our much anticipated date day. We both had been looking forward to it for a long time. Every six weeks, we get a Monday together for five hours or so while the kid are at school. This was our first of the year. Rick even had the opportunity to do overtime and he turned it down so we could have this day. The plan was to get out to Hearst Winery for a tasting. We are members there (being a member does not cost money, it just means you plan to buy so much wine through the year with perks of free tastings for you and your friends and events with Hearst Beef!) because we love the local history of Hearst. Visiting the castle is one of our haunts and we try to go on some of our Anniversaries. It's just north of our favorite getaway, Cambria. The tasting room is right by the pier at San Simeon State Park. IT's held in a quaint old wood floor building that also includes the old post office a small deli. The deli has the most amazing French Dip sandwich with Hearst beef, Au Jus, and horseradish (which you could ask to omit if you are not like us and adore it). Sadly, they are not open on Monday's however so we did not get to eat our yummy favorite with our tasting. We had lunch at a local Bar and Grill we had a BOGO coupon for, and it was OKAY.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I had a melt down before we could go have our beautiful day.  Our dishwasher has not been working and though the household is use to helping me with loading (Rick), unloading (Emma) and putting away (Caedmon and Victoria), if the machine stops no one seems to notice there is a problem.  I kid you not, I think EVERY dish in the house was dirty!  Rick was ready to go out the door but when I saw my kitchen I knew I could NOT come home to this (or if I knew I had to, I'd be tempted to ask for repeat tastings!!!) When I stuck my hand in and pulled up rice and egg shells and banana from four days ago, yep, I started to cry.  I made it clear I needed space, he went do something else, and I did dishes for an hour and a half.  I'm hoping everyone got the message when they saw how many were done by hand.  I hope. I'm the only cook in the house so it's tough on my psyche when there is a ton of clean up too.

Once that was done I knew I could actually enjoy our date time.  It was a gorgeous day on the coast.  The lighting coming through the tasting room door was magical to me with the coastal water in the background.  

I loved the close up even better and the blue of the sea is easier to see.

We enjoyed our treat of a Three Sister's Cuvee which is almost sold out.  It's named after three of the main old mountain tops east of the Castle.  I believe they are former volcanoes.  

To go with the lovely Cuvee I made a simple Fettachini version of Spaghetti.  I love the texture of Fetachini.  If find it a lot more pleasing to the palate.  I was thrilled to find frozen organic grass fed beef at the Grocery Discount for $2.99 (went back today and bought it out to save in the freezer because that is a fantastic price) and used that with some tuscan seasoning for the dish.  Yum. 

I'm skipping around in the day but... anyway.  We went in the afternoon to visit our friends recommended Ranchita Canyon Winery out east of us a few miles.  We got to help "make" some Syrah and Zin!  We helped plunge the mixture that was harvested a few days ago.  Harvest is in full swing around here!   In fact, I have a few fun You Tubes of us enjoying this learning process: 

  

Before we left we got an Old Vine Zin 2008 to save for the holidays. 

Earlier in our day of wine tasting we visited Edward Sellers   We had been given a free tasting card so it was no loss to try it out.  Let me say, I'm SO glad we did!  There were only a few to taste but they were really great!  I also loved their decor, it was so bright and lovely.  They are a newer winery in the area (about five years old).  We will have to go back there sometime!  

This was our favorite and we were lucky it had been on a Labor Day special of which I asked whether we could still take part in.  He said sure and we were happy with our Mayhem.  We will save this for a dinner with our friends who we think would love it there.  

So, it was a great day (after the dishes and working out real life issues...and may I say, my husband went and built a shelf when he got kicked out of the kitchen for me to cry and do dishes by myself.  I've needed that done for weeks, and I'm grateful) out in our great wine country back yard!!