Paso Robles: Zin Fest Weekend 2014

You know, I’ve been a little “blah” about the Paso Robles wine scene recently. Not because Paso is doing anything wrong or that any specific winery did something to discourage me…hell, maybe I’ve just been a bit depressed. Who knows? I’ll write more on this soon, but I must say…Paso Robles Zin Festival weekend kind of put a smile back in my heart.

We went out to Broken Earth Winery with Sammy in tow and from there we went to the Paso wine ghetto which houses Barrel 27, Hug Cellars, and Brochelle. If you’re at Barrel 27 at the right time you may also be able to taste Bodega de Edgar…which is another cool Paso wine label.

Anyways…so that’s where we went on Saturday of Zin Fest and I don’t want to get into a bunch of details about the wines we tasted and the food we ate or the live music we listened to because…well…you’ve heard it all before. That aspect is boring me a bit right now.

Here’s what I want to highlight…

I work for Broken Earth Winery but it doesn’t feel like work. I do their social media stuff and I really do enjoy it…but the thing I want to mention is just how awesome Chris and Ursula Cameron are. They run the joint and each time I see them I walk away with a smile on my face. I’ve been in a bit of a wine funk lately but Chris, Ursula, and their entire staff are simply rock solid. Good people. Extremely interesting stories. Great times. Simple as that.

I left Broken Earth reinvigorated. I thank them for that.

We headed over to Hug Cellars to taste and see Augie and Raquel Hug. Again, simply outstanding people. You will meet nobody nicer than Augie and Raquel…period. Raquel comes up and hugs us then proceeds to take Sammy off with her and say don’t worry…just taste wine. They are the epitome of Paso Robles. Anyone that would argue that with me is simply not my friend. It’s a fact.

From there we go taste at Barrel 27 which also has the McPrice Myers label and Edgar Torres was pouring his label, Bodega de Edgar. Although I am not close friends with Edgar he is one of those dudes that just has a vibe about him. He’s a cool cat and has a great reputation for making great wines. For me, I just need to see people like Edgar here in Paso doing his thing. It makes the rise in popularity of Paso Robles make sense.

Before heading home we stepped into Brochelle and tasted a few wines. Our longtime friend Shelbi works there…and when I say longtime friend, Shelbi has known Annie and I since we had been dating for a couple of weeks. That was over seven years ago. This girl even spilled a tray of sparkling wine in my crotch when she worked at Pony Club (Sorry Shelbs). Good times. Michelle, co-owner of Brochelle, was also in and we’ve known her for a while as well…it was just cool catching up with the two of them.

Okay…so all this rambling and here’s what I’m trying to say. Chris and Ursula (along with their amazing staff: Chuck, Michelle, Dory, Tawny, Melissa, and on and on), Augie and Raquel (and their staff), Edgar, Michelle, and Shelbi…they filled my Saturday of Zin Fest not with wine, but with good people. Don’t get me wrong, wine is awesome. I love it. But sometimes wine just doesn’t fulfill everything.

Chris and Ursula are really genuine people with a great story. Augie and Raquel are two of the sweetest people in Paso Robles. We’ve known Shelbi from damn near the start of our relationship over 7 years ago…that’s freakin’ cool. Edgar is a new father juggling his own wine label along with others and I can appreciate that as a father myself balancing two businesses.

The real story here, especially in Paso Robles, is NOT the wine…it is…and always will be…the people. It’s the stories. The relationships. The connections. I woke up Saturday morning with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I went to sleep Saturday night feeling renewed and refreshed. I blame those crazy people mentioned above. Thank you for creating that. I’m very fortunate to know these people and to live in such an amazing area that is filled with people like this.

I think we often take the people for granted and push to the front of the line for another swig of wine. It’s the people…and let’s not forget that.

*Note – we got pics from Broken Earth Winery only…we were too distracted with children, wine, and great people after that to take more pics! Enjoy!