Travel Tuesday: The Pithy Little Wine Co.

“Throw off the bowlines, catch the trade winds in your sails, explore, dream, discover!” ~ Mark Twain

Looking to make some end of summer travel plans for the upcoming weekend or maybe a quick mid-week getaway? If you are, may I recommend a great little getaway, to help you get away from it all, that destination is called Paso Robles. It's a quick little jaunt up on the freeway, especially for you folks in Los Angeles or even Orange County.

I know I've talked up Paso Robles quite a bit; but I've so much more to share about this great little town, connected to one of the best wine regions in the state, a place which is known for Rhone-Zone varietals, both white and red; but there are always few other surprises to capture your interest right around the corner.

One of those other great surprises is a visit to one of Paso's newest downtown tasting rooms. They're called the Pithy Little Wine Co. a fun stop with some great wines to sample. The reason PLWC caught my eye, is because of their smart marketing efforts via Social Media. If you'd like to catch up with them, please do so, here's a link to their twitter handle.

You can also cruise right over to their easily navigated website, where they have many specials to tempt your taste-buds, while also offering fab-design services. Whether you are just looking a unique wine-related gift for the vino-sapiens who has everything or you want to taste through a fascinating array of old-fashioned sodas, a trip to the Pithy Little Wine Co. is simply a must on your next trip to Paso.

I found the customer service positively fantastic, the owners are a husband and wife team, Jeff Munsey and Felicia Alvarez are fantastically welcoming to wandering-winos who happen into their downtown tasting room. When you're done browsing through their other whimsical offerings, they're ready to take you through a tasting of their old-fashion sodas or their great selection of wines. I recommend trying their wines with pairings they offer, be sure to ask for it when you visit.

Speaking of excellent customer service; if you happen to be out and about visiting many of the other tasting rooms to be found within easy walking distance from many of the centrally located accommodations, like the Paso Robles Inn, for instance, they'll hold onto your purchases for you and deliver said package to your hotel's desk. Now that's what I call convenience, leaving my hands free to continue to explore many of the other local downtown hot-spots, you could easily spend a whole day downtown and never repeat the same experience.

Now about the wine I fell head over heels with while I was there, a monster of finesse, a classic Rhone-Zone style called, Elephant In The Room [SRP $44]. This is their first Rhône blend, composed of 65% Syrah, 20% Viognier and 15% Grenache rounds out this tasty treat. In the glass a hedonistic purple-colored vestment, ideally suited for a king’s royal raiment. After the first splash down, wow, wonderfully expressive bouquet, blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark cherry, teasing you with sexy floral and spice nuances adding incredible complexity. This wine has focused flavors which are clear and profound, while also being complex and lingering from start to finish.

Honestly, what impressed me the most about this wine was not its power; instead, I was taken in by its subtle, lingering intensity. It had me thinking it was a member of the U.S ladies Olympics gymnastics team, because of the way it packed all those flavors into a graceful mid-weight canvas. The funny thing is that; even though I was enjoying this wine in Paso Robles, it could have been anywhere or any time of the year, but for me, I was quickly transported to Cote-Rotie for just a moment, but the unexpected splash of Grenache brings me back to reality.

Still, this wine has a Cote Blondes style, making it very approachable now; but it still has plenty of structure for long-term cellaring, if you can wait that long. If I were you, I'd act fast and grab a few for yourself, a bottle of wine this good will disappear quickly, primarily since there was just a little over 100 cases produced.

This delightful stop in downtown Paso Robles also introduced Mrs. Cuvee and I an opportunity to discover the Brown Butter Cookie Company located on the coast, between Cambria and Morro Bay and ideally situated in the quaint seaside town of Cayucos. While these cookies are bite-size, the flavors are full sized. All the cookies are still hand rolled, the "original" is made from simple ingredients, like browned butter, sea salt, vanilla, and brown sugar, so stop by and see them soon, breathe in all the fresh-baked cookie smells and sample some to find your favorite. Until next time folks continue to sip long and prosper cheers!