The Cellar Society Picnic of 2023 was an incredible success! Indra & Diane certainly raised the bar for future picnics by planning a whole weekend of activities that were well attended by a number of members and guests. Mother Nature was kind as the temperature peaked near 90 during the afternoons but cooled down so it was quite comfortable at night. Total attendees at the picnic at Asunción Ridge were 27. Besides Indra & Diane, special thanks to Steve Smith for providing the 25-year-old Peachy Canyon Zinfandels that were part of the pre-picnic tasting, and to Bob & Sandy Simoni for hosting this gathering at their townhome in Paso Robles. Two of the old zins were tasting well, specifically bottles #3 and #4. According to the research Steve did, these were the last remaining available bottles of this vintage, so it was truly a unique experience.
Group photo taken at Asunción Ridge after a good time was had by all
Pre-picnic Peachy Canyon Zinfandel tasting at the Simoni’s home in Paso Robles
Event Organizers and their special assistants at Asunción Ridge before the picnic starts.
15 Members and guests met for brunch at Taste in Paso Robles on Sunday morning
After all their work is done, Diane & Indra justifiably enjoy some more wine at Castoro on Sunday
Details of the various events are well described in the announcement below and there’s not much more to add since everything went according to plan.
Here’s the link to the Album for more photos from the various events including a description of the 25-year-old Peachy Canyon Zinfandels: Photos
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Dear Society Members,
This year, the Cellar Society’s summer picnic will be in Paso Robles at Asunción Ridge Winery, 1525 Peachy Canyon Rd, Paso Robles at 6:00 PM on Saturday, July 8. As you may remember, the Cellar Society tradition is to alternate between local and out of town picnics and due to Covid we have stayed close to home the past 2 years. Paso is about 3 hours from the Bay, about the same distance as Tahoe. The picnic with wine included is expected to be around $80 per person.
We have a great lineup of events planned for you! Dinner of Saturday will feature paella AND tri tip as the main courses catered by Paso Catering Company, with great sides and desserts. Wine will be courtesy of Ascuncion Ridge. We are also planning on a number of tastings at some of Paso’s finest wineries on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so let us know when you plan on arriving. Our fearless leader Bob is a Paso resident and will share his dining and tasting ideas with us. I expect that many of us will be staying for two nights and gathering on Friday night for dinner somewhere. More to follow on dinner and lunch ideas.
The winery has a 2 bedroom cottage available at $250 per bedroom per night. Please let us know if you are interested and we will enter you into the lottery. We ask that you commit to both Friday and Saturday nights, if possible. We will also be doing car pool signups so please let us know if you need a ride and when you would like to come down. I’m sure we can accommodate everyone.
You can either come in on Friday and spend 2 nights in Paso and drive back on Sunday or just spend Saturday night down there. Regarding hotels, there are a range of hotels available at the moment, ranging from the Best Western Paso for $204 a night, a Courtyard by Marriot for $246 a night and the Allegretto where I have stayed for $328 a night. There are some very good AirBnb and VRBO options as well.
Please let us know by April 15 if possible whether you will be attending. I think we will be able to accomodate guests/family, depending on the response.
We are looking forward to this fun little adventure!
Update – The Events
Friday, July 7, 7:00 PM. Some of us will arrive Friday evening and get together for dinner down in Paso. Please let us know if you would like us to add you to the reservation, venue TBD.
Saturday, July 8, 2:30-4:30 PM: Steve “Somm” Smith has kindly agreed to present a Peachy Canyon vertical Zinfandel tasting hosted by Bob and Sandy at their lovely home in Paso. Light appetizers and heavy fun will also be provided. The actual tasting part of the event is limited to tastings for 16-18 guests, with club member priority. Please let us know if you are interested in participating.
Saturday, July 8, 6:00-9:00 PM, Wine Club Picnic at Asunción Ridge, 1525 Peachy Canyon Rd, Paso Robles. Wine will be provided by Asunción Ridge and dinner catered by Paso Catering which will include tri tip and paella. Cost per person is expected to be around $85.
Sunday, July 9, brunch. Bob and Sandy have suggested Sunday brunch at Taste in Paso. The time will depend on the number of RSVPs and availability at this popular venue. Please RSVP ASAP so we can get Bob a headcount.
Sunday, July 9, 1:00-4:00 PM. Wine tasting and live music at Castoro Cellars, one of the Simonis’ favorite spots. The event is called “Lazy Locals” (see link below). We will need RSVPs and a headcount for this event too so Bob and Sandy can reserve space for us.
Lazy Locals — Free Concert! – Will Breman
Please make sure you get your hotel reservations ASAP. Many places are already fully booked up and require minimum stays. We didn’t receive much interest for the Asunción Winery House so one of the two rooms is still available for both Friday and Saturday nights at $250 a night if you hurry!
We are looking forward to a weekend of debauchery in Paso with all of you. Special thanks to Steve “Somm” Smith, Bob “No BS” Simoni and Sandy “SuaveVignon” Simoni for their help!
Indra and Diane
Cellar Society of San Francisco 