Friday, July 25, 2008 

The Peruvian Paso Show is this weekend


Curious Peruvian Paso
Originally uploaded by santa barbarian.

at Earl Warren Showgrounds! And if you have not met one of these amazing animals, they are extremely friendly and "talky." Be prepared to hear whinnies, snorts and whickers.


Horses arrived in South America during the Spanish Conquest, particularly after 1542, when the Spanish created the Viceroyalty of New Castilla. This later became the Viceroyalty of Peru, an important center of Spain's New World colonies in the
eighteenth century. Once in Peru, they were used primarily for transportation and breeding stock. In the north of Peru, the vast size of sugar and cotton plantations meant that overseers needed to travel long distances, often taking days to cross the plantation. In the south of Peru, the arid deserts that separated settlements
required sturdy, strong horses. In both cases, smooth-gaited horses with good
endurance were required. On the other hand, Peru did not develop a livestock-based economy, and thus did not need to breed for the speed or agility
characteristic of stock horses.

Over time, Peruvian breeders kept the bloodlines clean and selectively bred primarily for gait, conformation, and temperament. They wanted strong, hardy animals that were comfortable to ride and easy to control. Over four centuries, their dedication to breeding only the best gaited bloodstock resulted in the modern Peruvian Paso. - wikipedia

Classes begin at 9:00 a.m. and admission is free.

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Monday, March 12, 2007 

Corkscrewed...The Wrath of Grapes

Yet another wine based Reality TV show filmed up in Paso Robles? No wonder Sunset highlighted Paso in this months issue as "The Next Great Wine Country." And who knew that this reality show highlighted the idle Idol producers.
American Idol executive producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick decide to buy a Vineyard, (with a little help from some of their famous friends, including Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest). And after a trip to Paso Robles and a tour of several properties, they find the perfect one. But when their friends/co-financiers suddenly get cold feet, they are left with one big dilemma? Do they risk millions and go it alone? Or will this be the end of their Vineyard dreams? - Fox Reality Shows
Looks like the show won't be going on to Hollywood. Apparently, to many, it's a bad vintage and a bit refirmented.
The episode trots out the American Idol judge Simon Cowell, who, of course, knew all along that the vineyard was a bad idea. "All I saw was disaster," Cowell announces with his usual assurance. So he withdrew his offer to invest $1 million.

...What Corkscrewed proves beyond a shadow of a doubt is that talent shows and true reality shows are very different animals. Lythgoe and Warwick are masters at only one of those forms. - SanLuisObispo.com
"The best use of bad wine is to drive away poor relations." -- French proverbs (or apparently investors and viewers....)

Check the showtimes or buy the season if you're brave enough.

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Sunday, March 11, 2007 

PBS Wine Reality Show filmed "locally"

OK...just up the 101 a wee bit in Paso Robles....but it's still considered "local." Look for The Wine Makers coming to a PBS station near you!

The six-part series..(which began preproduction in December)....will feature five contestants, all with a strong interest in wine, competing for a chance to launch their own wine label, Whelan said. Contestants will test their mettle in every aspect of the wine industry, from viticulture to enology to sales and marketing.

Or, as the press release puts it, "In each half-hour episode, the five candidates must endure backbreaking work, long hours and the joys and heartaches of making the world's most storied beverage."

The series will likely include scenes shot in the Central Coast's most popular wine regions: Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, which was made famous by the success of the 2004 film Sideways. - Wine Spectator

And from the same production folks.....TED ALLEN is back....and UNCORKED!

Continuing his efforts to educate the American people about all things food and wine, Ted Allen (food and wine specialist on the Emmy Award-winning NBC/Bravo hit "Queer Eye,") hosts UNCORKED: Wine Made Simple, airing on PBS stations across the nation starting April 2007. UNCORKED takes viewers into the heart of the vineyard and the mind of the winemaker. The 6-part series blends useful information, humor, inviting personalities, and exquisite photography as it travels around the world to explore the most storied beverage on earth.
I'll toast to these shows! Salud!

Stop by and pull up a glass at some of the Paso Robles wine blogs, too.

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