On Saturday, May 18 (over the Paso Robles Wine Festival weekend), Villa San-Juliette proprietors Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick will host a party to remember at the winery, including a surprise guest performance by one of the music industry’s hottest new stars, Janelle Arthur. (You may remember that Ken and Nigel have a few connections in the entertainment industry…) We can’t wait to hear Janelle’s country music stylings (she was one of this season’s top five on American Idol!) surrounded by lush gardens and pampered by a delectable dinner of seasonally-inspired fare presented by local culinary star, Chef Maegan Loring of The Lido Restaurant.
As an added benefit, VSJ Wine Club members will enjoy an exclusive pre-party VIP reception and tour of the property with Nigel and Ken. Can’t wait! Will you be there? Get your tickets here and join us.
“I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.”
― E.M. Forster, Howards End
It is a feat of modern sensibility that each one of us working at Parker Sanpei is also a mother. When we’re not busting our tails to bring trade, media and consumer attention to our very deserving clients, we’re busting our tails to care for our babies at home, both big and small. Do we love it all? Yes. But do we look forward to Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, when we can relax with a glass of wine and allow someone else to do the dishes? Absolutely.
Interestingly, Mother’s Day was not launched in an effort to honor mothers; it actually began as a day to encourage mothers of all nations to band together for peace. According to Visual Economics (which also generously designed the image below),
the first North American Mother’s Day was first conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870.
Howe penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, but had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on mothers to come together and protest the futility of their sons killing the sons of other mothers.
However Mother’s Day was originally intended, we love to honor our moms and (in no small way) be honored for our hard work throughout the rest of the year. Don’t forget to do something a little extra for the special mother in your life this Sunday, May 12.
Here on California’s Central Coast, Cinco de Mayo is a pretty big deal. Try getting a table at a Mexican restaurant on May 5 and you’ll see what we mean. The wait is usually upwards of an hour, even early in the day. Do all of these happy revelers know what Cinco de Mayo commemorates? (Mexican victory over the French in 1862.) Probably not. More likely, they just like slurping margaritas.
And who can blame them? The margarita cocktail is the single most popular tequila-based drink in the US – probably the world. It is tart, sweet, and salty all at once, with a delightfully simple ingredient list. Forget those margarita mixes at the supermarket and the margarita machine; Here is the classic margarita recipe, care of Epicurious.com. (P.S. We at Parker Sanpei prefer our margaritas on the rocks in an old fashioned glass…)
The Classic Margarita Epicurious | May 2007
Yield: Makes 1 drink
2 ounces tequila made from 100 percent agave, preferably reposado or blanco
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt for garnish
Combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Moisten rim of Margarita or other cocktail glass with lime juice or water. Holding glass upside down, dip rim into salt. Shake and strain drink into glass and serve.
The history of the margarita is, like so many beloved potables, a bit fuzzy. According to researchers at Smithsonian Magazine, there are three possible explanations for how the margarita came to be.
One of the most prevalent stories is that Carlos “Danny” Herrera developed the drink at his Tijuana-area restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, around 1938. As the legend goes, Herrera dreamed up the cocktail for one of his customers, an aspiring actress named Marjorie King who was allergic to all hard alcohol other than tequila. To make the liquor more palatable to his fussy client, he combined the elements of a traditional tequila shot—a lick of salt and a wedge of lime—and turned them into a refreshing drink.
Another top contender for the inventor title is Margarita Sames, a wealthy Dallas socialite who claimed she whipped up the drink for friends at her Acapulco vacation home in 1948. Among her well-connected guests was Tommy Hilton, who eventually added the drink to the bar menu at his hotel chain.
According to The Complete Book of Spirits by Anthony Dias Blue, though, the first importer of Jose Cuervo in the United States advertised with the tagline, “Margarita: it’s more than a girl’s name,” in 1945, three years before Sames claimed to have invented the drink.
We figure the history is unimportant so long as the margarita is fresh. And while we love a time-tested cocktail, we also appreciate a new twist on an old classic. Here’s a fun spin from Kathy Casey.
The Margarita is a delicious cocktail and one of the most consumed mixed drinks on the planet. Taking it up a notch with this classic with a colorful blue coral rimmed glass gives it eye appeal. Launch it into the stratosphere with ice from Glace Luxury Ice and a Grand Marnier Foam using an iSi Cream Whipper and you have something truly special.
1 1/2 oz Milagro Añejo Tequila
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Blue Coral Salt rim
INSTRUCTIONS
Shake with ice. Strain into a old fashioned glass. Garnish with Grand Marnier Foam and a pinch of black lava salt.
With the prestigious CABs of Distinction event approaching this weekend (April 27 at Windfall Farms in Paso Robles) we at Parker Sanpei & Associates thought we’d share a handful of our favorite lodging properties in and around Paso Robles, aka “New Cabernet Country.”
Venteux Vineyards Bed & Breakfast is a luxury inn that features Americana farm style. Our rooms offer the appeal of fine country elegance once so prominent along California’s central coast. In the very heart of the Paso Robles wine country, Venteux Vineyards is both an estate winery and premium bed and breakfast. Our Bed & Breakfast Rooms are attached to the Farmhouse Residence by a private entrance off the porch, and our Red Barn is perfect for those wanting a more independent farm stay with all the luxuries of home.
- VenteuxVineyards.com
For reservations, phone 805-369-0126 or emailbobbi@venteuxvineyards.com. Venteux Vineyards is located at 1795 Las Tablas Road in Templeton, California.
Immerse yourself in the rich family history and romance upon which HammerSky was founded. Once home to the large family of a pastor and pioneer farmer, the exquisitely restored 107-year-old farmhouse gracefully offers a nod to the past while embracing the comforting amenities of today. This four-bedroom estate offers a gourmet kitchen, large dining room, wifi, satellite, barbecue, and an outdoor living space that invites lounging. Whether traveling with a group of friends or looking for a quiet getaway, you will treasure your stay at the farmhouse and will want to make it a tradition.
- HammerSky.com
For reservations, please email Kim at kim@hammersky.com. Hammersky Vineyards & Inn are located at 7725 Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles, California.
Sundance Bed & Breakfast is the perfect destination for food and wine lovers looking for a quiet getaway paired with an exquisite culinary experience. The B&B provides a delicious choice of sweet or savory gourmet breakfasts to begin each perfect day in paradise! And, as a special bonus for lovers of fabulous food and fine wine, we offer a romantic multi-course “Wine Tasters’ Dinner” created by our resident chef on Saturday nights exclusively for our guests; optionally each course can be perfectly paired with different local wines. Dinners are served in the formal dining room or out on the patio where you can drink in the view along with the wine!
- SundanceBandB.com
For reservations, phone 805-226-2888. The Sundance Inn is located at 7735 Sundance Trail in Paso Robles, California.
The Paso Robles CAB (Cabernet and Bordeaux) Collective has been in the news a lot lately for its inaugural event, the CABs of Distinction festival, and we’re excited to take part in it! Parker Sanpei & Associates will most definitely attend this celebration of Paso Robles’ finest Bordeaux vineyards, wines, and producers on Saturday, April 27 from 2 to 5 PM at the elegant Windfall Farms Stallion Barn.
Windfall Farms, Paso Robles
Grand Tasting at Paso Robles’ prestigious Windfall Farms
Explore premium award-winning Cabernet and red Bordeaux wines from Paso Robles’ top producers. The prestigious Windfall Farms Stallion Barn, with its rustic elegance of copper spires, iron and copper framed stalls, green sprawling lawns and panoramic views of majestic rolling hills will provide a seductive backdrop for this exclusive gala. The ornately designed structure and majestic landscape are the perfect pairing for a day of live music, delectable bites from local restaurants and artisanal food purveyors paired with tastings of the best bottles these winemakers have to offer.
- PasoRoblesCAB.com
Participating wineries in the CABs of Distinction Grand Tasting include ADELAIDA Cellars, B & E Vineyard, Chateau Margene, DAOU Vineyards & Winery, Eberle Winery, HammerSky Vineyards, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Jada Vineyard, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, L’Aventure, Niner Wine Estates, Parrish Family Vineyards, Rangeland Wines, Record Family Wines, Robert Hall Winery, Sextant Wines, Still Waters Vineyards, Venteux Vineyards, Vina Robles, and Wild Horse Winery.
Tickets are $95 or $30 for designated drivers and can be purchased at PasoRoblesCABcom/tickets. See you with glass in hand!
When spring arrives, we at Parker Sanpei & Associates can count on the travel bug to bite, and this year it has bitten HARD. But for one reason or another, none of us can get away for anything much. What to do when you can’t see the world? Bring the world home, of course.
If you’ve ever been to Sicily, you know what a granita is. Related to sorbet and Italian ices, this warm-weather dessert traditionally consists of course crushed ice and a flavored syrup of some sort, like coffee, lemon, oranges, mint, chocolate, and even jasmine. In some of Italy’s warmest cities, a granita with brioche is actually considered a balanced and totally acceptable breakfast – a way of life we are more than ready to adopt as our own!
For a no-fuss foray into making granitas at home, try Alton Brown’s Coffe Granita recipe, care of the Food Network:
Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts. Pour mixture into 9 by 13-inch metal pan and place on level shelf in freezer for half an hour. (Mixture should only come about 1/4-inch up the side of the pan.) Remove and use a dinner fork to scrape any ice crystals that have formed on the side or bottom of the pan. Return to freezer and repeat scraping every 20 to 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. Once mixture is thoroughly frozen, fluff with a fork and allow flakes to “dry” in freezer another half hour before serving. When served, the granita should look like a fluffy pile of dry brown crystals.
Scoop into goblets and top with barely sweetened whipped cream, add additional citrus zest if desired.
Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe of Villa San-Juliette Winery
Villa San-Juliette Winery is the creation of Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick, television icons (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance?) who are committed to sharing the good life and their delicious wines. The star of the show is their beautiful 168-acre country vineyard in Paso Robles, California, where Ken and Nigel are excited to indulge in the winery experience with new friends from near and far.
We have followed the story of Ken and Nigel through the years – their meteoric rise to success on television, their work ethic, their dream of owning a winery – but never dared to imagine that we’d be the agency lucky enough to represent their labor of love, Villa San-Juliette. Needless to say, we are ecstatic!
Exciting events will take place at VSJ in the near future, and we’ll be sure to keep readers of The Dish by PSPR well-informed. The first such happenings are:
WINE FESTIVAL DINNER | SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013 6PM
Proprietors Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe will be hosting a gourmet dinner with food stations by Maegan Loring (The Lido Restaurant) and surprise live musical entertainment. This is an evening you don’t want to miss.
WINE FESTIVAL RECEPTION | FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 6PM Come picnic on the lawns to enjoy the live music by Headshine. Skewers and dancing until sunset, with wines available for purchase.
Founded in 2007, Parker Sanpei Public Relations is a nimble and savvy team of public relations and marketing professionals whose knowledge of and appreciation for the culinary, wine, travel and lifestyle industries is second-to-none.
We’ll admit it: Here at Parker Sanpei, we are just as susceptible to fan worship as anyone, which is why Villa San-Juliette Winery‘s “Evening Under The Stars” dinner is one we’re not going to miss.
