Zenaida Cellars Vineyards on the First Day of Spring

Zenaida Cellars vineyards are some of the most beautiful in the West Paso Robles area. They are a photographer's paradise. Zenaida has magnificent oak trees, plenty of bird visitors, a tasting room, and, of course, grape vines. In this post I'll show you some of my photos from Zenaida Cellars vineyards on the first day of spring, 2014. 

We'll start at the entrance. The signs on the wine barrels show those entering where to park. In spring the lilac bush offers a fragrant and visual treat as you enter.

I took the photo above from across the vineyard, looking toward the tasting room and winery. You can see one of the many oaks that make Zenaida so special to me.

On this first day of spring, the grapes are beginning to leaf out after the vines have been dormant for the winter.

These oak trees act as natural boundaries dividing the vineyards on the upper level of the property from those on the lower level toward Highway 46 West.

I've now walked quite a distance from the tasting room, but you can't tell how far because I used a zoom lens to look back at it from across a far vineyard.

I have visited Zenaida in every season. Here is a poster of part of a Zenaida grape sorting and destemming process at Zenaida during harvest.

Sorting and De-stemming at Zenaida Winery Poster

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning. Vineyard scenes are from photos I took at Zenaida.

This is my twenty-sixth and last post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean
Laguna Lake is Full Again
Mission San Miguel Photos
Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards
Ocean Photos from the California Central Coast
Paso Robles Police Vehicles
Quiet Places Near Paso Robles
Red Soles Winery at Dusk
Shale Oak Winery at Dusk
Trader Joe's In Templeton is my Favorite Grocery Store
Umbrage is Abundant in the North County
Vineyards Through the Year
We Olive Offers Olive Tasting Opportunities
X-rays Aren't As Bad As They Used to Be
York Mountain Winery Barn Old and New

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• A Photo Walk Through the Vineyards of Zenaida Cellers

Colorful Flowers Brighten Castoro Cellars in Autumn

Autumn Flowers at Castoro Cellars

Castoro Cellars has a lovely garden near its tasting room. The flowers aren't rare -- just colorful. I especially like these near the arbor walkway that connects the tasting room and the parking lot.

Unique Containers For Flowers

Many of the flowers grow in containers. Some of those containers are conventional pots, such as the ones these fuschias  are growing in.

Fuschias in Pot at Castoro Cellars in November

But it's pretty common to grow flowers in pots. At Castoro Cellars, they also use older grape vines as containers. Here is one of them, next to the pumpkin display by the door. I like the idea of a living planter. How appropriate this is for a tasting room. This particular example is actually a planter in a planter since the vine planter is growing in a wine barrel.

If you visit Castoro Cellars, there is also a row of these planters growing in the ground near the patio covered by the arbor. Some are planted right next to vines still bearing. It's easier to see this in summer and before harvest.  Look for them next time you go wine tasting at Castoro Cellars.

Puzzle, Flowers in Castoro Cellars Garden in Fall Jigsaw Puzzle

What other unique planters have you seen made from natural materials?

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Solar Panels Aren't as Pretty as Vineyards

Solar Panels at Niner Estates on Edge of Vineyard

I respect the rights of private property owners to do what they think best with their property, and to save money on electricity. But I think Niner looked much better before they did this to their vineyards so close to the tasting room and where they blight the view from 46 West. I guess I should be glad they didn't put them on Heart Hill. It is too bad, though, that they didn't have somewhere to put them farther from the tasting room and the road, hidden a bit more.

Edge of Same Vineyard, November 19, 2011

I used to think Niner was the one of the most attractive properties in 46 West Wine Country. This is how this same vineyard looked almost exactly four years ago on November 19, 2011. I prefer hay to solar panels as a compatible vineyard companion.  I hope Niner hasn't started a trend. I hope other wineries will tuck any solar panels they put in where they can't be seen from the road or from my back yard.

Which view do you like better?

Below is one of the best views from Niner Estates -- Heart Hill. These beverage coasters will help you remember it. I offer both the autumn and summer views.

 Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Beverage Coasters Niner Estates Heart Hill and White Roses Drink Coaster Niner Estates Heart Hill and White Roses Coasters

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Looking Back at Peachy Canyon Tasting Room, 2013

It's no secret that I think the grounds of Peachy Canyon's 46 West Tasting Room are beautiful and peaceful places to roam with my camera. It's a bit more lively inside the tasting room itself, but if you step behind the tasting room to the park-like area for picnics it is tranquil. I especially love the large oaks where I sometimes see squirrels playing. Often the winery cats will come to say hello and ask to be petted, and we all know petting a cat is calming.

Peachy Canyon Gazebo and Picnic Area, ©B. Radisavljevic,  ©B. Radisavljevic

Autumn is one of the most colorful times to visit any vineyard. I took these photos in early November, 2013. Just click on them to enlarge them.

Ripe Grapes on the Vine at Peachy Canyon,  2013,  ©B. Radisavljevic

Grape Leaves Dressed for Autumn, Peachy Canyon, 2013,  ©B. Radisavljevic

Guardian of the Vineyard, Peachy Canyon, 2013,  ©B. Radisavljevic

I'm thankful I have such a generous neighbor who allows me roaming privileges when I need to find a few minutes of peace in the midst of a hectic life. Next time you approach the corner of Bethel Road and Highway 46 West, stop in and taste some wine. Then take it out on the grounds to sip in tranquillity in the shadow of the oaks as you look out at the vines.

Friendship Card, Peach Canyon Winery Cats Greeting Card
Make a card on Zazzle using your photo.

Autumn Grape Leaves at Castoro Cellars

This is the time of year when wine country is most beautiful. The grapes are almost ready to  harvest in most vineyards. Some have already been harvested. The purple grapes hang heavy from the vines. The leaves are turning various shades of red and gold to complement them. The netting attempts to keep hungry birds from getting the first fruits. You can see the netting if you click to enlarge the photos.

Wineries are preparing to make merry in their harvest and first crush events. The colorful leaves are like banners inviting people to come and taste when all is accomplished. Soon we will be smelling grapes as we drive by at night on 46 West. Let the festivities begin!





While you wait for the harvest festivals, why not work a puzzle like this one?

Puzzle: Autumn Grape Foliage Puzzles

What the Wildlife Left Intact in Our Orchard

I haven't been home much this summer to pay attention to what's left of our orchard. One of our apple trees died a few years ago - the most productive one. It had been so heavily loaded that it split, and we were unable to save it. We still mourn its loss. The Fuji apple tree we planted never got established before it died. What you see in the photo is our remaining tree, and we are hoping the wildlife will leave us some of these apples. We expect them to get ripe soon. Maybe they are already ripe, but just small, due to the drought.

We have not been as fortunate with our grapes. Our most productive vine happened to be in the spot where the septic tank people decided to dig a new leach field. It happened while I was gone, and when  I came home, our entire fenced garden area was gone except for the garden gate. That left us only this exposed grape vine. The grapes were tiny this year due to the drought. We still had some bunches of tiny green grapes when I was last in Templeton a couple of weeks ago, but when I checked Saturday, it appears they had been ripening, and this is all the deer left us. If you click the photo, it will get larger.

All the little green apricots I saw on our tree last month have disappeared. The walnut trees seem to have a fair-sized crop, and the quince tree is doing well.

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A Bee Tree in Paso Robles

One beautiful spring day I was walking with my husband along Anderson Road, stopping to photograph the various wineries we passed and anything else that looked interesting. We entered Anderson Road from Highway 46 West and walked all the way to the end. Right where the road curved we saw this bee tree. It was alive with bees, but they are very hard to see because they were moving fast and were almost the same color as the tree. Maybe if you click the photo to enlarge it you will be able to spot a bee or two. Trust me,  they are there. Here is a video that proves it.

The Zazzle products below are photos of what you will see on the corner of Anderson and 46 West. The postcard was created when the vineyard still belonged to Eagle Castle, which you see on the hill. It has been bought by and is now part of Tooth and Nail Winery. You can see the castle at the top of the hill.

 Dark Star Cellars Winery in Paso Robles, CA Posters Postcard: Eagle Castle overlooking its vineyard

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The Seasons in the Vineyards

This is green season in the vineyards. The tiny green grapes are getting bigger. The green leaves contain chloroplasts. The leaves breathe in carbon dioxide from the air and receive water from the roots of the vine.  The chloroplasts take the water and the carbon dioxide and when the light hits the leaves, it turns the chloroplasts into sugar to feed the grapes and releases oxygen in the air for us to breathe. This process is called photosynthesis. It happens in every green plant. Without it plants could not make the food they need to live, and we would not have food to eat or wine to drink.

The grapes will get bigger and in a few more months it will be autumn and the fully-grown grapes will turn purple and be ready to harvest. The leaves will turn a lovely red and gold.  Then suddenly it will get cold, signaling the arrival of winter, and the leaves will turn brown and die, leaving only the brown branches of the vine. Three months after that it will be spring again and the dormant vines will once again begin to leaf out. Then it will soon be green season again. In wine country we always know what season it is. All we need to do is look at the vines and they tell us

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