Croad Vineyards at Harvest Time

A Quick Look at the Croad Vineyard at Harvest Time

Although it seems just like yesterday I toured the Croad Vineyards during the harvest, it really happened in 2011. The year before I had observed the pickers from my backyard, since I live next door. Martin Croad must have noticed, so in 2011 he invited me to come observe the harvest from his side of the fence. He explained all that was happening and turned me loose with my camera.

Croad Tasting Room, ©B. Radisavljevic, 2011

This is the time of year when all the hard work pays off and the grapes are finally ready to start the transformation to wine. See in photos and videos how the magic happens at Croad Vineyards

Croad Vineyard at Harvest Time, ©B. Radisavljevic, 2011

Here are some other views of the Croad Tasting Room and Vineyard you can keep.

Patio of Croad Tasting Room, Paso Robles Jigsaw PuzzlePatio of Croad Tasting Room, Paso Robles PosterTempleton Wine County in Winter T-ShirtPlate: Fountain at Croad Vineyards, Paso Robles Melamine Plate

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Surrounded by Vineyards

Vineyards Surround my Templeton Property

I took the photo below from the corner of Oak View Road and Vineyard Drive, looking across the street toward ZinAlley, Croad, and Aron Hill wineries, and my own home. You'd see my house if you knew where to look. Hint: It's barely visible in comparison to all the larger homes and wineries around it.  Behind me are more vineyards. Perhaps you can see why I take them for granted, since they are just part of my world and I see them every time I go anywhere.

Not Everyone in Paso Robles Loves the Vineyards

Beautiful as they are, vineyards can be a controversial subject here. The city and county officials almost all love them because they attract tourists. Many residents, though, and some officials, think vineyards use too much water and want to keep more from being planted. They think it's not quite fair that more building permits are given for hotel complexes that will have vineyards on their properties while long-time residents are having their water rationed. Residents either have to let their landscaping turn brown as in this yard, or they have to replace their lawns with something that doesn't need much water.

I can see both points of view, but most of our current vineyard owners use sustainable farming methods, and many even dry farm. Many of the families, like the Steinbecks,  have been growing grapes and making wine here for generations. They are already an important part of our community.

The controversy seems to be more about whether we should let people plant new vineyards. The country recently passed an offset ordinance that prevents people from planting new crops of anything unless they substitute them for a crop growing somewhere else, whether it's on their own land or someone else's.

Note: If you look carefully, at the photo below, you will see my shadow selfie in the weeds on my own property as I look across 46 West toward the vineyards of Rotta Winery. They dry farm their grapes.

Do you think growers should be allowed to plant new vineyards during the drought?

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C is for Croad Vineyards and Tasting Room

The View from Croad

It seems the wineries and vineyards I love most are very close to where I live. Croad happens to be the very closest to me. Martin Croad's vineyards are on the other side of my back  fence,  and I've been  watching those grapes grow since they were planted. I enjoy the harvest season every year, and I've watched it in progress. I've also seen what happens to the grapes after harvest.

I have visited many other tasting rooms in Paso Robles and Templeton, and Croad's definitely has one of the best views in this area . One can sit on the patio outside the tasting room by the fountain and see all the neighboring vineyards near highway 46 West and Vineyard Drive. I see Kristi Trimmer, who stayed in the Inn at Croad for two days, agrees with me about the view. (To see my photo better, just click to enlarge it.0

Unlike Kristi, although I watched the Inn being built from across my fence, I've never been in it. But I have walked most of the property taking pictures during harvest season. You can find the rest of my photos and the video tour of both the harvest and the wine making process here: Croad Wines from Vineyard to Bottle, A Photo Essay.

 Patio of Croad Tasting Room, Paso Robles Beverage Coaster

Viticulture Is Not a Nine to Five Business, Nor Is It Always a Quiet One

My house is surrounded by vineyards. Sometimes when I'm trying to sleep I will hear tractors as early as 5 AM, sometimes even when it's still partly dark out. Other times, like last night, I will see or hear my neighbor's tractor at dusk. I was walking from an outbuilding when I heard the sound, and I liked the silhouette of the driver and the vines against the sky. So, of course, I snapped a picture or two. I liked this one best.

When you get down to the basics, with all the mystique surrounding wine, it still comes from grapes, and those grapes must be tended carefully by those who know them best. Some seasons are busier than others. Planting seems to go on in the dormant months. Then comes cultivating and pruning. Finally, in autumn, there is harvest. Harvest is a joyful time, but not a quiet one. See for yourself in Life in Wine Country During the Grape Harvest.  

Although wine country isn't always quiet, it's almost always beautiful. There's nowhere else I'd rather live.

Poster of Paso Robles Wine Country
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