Vineyards Through the Year

Vineyards Photos for Each Season

As my  most regular readers probably already know, I like to stroll through Paso Robles and Templeton vineyards taking photos. I'm making my vineyard visits during every season. Today I will show you one vineyard photo for each season of the year from my collection.

Spring At Doce Robles Vineyard in Paso Robles

I visit Doce Robles more than any vineyard besides Zenaida, which I will be writing more about in a couple of days.   See more spring photos from Doce Robles.

Doce Robles Vineyard in Spring, © B. Radisavljevic

Summer at Pomar Junction Vineyard in Templeton

Pomar Junction is the only local vineyard I know of that has its own non-working train depot and a train in the station. That's what many people associate with it, and many  people visit just to see it in the center of the vineyards. See it on a postcard at the end of this post.

Pomar Junction Vineyard in Summer, © B. Radisavljevic

Autumn at Heart Hill Vineyard at Niner Estates in Paso Robles

See how Heart Hill looks in Summer. 

Niner's Heart Hill Vineyard in Autumn, © B. Radisavljevic

Vineyard in Winter at Doce Robles in Paso Robles

See more photos of Doce Robles in winter. 

A Doce Robles Vineyard in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Here's the postcard of the train at Pomar Junction I promised you. 

Postcard: Santa Fe Train Cars at Pomar Junction Postcard

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. The top photo in this collage was taken in July at Sculpterra Winery at their July 4 celebration. The bottom photo came from a private vineyard in summer. 

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This is my twenty-second 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

Related articles

• Spring in the Vineyard
• There's Still Work to Be Done: Winter in the Vineyard
• Cattle Grazing near Vineyard in Paso Robles
• C is for Cattle in Wine Country

Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards

Heart Hill in Paso Robles has been here long before most of the current Paso Robles residents. It used to be part of a cattle ranch in the early 1900's. Heart Hill is a naturally formed heart-shaped grove of blue oaks that many of us see often as we drive east on Highway 46 from Vineyard Drive towards the freeway. It took Richard Niner to plant the vineyards that now decorate Heart Hill. I drive that  way often because I only live about a mile from from it.  I often stop to  photograph it. In this post I will show you how the view of Heart Hill changes through the seasons. 

The small photo in the top corner was part of this one, taken in January, when the vines are brown.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in January, © B. Radisavljevic

Below is a slightly different view from February 7, 2015.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in February, © B. Radisavljevic

This next photo was taken  March 22, 2012, Rain has come and added some green stripes between the still dormant brown vines.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in March, © B. Radisavljevic

The photo below was taken today, April 16. 2016. It is from a distance because I didn't realize that Niner closed at 4 instead of 5 today, and I couldn't get in the gates to take a closer photo as I usually do. This was the best I could do with trying to escape the power lines above my head and the barbed wire fence next to the taller fence inside it. I was trying not to get caught by the wire while poking the camera lens between the inner fence wires. They must be having deer problems, or trying to prevent them.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in April, © B. Radisavljevic

In this next photo it is June 4, 2012. Now the vines are green and the grass between the rows is brown.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in June, © B. Radisavljevic

This is how heart Hill looked on August 8, 2015. As you see, the white roses are in bloom now.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in August, © B. Radisavljevic

My favorite picture is the one below, taken November 20, 2011. I think almost any vineyard is most attractive in autumn, but the sight is spectacular at Heart Hill.

Heart Hill in Paso Robles in November, © B. Radisavljevic

If you were once at Niner Estates and did not get a souvenir of your visit, or if you'd like to display Heart Hill in different season than you saw it, you might want one of these Zazzle products featuring Heart Hill. You have many other product choices, including postcards, shirts, electronic cases, linens, and more if you follow this link 

 Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Pinback Button Niner Estates Heart Hill and White Roses Card Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Ceramic Tile Stamp: Paso Robles: The Heart of Wine Country Stamp Heart Hill at Niner Estates, in Autumn Coaster Mug: Paso Robles Wine County- Heart Hill Coffee Mug Poster: I left my heart in Wine Country Poster

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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.

This is my fourteenth 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

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

Related articles

• Niner Estates after the Rain
• Chasing Storm Clouds in Doce Robles Vineyards

Some Views of Niner Estates and Heart Hill at the Beginning of August

Niner Estates Tasting Room Entrance

The hill with the heart-shaped oak grove along Highway 46 West has been there since I moved to Templeton over twenty years ago. There were no grapes there and no tasting room. I can't remember the year that grapes were planted and the buildings appeared, but I know that I was making videos and taking pictures of Niner States by 2010. I'm sure it was there long before that and I'd just been too busy to make much notice. This photo is of the tasting room.

Although all vineyards are attractive, Niner Estates has a special kind of subdued beauty that blends with the earth in a way that some of the other winery properties don't. The stone work on the exterior of the tasting room and the muted colors of the plants in the landscaping complement each other. The rows of white roses and lavender lead the eye to the greens of the vineyards and trees in summer when everything is in bloom.

I love the way the vineyards climb the rolling hills behind the buildings. Oak trees dot the vineyards. The roses and lavender stand in the foreground.

A person driving west on Highway 46 has a visual treat on the north side between the 101 Freeway and Vineyard Drive. So many wineries and vineyards to grab one's attention! From the east are the vineyards of Doce Robles, Summerwood, Tooth and Nail, Dark Star Cellars, Niner, Hunt Cellars, Zin Alley, Cipher, and Croad. And that's just the north side of the street. Each is unique, but Niner still manages to stand out because of how much space is not allotted just to grapes.

Of course, Heart Hill is the most prominent landmark on the property. It is best seen from the West. When I was at Niner Estates on Saturday, August 8, taking these photos, I noticed the crape myrtle trees were also in bloom -- white ones, to match the roses. You can see them, as well as many olive trees, in this next photo of

Heart Hill.

I didn't notice so many olive trees last time I was there, but they seemed to be everywhere on this visit. You can see several behind the wall in the photo to the left.

Below is the large one near the tasting room entrance.

Niner is growing four different varieties of olives for oil  it uses in its restaurant. I have read they also plan to plant a vegetable garden for use in the restaurant. So it appears that the Niner intends to be more than just a producer of wine.

In the photo below, I have enlarged a portion of the tree so that you can see the olives getting ripe. You can click on any photo on this page to enlarge it for a closer look.

Here's a poster you can purchase showing how Heart Hill looks in  autumn.

Poster: Heart Hill, Paso Robles, in Autumn

Related articles

• S is for Summerwood
• Spring Has Sprung in Wine Country