April Highlights!

Here it is April 12th and I am just getting around to the April blog. April is such an eventful month in San Luis obispo– a great weekend rendez-vous for a wine event, an antiquing getaway or Parent’s weekend at Cal Poly. There are Earth Day Celebrations, Rib Cook-Offs at Farmer’s Market….and there are always the healthful activities like hiking and biking!

If you like wine festivals, there are some great ones during April. April 18th celebrates The Earth Day Food and Wine Festival. This is a new food and wine event within the picturesque vineyards around the Santa Margarita Ranch. This will be a “green” event with locally sourced veggies and fruits, cheeses, olive oils, meats and more goodies along with Central Coast sustainable wines. It sounds like it will be a really fun and a really informative event! For more info. Visit the Central Coast Vineyard Team Website.

Cal Poly’s Wine Festival will also be held on April 25th also at the Santa Margarita Ranch. This food and wine event promotes and supports the fabulous Wine and Viticulture program at Cal Poly.

I personally worked many a Roll Our the Barrels event and I can easily say that they are F U N ! Thursday evening, April 30th is the Barrels in the Plaza (barrel tastings and nibbles downtown in Mission Plaza), winemaker dinners are on Friday and then the passport event and the winery open houses are on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3rd. The wineries offer delicious foods paired with their wines, and some theme parties that are not to be missed plus they offer some amazing discounts on their wines. Check out more information at slowines.com.

Hospice Du Rhone! A spectacular event featuring and highlighting the elegant varietals from the Rhone region of France. Winemakers from California and the world showcase their stellar wines – seminars, tastings and beyond! Hospicedurhone.com

A super fun event is Remnants of the Past on April 25th at the Dana Powers Barn in Nipomo. If you haven’t been to the Dana-Powers property be prepared for a feast of the senses – the fabulous old barn surrounded by fragrant orange groves, vendors with the coolest stuff, new and reclaimed, bites to eat, and fun and creative people having the best time! I did some damage last year – I found a charming old and tattered dress form that now greets visitors to our home. I fell in love with Ana Corba’s fanciful art and I bought her book and some rusty old keys that she had tied together with a beautiful silk ribbon. I bought a whimsical purse and some old French postcards. I had way too much fun….Beware though; bring lots of cash and checks as many vendors don’t take credit cards – (I had to borrow money from a friend of mine that I ran into at the event). Check out the web site and read the Remnants creator’s blog to get a better feel for afternoon of treasure hunting! Remnants of the past.com

Wine and shopping and, oh, yes, EATING! Thursday, April 23rd is the Rib Cook Off at Farmer’s Market. Ribs everywhere – vegetarians beware….the ribs are not for the faint of heart.. This evening at Farmer’s makes Memphis and Dallas barbeque seem ordinary! Even without the rib thing, Farmer’s Market every Thursday is a blast - the fresh produce incomparable! We bought some strawberries last week that were so so so big and sweet. I made a most amazing Berry Tiramisu for Easter!

I know that I am missing a few other goings on around SLO. You can always check out www.visitslo.com or Cal Poly’s web site for local events. If per happenchance you visit SLO on a quiet weekend, you can always go hike Bishop’s Peak for a breathtaking view of San Luis Obispo, scoot over to Morro Bay and kayak around the estuary or rent bikes and ride along the Bob Jones Bike trail to Avila!

We would love to help you plan your events and your visit to SLO. Always feel free to email us with your questions or comments!

April smiles, Dianne