“Our chocolates are all about the flavor and the art of the piece,” says Sweet Earth Chocolates owner Eve Neuhaus. “Our chocolatiers have the freedom to experiment, to be creative and artistic.” The art of chocolate is made apparent with one look around Sweet Earth Chocolates retail store in San Luis Obispo. Cases are filled with truffles that are (almost) too pretty to eat, detailed chocolate animals line the shelves, and pretty packaging abounds. It is a dream come true for any chocolate lover, and certainly a dream come true for owners Eve and Tom Neuhaus and Joanne Currie.

“An Affair to Remember”, 3^rd annual fashion show and luncheon to benefit building the new Templeton Community Library, Saturday April 28, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Robert Hall Winery, 3443 Mill Rd., Paso Robles.

When you live in wine country there seems to be a wine related event every weekend which makes it tough to choose the ones to attend…sometimes!

Earth Day Food and Wine Festival is one of those “no brainer” events for my wife and I because of its focus on sustainability in food and wine. I’ve known of the Central Coast Vineyard Team (the folks that run the event) for almost five years and have seen their dedication and consistency across the board; from this event, to their SIP Certification process for vineyards and wineries, to all the seminars and relationships they have within the farming community.

That just may be the thing that makes this event stand out, the people. Sure the event is fun and there is always so much great food and wine, fun booths, live music, and giveaways; but the people truly do make this a “must-attend” event.

The Educated Gardener is hosting a fundraising event for the Creston Elementary School Garden Project. “Spring into the Garden” will take place from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012. The event will feature a BBQ, raffle, garden art, and children’s activities (including face painting), as well as seminars from Gopher Goo and Dr. Earth.

While exploring Paso Robles Wine Country, it is a safe idea and a special treat to hire a driver or book a tour. Here are some of our favorite local limousine, designated driver, and tour companies:

Clavo Cellars showcases the best of Central Coast grapes

While he attended college at Fresno State, part of Neil Roberts’ education was working in the vineyards with the field workers. “I was a green kid, and the guys in the field took me under their wing,” Neil said. They gave him the nickname “Clavo,” which means nail (sounds like Neil) in Spanish.

Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery

Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery grew out of the Merrill family’s love of farming, as well as their love for the Central Coast. This family winery is located in Templeton, at the corner of El Pomar Drive and South El Pomar Road—hence the name. The name also references a notable theme at the winery; trains and railroad images and references are sprinkled throughout the labels, tasting room and events of Pomar Junction.

Bon Niche Cellars and Birdland Cellars

Joyce and Wally Murray, owners of Bon Niche Cellars and Birdland Cellars, have built their business up by immersing themselves in their environment—and through the realization that the Paso Robles aviation is an opportunity to provide a good niche in life. Their vineyard was planted to take advantage of the qualities of the soil on their estate and the area’s climate, and their knowledge of the wine business has been bolstered by the information their wine industry neighbors shared with them over the years.

J&J Cellars

J&J Cellars of San Miguel is owned and run by the Judd family: James and Janis Judd and their children, James Judd and Juliet Judd Fiero. The elder James describes their family history as having a lot of cumulative experience in agriculture over numerous generations, “I come from five generations of farmers.”

Tackitt Family Vineyards

Tackitt Family Vineyards’ history goes back three generations on the land on which the winery and tasting room now stand. The winery is currently run by Leon Tackitt and his wife Cindy, along with Leon’s father, Boyd Tackitt. The vineyard was planted in the 1970s by Leon’s grandfather. He had brought some Gewürztraminer vines to the US with him from his native Germany, and planted them among the rolling hills of San Miguel.

Robert Hall Winery

The winery’s owner, Robert Hall, had many years of experience in the hospitality sector prior to acquiring the Hall Ranch in Paso Robles. After planting his vineyards, he put all his energy and hospitality knowledge to work to create a winery and hospitality center that would welcome guests. The smallest of details can make a huge difference when it comes to entertaining. “I wanted to create a warm and beautiful place in Paso Robles that people would visit time and time again. I had envisioned a facility that would be suited for formal weddings, casual BBQs and everyday celebrations.”

Brochelle Winery

Brock and Michelle Waterman say they have a typical “city girl meets country boy” love story. “I grew up in Clovis, where my family grew fig trees and raised beef cattle – but the winemaking culture really intrigued me,” says Brock, and Michelle finishes, “I’m from Southern California – I knew I liked wine and the winery atmosphere, and we met at the perfect time.”

Spring often comes early to San Luis Obispo County. Abundant rains in early winter months followed by lazy warm days bring out the best of nature’s displays – wildflowers.

Probably the most popular spot for folks who love wildflowers is found in the eastern part of the county way out Highway 58. You can’t miss it in a good flower year. As you approach Shell Creek Road the fields are bursting with miles of yellow flowers. People come by busloads to see the spectacle and to take photographs.

In the misty past tribal members of the Chumash held a yearly gathering on the bluffs above the ocean in Central California. Here the males carried on tribal business while the women collected shells on beaches below. These meetings were possibly the first time people picnicked in Shell Beach. You too can enjoy a day’s outing by stopping at some of the parks perched atop these cliffs.

Estrella Warbird Museum

For more than twenty years, Paso Robles’ nonprofit Estrella Warbird Museum has grown, constructing new buildings and acquiring new exhibits from a MIG-15 jet fighter to a variety of tanks, munitions, and missiles.
One of the major attractions of the museum is the Woodland Auto Display, which houses an extensive collection of vehicles that showcase both automotive and racing history. The always-changing displays showcase vehicles of both local and national interest. The primary display features Midgets, Sprint, Modified and Indy racecars along with Street Rod and Classic automobiles.

Fenomenal, a new restaurant located off of the downtown park in Paso Robles, offers world fusion tapas with a variety of tastes served in this traditionally Spanish form. With extensive offerings on its wine and beer lists, and a menu that draws its inspiration from all over the globe, Fenomenal is an exciting new addition to the Paso Robles dining landscape.

Visitors to Adelaide Floral in Templeton never know what they are going to find when they walk in the door. Seasonal flowers, indoor plants, candles, cards and gifts of all kinds adorn the inside of the store, and the adjoining courtyard offers a variety of outdoor plants. Now, customers can shop in the new Kid Corner, which opened last summer. Customers can pass through the garden to the children’s boutique, which offers clothing, books, educational toys, art supplies, and gifts designed to fit a variety of budgets.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites of Atascadero is the winner of the 2011 Torchbearer Award, which is the InterContinental Hotel Group’s most prestigious award.

The Torchbearer Award is awarded for achieving the highest levels of excellence in all areas of service, from quality to customer satisfaction. Hotel properties must pass multiple inspections during unannounced evaluations and consistently be well reviewed by actual hotel guests. The Atascadero hotel is one of only 24 out of nearly 2,000 hotels within the United States, Canada, and South America to receive the award.

The Torchbearer trophy was received by Amar Sohi, General Manager/Co-Owner and Jessica Foote-Sohi, Director of Sales & Marketing during the 2011 IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Oct. 24-26, 2011. It will be on permanent display at the hotel.

The Atascadero Holiday Inn is located at 9019 W Front Road in Atascadero. They can be reached at (805) 462-0200.