Sculpterra Winery & Sculpture Garden

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

Another Friday, another update on this year's 2026 wine grape harvest. This week was all about wild weather!

Monday through Wednesday we hit 100+ degrees every day on the Frankel Family Estate — exactly the heat we needed to propel us into harvest. Morning temps only dropped into the mid-60s, so we were warm to hot all day long. I panicked (the good kind of panic) and checked BRIX throughout the week instead of waiting until Friday to make decisions. After a heat wave, Paso wineries scramble to schedule harvest at a rapid pace. I've learned it's always best to book at least a week ahead — beat the rush and plan ahead. Laborers, machine-harvesters, press availability, tank space, trucking — it all books up fast, and then you're left with raisins!

Yesterday we got a touch of rain — not measurable, but enough to knock the dust off the vineyard roads. Starting Saturday, the weather turns normal and pleasant again: highs in the upper 80s, mornings in the mid-50s. This week's heat spike surged our BRIX, and now all the Viognier is ready for picking. We harvested Dusi Viognier Thursday morning at 25.5 BRIX, and today we picked two Estate blocks (Los Tankes and VDLV) — expecting 27+ BRIX, and the grapes look super ripe and tasty. Next Tuesday we'll finish Lago De Los Patos, and Thursday night we'll bring in 10 tons of Viognier from Steinbeck Vineyards. Our 2026 Viogniers will be full-bodied, riper, and higher in alcohol.

Funny thing — people in the industry say vines "shut down" at 100 degrees. I haven't seen that. If anything, the opposite: BRIX jumped 3-5 points in under a week. The canopies are still green and bushy, showing some stress but overall lush and happy.

I didn't sample any reds this week — too scared to look! Feels too early to be making red wine. Next week I'll pull samples from Primitivo, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, maybe even Mourvèdre and Cabernet Franc, and I expect a big sugar jump there too. So yes, it's an early harvest — I'm predicting most reds wrapped by end of September, with October fairly quiet at the winery, maybe just Cabernet Sauvignon holding on.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the cooler weekend weather ahead!

08/28/2026

Do you taste DIRT or do you taste CILANTRO?? 🍷😂 That question right there is actually how I got my nickname… "Cilantro the Clown!" Story time: when I was dating my wife (before she was my wife!) she asked me to dress up as a clown for a kid's birthday party with her. I said yes, showed up in a wig and the whole costume, and needed a clown name on the spot. It was a Mexican kid's party… and "Cilantro" just came out! Don't ask me how, I still don't know! Those poor kids had NO idea what to do with me chasing them around 😂 That's the kind of guy she said yes to, and I knew right then we were meant to be. Watch the full episode of Taste of Sculpterra to hear more (link in bio)! 🍇🤡❤️

08/27/2026

🌙🐾 **Night shift at Sculpterra.**

While everyone else has gone home, ChaCha is still on duty — keeping a close eye on the barrels and making sure everything is exactly where it should be.

Our winery cat takes barrel security very seriously. 🍷🐈‍⬛

Just another quiet night at Sculpterra Winery.

08/26/2026

How much flavor can you pack into one bite?? That's the whole idea behind our Taste & Tour Event, coming up Saturday, September 12th from 12-3pm right in our Sculpture Garden! Buy your tickets today, this is genuinely one of my favorite events we do all year. Ryan and the team built 4 stations, each one paired with a different wine: citrus poached shrimp with avocado crema on our crisp Sauvignon Blanc, smoked chicken & whipped goat cheese crostini with the medium-bodied Mega Focus 2023, braised beef cheeks with our 100% new oak Bentley Ironworks 2023, and a dark chocolate pomegranate tartlet with sea salt and rosemary paired against our bold Petite Sirah 2023. You'll walk the garden, learn the story behind the art and the wine, and there's live music the whole time. Takes about 30-45 minutes to get through all four stations, and yes, food trucks will be on site if you want to stick around after! $55 for club members, $65 for nonmembers. Choose your time slot and grab your spot before we sell out!

08/25/2026

First time tasting Pinot Noir? Start here. 🍷
In this clip, we’re tasting the 2021 Sculpterra Pinot Noir, a library wine made from two Pinot Noir clones.
Donna shared that back when she owned a wine shop in San Luis Obispo, Paul’s Pinot Noir would always sell out — especially with customers who needed that perfect end-of-the-day glass.
This 2021 Pinot shows beautiful notes of cherry, herbal tea, bittersweet chocolate, mushroom, and baking spice.
And when it comes to food pairings?
Paul says paella is the move. You could also pair it with lighter dishes like chicken, shrimp, chicken pot stickers, or chicken pasta. Red meat can work, but something too heavy may overpower the wine.
Paso Pinot Noir tends to be soft, balanced, fruit-driven, and easy on the palate — not overly dry, bitter, or tannic.
And yes, Monte finished the glass.

08/24/2026

Monte Mills has shared the stage with some unforgettable names. 🎶
Over the years, he’s played with or crossed paths with artists and celebrities like the Haggard Brothers, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, Mac Davis, Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Brooke Shields, Mark Chesnutt, Kenny Loggins, Eddie Rabbitt, Marie Osmond, Lee Greenwood, Red Skelton, Larry Hagman, Jonathan Winters, and more.
Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd even joined the band on harmonica.
Brooke Shields played tambourine.
Jonathan Winters got on the mic and, well… things got interesting.
And then there’s the story of the glowing Electric Horseman suit — borrowed from a doctor’s party and later worn during “Ghost Riders in the Sky” at college dances.
Fifty years with the Lucky Horseshoe Band means a lot of music, a lot of memories, and a few stories you just can’t make up.

08/23/2026

Some songs reach people in a way that is hard to explain.
Monte Mills shared that many country groups used to end their sets with a gospel song, and for the Lucky Horseshoe Band, that song became “Amazing Grace.”
He remembers watching people’s faces as they played it — sometimes with tears coming down — because that song carries so much meaning for so many people on so many different levels.
The story behind “Amazing Grace” is powerful. The words were written by John Newton, a former slave ship captain who later became an abolitionist. Over time, the hymn became one of the most beloved and important songs in the English language.
It’s simple. It’s moving. It’s timeless.
And whether it’s played by a full band, sung in church, or picked out on the black keys of a piano, “Amazing Grace” still has a way of stopping people in their tracks.