So, how was harvest? That's a difficult answer to distill, but local wine marketing company Solterra Strategies has this report from the vines: This year was a marathon of fits and starts, with long nail-biting periods of waiting. While delays vexed winery staffers, winemakers say the wait was worth it. The longer hang times allowed grapes to slowly develop more flavors and stronger colors. Will 2018 will prove a banner vintage for Paso Robles? Some winemakers think so. We'll all be tasting for ourselves in no time ... Local author/winemaker Darren Delmore has penned the juicy, long awaited sequel to Slave to the Vine out now in paperback on Amazon. Lucky Country: Confessions of a Vagabond Cellarhand is set in Barossa Valley, Australia, and lifts the curtain on the wild world of winemaking (darrendelmore.com). Δ

Hayley Thomas Cain thinks goats can fix anything. She can be reached at [email protected].