Home Of The Baseball Wines

Harvest Festival Weekend Events

2010-10-16T12:52:00.001-07:00

We're hoping you can all join us for
HARVEST FESTIVAL CELEBRATION:
"Pit Master Playoffs" on Saturday October 16th from 1-4 p.m.
After a great summer of Friday Fun Nites we will be bringing back some of our favorite BBQ treats and goodies on the grill for everyone to enjoy. Yum! Music, of course! Wine, of course! New Releases, of course! October Club Shipments available to pick up, you bet! Sounds like a great time and all for a good cause- Only $10 includes your food, wine, music, and fun!

BOTTLING WINES PARTY & SEPTEMBER WINE SPECIALS

2010-09-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

HELLO CLUB RIO & FRIENDS,

As Summer 2010 comes to a close we want to thank all of you, our old and new friends, for your continued support. We have enjoyed meeting with you, sharing our wines, BBQ's, and family stories. The food was fantastic thanks to our great BBQ crew: Travis, Jacob, Mike J., Jack, Dave, Tom 2, Marcial, Lynn, and Louis Silveira and his boys...loved all the tri-tip, ribs, pulled pork, veggies from the garden and of course, Tom's famous beans! Steve our "pizza man" (and real life photographer) was amazing with his talents on the fire brick oven - made our "pizza by the bottle" nights extra fun! Couldn't do it without all the great inside help, too. Thank you to Shauna, our party-girl co-ordinator, Heather, Barry, Cait, Em, Bevalina in the Tasting Room, Rick & Sue and Linda in the kitchen with all those pots and pans, Linda, our hostess that greeted you with a smile each week, and an extra special appreciation to Claudia for all her organization in getting the neighborhood here and in the spirit of having their weekly fun at RIO SECO.

Our bands were so entertaining, something for everyone whether it was a little jazz, country, or rock 'n roll - they kept us warmed up and ready for some dancin' in spite of our cooler than normal summer and typical East side Paso Robles windy nights. Thank you, ZZAH, Impromptu, Up in the Air, Side Roads, FUNK:30, Tennessee Jimmy, Hanson-Bishop Band, and Dean Coy & Friends.Thanks for the memories - can't wait until we do it all over again, Summer 2011!

BOTTLING WINES PARTY SEPTEMBER 10-11TH
All you brave souls wanting a new experience to add to your resume?... come join us for our next big bottling on Friday-Saturday, September 10-11th here at RIO SECO - Starting at 8:30 it's a full day with an estimated 1800 cases to go through the bottling line truck. All helping hands are appreciated. We can guarantee a lot of fun and satisfaction along with the typical junk food: donuts, pizza, fried chicken, beer, and of course, RIO SECO wines! Call the winery if you would like to be part of our bottling crew - promise not to abuse you! (805) 237-8884 or email at info@riosecowine.com
Call to reserve your place now

LABOR DAY/SEPTEMBER SPECIALS
Don't miss those last few case sales of summer:
GLEE White Cabernet-$120/cs
Clubhouse Red-$100/cs
'02 Cab Sauvignon-$150/cs
'05 Merlot-$100/cs.
Supply is limited.
Call for reservations (805) 237-8884 or
Click here to email your order now

Experience The Feel Of The Vineyard
Treat Yourself To A Relaxing Stay in our Beautiful Guesthouse Suites
Join Our Wine Club & Receive Special Discounted Rates.

All of us here at RIO SECO again want to send our thanks and our love! It was a fantastic summer. We appreciate you! Don't be strangers, now....See you next time!

Rio Seco Winery Featured On Central Coast News

2010-07-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Lightening strikes twice for Central Coast Winemaker Tom Hinkle of Rio Seco Winery. Local TV News feature highlighted Tom Hinkle's baseball career and new winemaking venture.
Video produced for TV.

Play ball, drink wine and have fun!

2010-04-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hello baseball fans and wine enthusiasts!

It has been a while since my last blog, however, I am renewing my commitment to writing new posts on a regular basis.

First thing first… BASEBALL!

I have been receiving many calls from my ol’ scouting buddies these past few weeks. It would seem everyone, including me, wants to talk about the 2010 Amateur Draft. I am looking forward to taking a mini break from farming to follow the Amateur Draft on MLB.com/draft on June 7, 8, 9th.

In fact, this summer season will be full of baseball for me, thanks in part to my wife and daughter working diligently on getting Rio Seco’s baseball wines into California minor league baseball parks: including Grand Slam, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend. Clubhouse Red, which consists of predominately Paso Robles Zinfandel, and our flagship Bordeaux Blend: the MVP Reserve, made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Look for Rio Seco Baseball Blends at your next California minor league game, especially all you Visalia Rawhide fans!

We will be pouring at the Visalia Rawhides ballpark on Saturday, July 10th from 5 p.m.-8p.m. This is a great excuse for me to do my “wine job” while also catching a game at the Rawhide’s newly renovated ballpark.

Just a reminder Rio Seco’s guest accommodation, recently dubbed “the clubhouse” is booking up quickly for the summer season. Reservations can be made by phone at (805) 237-8884. Come out and enjoy Paso Robles’ beautiful wine country, excellent Rio Seco wine and chat baseball with the resident old goat… me!

Exciting new summer release! I have made Rio Seco’s first White Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé. It will be a sure way for the wives to enjoy an afternoon ball game, as it is an easy summer sippin’ wine!

That is about it for now. Hope to see you all at the minor league ballparks or at the “clubhouse” guest accommodation this summer. Until next time… play ball, drink wine and have fun!

Grand Slam Is A Winner

2010-03-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Rio Seco's Grand Slam proves to be a hit with the locals. This smooth blend is made of 100% Estate grown grapes 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Syrah.
Stop by and give it a try. Tom Hinkle is available for barrel tasting and tours by appointment. Call Carol at 805 237-8884. Tasting Room is open 7 days a week from 11.00-5.00.

In addition to our Grand Slam; Our All Star Line Up includes Clubhouse Red and MVP.

March Madness

2010-03-11T13:46:00.001-08:00

Exciting Upcoming Events

Hello Club Rio and Friends!

Our sports enthusiasts are happy these days with Olympic Gold, Spring Training, and March Madness to keep them occupied! Hope everyone will enjoy these events but save some of that enthusiasm for wine tasting!

30% Off Baseball Wines & Free Shipping Thru March 31
Click Here To Order Now
3 Pack $42.00 + tax
'05 Clubhouse Red, '05 Grand Slam, and '04 MVP

Case Specials Thru March 31
Super Savings & Free Shipping
Click Here To Order Now

Clubhouse Red $100 + tax
Grand Slam $150 + tax
MVP $250 + tax
(tax applies to California residents only)

ZINFANDEL FESTIVAL- March 19th

Please join us as we celebrate Zinfandels at our annual Club Rio reception, Friday evening, March 19th, 6-9 p.m. Food, wine, barrel samples, Zinfandel Ports, and fun are complimentary for our Club Members and Guests...come one, come all! The Library Wine Tasting (optional) will feature a vertical line-up of six memorable Zinfandels dating back to 2000 for a nominal fee ($5.00). The evening is always a highlight for a friendly gathering here at RIO SECO. Case discounts and specials all weekend too! Hope you can join us throughout the weekend for food,fun,and friendly people!

"Viva Las Vegas" Casino Night & BBQ

On Saturday, March 27th, 5-10 p.m. RIO SECO will be hosting a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Tickets are $30.00 pp and includes $100 in script plus your BBQ. The fantastic and favorite band FUNK:30 will play for your enjoyment! Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Texas Hold 'Em, Bingo and two 50/50 drawings will keep everyone busy - Lots of great gifts! All proceeds will benefit this very worthy cause. Call the winery for more information or tickets (805) 237-8884, or call Janice (805) 423-2238/Ginger (805) 460-6722 with any other questions. Hope to see all of you join us for the fun! Thank you for your support!

Diamond Club Shipments

Yes, it's that time of year again for Doubles, Triples, Home Run and Hit for the Cycle club members to get their March 2010 shipment. Pick ups are available at the winery on Zinfandel Festival weekend or for shipping beginning March 22nd. Hope all shipping addresses and credit card information is up to date - call the winery with any updates or changes.

Thanks again for your continued friendship and support!

PitMasters Playoff On Harvest Festival Weekend

2009-11-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Harvest Festival Weekend with our PitMasters Playoff, a benefit for Supplies for Soldiers and the American Cancer Society. Thanks Everyone for your generous donations and support. Everyone had a fantastic time. First place went to Gregg Wangard for his Slow Smoked Salmon/Fire Roasted Jalapeno Aioli/Crispy Crostini.

Tom Hinkle Discusses The Next Play With Detroit Tigers

2009-09-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Two of Rio Seco Winery's ardent fans pose for a photo opportunity with Tom Hinkle, veteran baseball scout turned winemaker of Paso Robles, Ca. Tom focuses his wine making efforts on crafting European style blends. Tom's wines include MVP, Grand Slam, Vio Rio and The Guard. The Hinkle's planted 31 acres of Cabernet, Zinfandel, Cab Franc, Rousanne, Vigonier and Merlot in 1997. Implementing their philosophy of natural fermentation, no additives and the best fruit give Rio Seco Winery a well respected name on the Central Coast for fine wines. The Hinkles personally invite you to visit them for tasting and tour of the vineyard. They are open seven days a week. Visit www.riosecowine.com for more information.

Tom and Carol Caught at a Tigers Game

2009-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Tom and Carol Hinkle visit with John Kirkgard on July 1st in Oakland at a Tigers game. Here Tom is "caught" with Jim Leyland the game catcher.

Thanks for a great day my friends!!!!

John D. Kirkgard

The Amateur Draft

2009-05-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

~BASEBALL DAYS, WINE NIGHTS~

Greetings Baseball and Wine Enthusiasts -

The amateur draft is less than a month away. Many questions come up at this time from players, parents and scouts. With over 28 years of Major League Scouting I have fielded many questions. Today I am going to speak to those most frequently asked.

WHERE AM I GOING TO BE DRAFTED AND WHAT ROUND? That seems to be the #1 issue. From a scouts stand point, we don't always know what other talent is outside our area and around the country. A club only has a 1 in 30 chance of drafting a player...so it is often quite difficult to determine what round you will be drafted in. IS IT BETTER TO SIGN NOW OR GO TO COLLEGE? The percentage of all signed players who play in the Major Leagues is 6-7%. The percentage of all High School signed players in the M.L. is 10-11%. The majority of All-Star position players are High School signs, whereas the majority of All-Star pitchers are college signs. WHAT IS BETTER, HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE? The only "winning" answer is simply that it is up to the player and his family!

A little story for you: I drafted a H.S. shortstop in the 10th round and his Agent (advisor) told him he was going to be drafted in the 5th round. On Draft Day the family was quite disappointed. I made a very fair offer to the player (no names mentioned!) and his family and they turned it down. The player got 5 times less just a year later. "Moneyball" said it was bad to draft H.S. players in the 1st round - when I was with the Toronto Blue Jays we were 5 for 5 drafting H.S. players who played in the Big Leagues and were 1st rounders and 4 of the 5 made an All-Star team. That just goes to show that "Moneyball" is a good read but not entirely practical. Scouting is not an exact science like the "Moneyball" disciples try to make out. In a 10 year period the Blue Jays were in the playoffs 5 times and won the World Series in 1992 and 1993 with the second rated Farm System next to the Dodgers (producing 64 major leaguers in a ten year period)....just goes to show what good scouting fundamentals and professionalism can do in spite of looking only at the stats!

Back on the farm and in the winery it is time to work the wines and get some serious planning done in the vineyard. In the vineyard we go through the vines four different times. The 1st time is suckering and shoot thinning on each vine (we have 22,000 here at RIO SECO!)...The 2nd time we go through and train the 1st and 2nd year plants. Third time we go through the vineyard and shoot thin again. The fourth time through the vineyard we leaf pull around the grape bunches and drop fruit. As harvest approaches we will test each block for sugar content of the juice so we can determine when to harvest.

This harvest season late August through October we will offer to have people stay in our guesthouse so they can work (and vacation) the "harvest season" with us...Learning the fundamentals of wine-making and talking a few baseball stories will be a great memory for sure! Until next time,

From the Club House to the Barrel Room...

Tom Hinkle

Interesting Facts from a Scout's Point of View

2009-04-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Training is over and we are getting into another exciting season of wine and baseball! Here are some interesting facts for the fans from a scout's point of view....

Sometimes better teams have slow starts - Reasons include players are not always in shape, clubs are dealing with injuries and they face the challenges of trying to integrate a number of new personnel on the team such as rookies and 6-year free agents that were signed in the off season. Most clubs think of a regular season in THIRDS - the first part of the season is getting the rookies acclimated to the big leagues along with any new members and or position changes...the second part of the season the club starts playing together as a team, making adjustments and working toward any Major League trades by July 31st. The last third of the season the teams are playing up to 100%. By this time in the season the fans always seem to be interested and ask about winning streaks. Winning streaks are determined by how the team is playing and the quality of the opponents they play - In reverse, a losing streak is caused by a team playing poorly and the opponents happen to be the top teams. How do you determine if a team is playing well?...Pitchers performances and team hitting are the key. Losing streaks are not caused by defensive play but by poor pitching or hitting. Players play best in the last 60 games of the season. In the playoffs teams rise to the occasion and play well down the stretch. Many division titles are lost, however, in the first 1/3 of the season - so, it all remains to be seen how the '09 season will fare - we'll keep good thoughts that your favorite teams will make it to the playoffs!

Speaking of winning streaks, the RIO SECO wines have been quietly making a solid impression on our fans and the public in general. All estate grown, we nurture the grapes in the field the same way as a top minor league farm system nurtures their players before getting them to the Big Leagues - good wines are made in the field - we go through the vineyard five different times before picking at optimum sugars and pHs at harvest - first with pruning, 2nd suckering, 3rd shoot thinning, 4th shoot thinning again, and 5th dropping fruit. At RIO SECO we grow 8 different varietals each with distinct characteristics and demands, much like different position players on a team. Each one with their own needs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and white wines, Viognier and Roussanne keep us aiming for an All-Star line up of wines! Look for our new releases this season, '05"Clubhouse Red" - a "minor league" blend that is easy to like; "Grand Slam" - a AAA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah - great with BBQ's and our trophy wine, the '04 MVP - a major league blend for sure, Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot!

Hope your season is off to a great start!

From the Clubhouse to the Barrel Room, TOM

Time to step up to the plate!

2009-03-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's time to step up to the plate!...Hello Baseball and Wine Superfans! Welcome to my blog! This is dedicated to talking about two things that I know and love best in life, baseball and wine! Hoping to give you the inside scoop as the season progresses ON the field and IN the vineyard.

My life-long association with baseball started in 1954 when my Little League team from Colton, CA. played before 10,000 fans as they made it to the finals of the Little Leage World Series in Williamsport, PA. Came in 2nd but it will always be a highlight growing up of what goals and teamwork can accomplish. I went on to be a 2nd team All-American catcher playing for Hall of Fame college coach, John Scolinos at Cal Poly, Pomona. In 1963 I signed to play minor league baseball with the Detroit Tiger organization, playing in all its glory in '63,'64, and '65 with such great names as Andy Kosko, Mickey Stanley, Willie Horton, Jim Northrup, and now RIO SECO wine club member, pitcher Darryl Patterson. As my playing days were coming to a close, I took the next step and in 1966 went into Junior College coaching at Mount San Antonio College in Pomona, CA. and started part-time scouting with the Cincinnati Reds and the old Washington Senators. I went on from there to coach at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as the pitching coach and the assistant in charge of recruiting. Found a scrappy young player with incredible talent named Ozzie Smith, recruited him to come play at Cal Poly, and the rest as they say is history! All in all we had 41 drafted players and 4 ML players in eight years - quite a decent record. 1981 was the start of my full time scouting adventure, 28 years total on the road in search of baseball talent - area scout, regional cross checker, and major league scout were some of my title with six different clubs: Padres, Cubs, Expos, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers and the 1992 and 1993 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays...What a great road trip with many good times all those years! Along the way I did find a love of farming...has something to do with being in the dirt, I guess. Now, along this next season of life, I am finding many similarities from baseball to winemaking - as any championship team knows, it starts with the talent...like wise, in winemaking, it starts with excellent farming and exceptional grapes.

In 1996, my wife, Carol, and I bought a 64 acre, old ranch in Paso Robles, CA. which happened to be the fastest growing wine region in the good old USA. We planted 30 acres of grapes including Zinfandel, Cab, Cab Franc, Syrah, Merlot and Viognier...taking the next step we moved forward to establish a family winery, working with consulting winemaker, the notorious John Munch (LeCuvier, Paso Robles, CA.) As I was a coachable student, I learned a lot from the Munch man! We took it then a step further and opened our tasting room here at RIO SECO on Superbowl Sunday Y2K...This is now the "family business" - we include our kids, nephews & nieces, sisters and brothers-in-law and friends, along with any and all who will get their hands a little dirty and share the passion with us!

Hope you will stop by sometime - we are here 7 days a week living the life of "fine wines, friendly people" - we can go over the hitters and have a glass of RIO SECO wine! More to come....

From the Clubhouse to the Barrel Room,
Tom