Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery crash site of a Martin B-26 Marauder
Channel: ECO Travel
Date: 2012-08-05

The Union Road Wine Trail includes  Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery, it is an adventure for our seven generation Paso Robles family.
" We're grape growers, in fact 99% of our fruit is sold to large Paso Robles wineries. Just 1% of the fruit grown on Steinbeck Vineyards is used as Steve crafts our beautiful wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Viognier and Zinfandel are the varietals we've chosen to craft into 1,000 cases of premium wine. We blend these variteals into THE CRASH, "known as Steinbeck in a glass". Our second blend is Steve's choice of our top three barrels. It's named VOICE because it is the voice of our vineyard and a stunning expression of our Steinbeck Story.  The 2008 VOICE is a blend of  Cabernet and Petite Sirah.
Our winemaker, Steve Glossner, has an amazing history in Paso Robles and we are thrilled he works with us to help us continue our legacy. His winemaking style brings the varietal characteristics through with an elegant finish that speaks Paso all the way."
This was a crash site of a Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe.
After entering service with the U.S. Army, the aircraft received the reputation of a "Widowmaker" due to the early models' high rate of accidents during takeoff and landings. The Marauder had to be flown by exact airspeeds, particularly on final approach and when one engine was out. The 150 mph (241 km/h) speed on short final was intimidating to pilots who were used to much slower speeds, and whenever they slowed down below what the manual stated, the aircraft would stall and crash.

The B-26 became a safer aircraft once crews were re-trained and after aerodynamics modifications (increase of wing span and incidence, to give better take off performance, and a larger fin and rudder) After aerodynamic and design changes, the aircraft distinguished itself as "the chief bombardment weapon on the Western Front" according to a United States Army Air Forces dispatch from 1946. The Marauder ended World War II with the lowest loss rate of any USAAF bomber.