Miramonte Winery - Temecula

This is one of the first wineries you come to on the north side of the road. It is up a very steep hill and the view from the property is wonderful. The people were very friendly, and there was a big black Newfoundland named Mira laying on the floor. The kids loved playing with this gentle giant, and we got a good opportunity to taste their wines.

We were very surprised with the quality of their red wines. The signature blend is called Opulente, and it is excellent. Nicely balanced, this wine has a very nice body and finish. The problem is the price. At $34.95, we won't be buying it anytime soon.

The same thing was true of their Syrah. Nice wine with good flavor and body, but in my opinion a bit overpriced at $29.95. This wine reminded me of how much I do enjoy Syrah from time to time. If this was a little cheaper I would almost certainly take some home with me.

The last of the reds is a Cucamonga Zinfandel. I don't exactly think of Cucamonga as producing great wine anymore (if ever), but this Zin wasn't bad. If fact it was surprisingly good. On the other hand, it was $29.95 and a bottle of Old Vine Zin from Jewel in Lodi is every bit as good at 1/3 the price.

They would not let us taste the reserve Opulente without paying another $3. Sorry, but that isn't going to fly for me. I was willing to trade in two of my tasting coupons for this, as it is the last of the reds, but they wouldn't have it. So we went without tasting it. Frankly, at $44.95 there is no chance we would buy it anyway. Once you reach that price range you are competing with some serious reds from other parts of the state...

All in all we enjoyed the visit, and will bring people back here. A worthwhile stop to see what good temecula wine can taste like.

Joel