Tasting the wines of California

Filsinger - Temecula

2008-02-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

I want to like Filsinger. The people are nice, the tasting is cheap, and the wines are among the cheapest in Temecula.

Unfortunately, I don't. Neither does Patty. The wines all have this weird funk to them, something that says "this isn't right" and I can't get away from it. The two cabs they were pouring were the best of the bunch, but cost about twice what I would pay for them. They have a sweet zinfandel called "sweet desire" that isn't bad if you like that sort of thing.

Not a bad stop simply because the tasting is cheap and the people are nice, but if you are crunched for time you have better options.

Joel

Falkner - Temecula

2008-02-24T09:14:00.001-08:00

A bigger winery, with a very nice tasting room and restaurant etc. The last time I bought a bottle of Falkner I believe I called it "twelve buck chuck" although that might have been a LITTLE harsh...

We've never tasted there, so we decided to head there first. First off, it's expensive. $8 minimum, up to $16 for eight tastes of their regular and premium wines. We bought the $8 tasting, because it seems very obscene to pay $16 to taste wine unless you are at a world class winery, which Falkner is not.

They had four reds and some sweet nonsense. We tasted the four reds, and they were unremarkable. Patty wasn't as disappointed as I was, but we weren't impressed. Then I asked if they could pour me something red other than the sweet wine, and was told "that's all we have" which is a blatant lie. They had lots of other reds, but they want to charge more to taste those and were unwilling to accommodate even one taste. News flash: If you want me to buy wine, you should probably let me taste it first.

People who pour more wine, sell more wine. We left Falkner and won't look back. $8 to taste four mediocre reds definitely is one of the worst deals anywhere.

Pass on this one.

Joel

Frangipani - Temecula

2007-11-04T16:11:00.001-08:00

Frangipani was a real surprise. These guys are on the "other" main road, the one that has a lot less traffic, but some excellent wineries. We have never been there before, and decided to pop in for a taste. They charge $10 to taste all of their reds, which while expensive is still a much better deal than many of the wineries in Temecula.

What was a treat was that they have some big wines that clearly will benefit from aging. The Cabernet Sauvignon in particular was exceptional. The Petite Sirah was also well worth drinking. The facility is nice, the people were delightful, and the wines were high quality and meant to be aged. I wasn't impressed by the Grenache or the Sangiovese, but the rest was worth a taste.

Highly recommended. We'll be back.

Joel

Foote Print - Temecula

2007-11-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

This is a small family owned winery that makes very good wines, although they are quite different. They have a Cabernet Franc that is unique to any Cab Franc I've ever had. It's almost like a jammy Petite Sirah. They only make about 1000 cases a year total of all of their wines.

They have a good cab, an ok zin, a very unique and tasty cab franc, a late harvest zin, and a few other odds and ends. They are generally only open on the weekends, and they are wonderful people to visit with. You can also pet the horses, although watch out for the brown one, he snaps.

They also sell a selection of organic fruit from their gardens.

This is one of those don't miss wineries. We love the place.

Joel

Ramon Rios - Tracy

2007-02-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

Tracy? Yes, Tracy. Ramon Rios is a small little winery that specializes in portuguese varietals. They currently sell a 2003 tempranillo, a 2004 tempranillo/barbera blend (90/10), and a very nice port. I really like their port because it isn't nearly as sweet as most other ports. It has a very regal flavor profile to it. Unfortunately, my wife didn't like it so we didn't buy it.

We did take home the 2004 tempranillo/barbera. Nice wine, much better than the 2003.

They also have a chardonnay, but I didn't taste that one...

Joel

Hart - Temecula

2006-12-28T00:54:00.000-08:00

Hart comes highly recommended by others in the Temecula Valley. One of the oldest wineries in Temecula, Hart is a wonderful little stop. The tasting room is very small, but a recent rearrangement has opened it up quite a bit. We had a great time at Hart, enjoying the company of other guests.

Unfortunately, Hart's wines are hit or miss. The volcano ridge wines are very good, but fairly expensive. We have purchased the 2002 Cab from them in the past, but the current vintage (2003) isn't nearly as good. They also sell a Zinfandel from the Lopez Ranch in Cucamonga, and it isn't worth purchasing. They had a very limited bottling of Barbera which was good and reasonably priced, so we took a bottle home.

If you are a red wine fiend, Hart is worth a stop because there are some gems here, but there are better choices in the Temecula Valley.

Joel

Baily - Temecula

2006-12-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

Baily is usually a quick stop for us, as we love their Sangiovese. It is very good, and very reasonably priced, especially for Temecula. This is the perfect burger or pizza wine (ok, Fenestra's True Red holds the title for the very best pizza wine) and we usually pop in and pickup a few bottles. Today we did a full tasting, and it merited a writeup.

The "TV Red" Sangiovese continues to be excellent, and we purchased several bottles as per our custom. The other standouts on their menu were an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, and their Meritage. Baily's Meritage is the most expensive wine I've ever purchased in Temecula, at around $40 per bottle. That's Steven Kent territory, and a wine has to really be exceptional to get me to spend in this price range. We bought another bottle today, in addition to the Cabernet and our usual Sangiovese.

Baily has a very attractive facility, with a nice tasting room and a restaurant that we have never been in. Baily should be part of any Temecula wine tour.

Joel

Calloway - Temecula

2006-12-28T00:41:00.000-08:00

Across the street from Thornton is Calloway, a winery we had never been to before. Calloway looks fairly industrial from the street, but don't be deceived. There is treasure hidden inside. The tasting room has a fantastic view, and they've taken full advantage of it with large windows looking out over the Temecula valley.

They have two flights of wines you can taste, a regular and a reserve. The reserve is worth the extra $5, but I would skip the first two red wines and have them pour the first two red wines out of the "regular" flight. The Merlot and Syrah, both part of the "regular" flight were quite good. In fact, the one wine we took home with us was the Syrah. On the other hand, the final three reds are well worth tasting in the reserve flight.

Calloway was a pleasant surprise. We didn't expect much, but really enjoyed our visit.

Joel

Thornton - Temecula

2006-12-28T00:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, where to start. Well, first of all, that's part of the problem. Unlike every other winery I've ever been to, Thornton does not have a wine tasting bar. Instead you have to sit down in the "Champagne Cafe" at a table, get a menu, talk to a waitress etc. Rather than a traditional flight for tasting they have preset "groups" that you can pay to taste. The whole experience is very odd, and very expensive. $15 to taste four wines and no glass? Yikes!

But are the wines worth it? In a word: No. We tried two Champagnes and two reds. The Champagnes weren't bad, but were terribly overpriced. As for the reds? Well, the Cabernet had a nose of pickles. Pickles! Unfortunately, it didn't taste any better than it smelled. I still can't figure out how they managed to make red wine smell like pickles.

So in summary: No wine bar, expensive, bad wines, and snooty as well. What's not to like? Everything.

Joel

Crystal Valley Cellars - Lodi

2006-11-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

Crystal Valley Cellars is a winery in the cosentino family dedicated to producing wines outside of Napa. Their wines are excellent. The 2005 CigarZin is excellent, reminding me of all the good notes from the 2002 vintage (the 2004 was disappointing). The 2002 Lodi Cab gives the Cosentino Napa cab a run for its money at a fraction of the price. The 2003 is good as well, but needs some age.

CVC has a lot going for it, and should be the last stop you make anytime you visit Lodi, just be sure you have money left over to spend, because you will want to take some of their wonderful wines home with you.

We did.

Joel

Van Ruiten - Lodi

2006-11-20T21:36:00.000-08:00

The location of this winery is on a rather major street, which gives it more of a commercial center feel rather than a hidden winery nestled among the grapes.

Location aside, the property is simple. A tasting room and a parking lot. The wines were simple as well, with nothing really standing out as being worth a purchase. Ultimately we did purchase a late harvest Viognier, as it would be a great dessert wine to serve some cold winter night. Beyond that, the rest were unfortunately very forgettable.

Nice people, but the wines were nothing to write home about.

Joel

Woodbridge - Lodi

2006-11-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Woodbridge is a very old winery that became the consumer line of Robert Mondavi a number of years back. It seems like Mondavi has branched out into "coastal" and other vineyards, but for a while if you wanted Mondavi at a grocery store, this was your wine.

The people were very nice, but the wines are really not very good. They show the characteristics of being mass produced wines, made with little care for the final result. We tasted a number of the "select" wines, available only in the tasting room. None of them were worth a second taste.

All was not lost, however. In the early 80's Robert Mondavi had a batch of port made each year as part of his own private collection. This woodbridge port was served to the Mondavi family and guests. It was made from 1982 to 1986 as far as I know, and after a while the supply was completely forgotten. A couple of years ago these "lost" ports were discovered, and now they are for sale. We tasted the 1984 and the 1983, and the '83 had a little better body. It is a rare treat to buy a bottle of wine this old, and it has held up over time. Complex and intriguing, this wine is worth buying. Go now, because it won't be around forever.

Their PortoCinco is also quite good, and not to be found anywhere but at the Woodbridge winery.

Worth a stop, but don't expect much from the non-ports.

Joel

Jewel Wines - Lodi

2006-11-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

The first time we visited Jewel was a magical experience. They gave us a huge flight of wines to taste and a plate of items like salami, romano cheese and chocolate to pair with their wines. Each of the wines benefitted from the food, and we joined the wine club on the spot.

This time was different. They had a menu with a price to taste a certain number of wines, and no plate of goodies. Although they didn't charge us, the wines didn't hold up nearly as well this time. They were sold out of the Cab and the Petite Sirah, and of the remainder only two stood out: A reserve wine called "Clareta" that was quite good, but over $20, and the old vine Zin that was $35.

The old vine zin was particularly complex, and was made from true "old vines" being over 100 years old. It seems that you can't buy a zin these days that doesn't claim old vine. I have heard of one vineyard claiming "old vine" for 11 year old vines!

This zin was excellent, but I couldn't spend the asking price. Ditto the Clareta. Thus, we left without buying anything. Still, The rest of their wines are $10 or less, and Jewel is a worthwhile stop on any Lodi wine tour.

Joel

Bent Creek - Livermore Valley

2006-11-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

I don't have a picture or logo for Bent Creek, but the place is very nice. Again, as it typical for Livermore, it's about the wine, not the overall experience. There were lots of nice wines here, but two stood out like a lighthouse in a fog of wine: Petite Sirah and Port.

I don't like most people's ports. It is hard to do right, and often expensive. Bent Creek isn't cheap, but they do it right. The port has just the right amount of sweetness, and a body and flavor that is to die for. Despite it's $23 price tag, we bought two of them. Now you see why I get so upset when Temecula wineries want $30+ for inferior ports. This stuff is hard to beat at any price.

As good as the port is, the Petite Sirah is better. My aunt said "I'd like to buy a bottle of this right now and sit here and drink it." She is exactly right. As good as the Petite Sirah is from Thomas Coyne, this is better. I haven't had a better Petite Sirah anywhere. We bought two bottles at $29 each.

The rest of their wines were good, but these two clearly stand out as exceptional wines. Highly recommended.

Joel

Steven Kent - Livermore Valley

2006-11-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

Steven Kent's motto is "Wines for those who know" and to be honest, I really don't want to tell you about this winery. You can spend a _lot_ of money in wine, and be hard pressed to find a bottle better than the ones Steven Kent is putting together. Really.

Each and every wine has a level of craftsmanship that is simply out of this world. Steven Kent is one of the most expensive wines we buy, and it is worth every penny.

We tried a number of wines, each of them divine. The Syrah is, quite simply, the best syrah I've ever had. I bought two bottles at $36 each. The Barbera, not a grape I usually am in love with, is simply fantastic. I bought a Barbera as well, for $30. The Chardonnay, a grape I usually detest, is delicate with just the right amount of sweetness, and a body that doesn't fall flat like so many Chardonnays do. This is the only Chard I've bought in the last five years. And then the Cab. Well, the Cab is one of those things that is worth making the trip to Livermore for. They were pouring two of them, and the superior one was the 2003 Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. At $55 a bottle it's a steal. You read that right.

They also had large blocks of high end cheese to pair with each of the wines, and the pairings were perfect. If I'm gushing, it's because it was a great experience, as usual.

I love coming to Steven Kent, because the wines are simply astounding. I hate coming to Steven Kent because it always does great amounts of damage to my bank account. These wines are fantastic now, and will age for years, getting even better.

Now, please forget I told you any of this. Do not visit this winery and buy their wines and drive up the prices by increasing demand. Forget I said a word. Thank you.

Joel

Thomas Coyne - Livermore Valley

2006-11-20T20:54:00.000-08:00

Just down the road from Fenestra is another gem, Thomas Coyne. I have purchased Petite Sirah from them in the past, and I really, really like that wine. Today they were pouring their bordeaux varietals, and we enjoyed them quite a bit.

The facility is simple, with one picnic table and little else. Again, it's all about the tasting room. They really are not geared up for crowds, in contrast to Fenestra. There was only one gal pouring, and she was clearly overwhelmed.

We tried three Merlots, and the best of the bunch was the El Dorado Merlot, only $12.50. We also really liked the 2002 Confluence, which is a blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Merlot. Very nice, and a bargain at $20.

The Cab and Petit Verdot are also worth picking up. Unfortunately for Thomas Coyne, we were a bit in shock after our spending spree at Fenestra, and we walked out without purchasing anything today. Besides, we knew we were going to drop some coin at Steven Kent, which is my next post...

Joel

Fenestra - Livermore Valley

2006-11-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting to get to this one for quite some time. This is one of my very favorite wineries. Great wine, fantastic selection, reasonable prices. What more can you ask for?

Fenestra has a very pretty facility, but it's really all about the wine. There are a few picnic tables and a small restroom. The rest is all about tasting, and it shows. First up was True Red, Lot 19. This is an award winning red table wine that lists for $10 per bottle. Decent stuff, although I've never been a big fan. They have a limit of six bottles, so obviously it sells well.

Fenestra has a great selection of "non-traditional" wines. In addition to three Merlots, two Cabs, Pinot Noir, a Syrah and a Zinfandel, they were pouring a tempranillo, a Mouvedre, Touriga, and selling a Malbec (selling out as we discovered, before we could buy any). They also have two fantastic ports. We really liked the Classic port, made from the four traditional varietals, and we bought another four bottles.

The Touriga is an excellent wine, although it's a little sweeter. I think of Touriga as a summer wine, one to be drunk on a summer night looking out over a sunset.

The best of the Merlots was the Santa Lucia variety, which was also the cheapest. I am a big fan of the Smith & Hook cabernets, but unfortunately those are going away. Apparently those grapes have been replaced by Pinot Noir. Another sacrifice at the altar of Sideways I guess. Why couldn't that movie have picked Petite Sirah or something else really interesting instead of PInot?

Do I like Fenestra? Well, I spent over $175, and for those of you who read this blog you know that I generally walk out the door for less than $50. Highly, _highly_ recommended.

Joel

Miramonte Winery - Temecula

2006-07-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

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

Temecula Hills Winery & Vineyard - Temecula

2006-04-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Formerly known as Windy Ridge (before a SF wine distributer decided to market a wine under this name and trademarked it, oops!) this winery is a long haul from the normal line of vineyards. The drive feels REALLY long when you are driving out there, but it's really not that bad. It's about 10 miles from the rest of the wineries, and worth the trip. The property is small, but this charming little winery is run by a nice couple who were kind enough to open for us on an off day after we had driven all the way out there...

The winery is essentially their house and a tasting room. But on to the wines. They had a very nice selection of wines and the tasting was reasonable. They had some unusual grapes and even carried a few wines that they made from grapes grown in cucamonga. We tasted all of them, and bought the syrah.

The big news here was their port. I have not liked any of the ports in temecula to date. Generally they seem to be half hearted efforts that are more marketing than winemaking, but this was an exception. The port had an excellent balanced flavor, and we took a bottle home with us. If you are a port fan, do not miss this one.

All told this winery was worth the drive and it didn't seem nearly as long driving back. A worthwhile stop on your temecula tour.

Joel

http://www.temeculahills.com

Churon Winery - Temecula

2006-04-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Churon was the first winery we visited in Temecula. The property is beautiful, and includes an inn and other amenities along with the tasting room. We were excited right up to the point we tasted the first wine. We looked at each other with a "we paid $8 for this?" look, and hoped the next wine would be better. It wasn't.

Many wineries will offer drinks and snacks to the kids to keep them busy. At wilson creek, for example, they have apple cranberry cider that they pour for the kids. Other wineries will give them water or bottled water, and offer them crackers or other snacks. This is a nice touch that helps the parents to feel at ease and helps the kids have a good time. Good time = more wine purchases. Not here. They offered water. We said "sure" and they pointed us to the coolers against the wall where we could buy water. They offered to let us purchase snacks for the kids as well. How generous!

Their wines were marginal and we felt like we were being nickeled and dimed to death. We won't go back.

Skip this one.

Joel

http://www.innatchuronwinery.com/

Bella Vista Cilurzo - Temecula

2006-04-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Despite being weary when we visited this winery, we quite enjoyed ourselves. They bill themselves as Temecula’s first winery, and I have no reason to say they are not. The atmosphere in here is completely different. Think sports bar with a giant bar. When we walked in the place was hopping, and people were everywhere. When you pay for a tasting they give you poker chips as tokens, and the continuous clink of these chips gives the entire place an active casino feel to it.

Unfortunately they only give you five tasting tokens, and they have many more wines than that. I was able to schmooze my way into a sixth (ok, seven) tastes. Props to them for not being psychotic about the chips. We buy more wine when people are friendly...

The Bella Vista Bordeaux blend was quite good. It had a nice balance of flavors and aromas. I tried their 99 Cab which was excellent, but too expensive. The 2001 Cab was also very good, and in some ways outshines its more expensive sibling. The Zinfandel was not too impressive, so I moved on to the Petite Sirah. I really like Petite Sirah, but it takes a special vintner to make it truly great, and I don’t think this is one of those wines. They were serving another Meritage that they wanted $40 per bottle for. It was good, but not worth anywhere near that price.

The last thing I tried was the Late Harvest Petite Sirah. A very unusual wine, it really delivered the goods. This was the wine we took home with us, because it had a delicate sweetness to it that was really enchanting. This is the one wine I wanted to go back to Temecula and sample more of when the day was done. I’m glad I bought some, and I’m pretty sure we’ll go back for more.

Joel

http://www.cilurzowine.com

Stuart Cellars - Temecula

2006-04-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Stuart Cellars is, for us, what made Temecula worth our return visits. The first time we drove down here we stopped at Churon first, and I thought “this is going to be a very long day...” Our next stop was Stuart, and we were so blown away we joined their wine club on the spot.

To be honest, the first time we went here they were a little stand-offish to us. Perhaps it was because we always have our two kids in tow, or the fact that we used a coupon from their website (hey, if you don’t want people to use coupons, don’t give them out!). Not sure what it was, but they weren’t overly friendly. After we joined the wine club, their attitude changed completely and they became positively wonderful to deal with.

Every time we show up at Stuart we are greeted kindly, they remember us when we walk in the door and generally have our wine club shipments ready for us. Going there is now a joy, and based on the interaction with other customers it seems that our first impression was a bit of an anomaly.

On to the wines: Stuart really shines with their reds. Their Zinfandel is one of the best, their Cabernet a worth addition to the tradition of California cabs, and their Meritage (dubbed Tatria) is simply fantastic. In addition, Stuart is one of the few wineries that can make a truly great Malbec, a grape that I am particularly fond of. I haven’t been blown away by their ports, but I think that is because I am such a fan of the ports being produced by Fenestra.

This is, by far, the best winery in Temecula in our opinion. We always enjoy stopping there and tasting their wines. Don’t miss these guys.

Joel

http://www.stuartcellars.com

Alex's Red Barn - Temcula

2006-04-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

Next to Longshadow Ranch is a winery that has been around for a long time in Temecula: Alex’s Red Barn. We have always wanted to try this place, and yesterday marked the time we finally got there.

What a disappointment. First off was the property itself. The label gives the impression of a nice old barn in a field of vines. The reality, shown above, is far more stark. Alex’s Red Steel Building would be a better name...

But the look of the facility has nothing to do with how the wines taste right? Well, apparently the attention to detail that is missing in their property carries over to their wines. They only had one red available to taste, a very average Cabernet at a very non-average price. The Sauvignon Blanc was pitiful (this is the only white I truly like), and left me feeling that I had just tasted a bad Chardonnay.

Ok, the service makes up for it all right? Wrong. Condescending, Arrogant, and Snooty with a capital S. Beyond the “now swish the wine around to bring out the flavors” instructions, there was just an attitude about this place. When she asked what I thought of the Sauvignon Blanc (apparently they are quite proud of this wine) and I gave her my opinion, I was greeted with a snappy “that’s because you didn’t swish it around like I told you!”

Their Cream Sherry wasn’t bad, but I don’t drink Sherry. Paying $7 to drink one marginal cab, one bad sauvignon blanc, and a glass of Sherry has to rank as the single worst value for my money yet in tasting in Temecula.

Pass on this one.

Joel

http://www.redbarnwine.com

Doffo Wines - Temecula

2006-04-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Now this is a real treat. Doffo is only open if you call first. And even then, they often will tell you they are too busy to have you taste right now if they are working on the wines. We have called every time we’ve been down in Temecula, but this was the first time we were able to taste.

When we arrived there was nobody in the tasting room, so we just hung out for a bit. It was worth the wait. The wines are clearly carefully crafted, with lots of subtle tastes and aging potential. The cab was very nice, with a lot of potential, and we took some home to cellar for a few years.

The tasting room is in what is essentially a second garage for the house. The house is surrounded by 4.5 acres of grapes that are used to produce all of their wines. Doffo dubs themselves Temecula’s first “petite” winery, and they certainly live up to that promise. Highly recommended if they are open. Pick up a flyer from Stuart Cellars to get the phone number and directions.

Joel

http://www.doffowines.com

Longshadow Ranch - Temecula

2006-04-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

We had never heard of Longshadow Ranch prior to visiting this new winery. Down the street from Alex’s Red Barn, we decided to give it a try. Our host was a wonderful man named Claus, and he was a delight to talk with. He was as much entertainer as winemaker, and kept everyone in the tasting room laughing and having a good time.

The property is very nice as well, and they have thought out how to handle crowds from shuttles and busses by creating a facility separate from their tasting room to entertain large groups.

The wines are a little sweet for our tastes. We tried their reds, as usual, and found that they were very fruit forward wines on the sweeter side. Their Syrah was so different from anything I’ve ever tasted in a Syrah that I almost wonder if he didn’t pour the wrong wine...

These guys have all the right ingredients, but their wines are not worthy of the prices yet. We enjoyed our time there, but will wait a few years before checking in again.

Joel

http://www.longshadowranchwinery.com/

Wiens Family Cellars - Temecula

2006-04-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

Wiens was a delightful little winery. They have big expansions planned, in which they hope to become more of a destination than just a winery. This is typical of most of the wineries in Temecula.

The gal who poured our wine was very nice, and it was her first week. She didn’t know a lot about their wines, but the other staff around were very helpful to her and we enjoyed the experience. Their wines were all quite light, too light for our tastes. Their Zinfandel, from Lodi, was the gem of the lot. We bought a bottle of that and a bottle of the Primitivo simply because of it is an unusual grape.

This is a nice place to visit, but not one of the “don’t miss” wineries of Temecula.

Joel

http://www.wienscellars.com/

Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyard - Temecula

2006-04-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Wilson Creek is a wonderful facility that gets a lot of traffic. There were a LOT of cars in the parking lot, and it’s easy to see why. They are known for their almond champagne, something that we aren’t exactly into, but is very accessible to people who aren’t generally into wines. They also have a great facility, a friendly attitude, and a lot of events. They refer to their wine club as “extended family” and it shows.

We didn’t expect much of their wines, but were very pleasantly surprised. They had a very interesting and unique wine, they call it Pinot-Mour, which is a Pinot Noir and Mouvedre blend. On the whole their wines were good enough that we took the plunge and joined the “extended family” with a red-only membership. We did this partially because of how wonderful the facility is, we expect that we will stop here for a picnic lunch almost every time, so we might as well belong to the wine club making tastings free...

Joel

http://www.wilsoncreekwinery.com/

Palumbo Family Vineyards - Temecula

2006-04-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

We’ve been to Palumbo before and had a great time with Nick talking about the wine business and enjoying his personality and his wines. Unfortunately he was not there yesterday, making a very different experience. The gal behind the counter was nice, but doesn’t have that friendly spirit or wine know-how that makes a tasting such a great experience.

Still the Palumbo Family Vineyards are one of the gems of Temecula. Patty and I had mixed opinions on the wines. She likes them, I wasn’t as impressed. Patty put us on the waiting list for the wine club, so we’ll see how things turn out...

Joel

http://www.palumbofamilyvineyards.com/

Why a wine blog?

2006-04-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

We like red wine, and are fortunate to live in one of the best wine regions in the world. As fun as wine is to drink, it's even more enjoyable when you've met the people who make it and have the experience of visiting the winery. As such, our family enjoys visiting wineries around California and tasting their wines. This blog is about the whole experience of wine tasting. If you want numerical ratings, go subscribe to wine spectator. What you will get here is a review of the entire experience. We will talk about the wines, about the property, about the people, and anything else that strikes our fancy. What you do with this information is up to you. We suggest that you visit the ones that sound interesting, and enjoy their wines.

Joel & Family