So. Cal. Winery Review
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WINERY REVIEW

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Introduction
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Welcome to Southern California Winery Review!  I started this website about two years ago because I kept finding really bad wineries getting rave reviews, while some very, very good wineries were totally ignored.  So, I've spent quite a bit of time visiting wineries in Southern California (over 60).  Of these I've found about 40 pretty good wineries, certainly worth my taking the time to write them up.  I know what you are thinking -- it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it....  These are summarized in the Wineries section of this website. 
Now wineries in Southern California  are rapidly becoming the centers of social activities.  Not just for special events (weddings and the like), but as a place to go on weekends with friends, to enjoy good wine (ok, that's pretty obvious), good food, and even good entertainment.  While most wineries have some sort of wine club, no two are run the same.  Some wineries have restaurants.  Some have entertainment on weekends.  Some even have hotels.   So I have included information on all of this, both in the Wineries section and in the Winery News section.
If you are looking for specific varietals, you can find long lists at the beginning of the About section.  Not just what varietals are available in Southern California, but which wineries are offering them.  The About section also includes info on wine storage, corks, the Sommelier test, how to cool your wine to proper serving temperature, and other little tidbits.

I am not really qualified to review the wines themselves, though I will tell you what I like and maybe even what I don't like.  However, I have a wine collector (now a Level 1 Sommelier) who will provide us some insights into particular wines.  One word of warning:  both he and I are red wine enthusiasts....   Wine quality determines which wineries I review, though I also pay attention to the wine tasting room, personnel, location, view, et al.   I should add that I am very much a red wine enthusiast....
And speaking of red wine, I shall now expound on my pet peeve -- namely, drinking red wine at "room temperature"!  Red wine should be stored and drunk at a temperature below 65 F.  If you don't believe me, I suggest you run a little experiment -- I like experiments, in fact I'm a retired experimental physicist.  Pour red wine into two glasses in a warm room.  Chill one to below 65 F (put it in the fridge for about 20 minutes) and let the other glass warm up.  Then taste them both.... 
See picture below for recommended drinking temperatures.  By the way, what you see in the picture is the back of a wine temperature gauge, one of many wine-related paraphenalia in the Gadgets section.
IMPORTANT NOTE:  I HAVE ADDED LINKS FROM THE WINERIES​ PAGE TO THE SPECIFIC WINERY REVIEW.  Oh, at the end of each post is a small Facebook Like box....  Would really like a lot of likes....

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Red wine should be aerated, i.e., allowed to breath.  You can buy a simple aerator that will do the job, twirl the wine in the glass, or just let the wine sit for  awhile before drinking.  Of course, if the room is warm, see above....
One question you may be asking yourself:  why should I buy wine from a winery rather than Cosco, a supermarket, or a wine shop?  Well, for one thing, if you visit the winery you taste the wine before you buy it.  Then there is the fact that Cosco and the supermarkets don't store the wine properly, so even if you get a good wine the first time the next bottle you buy might not be as good.  That assumes they still carry it and you can remember what it was you bought in the first place.
But there is another reason -- wineries in Southern California make varietals that you are unlikely to find at Costco or a supermarket.  I list  a whole batch of white and red varietals I've tasted at the wineries I've reviewed.  Costco only carries around 15 red varietals.  You won't find three of my favorite wines:  LaGrein, Negroamaro and Montipulciano.  To make it easier to find a winery offering your favorite varietal, the wine varietal wine lists are now in the Wineries section .
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Link to Chateau 55 Website
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Link to Priority Wine Pass

The Latest Blog
Montepulciano is another Italian wine, but rather than being rare it is Italy's second most commonly grown grape, trailing only Sangiovese.
Site News​​
  •  I've deleted the About Red Wines and About White Wines from the About section, with the listing now in the Wineries section.
  • With reviews now coming in from Doc Ed on Oregon wineries, I've added a listing of reviewed Oregon wineries in the Wineries section, after the extensive So Cal winery listing.​
About Section Contents
The About section is getting a bit crowded, so I thought it might be worthwhile to list the contents, as follows:
  1. About Sommeliers
  2. About Chilling Wine
  3. About Southern California Wineries
  4. About the Lum Eisensan/San Diego Wine Competition
  5. About Corks
  6. About Wine Clubs
  7. About Wine Storage
  8. About Balsamic Vinegar

Espinosa

2/18/2018

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Nestled in the Highland Valley section of Escondido, Espinosa is a very small, very new, boutique winery.  We made our third trip to the winery yesterday as part of a large group – our wine expert’s family – and were treated to some very fine wine in a wonderful setting (see picture below).
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Espinosa does not have a restaurant, or music, or a real tasting room to speak of.  The tasting menu is written in chalk (see picture below).  All they have is very good wine.  This is a very nice winery if you want to get away from the crowd, just sit back and relax.  And while they don’t have a wine club, your $10 tasting fee can be applied to a bottle of their wine.
Now one very important point about Espinosa, namely, they pretty much sell everything that they make, so if you visit there and like a wine, buy it!  If it is really good you may not find it there on your next visit.
Which brings me to a second very important point about Espinosa, namely their Zinfandel.  If you have been reading my blogs you know that I don’t comment on specific wines, but this one is really, really good.  The bad news is that the 2015 is pretty much gone – we kinda bought all that was left -- and there is no 2016 on the way – you won’t be able to get any of their Zinfandel or even taste it until the fall of 2019.  The good news is that we got to taste it from the barrel and it is incredible!!  Now I don't mean you should wait until then to visit Espinosa, only you really need to visit then.
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Altipiano

2/13/2018

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Altipiano is another winery that we visited as a result of a recommendations from NextDoor Scripps Ranch Fallbrook Estates, though my wine expert had been there before.   Another great recommendation.  Thank you, neighbors!
Located off of Highland Valley Road in Escondido, visiting Altipiano is more like visiting someone’s home rather than a winery.  I guess it’s because you are visiting someone’s home!  That’s right, the owners have converted the grounds around their 6,000 sq. ft. home into a winery, and, as you can see in the picture below, their patios as well.
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I did not get a picture inside their very small tasting room because we were only there for a very short time.  The wine maker herself escorted us to the patio with a great view.  It was a pretty cold day, so we actually sat in front of the fireplace you see in the picture below.  They bring the wine to you, along with oyster crackers and Ghirardelli chocolates – you can see them on the coffee table next to the glasses.
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You get five tastes for $10 – the wines shown in the menu below.  While this is a small and relatively new winery, they take wine making very seriously.  As a result, these are serious wines well worth looking into.  Oh, and one very nice thing – the tasting is free if you buy a bottle of their wine.You get five tastes for $10 – the wines shown in the menu below.  While this is a small and relatively new winery, they take wine making very seriously.  As a result, these are serious wines well worth looking into.  Oh, and one very nice thing – the tasting is free if you buy a bottle of their wine.
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Lorimar

2/11/2018

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I received a lot of great winery recommendations from a posting on Nextdoor Scripps Ranch Fairbrook Estates.  Lorimar was one – thanks, Ken.
Located on Anza north of Rancho California in Temecula, Lorimar is just a great winery to visit.  If you haven’t guessed by reading my first three blogs, I consider Orfila, Ponte, and Robert Renzoni representatives of the best of the Southern California wineries to join.  Lorimar is right up there with those three.  To start with, they have a great facility, as shown in the photos below.  They have two unique features as well.  The first is a small art gallery (not shown).  They also have two stages, one in the back by their “restaurant”, just outside the tasting room, and the other in a field below where they most likely hold special events.  Needless to say, they have live entertainment on weekends.

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You may note that I have placed quotation marks about their restaurant.  If you look closely in the photo below, you can see a food truck behind the “restaurant” counter.  I’m not sure why they use a truck, but we had lunch there and the food was great.
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The wine tasting rooms are pretty nice (see below), and sell a lot of other things, very similar to Orfila in that they sell food items to snack on while tasting their wine in case you don’t want to get something from their “restaurant”.
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As you can see from the menus below, they offer a wide variety of wines, with a standard six tastings for $17 weekdays and $29 weekends.  On the down side, they serve their red wines at tasting room temperature, which, like Avensole, was not really cool enough to get a really good feel for their wines.  We visited this winery with our wine expert, and one of the first things he did was ask to see one of their corks.  Apparently, he has learned that good wineries use high quality corks.  Didn’t see that coming.  Yes, they use high quality corks – and they have water available in their tasting room.  One other thing – they have a second tasting room in Old Town Temecula.
Like Avensole, they have three wine club options – red and white, all red, and premium wines.  Unlike Avensole, no matter what club you belong to the 25% discount extends to all of their wines (very nice), you get two free tastings per day at either site (not both in the same day), 10% off of everything else, special wine club events, and 25% off tastings for guests.  Definitely worth a visit!
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Baily

2/9/2018

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Back many years ago – way too many years ago – wine tasting rooms were pretty simple affairs, just a bar of some sort with bottles of wine.  No tasting menus, and tastings were free.  If you liked the wine, you bought a bottle, and if you really liked the wine you joined their wine club and had bottles shipped to your home.  As time went on, the wineries began charging for the wine, but you got to take the glass home with you.  What we have seen here in Southern California is different, one where the winery has become a “social center”, and the first five wineries I reviewed fit that model.  Baily, on the other hand, is old school, sort of.  They have a small tasting room without any seating, either inside or outside.
Baily is located on Rancho California Blvd. in Temecula, and does have an attached restaurant.  Wine tasting is $15 per person, but you get to keep the glass and also get $5 back if you buy a bottle of wine (we did).  Their wine club is pretty traditional – one bottle a month, 20% discount on all wines you buy, 10% discount on food at the restaurant and any items that you buy there.
Now to the “sort of” comment above.  While the tasting room is just that – a wine tasting room – they have a number of “events” including live music at the restaurant on weekends.

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Avensole

2/5/2018

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Going back to Temecula, the next winery to be reviewed is Avensole, located on Rancho California on the right just before the de Anza circle.  The owners purchased the winery about four years ago and spent about two years renovating the property.  They improved both the buildings and the landscaping.  As you can see in the pictures below, it was a very successful renovation.

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The winery has patio seating for wine tasting (see picture below), and there is live music on weekends.  The set-up is different from other wineries in that the patio view is off the beautiful landscaping, not the surrounding scenery.
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Avensole has a restaurant in a separate building up the hill from the tasting room.  I’m not fond of the separation – it makes it very difficult to combine tasting with food.
The wines are good – if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be reviewing this winery – but generally overpriced.  Pictures of the wine tasting room and patio are shown below.  On weekdays, the fare is $17 for six tastings; $20 on weekends.  One disappointing note is that the tasting room was not cooled – it was around 75 F – and so we were not getting a good evaluation of their red wines.
Their wines are in three groups – Explore, Venture, and Discover – with Explore the lowest-priced wines and Discover the highest-priced wines, as seen in the pictures below.  Now, you don’t join the Avensole wine club.  Rather, you join the Explore, Venture, or Discover wine club.  If you join the Explore wine club, you agree to buy 3 bottles of Explore wine a quarter (12 for the year) at a 20% discount.  You also get free wine tasting for two per month and a 10% discount on other items they sell and the restaurant.  However, you only get a discount on Explore wines.  Venture works the same way, except you get 8 free tastings per month and the wine discount extends to both Explore and Venture wines.  Only if you buy into the Discover level do you get a discount on all of the wines that they sell.  In addition, they have a separate building with a tasting room and its own patio for Discover wine club members only, open only on weekends.  One quirk, which perhaps I misunderstood, is that Discover members only get two tastings per visit, not nearly as generous as the less expensive Venture level is afforded.
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The wine club does allow substitutions.  They send out an email each quarter telling you which wines have been selected for the club.  If you want to replace any of the wines, you email back the changes you want to make and they’ll have the correct wines ready for you when you come by to pick them up.
What particularly stood out in our visit to Avensole was what were not in the tasting room – water to rinse one’s pallet and remain hydrated, water to rinse one’s glass between tastes (and a place to dump the water), and munchies.  I don’t see these things as amenities.  Rather, all three improve the quality of the tastes, making the customers more likely to buy their wine.
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Principe di Tricase

2/2/2018

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Now for something completely different….
This next winery is about as far removed from Ponte, Orfila and Robert Renzoni as is possible.  A very small, little known winery, Principe di Tricase is one of the new wineries recently opened in the Ramona and Highland Valley regions of San Diego County.  Located on Highland Valley Road in Ramona, Principe di Tricase was started just a few years ago by an elderly Italian immigrant who came here from Naples with no wine making expertise at all.  Nonetheless, he produces a number of very interesting wines.
This is a family-run winery lacking in any frills.  The facility is pretty rustic, not really set up for visitors.  Wine tasting is not done by menu.  Rather, you sit comfortably outside of the very small barrel room, or inside during the summer heat, and they bring the wine to you, describing the wine’s history and attributes.  They pick the wines, of course.  Music is often a part of the experience, provided by a family member playing guitar and singing Italian folk tunes.
While many of the small wineries do not have a wine club, Principe di Tricase does.  You can join one of three levels.  On the lowest level, you pay $35 per month for a bottle of wine, with a 10% discount on any other wine you buy and four tickets to their harvest party.  Next level is $64 per month for two bottles, 15% wine discount, and four tickets.  High end is three bottles at $87 per month, 20% wine discount and twelve tickets.   Additional 5% off if you buy 12 bottles of wine.  At every level you get two wine tastings per month when you come to pick up your wine, and invitations to members-only events.  While this may not seem like a great deal, they have a lot of members-only events, including monthly wine-pickup pot luck and pizza parties.  Their harvest party is a full day affair.  It begins with breakfast at 8, then to the fields to pick grapes, followed by an Italian lunch, then the start of making wine from the grapes.
The foci of their wine making are the ancient wines of Rome and southern Italy, using aglianico, nebbiolo and aleatico grapes.  Wine tasting is on two levels, $5 and $10, but free if you buy a bottle of wine.  Like many of the Ramona wineries, wine tasting times are limited.  They are open Thursday through Sunday from noon until sunset, though you have to call in advance for Thursday.  Also, they are not open to the public the third Sunday of the month – that’s reserved for their wine club party.
I apologize for not having pictures at the present time.  I haven’t had a chance to get out there.  Too busy drinking wine….
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    Jim Treglio

    retired physicist and wine lover

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