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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 in late 2017 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.

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:  At the end of each post is a small Facebook Like box....  Would really like a lot of likes....

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 NEWS FLASH:  Worried about brown-outs ruining your wine?  Well, Chateau 55 has added a generator so your wine will always stay coo.  Mention our name and get the first month of storage free and a 5% discount for the next 11 months storage.  To check them out  click the link below. 
Link to Chateau 55 Website
33% Discount!  Save $20 on a $59.99 Priority Wine Pass by using the link below and entering the code scwr.
Link to Priority Wine Pass

  • So Cal Winery Review has joined the American Institute of Wine & Food, San Diego Chapter.  AIWF was founded in 1981 by Julia Child, Robert Mondavi, and others.  Read more about it in our About section.
  • I got another gadget for Father's Day.  See it in the GADGETS section.
  The Latest Blog
New winery:  Bastian's Vineyards in Escondido, subject of my latest blog.
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Links to special blogs:​
  • The Italian Connection
  • Purchasing Wine
  • Tasting Wine
  • Tastes like Marsala
  • And the beat goes on
  • We are the future
  • To taste or not to taste
  • Three years
  • Doc Ed's Excellent Adventure
  • Wine, food, and music in Ramona 
  • The Guadalupe Valley -- First Visit
  • Halloween 2021 -- Revenge of the Spirits




Fallbrook Winery

7/29/2019

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We finally decided to hit wineries in the Fallbrook area, so naturally we started with the Fallbrook Winery.  This is sort of “good news/bad news” review.  The “good news” is that the Fallbrook Winery makes some very nice wine and has a very nice facility.  The “bad news” is that it is not easy to get to and can only be visited by making reservations in advance.
The winery is located in a residential area of Fallbrook, up a very winding road.  This is not a boutique winery – in fact, it is a large winery by San Diego County standards.  In other words, they do not depend on direct sales to the public.  That is not to say that they don’t like visitors, just that where they are located is not conducive to a lot of wine tasters coming and going.
As you can see in the following pictures, you can sit inside or outside for your tasting.  When we sat outside they came to us with the wine, a service that I really like.
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Wine tasting is Temecula cost level, $20 per person for six tastes.  As shown in the menu below, they offer some whites and a nice selection of red wines.  It is my understanding that they have over twenty acres planted on their own property and control vines planted on another twenty or so, with total sales over 20,000 cases a year.  A quick glance at the wine tasting menu shown below gives you a good idea of what they are about – all of the wines listed as “Estate” are red, and many are Italian varietals.  I particularly liked their Barbera – maybe the best I’ve tasted in Southern California.  Their Bordeaux blend (BDX) is a pretty smooth affair, and I think will be really good after a bit of aging.  I apologize for not getting to the Aglianico – too many wines to choose from.
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They have three wine club levels.  The lowest is the Founders Club – three bottles quarterly, one 33֯ N Estate and two Fallbrook Winery.  The next level is the Estate Club – three bottles quarterly, all 33֯ N Estate wines.  You can also opt for a “Keep Me Stocked”, calling for 6 bottles per quarter of the Fallbrook Winery wines.  All wines at a 20% discount with free tasting for two per visit.  They do have some special events at the winery, and wine club members get invitations plus first crack at new releases.  Some wines available to wine club members are not released to the public.
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    Jim Treglio

    retired physicist and wine lover

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