​It was the best of wines, it was the worst of wines…
Your intrepid explorer has again crossed the Atlantic Ocean, back to the origins of the wine industry.  This time, my wife and I took a Viking Cruise to Bordeaux, one of the leading wine-producing regions in France.  As the misquote of Dickins above implies, some of the wines we tasted were quite good, but some were among the worst we have ever run into.
Over the next few weeks I will review four wineries that we visited.  As per my general approach, I will not review the wineries that had, let us kindly say, less than desirable offerings.  We also visited a barrel making facility, which at some time I will discuss in the About section.  But, first a review of our trip.
We began in Bordeaux where we boarded the Viking river boat and met the amazing crew.  They were great, but the really great part of the trip was making new friends among the other passengers.  Of course, it was cold and rainy the entire trip, so we probably spent more time with the other passengers than normal….
At the end of the trip we spent a couple of days in Paris:

​Now Bordeaux is an unusual part of France in that it was under English rule for three hundred years, beginning when Eleanor of Acquitaine married Henry II of England in the 1100’s.  The area became a trading post of the English, and many of the towns are market centered rather than Church centered.  The Bordeaux region is split by an estuary fed by two rivers running southeast to northwest.  The area can be divided into two regions – the left bank and the right bank, left and right determined when facing downstream.  Now wine has been produced on the right bank for many centuries.  On the other hand, the left bank was mostly marsh until Dutch engineers helped the French with water control, recovering the land for agriculture sometime in the mid-nineteenth century.  Now soil in the recovered land is really not soil – it’s mostly rocks.  Not much you can grow there accept grape vines….
The two leading red grape varieties in the area are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and grapes from these two varieties must dominate any red wines made in the area.  It is generally believed that the rocky soil on the left bank produces better Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, while the clay soil on the left bank is better for Merlot grapes.  Most of the wines produced in Bordeaux are blends of these two, sometimes with small additions of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and the recently reintroduced Carmenere.  Some of the most expensive red wines in the world come out of Bordeaux.  However, our guides were quick to point out that the average bottle of red wine in Bordeaux sells for around ten dollars!  More about this in my reviews.
The southern part of Bordeaux is considered to be better suited for growing white grapes, specifically Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle.  Sauvignon Blanc is the primary grape for dry white wines, whereas Semillon for sweet white wines.  Of particular note is the wine Sauternes, a sweet white wine made from grapes that have been attacked by “Noble Rot”.  I kid you not.
OOPS!  Getting boring, so here are some more pictures of Paris:

There are technically no wineries in Bordeaux.  Rather, wine is made in Chateaus, such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Mouton Rothschild.  OK, enough blather about Bordeaux that you can easily find on the web.  I found it interesting, but cruising the rivers in the region extremely boring.  So more pictures of Paris:

​Some things get better and better, and there are always new things that are pretty good, at least that is what awaited our gang of intrepid winers at Vineyard Grant James.  We were a bit under the weather before our trip, as seen in the picture below:

​Of course, after a few glasses of wine, we looked like this:

​As for the better and better, Susanne Sapier, winemaker extraordinaire, introduced us to her 2020 vintage Nebbiolo.  Their past vintages have been very good, but this one is just that one step above even though it has only aged two years! I hope to see what it is like with a few more years of aging, but, well, it is really, really good right now and sometimes I get very thirsty and the dog ate my homework….
As for the new things, we got to taste both a Carmenere and an Alicante Bouchet.  Carmenere is often referred to as the lost grape of Bordeaux.  Back in the 19th century, most of the vines in Europe were wiped out by root louse from America when some idiots brought live North American vines to France and planted them in Bordeaux.  Carmenere was widely planted in Bordeaux at the time and was wiped out entirely from Europe.  Fortunately, the grape had already made its way to Chile, being mistaken for Merlot.  Anyway, we got to taste the Grant James version, and it is pretty similar to the Chilean version, with a very unique jalapeño flavor.  Hope to buy some as soon as they have labels on the bottles.
During Prohibition, you were allowed to make wine at home for your own consumption, so growers in California grew grapes and shipped them east.  As Alicante Bouchet is a very thick-skinned grape that could handle the long train ride, it was the grape of choice.  It is a bit of a rare type of grape in that its skin and flesh are both red.  It is a cross created by Henri Bouchet, who crossed Grenache with Petit Bouchet, itself a cross created by his father.  The Grant James version is a very nice wine, of which we consumed very large quantities.

​I have to eat crow.  Not a lot of crow, but I have to eat crow.  More on this later in the blog…
COVID be damned, another winery tasting room opened up last year in Ramona.  Located off of Highland Valley Road not far from Mermaid Valley, Ranch San Martin Winery is a small, boutique affair.  They plan on staying small and concentrating on making good wine.  I can live with that!
The tasting room is a tent, as shown below, on a very nice site, and one can sit outside the tent as well.  Wine is brought to the tables, i.e., the right way of doing things, and water is readily available.

​Currently, the wine selection is limited to wines made from two grapes:  Sangiovese and Tempranillo.  OK, here’s where I eat crow:  the Tempranillo wasn’t all that bad.  Indeed, I drank every drop of it.  So, for the few of you out there that are Tempranillo fans, this is the winery for you!
Of the Sangiovese varietals, we tasted two, a 2016 vintage and their 2017 Bella.  The Bella is a mix of their two clones, as shown in the price list below.  Very nice.  I plan on returning to check out their single clone Sangioveses, and maybe give the Tempranillo another shot….

​They have a relatively standard wine club – 3 bottles a quarter at a 20% discount -- but with an important extra -- club members pick the wines!  The tasting offerings, as with most wineries, will change often, and will include, in addition to wines made from the estate grapes (Sangiovese and Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and some others (see picture of labels below).

​I’ve found something you can do at a winery that you can’t do just about anywhere else.
For nearly three weeks I remained in virtual isolation due to COVID.  While my COVID symptoms were extremely mild, I had a big problem:  what to do for my wife’s upcoming birthday.  In the past, I had surprised her by taking her to a murder mystery theater, where a number of friends lay in waiting.  Worked great, so I looked to see if there was one that we could go to for this year’s affair.  Nothing available.
Now here’s the thing:  in addition to murder mysteries, my wife loves wineries.  Ergo, rather than going to a murder mystery theater I decided to host a murder – but at a winery.  Fantastic idea, you say?  Yes, it proved to be just that.  And yes, I’ve sprained myself patting myself on the back….
As it turns out, you can purchase the mystery online.  They provide almost everything you need, except, of course, the food, wine (or other drinks), and some props.  I found the perfect mystery on the website nightofmystery.com: “A Deadly Vintage”.
I chose Monserate Winery in Fallbrook (see my last post) as I wanted a winery that could provide both room for the group, good wine, and food.  We held the affair this past Sunday (September 11).
As I expected, the winery proved to be the perfect venue for the event.  First, I did not have to worry about preparing food and drink – everything was available.  Second, murder mysteries require the participants to move about, talking in private with other characters to gather clues as to who the killer is.  You can’t do that at a restaurant, but we could at the winery.  Third, the winery took care of most of the clean-up.  Fourth, wineries can accommodate any number of people.  We had ten participants out of twelve invited, but could have had a version for 15.  That’s a pretty good number of people to have in your home but not a problem for most wineries.
Try it – you’ll like it!
Quick note:  I was one of two that solved the crime!  And the birthday girl wound up the victim….

​Some time ago, I proposed in a blog on this website that Southern California wineries should seriously consider focusing on Italian grape varieties (The Italian Connection).  My reasons were that 1) the terroir of Southern California is similar to that of Italy; 2) Italian wines are growing in popularity; and 3) there is far less competition for wines made from Italian grape varieties than French grape varieties.  I am delighted to announce that a new, large winery has opened up in Fallbrook with a heavy emphasis on Italian varietals.  I doubt that the owners knew of my blog, but I’ll take full credit where credit is not due….
​Located in Fallbrook, just off of rte. 76, Monserate Vineyards & Winery opened their tasting room in October of last year.  The owners have converted a golf course into a winery, with 75 acres planted in 2017 and another 10 since.  That, by the way, makes them the largest winery in San Diego County.  With their main tasting room still in construction, they have made use of two temporary areas, one to the right as you go in.  Some pictures of that area can be seen below.

​The other area is to the left as one enters the grounds.  As shown below, it is just as nice as the are to the right, but with more trees.

​Before discussing the wine, I feel obliged to bring up one very important feature of this winery:  the people.  I have been to many wineries, and I can comfortably say that they have one of the best crews I have ever encountered!  We not only brought many of our friends, but also three of our granddaughters -- ages 1, 4 and 7.  They didn't blink an eye....
OK, now on to the wines.  The grape varieties that have been planted are shown below.  I am happy to say that their wines are much better than their spelling….  As you can see in the tasting menu that follows the listing, many of the red wines made from these grapes have not been released.  Not surprising, since their first vintage is 2019.  I personally can’t wait for their Aglianico, Sagrantino and Negroamaro varietals to be released, and will let you know when I do.  What has been released so far is pretty good, especially the 2019 Montepulciano Library Reserve and the 2020 Petite Sirah.

In terms of unique wines, I believe they are making the only orange wine in Southern California.  An orange wine is one made from white grape using the red wine making method, i.e., crush, ferment, then press.  This is a very interesting wine….
Now on to the food.  Wood-fired pizza, bruschetta made with freshly-baked bread, a charcuterie board with some of the same incredible bread, and a wonderful caprese make it hard to remember that you came for the wine.  Food is counter-ordered then brought to your table, while wines are poured at select stations.  Oh, for the non-wine drinkers in your group, they offer beers as well.

​They have two wine club offerings – Legacy (three bottles four times a year) and Legacy Case (a case every six months).  Both entail a 25% discount on bottles, tasting and glasses, 35% on cases, and 10% on food, merchandise, et al. – if you join before August 31st 2022.  Those who join after that date get a 20% discount on bottles, et al., and 30% on cases.  Legacy members get four free tastings or glasses per month, Legacy Case six.

​I introduced this website late in 2017, during which time I have observed a significant increase in the number of people visiting the wineries.  COVID slowed things down considerably, but in the last year or so the crowds have returned with a vengeance.  I attribute this entirely to my writing, but, alas, I am the only one to recognize my great contribution.  Nonetheless, I tirelessly explore the Southern California lands seeking to introduce the world to our fine wines and wineries.
My travels took me back to near one of the first wineries I reviewed, Espinosa.  Very near – next door in fact – you will find Bastian’s Vineyards, right there on Bandy Canyon Road a block or so off of Highland Valley Road in the Highland Hills region of Escondido.  Easy to get to if you don’t mind winding mountain roads, Bastian’s is a small boutique winery in a very nice setting.  Bastian’s is very new.  Like a few other new wineries, they planned on opening in 2020 but were significantly delayed by COVID.  See pictures below.  Note that there is no indoor seating, but there is plenty of seating outside with umbrellas for shade.

​Things are pretty informal at Bastian’s.  No printed tasting menu – just a listing on a chalk board -- except that the wines on the menu were not all available for tasting.  Bottles of the five actual wines for tasting (five for $15) were laid out on the main (small) counter.

​Now the owner/winemaker does know what he is doing, as he is WSET Level 2 (wine) qualified as is yours truly, also trained by Lindsay Pomeroy.  Hence, all of Bastian’s wines are served at the right temperature.  I should add that all of them are quite well done.  As with many of the boutique wineries, the wines are brought to you at the table – no wine bar, just as I like it.
As for the wines, their Viognier is excellent.  Also of note is their Syrah.  We had to work around this one – they had too few bottles to open any for wine tasting, so we bought a bottle.  Very worth it!  This seems to fit a bit of a pattern, as these two grapes are from the same area of France (northern Rhone Valley) and other wineries in the area have had success with this grape varieties as well.
Now for the bad news.  Bastian’s is a small winery and does not make a whole lot of wine.  To complicate things, they offer a fairly wide variety of different wines.  As noted already, Syrah was not on the tasting list because they did not have enough wine.  Bottom line:  wine availability is a problem.
As a final note, Bastian’s does not have a wine club, nor do they sell food.

​We finally made a visit to Orfila Vineyards and Winery’s urban tasting room in the San Diego County city of Oceanside.  It is a relatively small but quite nice facility only a block from the ocean.  We sat at a table outside, drinking one of favorite wines (more on this wine below), enjoying first their charcuterie board, then a hummus and pita platter. Two important points to be made about these dishes.  First, the charcuterie board includes bread that is absolutely incredible.  Second, the hummus is very spicey.  You'll have to excuse the funny angles of the pictures below.  I took them after my second glass of wine....

​Now on to the wine mentioned above.  It was Lagrein.  This wine is a very rare red variety grown mostly in northern Italy, the subject of an earlier blog on this website.  We have been waiting for this 2019 vintage for some time now, and it did not disappoint.  It could have been served a bit cooler, though.  I’m guessing that they are more accustomed to the Escondido tasting room, which is kept quite cool.  As you can see in the menu below, most of the Orfila wines are available, and wine club members get their normal discounts and free wine.
One final note:  parking.  Because it is a urban site, parking is a problem.  There are a few spaces in front, but I should warn you that you have to back into these spaces.

​It was a nice Sunday afternoon – sun shining, temperature in the mid 60’s – a perfect day to do some exploring.  So Doc Ed and I decided to branch out, seek a winery in one of the remote areas of San Diego County.  We chose Old Survey Vineyard on Old Survey Road.
Old Survey Road branches off of Bandy Canyon Road about halfway between the San Diego Zoo and Highland Valley Road.  In other words, in the middle of nowhere.  One mile up that road (and I do mean UP) one finds Old Survey Vineyard.  We averaged about ten miles an hour going up the road, by the way.  No traffic, just a really bad road (they hope to repair it soon).  What we found at the end of our trip was worth it:  a very nice facility with a great view, and, most important, good wine.  You can see from the pictures below that we weren’t the only people wine tasting in the middle of nowhere that afternoon, i.e., I did not discover Old Survey (par for the course).

​Old Survey is a small winery, very boutique.  While the amount of estate grown wine is limited, they do make wines from grapes purchased from other vineyards.  We came to learn that the wines vary from year to year, i.e., they don’t buy the same grape varieties every year.  Currently they only offer red wines, all priced the same ($43 a bottle).  Their current offerings are shown in the wine tasting list below.  Tastings are $10 per and include all of the five listed wines, unless you leave your glass unattended…  This is a very friendly winery.
As for the wine, well, suffice it to say that the worst of the wines we tasted was pretty good.  This is relatively rare.  Not a single wine in the “eh” level – including a Tempranillo!!!  So for all of you readers of this blog that are fans of Tempranillo, this is the place to go…

​Old Survey is a small winery, but they do have a wine club.  They only require members to purchase 8 bottles of wine a year in two batches – May and November – that they select.  Discount is approximately 20%.

​It seems that more and more people are discovering Southern California wineries.  Even as the number of wineries has increased, the number of visitors to existing wineries has increased.  This is no better exemplified by my recent visit to Altipiano in the Highland Hills region of Escondido.  Well, all right, it turned out to be a special occasion – it was Denise Clarke’s birthday.  Denise and her husband Peter own the winery, and Denise is the winemaker.  Peter is the resident stand-up comedian.  I’m very happy to report that I actually got some of her time.  More on this further on.  Anyway, parking was almost impossible, and their patio was chock full of people.

​They’ve switched to serving flights of three wines, though you have to dance for your wine (just kidding), and they had some great live music.  I’ve written a piece on the rare Italian white grape Arneis, and lo and behold it is now part of their offering (and a good one at that!).  Can’t take credit for this – this wine was in the bottle long before my blog on Arneis.

​As for my time with Denise, I learned that Altipiano will be releasing two new wines in the next year or so, the outstanding Italian red varietals Aglianico and Nero d’Avola.  Wow!  Tasting prices have gone up to $35 for a flight of three wines.  You can see all of the current offerings in the pictures below.  As with many of the small wineries, Denise is sourcing some of her grapes to meet the huge demand for her product.

​On a recent visit to Forgotten Barrel, Doc Ed and I had the great fortune to be taken by the owner, Rodger Grove, to their barrel room where we were given the opportunity to taste their fortified aged wine, Legacy 32 Tawny Solera.  Note that it is really a tawny port, but port is a trade name and its use is highly restricted.  Anyway, the wine is extraordinary.  It also has a very interesting story.
Rodger purchased the winery from the Ferrara family back a few years ago.  Back in the barrel room he discovered this very, very large oak barrel (see picture below), and, much to his surprise, found it half full of aged, oxidized, fortified red wine, i.e., tawny port, though it cannot be named tawny port….  One way of making tawny port or a wine that looks like tawny port, smells like tawny port, and tastes like tawny port but cannot be named tawny port, is to use the Spanish solera concept.

​The solera system in Spain is used to make Sherry.  Wine is fortified by adding distilled wine (like brandy), then put into a barrel for aging.  But it is generally not an empty barrel.  Rather, it has been used to age wines from earlier vintages, some of which has been poured into another barrel to make room for the new wine.  Now the second barrel also contains wine from previous vintages, and some of it has been poured into yet a third barrel to make room for the wine from the second barrel.  There is a final, or bottom, barrel from which wine is removed for bottling.  Hence none of the wine has a vintage.
The technique is also used for Port, Tawny Port, and Marsala wines, among others.  In the case of Forgotten Barrel, the bottom barrel is huge.  If you look again at the large barrel picture you can see how it dwarfs other barrels seen behind the giant.  Wine is aged in the smaller barrels, then added to the large barrel when wine is removed for bottling.  It is not clear how long the wine has been aging, but it is pretty tawny so it most likely has been more than thirty years.  If the barrel has been around since the beginning of the Ferrara winery in 1932, some of the wine may be ninety years old!