Principe di Tricase

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….