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 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.

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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 NEWS FLASH:  Worried about the 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

The Latest Blog
Dudes!  Read all about Jim and Ed's Excellent Adventure -- and South Coast Winery!
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

Shadow Mountain Vineyards & Winery

3/4/2019

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If you are looking for wineries off the beaten path, so to speak, there are plenty in San Diego County.  In the past we found a very nice winery heading southeast towards the Mexican border in the Jamul area.  If you go north and then east of Mount Palomar to the Warner Springs area you’ll find another group of wineries.  Among these, right off of Rt. 79, is Shadow Mountain Vineyards & Winery.  We drove up there through Ramona, taking 67 to 78 to 79.  Unless you have a sports car and like to drive along winding roads, I would suggest you take 15 north to 79 then east on 79 to the winery.  We took that route back – a bit longer but a much easier drive.
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If you get past the long trip out to the winery, and the mile or so dirt drive, you will find it is well worth the visit.  Shadow Mountain is a large boutique winery (30 acres) offering only Estate wines, growing 16 different grape varieties, some from vines that were planted over 50 years ago.  Their facility is relatively rustic, with nice views and a nice area outside to sit (see pictures).
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The tasting room is nothing to write home about – small with little seating – so you shouldn’t go on a day like we did, when it was too cold to sit outside.  Tasting fee is $10 per person for six tastes.  They didn’t work off of a tasting menu per se, but I have attached a picture of their price list.  You will see that they make a Nebbiolo varietal.  More about that later.  Their other wines were quite good, except for their Tempranillo but never take my word for Tempranillo since I really, really don’t like Tempranillo.  My only complaint is that the temperature in the tasting room was a bit high, and they served the red wine at room temperature.
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Now the Nebbiolo grape is used to make Barolo, generally regarded as the King of Italian wines (and the wine of Kings).  They are very proud of their Nebbiolo, so we were able to talk them into tasting some.  All I need to say is that we walked away with four bottles, two of their 2013 crop and two 2016 vintage that had just been bottled.  Yes, the wine is that good!  How good?  See the medals in the picture below.  By the way, they do their own artwork for their bottles.
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The winery also has cottages to rent and a wine club.  Wine club members purchase three bottles a quarter, but, unlike other wineries, the customer gets to pick the wines!  Discount is 20% and extends to the cottage rental as well – a very nice deal indeed.  They also hold an annual event for wine club members only.  Now if they could just move a bit closer….
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    Jim Treglio

    retired physicist and wine lover

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