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
To appease the non-red wines in my wine refrigerator, my latest blog is about Viognier -- and how Viognier grapes are blended with Syrah grapes....
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

Three Hills Winery

10/19/2020

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​Some months ago, we reported on the expedition we took with our intrepid group of explorers, seeking out civilization (i.e., wine) in the central regions of the great expanse known as California.  Much closer to home there is a region as yet uncivilized.  This is the area lying along the trail known as Highland Valley Road between the high lands of Escondido and the low lands of Ramona.  Only a few weeks ago one of our daring team, braving the ravages of a deadly disease, set off on an exploration of the area.  She uncovered evidence that civilization was indeed flowing up from the valley, with a new settlement (i.e., winery) just past the intersection of the Highland Valley Road trail and the trail named for our famous local pugilist, the great Archie Moore.  So, naturally, we had to see this for ourselves.
Trusting to our guide, Siri, we headed out on a very pleasant afternoon, taking the trail known as Route 67 over the low mountains and down into the valley of the wines.  As reported, we found the site less than a mile from the intersection of the Archie Moore and Highland Valley trails, on the left – Three Hills Winery.  We had travelled this path many times.  How could we have missed it?  Could it have been that well-hidden?  And, most importantly, were the wines any good?
So it was that we entered the site.  As shown in the pictures below, they had set up their operation at the edge of a haunted forest.  There were signs that some of the forest denizens had invaded their lands, but they seemed to have kept them at bay, away from their visitors.  It was also clear that we were not the first to partake of their offerings to Bacchus.
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​We met with those manning this far outpost of civilization and learned that they had decided to start their enterprise in July, at the peak of the pandemic attacking our great land.  Such bravery!!!  Everyone had to be outside, but fortuned shined on them – they had designed their facility for outside tasting.  They are a small (boutique) settlement, preparing only a limited array of product, as shown below.  Tasting was $15 for five wines, but we managed to taste six of their fare.
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​We thought that their best was a wine called “World Peace”, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (estate grown) and Merlot (grapes from Paso Robles).  The other wines were nice, though, especially the Zinfandel, also estate grown.  We understand that a red Italian varietal has been planted.
Unfortunately, they made the same mistake that other wineries make, namely serving their red wines at too high a temperature.  Hopefully, they will correct this deficiency with time.  They also should consider providing water for their visitors – not just selling bottled water.  A real bathroom would be nice.
They do offer some food for sale, mostly snack stuff as shown on the menu that follows.  I braved the ghouls guarding the entrance to their abode long enough to take a picture of the interior, shown after the menu.  The ghouls, by the way, proved harmless.  Indeed, the only danger we met was from the yellow jackets that kept trying to steal our wine.
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​They have a pretty-standard wine club – three bottles per quarter at a 20% discount, mixed or all red, 10% discount on food and merchandise, and first access to new releases with some wines for the club only.  They also have pick-up parties, catered with music.  Wine club members get two free tastings or glasses per month.
We understand that the site is nine acres, but only three are cultivated.  The rest appears to be mostly forest, which we were loath to explore, being uncertain of the friendliness of the ghouls and other forest denizens (and the lack of a decent bathroom).
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    Jim Treglio

    retired physicist and wine lover

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