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Temecula
Valley
Temecula Valley, not long ago
considered primarily a white wine producing area,
has gained much recognition for it's excellent red
wines. Along with the famous Chardonnays, Sauvignon
Blancs, Rieslings, Viogniers and Muscats, Temecula
wineries are producing award-winning Cabernet
Sauvignons, Merlots, Zinfandels and Syrahs, plus
Italian varietals, sparkling and fortified wines.
In 1998 the thirteen local wineries accounted for
over 150 unique wines. Most wineries in the
Temecula area are clustered within a relatively
small area on or near Rancho California Road,
making navigation particularly easy.
I was honored to write the
featured wine
article for the 1999
Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival
program.
Baily Vineyard
& Winery
33440 La Serena
Way, Temecula / 909-676-9463
As of late November
1999, Baily has a new tasting room situated
right on the main highway. The stark, stone
block structure hosts a sparse gift shop and
impressive tasting bar. Five wines (your choice
of 10) are tasted for $4.00. There was a
Chardonnay with citrus, fig and melon flavors, a
Montage, also with fig and melon aromas, two
White Rieslings, a Cabernet Blanc, a slightly
sweet Muscat Blanc and a Late Harvest White
Riesling with aromas of apples, pears and
peaches. The reds consisted of a light, fruity
"TV Red," great for a casual barbecue, a
Cabernet Sauvignon, and a very nice Merlot with
berry flavors and soft tannins. My favorite was
the Merlot.
Callaway
Vineyard and
Winery
32720 Rancho
California Road, Temecula /
909-676-4001
Callaway, the oldest
and largest winery in Temecula, produces some
very good food-friendly wines. The extensive
list includes a Pinot Gris, Viogner, two
Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc,
Muscat Cannelli and a Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.
The red wines include Nebbiolo Bello, Dolcetto,
two Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignon. The
"Calla-Lees" Chardonnay is a widely available,
good wine value. I particularly liked the
Cabernet Sauvignon and the Barrel Selection
Merlot, displaying blackberry, black cherry and
plum flavors. The modern visitor center has a
vast array of unique and artistic wine-related
gifts. Don't forget to check out the views from
the parking lot.
Callaway is home to some
exceptional dinners where guests are aften
treated to a private tour of the winery and
out-of-the-barrel tastings, gourmet food and
plenty of selected wines. I was present for the
last two Holiday Candlelight Dinners that were
well worth the cost of $65 per
person.
Cilurzo Vineyard
& Winery
41220 Calle
Contento, Temecula / 909-676-5250
Cilurzo's tasting
room is housed in a corner of an
industrial-looking facility. The ambiance is
simple, the staff is friendly and the wine list
is impressive. A small fee allows the visitor to
choose six of twelve wines for tasting. The
whites consisted of a toasty Reserve Chardonnay
with pineapple and tropical fruit flavors, a
dry, non-grassy Sauvignon Blanc and a Chenin
Blanc with peach and pear flavors and a honey
finish. A light-bodied Old Vines Zinfandel
exhibited strawberry flavors, the Cabernet
Sauvignon had rich currant and cherry flavors,
the Merlot was complex with black cherry and
licorice flavors and the non-vintage "Vincheno"
was a budget-priced pizza or BBQ wine. A peppery
Merlot Reserve and a rich, peppery Petite Sirah
Reserve were both excellent. Muscat Cannelli,
Sweet Zinfandel and a smooth, sweet Late Harvest
Petite Sirah round out the list. The white wines
were among the lowest priced and best value
wines in the valley.
Clos du
Muriel
33410 Rancho
California Road / 909-676-5400
Housed in a rustic
barn-like structure, Clos du Muriel's tasting
bar sits opposite working bottling machines and
stainless steel tanks and offers an impressive
view through large open barn doors. Here they
produce a slightly lemon grassy Reserve
Sauvignon Blanc, a clean, slightly dry White
Zinfandel, a clean, crisp and buttery Chardonnay
and a Merlot with ripe berry and cinnamon
flavors. A light-bodied Zinfandel had hints of
licorice and pepper and a raspberry flavored
Sangiovese-Zinfandel makes an excellent dessert
wine, and in fact, was served with chocolate.
Premium estate-grown wines (tasted for an
additional fee) included a Viognier that
exhibited layers of banana, guava and pear, and
a slightly tannic Merlot with a creamy
strawberry aroma.
Filsinger
Winery
39050 De Portola
Road, Temecula / 909-676-4594
Filsinger is located
about 10 minutes away from the cluster of most
of the Temecula wineries. The homey, no-nonsense
cottage-style tasting room is a contrast to some
of the more commercial wineries in the area.
There is a light, smooth Chardonnay, a tropical
Fume Blanc, a crisp Johannisberg Riesling, a
fruity and spicy Gewurtztraminer, Late Harvest
Sauvignon Blanc, White Zinfandel, Gamay
Beaujolais and a heavy bodied Cabernet
Sauvignon.
Hart
Winery
41300 Avenida
Biona, Temecula / 909-676-6300
The tasting room is
located in a barn-like structure with one end
dedicated to one of Temecula's smallest tasting
bars and a few gift items. The tasting hosts
(often assistant winemaker Bill Hart) are very
friendly and casual and the wines, available
only from the winery, are very good. The Fume
Blanc was light and fruity with flavors of fig
and baked apple, the Viognier tasted of pear and
peach, the Barbera had cherry and raspberry jam
flavors, a slightly tannic Old Vine Zinfandel
had blackberry and black plum aromas. My
favorites were a rich, tannic Estate Cabernet
Franc, one of the best in the valley, and the
fruity Stonelake Merlot.
Keways
Winery
37338 De Portola
Road, Temecula / 909-676-1451
Keyways Winery,
located far from the cluster of Temecula
wineries and just down the street from Filsinger
Winery, is an eclectic blend of wine, history
and Americana. This winery is just plain fun.
The wine bar is small and rustic, and is almost
overlooked considering the atmosphere. An
electric train chugs along on an overhead track,
and one can find shelves of restored antique
radios and other treasures, a pot-bellied stove
and various arty items. Our hostess, Coletta
O'Donnell, served three wines ($1 fee): a
Chardonnay with a slight citrus and vanilla
taste, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, and a
full-bodied Zinfandel with blackberry and cherry
flavors.
Maurice Carrie
Winery
34225 Rancho
California Road, Temecula /
909-676-1711
Maurice Carrie (not
to be confused with Carey Cellars) is built in
an intriguing French/early American architecture
complete with gazebo, windmill and an extensive
picnic area. The tasting room is bright and
large, with vaulted, wood-beamed ceilings. There
is an extensive gift shop that includes a
selection of deli items and fresh baked breads.
This is also one of the most popular wineries in
the area. The complimentary tasting includes
several Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin
Blanc, Johannisburg Riesling, Cabernet
Sauvignon, a pepper and currant flavored Merlot,
and Muscat Canelli. My favorite was a
non-vintage Cody's Crush, a blend of 1 White and
3 Red Wines. The wines are all very good values,
with 11 of their 14 wines costing less than
$10.
Mount Palomar
Winery
33820 Rancho
California Road, Temecula /
909-854-5177
This is a very
attractive Spanish-styled winery off the main
highway with a very large visitor center which
includes a tasting bar, deli, and a large
selection of gift items. Six wines were tasted
for a $3 fee. The whites consist of a citrusy
and nutty Cortese, Chardonnay, Le Mediterrane
Blanc, a rich, tropical Viognier with pear and
honey flavors, a dry Roussanne with peach and
hazelnut flavors, a crisp Riesling and a sweet
Orange Muscat. Reds included a smokey Merlot,
Sangiovese, Le Mediterrane and an excellent,
smokey Syrah that exhibited aromas of pepper and
leather. This is my favorite picnic spot, as one
will find one of the most extensive selections
of deli items in the valley and many picnic
tables scattered throughout the grounds-- many
overlooking the vineyards.
Santa Margarita
Winery
33940 Madera de
Playa, Temecula / 909-676-4431
Santa Margarita is
probably the most spartan of the Temecula
wineries. The tasting area, consisting of a
makeshift bar and basin sink, takes up a small
corner at the entrance of the barn-like winery.
The proprietor, Barrett Byrd, poured four wines:
Semillon, Chardonnay, Rose of Cabernet and a
Cabernet Sauvignon that is the specialty of the
winery.
Stuart
Cellars
33515 Rancho
California Road, Temecula /
909-676-6414
Stuart Cellars,
Temecula's newest winery, opened by Marshall and
Susan Stuart in May 1998, is also one of
Temecula's most upscale. There is a very classy
wine bar and some of the more upscale wine gifts
(including hand-painted crystal) you'll find at
any winery. For a moderate fee one can taste
four of six wines, $2 extra for the Port. Here I
found a complex, tropical Chardonnay with peach
and honey flavors, a dry Viognier with peach and
pear aromas, Callista (a blend of Rhone White
Wines), Zinfandel, Muscat and Tatria (Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot), a rich,
powerful wine with flavors of blackberry, black
chery and currant. My favorite was a 1995 Port
that was one of the best I've tasted anywhere,
although pricy at $42 for a 500 ml
bottle.
Temecula Crest
Winery
40620 Calle
Contento, Temecula / 909-676-8231
Temecula Crest,
formerly Britton Cellars, is located on an
unpaved road high above the valley floor. The
visitor area is a large open space with a
tasting room and gift shop at one end. A $4 fee
allows the visitor to taste five wines including
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Blanc,
Rancho Red (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Nebbiolo), Merlot, a peppery Cabernet Sauvignon
and a Nebbiolo that would go well with any
barbecue.
Thornton
Winery
32575 Rancho
California Road, Temecula /
909-699-0099
Thornton Winery (and
Champagnery) is an impressive complex built in
the style of a French chateau including a large
courtyard with fountain, an herb garden, banquet
rooms and an upscale gift shop. Tastings are $6
for 4 wines and are conducted in a formal
classroom style within the winery. Sampled wines
consisted of a non-vintage Brut, a tropical,
buttery Chardonnay, Grenache Rose and a
Zinfandel with flavors of licorice and brambly
fruit. Wines are also sold by the glass and may
be enjoyed in the courtyard.
Van Roekel
Vineyards &
Winery
34567 Rancho
California Road, Temecula /
909-699-6961
This is one of the
newer wineries in the valley. The modern
barn-like structure is detailed in brick and
green aged wood. The tasting room is very large
and comfortable, with a long tasting bar at one
end, an extensive gift selection and one of the
larger assortment of deli items. This is the
second winery in Temecula for the Van Roekels,
as Maurice Carrie Winery is named after owner
Bud Van Roekel's wife, Maurice Carrie Van
Roekel. The wines consisted of a Sparkling Wine,
Fume Blanc, Rose of Syrah, Gewurtztraminer,
Grenache and a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc with
intense honey and peach flavors.
My
Recommendations:
Don't
Miss: Callaway, Hart,
Keyways, Maurice Carrie and Mount Palomar
Wineries.
Deli/Picnic
Items: Mount Palomar
Winery and Van Roekel Vineyards.
Picnic
Areas: Mount Palomar
Winery (views) and Maurice Carrie.
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