From the Passenger Seat: Wine Tasting: Temecula Style (January 8th, 2007)

Kellee and I had such a wonderful experience wine tasting in the central coast that we thought we would like to try our luck locally. While we were up there tasting wine and talking with the locals, they would eventually ask where we were from, and when we told them they would all say something to the effect of "well you're close to Temecula, there are some great wines out there". We would look dumbfounded and tell them that we had never been, and they would respond with a shocked sort of face. So it seemed logical to check out the wines in our own backyard, if they were recommended by the wineries of the central coast.

Our friends the Deane's decided to join us on our wine tasting adventure; so Jonathan and I decided that hitting about three tasting rooms would be about right. We agreed upon three after searching all the different websites: Mount Palomar, South Coast, and Maurice Car'rie.

We couldn't make it until late in the afternoon, so we decided to meet up at Mount Palomar around 2:00pm. When we first arrived I thought this place was a mess! It was a little hole in the wall that was under construction. Once inside though the place took on a completely different atmosphere, it was cozy and comfortable. The Deanes had arrived about 15 minutes ahead of us and were already well into their first wine tasting experience. They were having a blast, and had already become chums with the Australian born and raised wine pourer! He was giving them tips, telling tales, and giving them extra taste. In hindsight, I wish we would have stayed at this quaint little winery lodged away from the hustle and bustle of Temecula. They had a nice little Deli with various cheeses and such; it would have been nice to have just bought some good wine and sat out on the patio next to their fire pits and talked the afternoon away.

Before I move on, Mount Palomar had some great tasting wines, and quite a variety. I by no means am a connoisseur of wine, but most there wines were bursting with flavors. If you're going to check out the Temecula Wine country then definitely go to Mount Palomar.

South Coast was, well typical southern California; overdone. The wine was good. They boast about winning over two hundred awards for their wines.. But, to be honest I enjoyed Mt. Palomar a little more, and can you really get excited about a place that sells wine with Olivia Newton-John on the title? Also, weirdly enough, they gave you poker chips that you had to use to buy your tastes. On the plus side, their port along with their chef's signature truffle was amazing! The idea was to take a bite of the truffle and while the chocolate was melting in on your palate, to then take a sip of the port. The result was this amazing taste you were left with in your mouth. I really do mean AMAZING!

The last place, Maurice Car'rie…Well we got there at 4:59 and they were closing at 5:00. So they rushed us out the door. It wasn't worth the money to begin with, but then being rushed through the tasting, well put a damper on the night.
So here are some of the Reasons I thought that the So Cal wineries were inferior to their Central Coast counter parts.

1. Congestion
Temecula is busy, congested and suffocating the soul of the local wineries. Part of the experience was the drive through the central coast; it was beautiful and breathtaking. Temecula use to be a nice drive about 10 years ago but today it's hills are filled with shopping malls, strip malls, and track homes.
The great part of experiencing the Central Coast Wineries was that you could sit and look at rolling hills filled with vines of various colors and you felt taken away to another world. Even with the main roads near the winery you could still enjoy the scenery. In Temecula, your view was dead vines and track homes.

2. Bigger is Better?
Even the largest of wineries, in the central coast kept their soul; they were first and foremost a winery. Not so with Temecula. Simply being a winery is not enough, no in typical California fashion they need to BUILD. So now you have place like South Coast, and others like Mt. Palomar are quickly following suite. Not content on being a winery, they are now restaurants, spas, and retreat centers. Bigger is Better by So Cal estimation; and by having this philosophy you are losing a lot of the homespun fun.

3. Taste by Measure
Another weird thing was that all the places we went had a measuring device on their bottles, so that they knew exactly how much to serve for per taste. I suppose you could say this is a good thing, so that you know that you are not getting screwed. But, this was not seen in the central coast wineries we went too, and I think that it added to the character of these places. A measuring device on the bottle makes it feel like you're at a fast-food chain winery. Again, this takes away from the grassroots, down home feel of a winery. To me you lose a little something in the way of being personal with the wine pourer and the overall experience. Though, Australian Ray at Mt. Palomar broke through that mold.

4. Price
It should also be noted that it cost almost 2x the price to taste in Temecula as opposed to SLO. Everywhere we went it was about $10 per person to sample the wines, as opposed to $5 is SLO. Of course, they give you the wine glasses in temecula; I'm not sure that makes it worth it though.

However, this doesn't mean that we will refrain from going back, there are some good qualities to the Temecula wineries, here is a couple:

1. Wines
All one has to do is watch the movie Sideways (not recommended) to know that the central coast are sort of snobs about their Pinot Noir wines. Everywhere we went this was the main selection on the wine list; besides the Syrah everything else was an afterthought. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy both types of wine, but being new to the experience I want a variety. That is what Temecula has to offer…Variety. Not simply variety, but a variety of great tasting wines! We tasted Ports, Sherry, Muscat, Chardonnays, Merlots, and Zinfandels. For this reason alone, its worth the trip.

2. Local
The great thing about Temecula Wine Country is that its in our own backyard. It's a quick trip and you can go with friends. It's not 3-4 hr trip that you need to plan for; you can really just call up some friends and meet out there for the afternoon.

Lastly, I am basing my opinions on only three wineries, so I admit that it might be somewhat skewed. I do plan on going back and trying some of the smaller vineyards in the area. I'll keep you posted. Let me know if your interested in going as well.