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Wine Writers, The Preisers, tour Wine Country with TWOL in early May, and post this article on their online newsletter: IT’S TIME
FOR WINE
by Monty and Sara
Preiser Temecula is in its “Teen Years” (see bottom of
page)
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Our new
site is Finally here! Click
here You will receive
special "wine club" type pricing on many wines,
without
having to join a wine club. Shop from your home. Shop and
choose from the wines you like best, from over 300
Temecula Valley wines, from over 30 wineries! They all can
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them all? Have questions? Call
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Service line: 1-888-460-WINE(9463)
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your order, or even pick it for you! Remember, special
"wine club" type discount pricing on many wines, without having
to join a
club!
What's
new? The wines of Curry Vineyards
(& Winery) now available!! Only on
TWOL!! Other recent additions: Wiens
Family Cellars, The Complete TWOL
family of wineries: Alex's Red Barn Winey, Baily
Vineyard & Winery, Bella Vista Cilurzo Vineyard & Winey,
Boorman Vineyards, Callaway ( Coastal ) Vineyards &
Winery, Inn at Churon Winery, Curry Vineyards, Falkner Winery,
Filsinger Vineyards & Winery, Foote Print Winery, Frangipani
Estate Winery, Hart Winery, Keyways Vineyard & Winery, ( Steven
Hagata's )Las Piedras Vineyards, Leonesse Cellars, Longshadow Ranch
Vineyard & Winery, Maurice Car'rie Winery, Miramonte
Winery, Mount Palomar Winery, Oak Mountain Vineyard & Winery,
Palumbo Family Vineyards & Winery, Ponte Estate Winery,
Providence Family Winery, ( Barrett Bird's ) Santa Margarita
Vineyard & Winery, South Coast Winery Resort &
Spa, Stuart Cellars, Temecula Hills Winery - Windy Ridge Cellars,
Temecula Creek Vineyards - Sparkling Wines, Thorton Winery, Van
Roekel Vineyard & Winery - VR La Cereza Wines, Wiens Family
Callars, Wilson Creek Vineyard &
Winery The new TWOL is
on it's way! Looking forward
to an exciting New Year! Coming spring 2007 is our new version of TemeculaWinesOnLine! A brand new, easier to use
shopping cart, with multiple quick searches and sorts,
to quickly locate the wines you like! Also, new, more
competively priced, multiple shipping options! And for those living
in states with restreicted purchasing, automatic structuring to your
order to help conform to your state's specific shipping laws.
Plus beautiful graphics, pictures, bios, events, and so much more,
on each of the
32 wineriers and
labels, featured in the Temecula Valley of Southern
California. This is our
continuing committment to serve
"Your
Favorite Wine, Any Time"TM (c) 2004-2007 LP
Guilford Cos,
Inc. Professional wine writers, "The Peisers", toured Wine Country with LeRoy Guilford & TWOL, in early May, and now post this article on their online newsletter: IT’S TIME FOR WINE
by Monty
and Sara Preiser Temecula is in its “Teen Years” ------------------------------------------------------------ Preisers’ Reserve: We recently had an experience that is hard to describe in words. It involved a social visit to the home of Greg and Petra Martin of Martin Estate Winery and Vineyard, where we were whisked into a world of antiques surrounding the themes of castles, weapons, armor, and the old West. Displayed in one of the oldest homes in Napa Valley (the 1887 Harris winery), the Martins have maintained the winery and hospitality rooms downstairs, while living upstairs in antiquity surrounded splendor. But today we highlight the fruit of good works, the 2003 Martin Estate Rutherford Reserve ($110), a hand crafted wine of immense depth. Our hosts recommend decanting, but even then it was obvious that the structure of this wine is such that it could open for hours before reaching full potential. We wish we could tell you that it had the chance to do so – but it did not. We enjoyed the up front dark berries and mid palate stone fruit before the beautifully long finish. And one of the best things about the evening? We sampled the wine with and without food. It’s great either way. If you are a serious collector of wines and/or antiques (Greg is one of the world’s largest dealers in these artifacts), give the Martins a call. www.martinestate.com
707-967-0300 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So a couple of people asked us
where we were a few weeks ago, and we said, “Temecula” (truly a town in
As is the way of the world, new places to see and experience continue to pop up with incredible speed. Temecula, a town of about 60,000 people approximately ninety minutes southwest of Los Angeles, cannot yet lay claim to being a first rate wine area, but it does have things to offer, including the old pioneering spirit of sharing, good will, and a never-say-die attitude. These qualities have allowed the growers and vintners to produce a great number of wines worth sampling now – in many cases not so much because they are presently great, but because of their potential. In a few instances, however, there are some excellent bottles available in the region. At an earlier date we had the good fortune of having met Temecula’s most recognized wine personality - writer, radio host, and enophile Le Roy Guilford. Without him and his wife Phyllis we would not only have plodded around looking for the best places to visit, but we would never have been welcomed so warmly. As it was, a relatively quick trip allowed us a good understanding of the county. First and foremost, Temecula seems to be a huge tourist destination
on weekends. Many of the sixty some wineries are on vast acreages and
offer modern tasting rooms (some more pleasing to us than others) designed
to service scores of people at once. Interviews with almost everyone we
met revealed that the great majority of visitors are female, and that they
prefer their wines white and sweet. So is this a problem? Unfortunately,
it is. does. So, we are here to say to the women of the area, “Learn to enjoy reds. Temecula has some good ones.” Let’s talk about them. It seems to us that no winery within hundreds of miles can touch the mature, Napa-like quality of Boorman Estate Winery and Vineyards, owned by Todd and Rosie Boorman. Sitting high above the valley and avoiding the fog that envelops much of the balance of the region, the grapes at Boorman have an opportunity to ripen in the long hours of sunlight, and then be fashioned into serious wine by Todd’s use of the most up to date techniques. We enjoyed each wine we sampled, such as the 2005 Barbera from the Santa Barbara Plateau ($26) [chocolate and cherries with a long finish]; and the 2004 South Coast Merlot ($24) [full mouth with some terroir on the finish]. However, we loved the 2004 Cabernet Franc ($30) [red berries pervading layers of fruit leading to dark cocoa]; the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon ($29) [dark cherry and plumbs with soft tannins and lingering chocolate – quite a value]; the 2002 Metaphor ($40) [heavy mouthful of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot]; and the 2003 Petite Verdot ($26) [showcasing black grapes and blueberries]. When you are in this area, Boorman demands a visit (even it you have to go out of your way). www.BoormanVineyards.com 951-600-9333
Though he does not create the large variety of wines found at Boorman, Charlie Curry at Curry Vineyards and Winery rivals their quality with his 2005 Syrah ($18.50) [a phenomenal value overshadowed only by the blueberry nose, the bright red velvet mouthfeel, and black berry/chocolate finish]. We happened to have ordered it to accompany a venison chop for dinner, and what a pairing it was. The 2005 Curry Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.50) evidences good forward fruit with ripe tannins – kind of like a cherry lifesaver. If you are lucky, Charlie will have time to sit and chat. 909-821-1282
How About a Break for Dinner? It was hard to find anyone who raved about the restaurants in Temecula. Thankfully Charlie Curry is a former chef and recommended the Brick Marble in Murietta (next door to Temecula). Still unknown among most everyone we met, this restaurant is good enough to be a destination itself. Charming ambiance, a romantic bar, excellent service, a creative menu backed up by a top chef, and superb ownership, made this a fabulous night out. The scallops and venison were as succulent as we have sampled, and when paired with wines from a statewide list, all was well. Call Norm or Linda Hull at 951-677-3563, as this will be a hard-to-get-into room very quickly. www.thebrickmarble.com 951-677-3563
In continuing our winery tours, we ran across a fun experience at Thornton Winery, where we sat in the lounge and were waited on by Mary and Ingrid, excellent wine and bubbly educators. The winery offers a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chard, a Sangiovese, and some blends – all served at tables rather than crowded bars. While we did not buy any wines (even at prices below $25), you very well might, as they certainly were “sippable.” www.thorntonwine.com 951-699-0099
We would also suggest you pay a visit to Wiens Family Cellars, where tasting room manager Joseph Wiens and his staff poured some nice wines from the bottle and the barrels. The best? The 2005 Petite Sirah Sage Vineyard ($29) [smoky and chewy]. www.wienscellars.com 951-694-9892
Wilson Creek Winery is one of the more well known, and we thought the wines worth tasting here included the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc (as you might have imagined from what we wrote above, the only white in the county we enjoyed). At $19, and with a pleasant, round finish following the citrus, this was a nice find. The best at this lovely property were the two dessert entries – a chocolate Port called “Decadencia,” ($37 for 375 ml), and the cream Sherry ($35 for 375 ml.). Don’t leave without trying the Decadencia mixed with Almond Champagne in a chocolate cup. It’s always nice to find something different. www.wilsoncreekwinery.com 951-699-9463
Keep an eye on Churon Winery, with its new winemaker Benny Rodriguez. We are choosing not to discuss the “pre Rodriguez” wines as they will not be available for long, but we greatly enjoyed Benny’s 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot Blend ($29). Excellent fruit, nice balance, and, as you see, relatively easy on the wallet. www.innatchuronwinery.com 951-694-9071 Finally, if you can find Barrett Bird at Santa Margarita Winery and taste his Cabernet Sauvignon ($10), do so. Let us know if you have ever tasted a better one at that price, or so enjoyed learning local history. 951-676-4431
Would we go back to Temecula? Not this year, maybe, but soon. As the region discovers what it will grow best, as the vines mature, and as the winemakers gain experience, this area will be a better and better vacation spot.
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Pick of the Week Boorman Vineyards and Winery 2005 Pinot Noir Winemaker's Notes: 2005 vintage is the debut of our newest premium red varietal, Pinot Noir. Rich, ripe fruit was sourced from Warner Vineyards, a boutique vineyard located in the hills of Fallbrook, northern San Diego County. All the fruit was hand picked and sorted prior to a slow fermintation. The wine was aged 12 months in Hybrid oak barrels, giving it soft tannins and warm wood tones to compliment its smooth, seductive, berry flavor. A hint of spice on its lingering finish adds to the complexity that this varietal is famous for. It will nicely pair with your favorite cheeses, salmon, pork tenderloin, or lighter meat dishes.We hope you enjoy our first Pinot, and share it with your friends. TWOL's Notes: ... As the notes above describe, this is truly a premium Pinot! Very little of this varietal is produced in the Temecula Valley, making this a rare find. Boorman Vineyards is located in the hills of the west side of the valley, in the Santa Rosa Plateau. A World Class Red (even collectible) from a rapidly rising local winemaker, Todd Boorman. The nose wafts out of the bottle as soon as you pull the cork, as in all his reds...... great value! We guarantee it!
After an incredible 2004/2005 broadcast season, WineCountryTalkRadio is on "hiatus" while we prepare for our new TWO HOUR Live from Wine Country format. Re-launching Spring 2007! Watch for furthur details, right here!
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