VINEYARD GRANT JAMES...

VESPER VINEYARDS has a new tasting room in Escondido...

KOHILL WINERY

Mike Kohill loves wine. He got serious about winemaking shortly after he met Johnny Schwaesdall (one of the Grand Daddies of the Ramona winemaking scene).  Mike’s vocation is engineering, making him part of a significant subset of San Diego County winemakers.  A UC-Davis distance-learning course helped him launch what is still a “weekend winery” as he still holds a fulltime job away from the estate. Kohill Winery released its first vintage in 2006 and is now producing 250-300 cases per year, made exclusively from Ramona Valley grapes. We especially like Mike's reds, including the 2008 "Aurora's Blend" (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Viognier), and the bright and pleasantly tannic 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Barbera Grapes Fermenting 
The 2008 vintage will be released this year.

The wine club here is pretty casual - an email list that affords members the first opportunity to puchase new wines.

Kohill Winery is a great place to taste. Open weekends 12:00-5:00. 760.787.1042

BODEGA WINE ESTATES tasting room

Bodega Wine estates is "a collaborative artists' colony" where Northern California winemakers showcase their offerings. Warmly welcomed by the colony's president Robert Amox and his friendly Basset Hound Bentley, we tasted wines from his own Knightwood Winery (Morningwood label) as well as Stein Family Wines and Curveball Winery.

Bentley

Standouts include Stein's 2010 "Vaquero" Chardonnay and 2007 Tempranillo, and Morningwood's 2005 Merlot (plum and spice!) and 2005 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (our favorite).

With Robert in the tasting room

Bodega Wine Estates' wine club offers several membership options. Members are invited to special events and receive a special holiday shipment.

The tasting room is open Friday-Sunday 1:00-6:30.
751 13th Street at Avenue I
San Francisco, CA 94130
415.525.4154

ALTIPIANO VINEYARD

Denise and Peter Clarke moved onto their Highland Valley property in 1997. In Denise's words, Altipiano ("high plain" in Italian) was "a diamond in the rough" - good sun, some elevation, a little house... They make light of their creative efforts and hours of sweaty toil, but the Clarkes clearly worked hard to create what's now a very polished gem: so beautiful, so classy, and so real. Their estate is a working farm and their exquisite home is a welcoming place for all to enjoy. It's a labor of love and a reaffirmation of farming community values.

One of the llamas

Why wine? The short answer is the the Clarkes' avocado trees burned in the 2007 wildfires and they seized the moment to plant vines - lots of them. Favoring Brunello in the afterglow of a trip to Italy, they soon found themselves with 2600 plants. According to Peter, this was a "classic example of failing to consider the endgame." What were they going to do with roughly 24 barrels of wine each year?

Vines...

Neighbor Jerry Cordiano looms large in this account as a good friend who's been generous with his knowledge of viticulture.  We see seeds of a cooperative emerging among the growers in this community, who often share eggs and produce as well as winemaking equipment and expertise. And we certainly look forward to tasting Altipiano’s estate wines next year. The Clarkes are working with Ramona winemaker John York, and will at first specialize in (of course) Brunello. Peter’s rightfully optimistic about this: “Good Brunello grapes can have a high tannin content, which makes possible improvement with age up to 30 or so years. If we are wildly successful at growing the grape and making the wine, I’ll be around 105 when I taste our best wine. Some have said that with tasting wine all those years, I just might make it to 105” (Ramona Valley Wine Region Magazine).

Part of Altipiano's expansive patio

At present, visitors to the tasting room can sample five wines,  mostly from Paso Robles-area grapes: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Franc. We especially liked the full-bodied, spicy Cabernet Sauvignon. Soon guests will be able to compliment their wines with artisanal cheeses and fine chocolates. The Clarkes also welcome picnickers.

Altipiano's wine club offers quarterly 3-bottle shipments at a 20% discount, which applies to other purchases as well. Members are invited to exclusive wine club events. They're encouraged to schedule private winery tours and may reserve the facilities for private events at a reduced cost.

Tasting Room

The Altipiano Vineyard tasting room is open weekends 11-sunset. 760.839.7900

LENORA WINERY

Lenora Winery, in operation since 1999, has 7 acres of vines including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat, Grenache, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Caberenet Sauvignon. The wines derive from estate, Ramona Valley and other California grapes. There is something for every palate here, though only a limited number of bottles are open for tasting on any given day. We enjoyed the lightly tannic “Dos Rojos” blend of Merlot and Sangiovese.

Eric Metz pouring in the tasting room

Eric Metz bought Lenora in 2008. He's planted Nebbiolo and Syrah and will soon introduce estate wines under the Metz Winery label.

Picnic area with BBQ

Lenora's wine club members get two personally selected bottles per month at a price not to exceed $20. 10-20% discounts apply at the winery.

Lenora Winery is open for tasting weekends 10:00-6:00. 760.788.1388

MATTHEW RICHARDS CELLARS & SAN DIEGO CELLARS

Matthew Richards started out brewing beer… and one thing led to another. Since 2008 he and his business partner Todd have been making quite a range of very impressive wines. At a recent gathering of wine club members and friends they were pouring at least eight different bottles or barrel samples; our notes document four whites and four reds, but we were having a very good time and may have left out a few. Wines bearing the Matthew Richards label come primarily from Northern California grapes: Napa, Edna Valley, Lake County… while San Diego Cellars features local fruit.

Matt

Todd

 Honestly, we liked every single thing we tasted. The standouts include 2008 Edna Chardonnay – dry, very crisp, mineral-tinged; 2008 Edna Pinot Noir – grassy on the nose, it reminded us of an Oregon Pinot (or perhaps a pre-Sideways California one). We loved the deep, full 2008 San Diego Syrah; the 2009, not yet bottled, is even more impressive. Matt ages his wines exclusively in French oak barrels, some of which sport pretty cool paint jobs.

In the near future, Matt and Todd's enterprise will have a home in Little Italy at Kettner and Ivy. Right now they're tucked into an industrial park: 7919 Silverton Avenue, Suite 408. Open Fridays and Saturdays 3:30-7:30. 858.527.0944

The Matthew Richards/San Diego Cellars wine club offers a 20% discount on everything, free tastings for members and up to three guests, special wine offerings, and parties. Members can choose the amount of wine they would like to buy and request shipments tailored to their taste.

SUNSHINE MOUNTAIN VINEYARD

 “On your first visit you are a guest, on your second visit a friend, and on your third visit you are family.” Well… it was only our first visit to Sunshine Mountain Vineyard in San Marcos, but the welcome we received made us feel like old friends. After preliminary hugs, Claire poured us a taste of their 2010 Santa Barbara County Sauvignon Blanc and stayed around to chat while we waited for Ed to warmly bid adieu to previous visitors before taking us on a delightful tour of the winery.

Pretty much the first thing the Krugers did after obtaining their 13-acre property in 2001 was plant grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah. A bit later Ed added some Viogner and Petit Syrah on a hill where the vines can catch an ocean breeze. Now about six acres are planted and Sunshine Mountain has produced some top-notch estate wines. A lot of their fruit still comes from elsewhere (e.g., reputable growers in Santa Barbara, Napa, and Walla Walla, WA). This is necessary to keep up with demand for Ed's wines (around 1100 cases per year, most of which go to wine club members).

In the course of Ed’s “day job” – importing stone for flooring and countertops – Italy practically became his second home. He recognized his passion for surrounding himself with family, food, and friends – all of which the Kruger estate evokes. Fruit trees and vines abound, there’s a big patio where people can congregate and cook, and a formidable koi pond that houses some very lucky carp.

Traveling around Europe and Australia, Ed drank wonderful wines and assimilated a variety of winemaking styles, which he seems to have mentally catalogued as a chef might bank a repertoire of recipes and techniques. When he took up winemaking as a hobby, facilitated by some good mentors in Napa, he had one goal: “To make a wine that I would like.” He’s learned a lot since, but still approaches winemaking as if he were making dinner, experimenting and aiming to create something delicious that can be enjoyed at an early age.

Many of Ed’s blends emerge after barrel aging, when he can test different combinations and pick a favorite or two. He uses only French oak barrels because the taste they impart is more subtle. To avoid transporting truckloads of just-picked grapes for hours, through unpredictable weather, the fruit is crushed at the vineyards and then transferred to portable, dry-ice-cooled tanks that forestall the fermentation process until Ed can give it his full attention.

 Back in the tasting room, our favorite wines were the 2008 Napa Reserve Syrah, rich with tobacco and spice, and 2007 Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from “old plants in the mountains.” Wonderful on the nose and the palate, this wine won a Winemakers’ Challenge gold medal. We bought the Napa Syrah, and – without tasting it – a bottle of 2008 Walla Walla Syrah, and opened the latter to accompany a dinner of cedar-roasted rockfish, fregola, and farmers market vegetables. It was a stunning combination.

Sunshine Mountain Vineyard is open on weekends by appointment. 760.798.1540

Use this link to reserve

Wine club members purchase a case (can be mixed), discounted 20%, to start. After that they receive two bottles of wine once or twice a year, timed with new releases, and a 20% discount on other purchases.

COUNTRY CELLARS tasting room and wine shop

There’s nothing close to Country Cellars in the city of San Diego: it's truly a one-stop shop for San Diego County wine and beer. Located on Highway 78 between Julian and Ramona, this place is a gem that attracts both locals and tourists. Owner Trez Gotfredson changes up the tasting menu every week, so there’s always something new to try, and even more to buy. Her current list includes five whites, sixteen reds, and eight dessert wines (and we didn’t even look at the beer!).  The shop stocks some cheeses and other picnic supplies as well.

Country Cellars has both monthly and quarterly wine clubs, with lots of options. The discount is at least 15%, plus free tasting and invitations to quarterly wine-appetizer pairings and other events.

Country Cellars is open for tasting and sales Wednesday-Sunday 11-5 and holiday Mondays 11-4. 760.765.0089

BLUE DOOR WINERY tasting room

Blue Door Winery in San Marcos recently opened a tasting room in the heart of Julian – a welcome addition to the town’s budding wine landscape. Winemaker Marc Hashagen sources grapes from many parts of California, with a lot (especially white varietals) coming from Santa Barbara County. We loved his 2010 unoaked Chardonnay.

Marc was working in international finance when he had an epiphany of sorts: he wanted to become a boutique winemaker, expressing his passion while keeping things simple and natural. Meanwhile, his old friend Kameron was working in the Santa Barbara wine industry. She moved to San Diego and reconnected with Marc… now they’re engaged. Blue Door’s annual production has grown to approximately 750 cases. Kameron manages the tasting room and vigorously promotes the wines.We tried three outstanding reds: a 2008 Santa Barbara Barbera – soft on the palate but still with plenty of tannins, 2008 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (our favorite) aged in American oak – fruit and spice on the nose, pepper later on. This wine is light; one could mistake it for a Pinot Noir. The just-released 2008 Santa Barbara Cabernet Franc is, we were told, highly changeable depending on one's mood and food. We enjoyed its pleasant grassiness.

We look forward to tasting Marc’s famous Merlot, with fruit from the Hidden Meadows area of Escondido. The 2010 vintage will be released at the end of this month. There’s also a Zinfandel on the horizon.

Blue Door’s wine club members get two bottles every three months, at $20/bottle or 20% off retail. And free tasting, of course.

The tasting room is open Friday-Saturday 11-6, Sunday-Thursday 12-5. 760.765.0361

MILAGRO FARM VINEYARDS AND WINERY

We’d been anticipating the opening of Milagro’s tasting room without really knowing what to expect. Well, the place is a gem – and even better, it’s just down the road from Edwards, another favorite Ramona winery. At present, twenty of the property's 110 acres are planted with vines. The first planting was in 2001 with additions in 2003 and again in late 2007 to compensate for fire damage.

The wines currently available at Milagro are well developed despite their youth, thanks to the taste and expertise of winemaker Jim Hart. All of them are estate grown with the exception of the 2009 Merlot. We liked everything, a lot! But the standouts are 2010 Karen’s Reserve Chardonnay – oaked but not too much, with depth and spice; and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Manager Ben Wier treated us to a taste of the 2007 Cab, which exudes cherries without being sweet.

Milagro (“miracle”) is owned by Kit and Karen Sickels of LaJolla. Their careful management of the property has left most of it untouched, with vines planted along the land's natural contours. The estate is lush with native oaks and stately boulders; it's even home to a flock of wild turkeys. The classy, high-ceilinged tasting room affords views of the grounds and the working winery. Next time we'll ask permission to picnic; there are no tables yet, but plenty of nice spots to put down a blanket. Guests are encouraged to walk around and take in the scenery.

Milagro’s wine club offers three bottles quarterly at 20% off retail, free tasting for members and two friends per visit, a 20% discount on additional wine, invitations to events, private winery tours by appointment, and discounted rates to use the facility for private events. 

The tasting room is open Friday-Sunday 11:00-5:00. 760.787.0738.

FOOT PATH WINERY

Foot Path (formerly Foote Print) is a total break from the large, well-capitalized tasting rooms that are coming to define the Temecula wine country. No limos or busses here! Pulling up to the large shed nestled amid citrus trees, visitors are greeted by a friendly cat and a couple of curious horses. Inside, Deane and Christine Foote pour their red wines (there are no whites) and talk about what they do. The vineyard and citrus grove are certified organic. Right now the estate wines are made with 100% organic grapes; others use grapes from the Temecula Valley. The 2011 vintage will be organic wine, no sulfites.

These wines are spicy – redolent of cloves and cinnamon – especially on the nose. The Foote’s bottle only one barrel at a time, so it’s possible to taste distinctions between barrels. We sampled a 2007 Cabernet Franc from a barrel that previously housed port – wow.

Foot Path’s wine club offers two six-bottle shipments per year. Wine club members get first dibs on estate wines, discounted 20%, and free tastings at the winery.

The tasting area is open Monday - Friday 12:00-5:00 and weekends 10:00-5:00. 951.265.9951

VAN ROEKEL WINERY

Winemaker Kestutis “Gus” Vizgirda is in charge at sister wineries Maurice Car’rie and Van Roekel. Since 1994 Van Roekel, the smaller of the two, has specialized in drier wines for more sophisticated palates – though there’s some sweet stuff here too, including White Zinfandel and some fruit-flavored sparklers. Vizgirda uses about 80% estate grapes and sources the rest from Temecula Valley vineyards. The tasting room staff is knowledgeable and fun to talk with, and the prices are quite reasonable for Temecula. We bought a 2010 Merlot.

 

Picnic tables dot the winery’s grounds. From our spot we were vaguely aware of traffic on Rancho California Road, but we couldn’t see it. If one is in need of picnic supplies, the tasting room sells baked brie, assorted crackers, water, and even sorbet.

Van Roekel offers three wine club options: all reds, all whites, and the “Wine Maker’s Club” (mixed). The club offers three-bottle shipments every other month at a 20% discount, and free tastings at the winery.

The tasting room is open daily 10:00-5:00. 951.699.6961

HAWK WATCH WINERY

Mike with the Press

 Mike and Lisa Schnell began planting their Warner Springs vineyard in 2001; in 2008 they opened Hawk Watch Winery to the public. We’ve always liked their wines, but were especially impressed on our visit over Labor Day weekend. Mike started us off with a crisp 2010 “Vortex” blend (90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, 5% Viognier) from the estate’s grapes. Next we tried a 2010 dry Muscat that would perfectly complement a fruit tart; the wine’s fruit is all in the nose. Before moving on to the reds we happily tasted the 2010 “Sequoia” dry Zinfandel rosé – a perfect picnic wine named after the Schnells’ oldest cat. They donate $2 from every bottle to a local animal shelter. Now for the reds… The 2008 Cabernet Franc is redolent with cocoa and spices. There’s a 2008 Estate Syrah made in Côte Roti style with a little bit of Viognier and a delicious 2008 Signature Reserve Cabernet with grapes from Rolling Hills Vineyard in Temecula.  But the day was won by a fabulous earthy, spicy 2006 Signature Reserve Syrah. 





Alpha-Cat Zena

  The Schnells dabbled in winemaking at home before it became their vocation.  Eventually Mike quit his day job and started pouring at a winery in Temecula, where in time he became assistant winemaker and cultivated valuable connections with the best vineyards in the area, which now supply some of Hawk Watch’s grapes. Mike’s winemaking philosophy is that wines need to stand on their own, and his certainly do.

Hawk Watch’s wine club is currently closed to new members; interested parties can join a waiting list.

Hawk Watch is open Friday 12-5, weekends 10-5. 951.326.4692

Link to first Hawk Watch post

MAHOGANY MOUNTAIN VINEYARD AND WINERY

Mahogany Mountain Vineyard and Winery is situated on 43 acres on a Ramona hillside. Currently 5 acres are under cultivation with Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and Zinfandel. Back In the day, owners Michael and Kim traveled in France and learned what real wine tastes like. They started saving money to buy grape cuttings for their land and joined the San Diego Amateur Winemaker Society. In the course of learning to make hand-crafted wines they interned at Belle Marie. Today all of their wines are pure varietals (100%), made from their own grapes. So far they’ve managed with family labor only; both Michael and Kim have large families! Their son, who majored in biology, is also part of the enterprise. Mahogany Mountain wines have won medals in Finger Lakes and Sonoma competitions, among others. We especially liked the 2008 Zinfandel – nice tannins, and the 2008 Morvedre.

Mahogany Mountain's wine club offers three 2-bottle shipments of premium, limited-edition wine at a cost not to exceed $65. Club members receive discounts on additional purchases.

The Mahogany Mountain tasting room is open on weekends, 1:00-4:00. Heading south on Mussey Grade Road, watch for the Salvation Army camp.  About ¼ mile after that, turn left on Mahogany Ranch Road.  760.788.7048 

Winning Wines at Mahogany Mountain

Link to newest Mahogany Mountain post...

OLD COACH VINEYARDS

At Old Coach Vineyards in Poway winemaker Sandy Mubarak grows several varietals, most notably Petit Syrah and Syrah. Her Wine Country Festival features were an interesting Syrah/Viognier blend called “Showdown” and a big 2008 Petit Syrah. Sandy likes to create unique blends and would be happy to share more of them with folks who visit by appointment.

Old Coach's wine club offers members two bottles quarterly for $40, 20% off regular prices, and invitations to private events.

Old Coach's tasting room is open by appointment. 760.432.6840

EAGLES NEST WINERY

Eagles Nest Winery is practically next door to Woof ‘n Rose, but equally if not more obscure.  The entrance is gated because vineyard-weeding sheep roam the premises, but the gate opened promptly when we phoned to announce our presence. Ascending, we entered an impressively perched 10-acre estate with views on all sides. Owners Dennis and Julie Grimes grow Rhone varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Tempranillo. They purchase other grapes from various California growers.

Dennis, an engineer and “accidental winemaker,” thinks of his craft as “an uncomfortable blend of science and art.” He and Julie once considered starting a native plant nursery on their land, but leaned towards vines because people in the area were already agitating for a Ramona AVA, and grapes are very water-wise. Their first vintage was 2003. Tasting at a leisurely pace, we loved the 2007 San Diego Syrah, which won a gold medal in Temecula, and the 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s also an outstanding Cabernet Port.  

Eagles Nest's wine club is currently closed to new members.

A View From Eagles Nest

The Sheep

PAMO VALLEY WINERY Tasting Room

Walking into Pamo Valley Vineyards and Winery’s newly opened tasting room in Old Town Ramona, we felt heartily welcomed into a once-secret club. The vineyard, described by owner and winemaker Jennifer Jenkin as a miniature Balboa Park setting “with thousands of red geraniums and hundreds of eucalyptus trees,” was established in 2000.  Jenkin started making wine in 2004, selling it via restaurants, retailers, and a wine club. The journey that led her to become proprietor of the only woman-owned winery in San Diego County included a stint in the wine country around Melbourne, Australia. Jenkin uses only local grapes and specializes almost exclusively in food-friendly reds. With production at only 400 cases per year, impeccable attention to quality, and affordable prices, it’s no wonder she has trouble holding onto older vintages. We scored one of the last bottles of 2006 Reserve Syrah.


The blends here deserve special attention. They’re products of a careful, collaborative, two-day tasting-and-winnowing process. We loved the 2008 “Indian Princess” and 2007 “Seduction.”

Pamo's wine clubs offers quarterly 2-bottle shipments of hand-picked wines for $30-$45, complementary tastings, a 30% discount on case orders, and opportunities to help out in the vineyard.

Link to newest Pamo post

Pamo Tasting Room Door

SALERNO WINERY

In 1988 Calabria-born opera singer Herman Salerno started making wine in a Long Island, NY basement. He and his wife Rose, together with her parents, followed their California dream and ten years later planted their Ramona estate with cuttings from older vines. In 2002 they bottled their first Petit Syrah. Today they have the only listed acre of Pinot Noir in San Diego County. Pinot is a difficult grape to cultivate in warm climates, but we loved the result and bought a 2008 bottle. Also noteworthy: 2007 Lagrein and the 2006 “Elegante” Bordeaux-style blend. Barmaster Ben graciously and knowledgeably hosted us in the cordial, Mediterranean-style tasting area, not failing to point out that Herman once won an award at the Orange County Fair for a wine he’d made in his garage. On the patio next to the bar guests can sit at tables and order handmade, wood-fired pizzas. The Salernos are very happy to finally be open to the public, and we’re very happy to have found them.

Joining Salerno's wine club requires a 6-month commitment at two bottles per month. Members get free tastings but are not allowed to open club wines on the premises.

Link to newest Salerno post

FIFTY BARRELS WINERY

The urban winery Fifty Barrels has been tucked away in an Oceanside industrial park since 2000. The winemakers - who met in college and have grown their business from a garage -  now sources grapes from Lodi, Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. Their two-year-old tasting room is a place to socialize where everyone will find at least one likeable wine. Thanks to a generous fellow visitor, we enjoyed a bit of the last bottle of 2007 “Mellow Apathy” – a 50-50 Syrah-Merlot blend from Los Olivos grapes. Since we were headed towards a casual seafood dinner at Pelly’s in Carlsbad, the perfect wine to take along was a standout Viognier, pre-chilled.

The Fifty Barrels wine club supplies members with two bottles quarterly, including limited releases. There are also free tastings and members-only parties.

Fifty Barrels's tasting room is open Friday 5:00-9:00 and Saturday 11:00-4:00. 760.550.9463