WINE TASTING IN THE GASLAMP

The Wine Bank

5^th and J, San Diego

The recently renovated Wine Bank first opened in the 1960s. Upstairs visitors encounter wine, beer, and spirits selected with the Gaslamp’s many tourists in mind.

There are souvenir-worthy San Diego County wines from Salerno and Fallbrook. The downstairs area houses an impressive, international collection of wines and a large tasting room where distributors and winery representatives pour and discuss. Guests sit at tables, and – after a brief introduction – are invited to step up and sample the day’s offerings. A representative of Handley Winery in Anderson Valley (near Mendocino, CA) introduced us to the nearly 30-year-old boutique winery and its surroundings. She poured six wines, including three impressive Pinot Noirs. Our favorite was a 2006 that mingles grapes from six Anderson Valley vineyards.

This tasting was unlike anything we’ve encountered. It felt a bit awkward at first, with thirty-odd people lining up at once to claim their first taste. But as the event progressed, guests’ visits to the bar fell into a more comfortable, less crowded rhythm. We enjoyed chatting with our tablemates as we compared vintages. The Wine Bank holds tastings on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. We strongly recommend calling ahead for details, making a reservation, and arriving at the beginning of the allotted time period.

LA FINQUITA WINERY

In the 1990s Mario Bergeron was a wine broker in San Diego. Then he and his wife Diana started a successful custom bottle etching business in Napa. Mario learned winemaking to complement what they were doing, so they could fill the bottles themselves. In time the Bergerons migrated back to San Diego County and became the proprietors of an overgrown eight-acre citrus farm in Ramona. “We were so busy we didn’t even meet our neighbors for two years!” Mario told us. They’ve maintained their etching business and slowly transformed their land into a lush and beautiful estate, planting two acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes in the process. La Finquita’s first estate-grown “Vista Ramona” wine will come next year.

Mario poured us a “Blanc du Champ” Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc/Chenin Blanc blend. Next we tried a 2005 Merlot from Napa grapes: spicy nose, dry finish. The 2006 Napa Cabernet has nice tannins; 2008 Suisun Valley Zinfandel is fruity and sweet-spicy, but with a dry finish. Also in the winery’s current collection are a 2008 Napa Syrah and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Valley Center fruit.

La Finquita’s tasting room has a beautiful patio suitable for group tastings or enjoying a bottle or two with friends. Downhill from the patio Mario’s built a serious wine cave which will soon be climate controlled for barrel aging. Right now it’s an amazing setting for serious dinner parties.

 





La Finquita is open by appointment. 800.411.3732

EAGLES NEST WINERY

Eagles Nest was bustling with activity on Saturday! The harvest is in high gear and tasting traffic is up. probably due to some new signage on the main road. Proprietress Julie welcomed us warmly; tasting room helper Victoria was generous and fun as always. Our favorite wine is still the 2007 Private Reserve Merlot, but we’re excited about the 2008 “Sheba” Cab Franc. It’s got lots of grassiness on the nose and flavors that develop as the wine opens. The name honors a local big cat rescue organization.

Eagles Nest is open Friday-Sunday (daily in the summer) 11:00 - dusk. 760.505.8229

Link to first Eagles Nest post...

SAN PASQUAL WINERY Tasting Room

The San Pasqual winery has been bustling lately; this weekend the owners harvested and pressed San Diego County Syrah and Sangiovese. But on a Sunday afternoon at the beginning of football season, the La Mesa outpost was serene. Tasting room manager Brenda first poured a fruity 2010 Albariño grown on former San Diego Padre Steve Finley’s land in Rancho Santa Fe. We sampled 2008 and 2009 Sauvignon Blancs, but the standout white was a 2010 Lake County Fumé Blanc cured in Hungarian oak – slightly toasty with a lemony finish. Why does the winery use the names Sauvignon Blanc and Fumé Blanc since both wines come from the same grape? The term "Fumé Blanc" was coined by Robert Mondavi because, once upon a time, California Sauvignon Blancs had a bad reputation. Since then it’s become traditional to age Fumé Blanc in oak while Sauvignon Blanc is aged in stainless steel.

A newly released 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend was light bodied and fruit forward but pleasantly dry.  Also new: a silky 2007 Merlot with grapes from Dry Creek in the Sonoma Valley.

San Pasqual's tasting room has a separate space suitable for private events or group tastings. It's open Monday-Thursday 11:00-8:00, Friday-Saturday 11:00-10:00, Sunday 11:00-5:00. 619.462.1797

Link to first San Pasqual post...

FAVORITE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WINES, SUMMER 2011

Among wines we brought home from wineries or tasting rooms over the summer, these were the standouts:

Belle Marie (Chateau Dragoo) 2003 Barolo $32

Bernardo 2008 Meritage Private Reserve $30

Bernardo 2006 Estate Syrah $42

Eagles Nest 2007 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $24 

Edwards Vineyard and Cellars 2004 Syrah $20

La Serenissima 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (around $28)

Orrin 2007 Syrah $18

San Pasqual 2001 “Ranchero” (Cab./Nebbiolo blend) $25

Shadow Mountain 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon $28