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

SALERNO WINERY

This year’s crush is almost over at Salerno Vineyards and Winery in Ramona. April and her pal Mary started a Sunday afternoon tasting with a refreshing 2007 “Bianco Tosto” blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc from Central Coast grapes. Of the seven reds on offer, the favorites were:

2008 San Diego County Merlot – light and dry

2007 Estate Syrah – fruit forward with a dry finish

2008 Estate Pinot Noir – a worthy exemplar, rare in these parts

2007 Lagrein from Paso Robles grapes – full and dry.

 

Rose Salerno welcomed us at the tasting counter. There we also met Dave, whose day job involves supplying bottles and corks to almost every winery in the county. Helping out at Salerno on Sundays is his way to recharge for the week ahead.  Also behind the bar was college student Garret, double-majoring in business and geology. This guy can talk wine like a sommelier. He and his father Nathan are about to open a wine bar and retail shop in central Ramona that will feature San Diego County wines. 

Dave encouraged us to try a little port with a slice of a guest’s birthday cake. Herman Salerno is really proud of his port; he buys grapes from vintners who agree to only let the fruit stay on the vines until the sugar content is up to 24-25 brix. It’s a common practice is to make port from grapes that are way more sugary (32-34 brix). In Salerno’s port the grapes are the star of the show. It's raisin-y and full-flavored but not cloyingly sweet or boozy.

Meanwhile, Herman treated us to a song.

Salerno's tasting patio is open Wednesday - Sunday 11:00-dusk. 760.788.7160

Link to first Salerno post...

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