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

OUR FAVORITE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WINES, 2011

Weve enjoyed some wonderful wines this year, from right in our own San Diego County backyard. This list makes us smile.

Belle Marie Chateau Dragoo 2003 Barolo

   $32 (wine club: $28.80)

Bernardo 2006 Estate Syrah

   $42

Cactus Star Scaredy Cat Ranch 2009 Estate Tempranillo

   $22

Cordiano 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

   All gone, but the 2005 is $30 (wine club: $24)

Eagles Nest 2007 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

   $24 

Edwards 2004 Ramona Valley Syrah

   $20

Hawk Watch 2006 Estate Reserve Syrah

   All gone. But they have lots of other good stuff.

JJJ Cellars (Pamo Valley Vineyards) 2006 Ramona Valley Merlot

   $23

Kohill 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

   $22.50

La Finquita 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

   $20

La Serenissima 2006 San Diego County Cabernet Sauvignon

   Around $28 in retail stores, available by the case at the winery

Milagro 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

   $22.50 (wine club: $18)

Orrin 2007 Estate Syrah

   $18

Rock Canyon 2007 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon

   $30

Salerno 2007 Lagrein

   $50 (wine club: $32)

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

   $25 (wine club: $20)

Shadow Mountain 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

   $28 (wine club: $22.40)

Woof’n Rose 2008 Estate Cabernet Franc

  $22

KID-FRIENDLY WINE TASTING

Wine tasting with a kid in tow? Keep it short, and choose places with food, pets, and a casual atmosphere. Salerno certainly fits the bill with wood-fired pizzas, plenty of open space, and family-friendly people. Winery dog Pinot Noir has a big bark, but he loves to be petted.

At the Pamo tasting room, kids can feed treats to pooches Teacup and Roxy (who, on a recent visit, looked very cute in their red sweaters). There are always little treats for the humans too.

Cordiano Winery hosts a lot of boisterous family gatherings around tables laden with pizza and salad. On a weekend, your child will not be the only one here. There’s plenty of room to move about in, and quite a cast of playful canine characters.

UNCORKED Wine Bar - Orange County

22342 El Paseo
Rancho Santa Margarita
949.589.1156

Bar Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 4:30-9, Thursday 4:30-10, Friday-Saturday 4:30-11, Sunday noon-6. Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday 4:30-6:30.

We decided to branch out a bit and explore some wine venues in the OC (Orange County).  UnCorked is a wine shop and bar with an excellent selection of global wines, offering good value for price, regardless of whether you intend to spend $18 or $200 on a bottle. In the back there's a very friendly wine bar with a thoughtfully crafted list by the glass or in flights, plus a bit of food. We enjoyed tastes of Tobin James Chardonnay (Monterrey, CA), Mud House Pinot Noir (Central Otago, New Zealand), and Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz (Clare Valley, Australia). According to owner George Riviere, “If I don’t like it, I don’t buy it.” This straightforward philosophy seems to be working quite well.