Temecula Wineries of Note?

WINE TALK
1

I have a friend traveling to the Temecula area this weekend and he asked whether I knew of some wineries there that are doing more than making flavored wines for the mass market. Unfortunately, the last time I had a discussion with a fellow wine geek about that area was about 2 years ago and I have forgotten most of his recommendations. I know there are several wineries working hard to improve the reputation of the area and I appeal to the board to come through for me and my visiting friend. Come on guys and gals let’s here some names! Maybe some of my fellow OC winos can help me out.

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2

It’s been a long time since I have been but Hart used to be the best of the area for my tastes.

3

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Temecula as well, and HART was the best that I ran into - but have heard they’ve gone downhill a bit. Thornton is a fun stop and they make some pretty tasty bubblies (the Rouge in particular is delicious). On my last visit there, ran into a winery called Ponte that was a step above the locals. The best thing to do in Temecula is to just go door to door because you just never know what you are going to find from year to year with most of the wineries (mainly because of spotty production literally across the board).

4

I agree entirely with that approach.

Based on one visit a month ago to about a dozen wineries and subsequent tastings locally - the market for most of the wines is the bachelorette party limo. Most of the owners I talked to came right out and said as much. That has a few immediate results - the quality of the wine doesn’t really matter, to some degree the price of the wine doesn’t really matter either, and the tasting room staff doesn’t really have to know much about the wine.

The business model isn’t like Napa. Before Napa became a tourist destination, it was a wine-producing region. Mondavi initially started the tours, etc., as a way to market the wine. And because some of the wines became famous, people specifically want to go to those wineries. Look at the number of threads on this board asking for advice on getting in to here or there.

Temecula is interesting because the experience is the end in itself. It’s even more interesting when you consider that it’s a perfect illustration of whether critics matter or not. In Temecula, they simply don’t. All of the producers would like to get high scores from someone, but they don’t actually need to get those scores to sell their wines.

So you get a winery that produces Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv, and maybe a few other grapes all from their vineyard in warm, sunny Temecula. Maybe they throw in some Garnacha too.

That said, the producers aren’t at all dumb and while they’re making a living, they’re also interested in making better wine. In many cases they’re still figuring out what they have. What I found interesting, and very much applaud, is the willingness to plant any number of Italian varieties. One winery in particular, Cougar, is devoted completely to Italian grapes and has now started providing them to neighboring wineries. And his wines weren’t too bad at all. In fact, his Montepulciano was pretty good. There were a few other producers who made Sangiovese and who were experimenting with southern Italian grapes too.

Two days after tasting those wines I tasted through a few dozen wines with the Consorzio del Chianti and the Temecula wines would have held up. One thing to remember is that when you go to a retail shop, someone has already tasted through a number of wines and selected a producer to import. Most wine made in most regions just isn’t very good. At the tasting with the Consorzio, many of the wineries were looking for importers, and understandably so - they’d probably been passed over any number of times.

So if you approach Temecula in that frame of mind, not expecting every wine to be Hillside Select, it’s a more interesting trip IMO. And you allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised now and again. The remaining problem of course, is that when the wines were good, they’d be twice the price as something comparable from Italy.

Again, all the above is based on limited knowledge and tastings at a few wineries and subsequently around the region, so take it all with a grain of salt. I’m going back in a week or so since that’s where I’m storing my wine at the moment.

5

Thanks so much for the info! I think my friend will be happy just dropping in door to door as he enjoys good wine but isn’t into scores and appreciates finding interesting wines in out of the usual places.

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6

Don’t miss Thornton (nee Culbertson). With the new winemaker David Veregari there has been a big jump in quality.

7

You are showing your age Bob. I used to work with the Culbertson Winery back in the '80s and just loved their wines. I never understood with their (and later Thorntons) success that more people aren’t producing sparkling wines in Temecula.

8

Lots and lots of crap in Temecula

I’ve said it before, in Napa 85% of what you drink is very good, 15%… not so much

In my opinion, in Temecula the reverse is true.

That being said, there are gems… The 15%. Have your friend try Briar Rose. I came across it very much by accident and have been very pleased with their wines. Also try Falkner the last time I was in Temecula their Riesling was by far the surprise of the day… And yes, the visit was a friends birthday. She had a party bus full of people and has a lot of hot girlfriends. No way I was going to miss that day.

9

Check out Europa Village and Leonesse. Both have a decent Syrah

10

Yeah but those were two of the wineries that are lucky they get the bachelorettes. Their problem is that there’s a lot of really good Syrah in CA.

11

All of the Temecula wineries get the bachelorette crowd, I have to agree that it is more about that then great wine. As a “local” and wine lover, I can say that they have improved over the last decade. Obviously there are tons of great (and better) Syrah producers in CA. I’m not making a case that Temecula is the best appellation of said variety. OP was asking for suggestions and I stand behind those two. WIne Enthusiast gave Leonesse a 92 point sore recently, and not that it is a ringing endorsement, but it is recognition from the “mainstream” of a decent wine from the area. Much of the wine in temecula is purchased in the bulk market from other producers as un vinified juice or as finished wine that is re labeled at a substantial markup. It’s a fact of the area, not something to be proud of, but it is what it is. There are a few local guys getting increasingly better with the Italian and Spanish varieties. Gone are the days of cab and chard in temecula, but the Tempranillo Granacha montepulciano, etc is getting better. Maybe not there yet, maybe never will be, but at the very least the area is ever increasing their own standards.

12

We should include South Coast winery. Some really fine wines, esp the stuff from Wild Horse Peak. Twice they have won the Golden Bear Trophy from the Calif State Fair for the best wine of the competition.

13

None worth going to IMHO.

14

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…um, sorry, it’s just that “of note” and “Temecula” is just so funny.

15

We had a really infamous family Thanksgiving meal there 4-5 years ago. Infamous b/c of family, not the food or wine. FWIW we had a really good reserve Syrah or Cab from the Mt Palomar area. Wine had some good age on it and was varietally correct and easily enjoyable.

16

I went a few years ago and visited about 10 wineries. Almost all were suggested, either beforehand as favorites in general or in the area by the few tasting room employees who seemed to know something about wine and thought someone’s current releases were worth checking out. I was even able to taste at some place that’s usually appointment-only (so, no limo business) and was on the very short list of bests for two people in the area. After my visits, I came to the same conclusion.

17

I respectfully disagree… Been there, and I only found one wine that I even considered drinkable. I think they had 45 wines on their tasting list. Vast majority was terrible IMO

18

I nearly threw up after trying 3-4 wines at South Coast. I kept on, tried about 15 and the poor guy could sense I wasn’t feeling it and gratefully sped me through all of their wines.
They were the sweetest, but not supposed to be sweet, wines I’ve ever had for the varieties.

Some great posts already about Temecula and I enjoyed the read. I just think the area is fighting an uphill battle against the hot climate and the fact it’s already established as a party place, thus making the geeks not enjoy the experience as much with the rowdy crowds around. Too bad, it’s closer to me than the Santa Ynez valley but just not as beautiful of a drive to get to in my opinion. I continue to drive the extra hour or two to the Santa Barbara wine country.

19

Golf courses in the area are good.

20

There is potential there. Some of the best California Sauvignon Blanc I have ever had came out of the Temecula Valley, from the Callaway Winery back in the late 70s, early 80s.

I’ve also had a couple ‘no oak’ Chardonnays over the years that were surprisingly pleasant. I think the area is just too hot for most red varietals, but there is potential for some white grapes.