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Wines and Spirits
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Temecula—Where Everything Old Is New Again
Story by Norman E. Hill
Photos by Maralyn D. Hill
Even with 300+million population, the USA is so vast a country there are still fascinating areas that are relatively unknown to most other regions. One of these sites is the Temecula Valley and the town of Temecula in southwest Riverside County, California. “Temecula” means “sunshine through the mist” and was established way back in 1859. Riverside County has the highest number of boutique farms (specializing in farm to fork products) in the state.
Historically, in southern California, there have been numerous wineries, going back to Spanish missionaries. However, this production had not extended to Temecula.
In the Temecula area there are about 40 wineries, with the oldest winery going back to Callaway in 1974 and the oldest vineyard in 1968. The majority, however, have been established in the last 5 years. The county area is warmer than, say, Napa Valley. However, late afternoon summer breezes from the nearby Pacific help cool off the grapes. Nights are also cool. As a result, the entire Temecula Valley now produces about 16,000 to 22,000 cases of wine per year. Harvest time is usually from August through October. Wine sales are down somewhat, reflecting the economic downturn, but have shown signs of recovering.
Most Temecula winegrowers do not rely on distributors. Around 90% of production is sold either in local wine tasting rooms, the wineries themselves, or their respective clubs. A little may be sold through specialty shops, and the rest is online. Many of the newer, smaller vineyards use a virtual approach and a tasting room called “The Collective”, where the tasting of wines from numerous growers is possible.
Our IFWTWA press group was pleased to visit this area in May, 2010. What we found was interesting—no, make that fascinating--as well as informative. During our all too brief trip, we learned a great deal about wine and olive oil. Along the way, we had several great meals — including two winemaker dinners and one winemaker luncheon. Our generous hosts gave us a considerable wine inventory which we will enjoy over future periods.
From Sunday afternoon, May 16 through Wednesday afternoon, May 19, our schedule was full. At each location during this time, we had one especially noteworthy feature at each event. Each outstanding item did in fact vary among our group, depending on individual preferences, but there is no question about the existence of highlights.
Remembering our briefer stay in 2009, we were charmed again by residing at the Temecula Creek Inn. The Inn featured an outstanding scenic golf course, as well as many other attractions for guests. Some refurbishing was in process, to give its guest rooms a more Western theme, rather than Native American.
For me, some portions of our busy schedule are worth describing here. All of our meals on the schedule featured local wines for each course.
Our opening patio reception at the Inn featured the wines of Leonesse Cellars. As sometimes happens, its name is based on the names of two owners. Jason Curl, the General Manager of Temecula Creek Inn was our host.
Later, we bussed to Thornton Winery, one of the larger establishments in the Valley. First, we saw an outside cooking demonstration by the Executive Chef. He prepared tasty shrimp and risotto balls, accompanied by glasses of fine quality champagne.
The Chef alerted us to appropriate sayings posted in both washrooms. We confirmed as follows: In the men's room, attributed to Napoleon, “In victory, you desire champagne, in defeat, you need it. In the women's room: “Friends, wines, memories.” The men seemed to get the better, more memorable quote.
Later, we toured the “cave” area of Thornton. We listened to a talk by Don Reha, their winemaker. We had heard Don speak before, but, as usual, we were impressed by his knowledge of the winemaking process. Don even made even a discussion of barrels, French versus American versus various blends, into something interesting. Also, he reminded us French wines are named for regions, while their American competitors are named for the type of grape/s.
Reha pointed out that traditional corks are falling out of favor. They often become spoiled themselves and can ruin wine in bottles. Instead, newer synthetic corks, as well as metal screw tops, are becoming more and more common. The synthetic corks do allow some air to escape.
For our sit-down Thornton dinner, I was especially impressed by the opening salad course. Since salad generally is not a highlight for me, I was pleasantly surprised.
Early the next morning, our breakfast was at the charming Stone House on the Temecula Inn property. Decades ago, this house was used as a residence for mine workers. After breakfast, we took a tour around the property, winding up at the guest house, which is used for corporate retreats and also for a couple of the voters for Oscar Academy awards.
Baily's Restaurant featured a team-building cooking lesson by Christopher J. Baily, where we prepared ourselves the sauces and seasoning. Chris provided us each with an Aroma Wheel to help pair our dish to the wine. We could see the shrimp and chicken come to life. My favorite part of our preparation was one of the three sauces that was virtually the same as Thousand Island dressing, a favorite of mine.
Baily's has three floors of its restaurant, with the top one intended for fine dining. On weekends, they convert the bottom two floors and outside area into a nightclub, seating 400 to 500, which is doing well.
Our evening dinner was back at Temecula Creek Inn, courtesy of the Inn and Robert Renzoni Vineyards. Dessert was outstanding, Limoncello Panna Cotta, prepared somehow with gelatin. Renzoni described it as “milk,” but it was much, much more than that.
After breakfast the next morning, we visited Temecula Olive Oil Company Ranch. Thom Curry, the General Manager; his wife, Nancy, and Catherine Demuth-Pepe are the owners. The passion of Curry for olive oil, along with his considerable knowledge, were evident in his presentation. We learned about the incredible varieties of olive oil, ranging from tastes like citrus (blood orange) to garlic to mint. Olives are actually a fruit, kin to the cherry. Thom claimed that southern California is the world's best location for growing olives.
California has regulations on what can be labeled as the best olive oil, known as “extra virgin.” When this label is used in other countries, it can often be misleading about the true quality of the product.
Curry said it takes a crew of 6 to harvest their olive oil crop, with the season ranging from October to February (later than wine).
Ponte Winery for lunch, where it owner wants guests to enjoy a “total experience,” combining the winery, gardens, fine gift shop, and restaurant. We began with a tour of the premises and noted many families with children enjoying the gardens. In my opinion, the best part of our tour was seeing through the archway formed by nearby mountains, while standing by the fountain around noon. We could sense how the ocean breezes would sift through in the late afternoon and help to cool the grapes. Later, another key part of our total experience was luncheon dessert, noteworthy for its taste and presentation. Executive Chef, Clay Blake, did a terrific touch with his menu and Winemaker, Mark Schabel, paired the wines to perfection. Everyone at Ponte teamed up to provide a beautiful experience.
Next, we were off to Hart Winery. Hart Senior was one of the original winemakers in the Valley. His son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Christine Hart, were our hosts for the evening.
On our tour of the winery, Jim Hart gave us a lecture on the intricate structure of vines. They practice an approach known technically as “California spraw,” or “bilateral cordon.” They also use a technique known as “vertical shoot modified.”
Today, there are strict regulations on what pesticides can be used in vineyards. Hart uses a Bayer Chemical product called Admire which is applied by Drake Enterprises to control the insect pest known as “sharpshooters”. In the 1970s, insect invasions were so severe, there were predictions that Temecula wine production would not recover. Fortunately for all of us, it has.
The winery's good ol' dog, Bosco, 14 years old, was lame, but stayed with our group for dinner. He was an accomplished beggar, and some of us gave in to his pleading eyes for food.
We ate in the barrel room. Our meal consisted of traditional food: flat iron steak, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes, but what potatoes! This serving was some of the best I've had in decades. Dessert was a chocolate mousse accompanied by Aleatico. This varietal wine Hart makes in a port style and it was taken from the barrel to accompany the mousse. A delicious combination.
On our final day, we enjoyed breakfast at Pechanga, a reservation location featuring a resort, spa, nightclub, a ballroom with a 3,000 capacity, and casino. My order of stuffed French toast was outstanding. Maralyn and Brenda, two of those in our group, raved about their crab Benedict. We noted that the Chef in Journey's End Café features his award winning “Train Wreck Chile,”which we hope to enjoy at some future date.
On our tour of the Pechanga golf course, we observed a clever use of sharp inclines and ascents of terrain to blend into the course design.
Old Town Temecula was charming, not consistently Western, Mexican, or Native American, but old AND charming. A host of old buildings had been completely restored. Due to time limitations, we didn't get to the Temecula Museum, where Wendell Ott is historian.
At Tesoro Winery Tasting, our host, Buzz, greeted us with selections of wine and interesting conversation about the Temecula Old Town scene.
Then, at the Temecula Olive Oil Company (TOOC) shop in town, we took up where we had left off the day before. TOOC offers complimentary samples of its olive oils and vinegars in its tasting room, which is open daily. After more tastings, we ordered a dozen bottles of olive oil to ship. Unlike wine, there are no out-of-state restrictions on shipping
Our lunch was at Soro's Mediterranean Grill. Its owner, Papa Soro, and his son Dylan, greeted us greeted us warmly. Since we could not linger, all we ordered was hummus, listed as one of the appetizers. This turned out to be an excellent choice as we sat on the patio enjoying the surrounding town. When we return to Temecula Old Town, we intend to order the Grill's Saganaki.
When the Lorimar Wine Tasting Shop opened, we had time to sample some excellent wines there too.
Before we knew it, we had to return to Temecula Creek Inn, to check out and take our various shuttles to airports. It was a fast three nights, and we look forward to returning to Temecula, part of Southern California's wine country—where everything old is new again.
For More Information:
Major Sponsors:
Temecula Creek Inn
Temecula CVB
Kissam Consulting
Additional Hosts:
Baily's Restauran
Hart Winery
Leonesse Cellars
Lorimar Tasting Room
Pechyanga
Ponte Winery
Robert Renzoni Vineyard
Soro's Mediterranean Grill
Temecula Olive Oil Company
Tesoro Winery Tasting Room
Thornton Winery
© Story by Norman E. Hill
Photos by Maralyn D. Hill, 2010
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