In the just over a year we’ve been publishing WINEormous, we’ve visited the Temecula Valley and Paso Robles extensively and have toured the Santa Ynez and Napa Valleys as well as the states of Washington, Texas, Idaho, Maryland, Virginia and Texas. We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface. Recently we visited Calaveras and Amador Counties on our way from Lodi back to Paso Robles. I’m already itching to go back.

Heading out of Lodi our first stop was at Twisted Oak Winery in Vallecito. Chris Johnston, owner/winemaker at Middle Ridge Winery said this was a stop we needed to make and Read more »

“Two episodes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill and American Dad.” Chris Johnston uses animated TV shows to measure how long it takes him to do his wine panels. He’s called the “Mad Scientist” for a good reason. He loves chemistry. He’s passionate about making wine and the proof is in the bottles from Middle Ridge Winery. You could ask him about the stains on the walls and ceilings of Read more »

Mike Rennie and Gary Winder are first and foremost farmers. Gary was farming citrus and avocados in the 70s and then began farming grapes. Mike owned a farming company with more than 400 acres of grapes. There were always overages that didn’t get harvested so “it made sense to open a winery.” Like many winery owners, making wine started innocently enough. “Slowly it developed to where we bottled some and people started to buy it. It kind of took on a life of its own.” Mike and Gary decided they’d try their hand at opening a winery.

When they decided to locate the winery on De Portola Road, more than a few eyebrows were raised. There were only two other wineries on the road at the time: Keyways and Filsinger. Keyways was open only occasionally; Filsinger was open on weekends only. Several owners of wineries on Rancho California Road told them Read more »

Bryan Cass & Blake "The Pourfessional" Ball

Lounge Six

It was a busy week for wine aficionados  in Southern California. Last Monday I went to San Diego to the beautiful Lounge Six at the Solamar Hotel in downtown for R & R Wine Marketing‘s Spring Portfolio Tasting. The weather was picture perfect and the views were awesome… Petco Park, the downtown skyline and the Pacific Ocean.

I was also introduced to some Read more »

Bob Olson & Mike Tingley

“If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be in Southern California as a winery owner I would have told you you were crazy!” Filsinger Winery was one of the first wineries in the Temecula Valley. William Doc Filsinger produced wines on the De Portola Wine Trail for nearly 30 years. Recently, Doc sold the property to Bob Olson and Filsinger Winery is being transformed into Danza del Sol. I met with Bob and his winemaker Mike Tingley recently, got a tour of the property and Read more »

We fixed breakfast at our retreat and were looking forward to the day ahead. Our friends Howard and Lynda Howell had arranged a visit to RN Estate for a visit and tasting with proprietor Roger Nicolas. Roger has a beautiful home at the end of a long driveway that rewards you with glorious vineyard views along the way. He’s a gracious man with a long history in the food business. A few years ago he shifted his focus to wine and we are the luckier for it.

Sebastian & Roger Nicolas

His Pinot Noirs are among the best I have ever tasted. He sources his grapes from the Santa Ynez Valley and then Read more »

I had never even heard of a Calçotada until a few weeks ago. Chef Frank Miller talked with me in detail about the famed Spanish festivals, where calçot onions are charred over coals and served with a Salsa Romesco.  Then lo and behold I read there was going to be a Calçotada at Palumbo Family Vineyards in Temecula. Laura and I drove up from the Family Winemakers of California’s tasting event in Del Mar and arrived at Palumbo around 4:00. It was a picture picture sunny afternoon and guests were on the patio clearly enjoying what Nick assures me will be an annual event.

Nick shows how it's done

Nick wanted to demonstrate the proper technique for consuming a calçot, tipping his head back and Read more »