CLANG-CLANG-CLANG WENT THE TROLLEY

I had seen the classic vehicle on the streets of Temecula for the past six months, usually in Old Town or parked at a winery on Rancho California or De Portola.  I thought it was a cute rental vehicle for private parties and put it on my “maybe someday” list.  That was until I met Amy Brewen, the vehicle’s owner and event planning mastermind behind Brewen’s Empire Trolley.

Amy is a woman on a mission to fill up the valley’s social calendar with exceptionally fun events and take the stress out of attending them.  Mr. WINEormous and I caught up with her this past week and hopped aboard for the premiere “underground night on the trolley.”  Passengers gathered at the first destination which on this tour was Read more »

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 »

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 »

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 »

Future site of Lorimar Winery's visitor center & tasting room

“I’ve got a song in my heart, and I want our visitors to have a song in their hearts when they spend time here.” Temecula’s newest winery, Lorimar, has a music note on several of its bottles. When I asked co-owner Mark Manfield why, that was the answer I received. Mark grew up in the bar and restaurant business, working in his dad’s restaurant in Kansas City, MO since he was nine years old. When he left college he took over the bar and remained in charge until they lost the family business they had owned since 1948 to eminent domain. Mark moved to California and got into real estate and Read more »