Tim Booth at Tobin James Cellars

To me, wine is so much more than the pleasure of taste and sensation. I enjoy the whole experience. My dad first introduced me to wines many years ago, and as a young adult, we enjoyed many fine wines together both from France and the Napa Valley. We had the good fortune of being friends with Milton and Barbara Eisele, owners of the famed Eisele Vineyards just east of Calistoga. Robert Parker called the 1975 Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyards Cabernet “the greatest California Cabernet I have ever drunk.”

I have enjoyed wine all of my adult life, but it was a few years ago when friends shared a bottle of 2005 Rombauer Zinfandel that my enjoyment of wine turned into a passion. My fiancee Laura and I both love a good glass of wine, but more than that we enjoy the camaraderie that comes with sharing good wine. Our many trips to Paso Robles have resulted in meeting many new friends, including Tim Booth (pictured above) and his wife Gail. We look forward to our visits to The Wine Company in Temecula, where we have met many new friends and discovered several incredible wines.

Locally, the Temecula Valley Wine Country is minutes away, and we’ve had the good fortune of meeting many of the local winemakers including Nick Palumbo, Steve Edwards, Les Linkogle, Todd Boorman and many others. Don’t get me wrong… I love the nose of a great wine and I certainly savor the flavors, but wine means so much more than that to me. Salut!

Dunning Vineyards Estate Winery

Palumbo Family WineryOak Mountain Winery