“Desert rats”. The sand dunes 5 miles to the west of town offer months of fun for Quad riders, motorcyclists and dune buggy enthusiasts. For “River rats”, the Colorado River, 30 miles to the north offers a variety of water sports from waterskiing, inner tubing to sitting on a sand bar and watching the world go by.
Turns out I need not have worried. Yes, they lost the foot traffic at the old place but what they gained by moving uptown to 5th Avenue, just west of Balboa Park, more than makes up for the quaintness of the Gaslamp. The restaurant is beautifully appointed with a majestic, dark wooden bar that runs half the length of the building.
Les Pervenches delighted us with a Rose of Frontenac and Black Seyval. The berry of the Frontenac and the orange, honeycomb and strawberry flavors of the Black Seyval were a magical blend.
The tasting room is right on the Vermont border and hosted by a lively gentleman named Tex. He has been with the company since the start and brings lightness and humor to cider tasters. Just don’t ask him where his nickname comes from. Well, maybe you should.
“The secret is to be ahead of the curve and on top of our game,” says Gerry Cordiano. “All of our vineyards are young. As they grow and mature, we will be better than Napa/Sonoma and Paso Robles. Our soil is harsher here. That makes for stronger more flavorful grapes.”
The Grand Tasting , the a culmination of a weeklong city-wide event focusing on engaging, educational and unique winemaker panels and testing seminars, was held at Windfall Farms, a 724-acre thoroughbred horse farm east of Paso Robles. The farm has a Kentucky- style feel with white walls, red brick and steeples.
The Grand Tasting is the finale of a 7–day epicurean delight—a food and wine (and this year beer) lover’s paradise, that showcases 170 wine and spirit purveyors and 70 of San Diego’s top chefs. Temecula wines were well represented. Callaway Winery, South Coast Winery, Wilson Creek Winery and Danza del Sol Winery and Europa Village were showcasing some of their latest releases.
